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Some of them took less money to return to Winnipeg — including Jefferson and Couture — which says a lot about the work Walters, CEO Wade Miller and head coach Mike O’Shea have done to make the Bombers an attractive organization.

“That’s the type of organization you want, where the culture is there and the players want to stay,” Walters said during a press conference on Tuesday.

“Certainly, winning the Grey Cup helps, obviously. We’ve had the culture and the good team environment and now you add a Grey Cup championship on top of that, it just builds to what we’re trying to do here.

“We want guys to stay and be part of this and you’re seeing that. Guys are choosing to come back, versus leave, which feels good organizationally that the players want to keep building on this and try to go get another Grey Cup next year.”

Walters has been general manager of the Bombers since 2013 and has been the chief architect responsible for taking a team that was 3-15 in his first season to a team that made the playoffs the last four years and finally ended a 28-year Grey Cup drought last November.

He was rewarded with a three-year contract extension after the season that will keep him with the team through at least 2023 and he has shown Miller and the Bombers board of governors that they made a good move.

The 46-year-old former CFL defensive back from St. Thomas. Ont., was already doing a fine job before this year.

Among his free-agent signings prior to this year were running back Andrew Harris, who has won three straight league rushing titles, Bryant, who has twice been named the CFL’s most outstanding offensive lineman, linebacker Adam Bighill, who was the most outstanding defensive player in 2018 and Jefferson.