Blue Bomber Report Record: 6–12–0
Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Burke eyes new blood for Bombers; won't say when
Help might soon be on the way.
Bombers Head Coach Tim Burke and General Manager Joe Mack had a lengthy and animated discussion on the field at Canad Inns Stadium during practice on Wednesday, the second time in as many days that Burke and Mack have met together.
On Tuesday, Burke told reporters the two men didn't discuss anything "important." But asked following practice what Wednesday’s discussion was about, Burke got right to the point.
"We were just talking about possibly bringing some players in... Not in time for this week -- just in the future," said Burke, after a cold and brutally windy two-hour practice, the last full practice the club will have this week before they face the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at home this Friday evening.
But asked what areas of his 2-9 team the club is considering airlifting in some help, Burke clammed up.
"I’d rather not say," Burke replied.
Burke did expand on his answer a little later in his media availability, however. Asked if he was considering bringing in any help for his coaching staff, Burke said he might, but it wouldn't be an actual coach.
"We talked about it, but right now there’s nobody available that you would want to have on your staff that we know... But we might look to bring in a consultant who’s got CFL experience."
While not specifying what kind of consultant they’re considering, it’s hardly a secret that the Bombers offence hasn’t scored a touchdown in over three games and that CFL rookie offensive coordinator Gary Crowton has struggled mightily to find any traction on offence this season.
Meanwhile, Bombers linebacker Jovon Johnson was unusually frank in his comments to the media following practice on Wednesday.
A sampling from Johnson:
- On the recent blowouts: "We assembled a team to come here to win and it just seems like we have no fire. I don’t know what the reason is, but guys need to start getting it together. This is a business and everyone’s job is on the line and we know that for sure."
- On frustrations he and other teammates expressed on Twitter last winter with the team’s direction and failure to re-sign some key veterans from last year’s team: "Going to the Grey Cup with the team that we had and then we let a lot of guys go. Guys were more in disbelief that we let that happen. I think that the best way to win and win championships is to keep a consistent team, a team built around each other that has chemistry. And that's what we had and that’s what we’re lacking right now."
- On the club’s decision to cut former SAM linebacker Clint Kent out of training camp: "He’s a smart guy and he knew the defence inside and out. And it shows. That’s why we had three different guys playing in his spot, trying to make up for the things that we lost with him."
- On whether his comments should be interpreted as a criticism of the team’s general manager: "That has nothing to do with criticizing the GM. My comments were -- I feel in my heart that in order to constantly win games and go to championships, you have to have chemistry. And we don’t have that right now."
FIELDNOTES -- Defensive backs Brandon Stewart and Alex Suber both returned to practice on Wednesday, as did slotback Terrence Edwards and tailback Chad Simpson... Receivers coach Markus Howell gathered the offence mid-practice and lit them up for dropping so many passes during practice... Conditions were bitter on Wednesday, which might explain some of the lack of execution -- and not just on offence. But it was the same story on Tuesday too, when the weather was better.
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Blue Bombers axe Green, Matechuk and Yenga
1:00 AM 0THE Winnipeg Blue Bombers have trimmed their roster just over one week before the opening of training camp.
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