Field of drought-ending dreams Blue Bombers open training camp looking to fill key roster spots, find elusive combination to deliver first championship since 1990 By: Jeff Hamilton Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Friday, May. 17, 2019

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/05/2019 (2053 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was another disappointing end to another promising season for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, ending frustratingly short of the target in a West final loss to the Calgary Stampeders.

The Stampeders advanced to their third-straight Grey Cup appearance and were later crowned champions, while the Bombers, left licking their wounds, entered another extended off-season knowing the same group wouldn’t be back in 2019.

Well, here we are, on the eve of another training camp and Winnipeg, much like the other eight teams that make up the Canadian Football League, has added and subtracted to its roster in the hope of finding the perfect championship mix. The Bombers have upgraded in some areas, while questions remain in others, and there are several starting roles up for grabs.

Important decisions will need to be made before the season opens in earnest June 15 on the road against the B.C. Lions. And it will be the work put in during camp — including two pre-season games — over the next three weeks that will ultimately lead to answers and, the hope is, the formation of a roster that will prevent the team’s Grey Cup drought from entering a fourth decade.

In this training camp preview we flush out some the toughest positional battles and identify key names that fans will want to keep an eye on.

SHUFFLE ON THE O-LINE

Winnipeg will have three returning starters on the offensive line, including Canadian left guard Patrick Neufeld and tackles Stanley Bryant and Jermarcus Hardrick, both of whom are American.

Bryant is coming off his second-consecutive title as the CFL’s top O-lineman and Neufeld was able to stay healthy for the year and was considered among the group’s best players last season. Hardrick has also earned all-star consideration over his time in the CFL.

But there is no denying the loss of centre Matthias Goossen (retirement) and right guard Sukh Chungh (free agency) has left a giant hole — literally and figuratively — in the O-line.

Replacing two all star-calibre players in Goossen and Chungh on a front-five that opened lanes for running back Andrew Harris to claim back-to-back rushing titles and quarterback Matt Nichols to lead the league’s highest-scoring offence will be tough. But the Bombers believe the answers are in house, with several hopefuls fighting for playing time.

Michael Couture, the Bombers’ 10th overall pick in 2016, is the front-runner to take over for Goossen. It’s not a slam-dunk, however; Cody Speller, an undrafted free agent who spent the entire 2018 campaign in Winnipeg, is also being strongly considered.

The Bombers still need to decide whether they’re going to adjust the Canadian ratio — teams must start a combined seven Canadians on offence and defence — and that could mean a reduction from four to three Canadians on the O-line. If that’s the case, it will be Manase Foketi that gets the call. Foketi has collected a game cheque every week the last two seasons, despite playing in just five contests since joining the club in 2016.

If Winnipeg goes with three Canadians up front, it will only be if the team believes Winnipegger Geoff Gray — the club’s No. 8 pick in 2017 — is ready for prime time. Speller could also steal the job at right guard. Drew Desjarlais, the No. 4 pick this year, or Asotui Eli, a fifth-round pick out of the University of Hawaii, are longshots who could also surprise the coaching staff.

WANTED: BREAKOUT RECEIVER

When the Bombers signed veteran receiver Chris Matthews to a three-year deal earlier this month, they addressed what had been a major need for general manager Kyle Walters, who promised to add another high-end pass-catcher over the off-season. Matthews, who was a star with Winnipeg when he first joined the CFL in 2012 and won the league’s rookie of the year honour, certainly delivers on that pledge.

But while Matthews joins Darvin Adams and Canadians Nic Demski and Drew Wolitarsky on the starting rotation, there’s still one more spot to fill.

The scouting staff have struggled for years to find a breakout receiver from the U.S., and there are a few names they looking to in 2019. The early edge belongs to Corey Washington, if only because he was with the team last season and will have a better feel of Paul LaPolice’s offence.

It’s still unclear whether Kenbrell Thompkins will be at camp. Thompkins finished the 2018 season as the team’s fifth receiver but the Bombers don’t know whether he plans to return for another year; his name is, at least for the time being, on the roster. Charles Nelson has also returned, and has showed well in rookie camp.

It’s always foolish to predict future success of any new player to the CFL, but the Bombers are high on several free-agent signings. Rasheed Bailey, who has spent the last few years in the NFL, most recently with the Carolina Panthers, is at the top of the list. Other names to keep an eye on include Matt Hazel, Kenny Lawler, Tim Wilson and Lucky Whitehead.

