Jamie Nye: The ‘Winnipeg Way’ continues to work for Bombers

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are already well on their way to the extremely rare three-peat as CFL champs. Clearly it may just be something in the water being delivered by head coach Mike O’Shea.

They’ve re-signed their key defensive ends in Jackson Jeffcoat and Willie Jefferson. They’ve started to lock up their beefy offensive line with Jermarcus Hardrick.

And this with the pull for Willie Jefferson to rejoin Chris Jones with the Edmonton Elks. One of the main reasons Jefferson left Saskatchewan was that Jones was gone. He says he would have been back. Now, Mike O’Shea is doing, saying and motivating the right way.

‘Culture’ is the most popular word we heard during Grey Cup week. But the proof of that culture and that family is so far being told in free agency. You can take an extra few thousand dollars to move elsewhere, but why leave a place you love?

It’s still unlikely the Bombers can sign all their key free agents. They’re all due raises. But when you have players willing to sign for less, it means the Bombers will be able to keep a lot more in blue and gold than the rest of the CFL would like.