Ellingson proves doubters wrong Bombers off-season signing leading CFL in receptions, yards By: Taylor Allen Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Tuesday, Jul. 19, 2022

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This article was published 18/07/2022 (793 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With Kenny Lawler departing to Edmonton, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers needed a new No. 1 receiver for quarterback Zach Collaros.

They went out and signed an eight-year CFL vet in Greg Ellingson, who was coming off of an average season with the Elks. It was considered a strong signing by the Blue and Gold, but people weren’t so sure the 33-year-old had enough left in the tank to fill the massive shoes left by Lawler and be the team’s go-to target.

That narrative sure looks silly now as Ellingson has been nothing short of brilliant for the Bombers through six games.

He caught 11 passes for 152 yards in Friday’s 26-19 home victory over the Calgary Stampeders and was named a CFL Top Performer for Week 6. Ellingson, who hails from Tampa, Fla., leads the CFL in receptions (34) and receiving yards (518).

“You’re always going to have doubters, people saying you shouldn’t have won this game or shouldn’t have done that,” Ellingson said after Tuesday’s practice at IG Field.

“But you go out there to win for the guys that are on the field and then you also win to kind of silence those haters.”

“You’re always going to have doubters, people saying you shouldn’t have won this game or shouldn’t have done that… But you go out there to win for the guys that are on the field.” – Greg Ellingson

It’s not just Ellingson’s numbers, it’s how he’s doing it. Seven of his catches on Friday were second down conversions. And they weren’t easy catches, either, as Ellingson made numerous highlight-reel grabs near the sidelines against the Stamps. He’ll have a chance to do it this week against his former team, and Lawler, as the Bombers play the Elks on Friday at Commonwealth Stadium.

“It’s nice to get the honour from the CFL, but we’re on to Edmonton this week. You can’t really look back and spend too much time on those things,” Ellingson said.

“But definitely something I can be proud about. And also I appreciate the guys on this team. The offensive line for protecting, and Zach for going out there and killing it every week. He makes it pretty easy to have a game like that.”

Despite Ellingson’s dominance, the Bombers have enjoyed big performances from other receivers this season such as Dalton Schoen and most recently, Carlton Agudosi and his two touchdowns in his CFL debut last week. But surprisingly, third-year Bomber Rasheed Bailey hasn’t been a factor at all. The 28-year-old from Philadelphia was one of the names expected to challenge for Lawler’s spot as Bailey showed flashes last year that he could have what it takes to be an all-star in this league. But the flashes have been few and far between in 2022. In the last four weeks, Bailey has just seven catches for 44 yards. Against Calgary, Bailey had two catches for five yards.

“It does get to you sometimes. I pride myself on being one of the spirits, one of the leaders of the team. And I do want it. If you don’t want it, you shouldn’t be out there,” Bailey said.

“It’s Week 6. I have a great foundation around me. Family, friends, teammates. Everybody’s talking to me and letting me know that it’s coming. And I know it’s coming. And when it does, they say when it comes, it comes in bunches.”

Bailey did most of his work in the slot last year and now finds himself playing out wide. He admits it’s been a bit of an adjustment, but his confidence hasn’t wavered. He said it over and over again on Tuesday: his time is coming.

“I feel like sometimes when you’re going through things, you start to blame yourself. You start to go through things and go ‘Ah, is it me?’ I’ve been a victim of it, but at the same time, this is a team sport. I had a lot of self-reflecting this past weekend and the overall goal and mission is to win a Grey Cup,” said Bailey, who had 629 yards and five touchdowns in 2021.

“I feel like sometimes when you’re going through things, you start to blame yourself… I had a lot of self-reflecting this past weekend and the overall goal and mission is to win a Grey Cup.” – Rasheed Bailey

“The individual stuff happens. The one thing coach O’Shea always preaches, he always talks about putting your ego aside for the team. Your personal goals, all those things, all that goes out the window as soon as you step on the field. So for me, it’s like those great things will happen. They’re coming and I’m excited for it. I can’t wait for the fans to see it, for me to feel it, and for us to all enjoy it.”

And while numbers never lie, head coach Mike O’Shea is quick to remind you that they also don’t tell the whole story.

“Anytime you look at an offensive player when there’s only one football to spread around, you can’t just look at production as the be-all, end-all of what they do. Sometimes those stats don’t tell the truth, right? We ask (Bailey) to do a lot of blocking around the box. He runs hard every play, he gets guys open by how hard he works during the play. Sometimes the guy who catches the ball just benefits from guys working hard around him. Rasheed’s one of those guys who works extremely hard.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31