There is also potential to start three Canadian receivers, though that seems unlikely. If the Bombers go in this direction, it will likely be Rashaun Simonise lining up on the outside with Daniel Petermann – both were draft picks last year.

THE SECONDARY A PRIMARY BATTLE GROUND

The area with the most turnover is in the secondary.

The Bombers offloaded a few starters from last year, beginning with the release of veteran corner Chris Randle in January. Safety Taylor Loffler, who was a league all-star in all three of his seasons in Winnipeg, signed with Montreal in free agency and Kevin Fogg went to Toronto.

There’s a reason, then, why there are 23 defensive backs in camp, as the Bombers want to stir up as much competition as possible in order to find the right mix.

Marcus Sayles and Brandon Alexander, the two mainstays returning from last season, will line up at the halfback positions, with Sayles patrolling the boundary side. Anthony Gaitor is expected to resume his roll at strong-side linebacker and Derek Jones, now in his sixth season with the Bombers, is expected to fill in for Loffler.

The Bombers signed former B.C. Lion Winston Rose in the off-season, and have him pencilled in at field-side corner. The boundary corner spot is currently Chris Humes’ job to lose, though there will be some heady competition looking to take both his place and Rose’s.

Included in that group is Malik Boynton, who dabbled in the NFL and was most recently with the Memphis Express of the now-defunct Alliance of American Football. Other standouts from rookie camp include Tyneil Cooper and Amari Coleman.

AN ALL-AMERICAN FRONT SEVEN?

Middle linebacker Adam Bighill, the Bombers’ defensive heart and soul is back, under contract through the 2021 season.

A familiar face in Gaitor, who will play the strong side, joins Bighill as a starting linebacker but he’ll be without close friend Jovan Santos-Knox, who jetted to Edmonton as a free agent after his rookie contract expired last season.

Kyrie Wilson is expected to fill in at weak side — a role he took over late last season when Santos-Knox was ruled out of the playoffs with an injured leg. Nick Temple, who was with the Bombers in 2017 and was in contention to start at middle linebacker, could also make things interesting.

The Bombers are currently mulling over whether they want to put a Canadian on the defensive line. That will likely be the case if they decide to play three Americans on the O-line, meaning Jake Thomas would be leaned on to start at defensive tackle.

Jonathan Kongbo, this year’s fifth-overall pick, signed a last-minute deal ahead of camp, but after suffering a torn ACL and MCL last October, isn’t expected to be ready until late June. The Bombers fourth-round pick, Connor Griffiths, could provide reliable depth.

If Winnipeg doesn’t go with a Canadian on the D-line, it would make for an all-American front seven. Already with arguably the league’s top trio of pass rushers in defensive ends Willie Jefferson, the Bombers biggest free-agent signing, Jackson Jeffcoat and Craig Roh, an interior that could also include Drake Nevis and Brandin Bryant would certainly create nightmares for opposing quarterbacks.

THE RETURN GAME

Walters has already said he plans to use a designated import to help boost the return game, which means that he prefers someone who won’t be a starter and therefore can focus solely on his craft as a returner.

The Bombers will look to someone new after the departures of Fogg and Ryan Lankford, a duo that handled the punt and kickoff return duties, respectively, last season but are now with other teams. Demski, who did spot duty as a returner, isn’t expected to shoulder the load this year but could be used in a pinch.

There are two favourites at the moment — Whitehead and Nelson — with Whitehead perhaps being the most intriguing of the two. Though Nelson flashed in the regular-season finale last season, including a combined 123 yards on five kickoff returns, it’s Whitehead, one can argue, who has the greatest potential.

He played in 30 games for the Dallas Cowboys between the 2015 and 2016 seasons, with his greatest contributions coming as a returner. He was most recently with the New York Jets but injuries — as well as a bizarre case of mistaken identity — derailed his shot at sticking with the club.

Winnipeg is hoping one or both will help reverse the fortunes from last season, when the team struggled to obtain strong field position. It will likely take a standout performance during the pre-season to determine a winner.

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

twitter: @jeffkhamilton

Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer

After a slew of injuries playing hockey that included breaks to the wrist, arm, and collar bone; a tear of the medial collateral ligament in both knees; as well as a collapsed lung, Jeff figured it was a good idea to take his interest in sports off the ice and in to the classroom.

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