Bombers processing Grey Cup loss

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This article was published 21/11/2022 (765 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Locker clean-up day hit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers hard on Tuesday.

The unenviable task came two days after Winnipeg fell to the Toronto Argonauts in Sunday’s 109th Grey Cup at Regina’s Mosaic Stadium.

The Bombers made the long trek home Monday and packed up their belongings a day later at IG Field, putting the final stamp on a 2022 CFL season that began with so much promise, only to end in heartbreak.

Several players were still in disbelief — shocked by what had transpired — as the underdog Argonauts rallied late in the fourth quarter to squeeze out a 24-23 victory and spoil Winnipeg’s bid for a third consecutive league title.

“It’s crazy, because I still feel like we have a chance to go out there and be champions,” Bombers receiver Nic Demski told the Free Press. “It still hasn’t settled in that we’re in second place; as much as I say it out loud, it just hasn’t fully set in.”

Players were encouraged by head coach Mike O’Shea to watch the game film, to learn from their mistakes, with some still needing time to start that difficult process. Others went through it almost immediately after the loss, including all-star offensive lineman Patrick Neufeld, who said he wouldn’t have been able to fall asleep that night had he not.

For good measure, he went through it again Monday night.

“I’ve probably watched it four or five times,” Neufeld said. “That’s the reality of what happened, and the proof is in the pudding: Toronto played better than us.”

While there will be plenty to dwell on in the coming days, weeks and months, there’s also much work to get done as the focus shifts to the future. As is the case after every season for every team in the CFL, the Bombers have a long list of pending free agents, several of whom have been key pieces in the club’s success the last few years.

CFL free agency opens in early February.

On offence, Winnipeg has already locked up its leader — two-time most outstanding player, quarterback Zach Collaros, who inked a three-year extension last month. Running back Brady Oliveira, fresh off a 1,000-yard season in his first year as a starter, is also inked for 2023, as well as starting offensive lineman Geoff Gray and receivers Drew Wolitarsky and Dalton Schoen — assuming Schoen doesn’t sign in the NFL after leading the CFL in yards and touchdowns as a rookie.

That leaves several notable players on expiring contracts, including four starting offensive linemen in Stanley Bryant (who was named the league’s 2022 most outstanding O-lineman for a fourth time), all-stars Jermarcus Hardrick and Neufeld, and reliable centre Michael Couture. Receivers Rasheed Bailey and Demski are both coming off career years and need new deals, and it’s the same for Greg Ellingson along with Janarion Grant, the league’s most electrifying return man.

“I’d love to come back here, but at the end of the day, it’s the CFL and you never really know what happens,” Demski said. “We’ve had a lot of guys that have come back and that have been leaders on this team and, obviously, we’ve had a lot of good results the past couple of years. I do think other teams will try to make pushes for some players in this locker room.”

Just as daunting is the list of defensive players still in need of new contracts.

While the Bombers look stable in the secondary, with defensive backs Deatrick Nichols, Brandon Alexander, Demerio Houston and Jamal Parker under wraps for another year, there are still some big names that need to be signed. Defensive ends Willie Jefferson and Jackson Jeffcoat and middle linebacker Adam Bighill are atop the pending free-agent list, with linebacker Kyrie Wilson, veteran defensive tackle Jake Thomas and D-lineman Casey Sayles also up for an extension.

“It’s in the works, for sure,” Jefferson said, when asked by the Free Press if he wanted to return to the Bombers. Jefferson moved his family to Winnipeg this past season and now calls the city home. “I don’t plan on leaving no time soon, so hopefully we will work something out.”

Grant, who returned a league-best five touchdowns this season, including one each in the West Final and Grey Cup, would be the top priority as far as special-teams players go, along with re-signing veterans Mike Miller, Shayne Gauthier and Jesse Briggs. Marc Liegghio is still under contract, but after an inconsistent season, particularly as the place kicker, it’s likely the Bombers brass might be exploring their options.

“Because of the culture that’s been built by this organization, it’s winning tradition, guys want to come back, they want to play for Mike O’Shea,” Oliveira said. “We know we can continue this thing and make another run next year and I strongly believe we’ll be another contender next year.”

Speaking of O’Shea, he, too, needs a new deal.

The Bombers were in the same situation at the end of 2019, after O’Shea guided the Bombers to their first Grey Cup win in 29 years, resulting in a new three-year deal being reached. This time around O’Shea will enter negotiations with two more trips to the Grey Cup, including a league title in 2021.

“He’s the biggest piece,” Collaros said when asked how important O’Shea was to the Bombers’ success, adding he has zero doubt a new deal will get done.

Collaros would like to see the entire roster back in 2023. The Bombers quarterback and highest-paid player is also reluctant to apply pressure, understanding each individual has to do what’s best for their families.

“I’ll stay in touch with people just because they’re my friends. I think that we all understand the love that we have for each other,” Collaros said. “If I’m asked to give a sales pitch, I don’t think I have to. This organization speaks for itself. The guys in the locker room are enough of a sales pitch. I know a lot of guys want to be here, so I don’t got to say much.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton