And while so many have been quick to convict the new Bomber head coach of manslaughter on last year's outfit, there is also a large camp which has wholeheartedly justified his makeover.

So which is it? Kelly's Heroes or Kelly's Zeroes?

Well, following Thursday's final-roster declaration, a quick analysis says this is a team with a dominant defensive front seven, a solid-if-not-quite-cohesive-yet O-line and enough offensive weaponry to run and gun with anybody. But it's also an outfit with some big-time question marks at key positions like quarterback, in the secondary and on special teams.

Today we take a deeper look, position by position, at the '09 Bombers with the regular season opening in six days:

QUARTERBACKS

Starter: Stefan LeFors.

Reserves: Bryan Randall; Richie Williams.

Key stat: 10 -- The number of CFL starts, combined, for the three Bomber pivots. LeFors started five games for the Eskimos in '07 as a rookie when Ricky Ray was hurt; Williams made five starts over three years in Hamilton.

Analysis: Let's be honest here, anybody who insists they know how this is going to pan out -- including the head coach -- is really just guessing right now. That said, we're already on record as saying this trio has enormous upside. Every QB needs someone in a headset to believe in him and LeFors is getting that chance from Kelly right now. Williams is the 'experienced' safety net, but Randall might just be the most-intriguing QB prospect in the entire league. Collectively, though, they're like this team: a bit of a mystery.

OFFENCE

THE O-LINE

Starters: LT Steve Morley; LG Brendon LaBatte; C Obby Khan; RG Kelly Bates: RT Glenn January.

Reserves: Ryan Donnelly; Lorne Plante; Luke Fritz; Thaddeus Coleman.

Key stat: 2-1-2-3 -- The ranking, over the past four seasons, of the Bomber O-line in terms of quarterback sacks allowed -- an average of 30.5 per year.

Analysis: So much concern over the winter, and rightfully so, about the departures of tackles Alex Gauthier and Dan Goodspeed (Hamilton), centre Dominic Picard (Toronto) and guard Kyle Koch (Edmonton) along with respected O-line coach Bob Wylie. But Morley, Bates, January and Fritz are proven replacements, as is coach Charlie Capenter. Relax, people, this crew will be solid.

RUNNING BACKS

Starters: Fred Reid, Lavarus Giles.

Reserves: Jon Oosterhuis, Daryl Stephenson, Yvenson Bernard.

Key stat: 7.0 -- The average yards per carry for Reid last season after Charles Roberts was traded. Only B.C.'s Stefan Logan (7.3 yards; now with Pittsburgh) had a juicier total among backs with 100 or more carries.

Analysis: For the first time in eight years the Bombers will open a season without Charles Roberts setting up in the backfield. The future hall of famer is out of football right now, but the club has done a solid job of compiling candidates to replace him. Reid could put up gaudy numbers in a full campaign; Giles is an imposing physical specimen and Bernard could probably start for a couple of CFL teams right now, given the injuries across the league.

RECEIVERS

Starters: WR Derick Armstrong; SB Terrence Edwards; SB Romby Bryant; SB Brock Ralph; WR Adarius Bowman.

Reserves: Arjei Franklin; Aaron Hargreaves.

Key stat: 3/2 -- The Bombers had three 1,000-yard receivers last season (Bryant, Edwards, Armstrong) after also having three pass-catches go over the 1K mark in 2007 (Armstrong, Edwards and Milt Stegall). That's just the second time in Bomber history three receivers have eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in back-to-back campaigns. The last time it happened? Try 1986-87 - James Murphy, Perry Tuttle and Joe Poplawski followed by Murphy, Tuttle and Jeff Boyd.

Analysis: As good as any receiving corps in the CFL. The additions of Bowman and Ralph provide two more outstanding weapons.

DEFENCE

THE D-LINE

Starters: DE Gavin Walls; DT Doug Brown; DT Tyrone Williams (inj.); DE Fred Perry.

Reserves: Riall Johnson; Don Oramasionwu; Shawn Mayne; Dorian Smith; Montez Murphy.

Key stat: 183 -- The career sack totals, combined, for Walls (41), Brown (38), Perry (57), Williams (27) and Johnson (20). Translation: they've put a big-time hurt on a lot of QBs. Both Walls and Brown are poised to move into elite company: Tyrone Jones is the Bombers' all-time sack leader at 98, followed by Tony Norman at 69. Both Walls and Tom Canada are third overall at 41.

Analysis: They'll get after people and arrive in a nasty mood. We thought last year's crew -- which featured Walls, Brown and the departed Canada and Jerome Haywood -- was solid, but this outfit trumps that and then some.

LINEBACKERS

Starters: Barrin Simpson; Joe Lobendahn; Ike Charlton, Siddeeq Shabazz (injured)

Reserves: Jonathan Hefney (also a DB); Neil McKinlay; Pierre-Luc Labbe; Jasper Johnson.

Key stat: 30 -- Games lost to injury last year by Simpson (14), Lobendahn (10) and Charlton (6). Shabazz will practice Sunday to see if he can go next week, but this corps may already be down a man for the opener.

Analysis: Given the stat listed above, the Bomber LBs need to stay out of sick bay. If they can, they'll be an outstanding group and will benefit from a bigger D-line in front of them. Newcomers Hefney and Johnson provide excellent depth.

THE SECONDARY

Starters: CB Keyuo Craver, HB Lenny Walls; S Ian Logan; HB Jonathan Hefney; CB: Jovon Johnson.

Reserves: James Johnson (inj); Brandon Stewart; Brady Browne; Shawn Gallant; Steven Holness.

Key stat: 48 -- We'll keep trotting out this total until somebody comes close to besting it. In 1990, the last time Winnipeg won a Grey Cup, the Bomber defence set a CFL record that still stands with 48 interceptions. Over the last three years the Bombers have had 35 total. Hello.

Analysis: We like the athleticism and aggressiveness of this made-over outfit, but they'll be tossed to the wolves -- lathered in BBQ sauce -- in facing Ricky Ray in the opener and Henry Burris in Week 2.

THE SPECIALISTS

Kicker: Alexis Serna.

Punter: Mike Renaud.

Returners: Fred Reid, Lavarus Giles, Arjei Franklin, Jovon Johnson.

Long snapper: Chris Cvetkovic; Holder: Aaron Hargreaves.

Key stat: 66.7 -- Serna's field-goal percentage a year ago, worst in the CFL. Dig a little deeper, however, and you discover just how streaky he was as a rookie -- he made his first six tries, then went 9-16 over the next few games, hit six of his next seven, struggled on two of his next seven and then finished the year going 10 of 11. If Serna was a stock a year ago, his shareholders would have been suicidal.

Analysis: The Bombers have their fingers crossed the Serna that finished '08 and kicked well in the preseason is the hoofer they get this year. A bigger concern may be who emerges as the return threat. Consider that B.C.'s Ian Smart touched the ball 159 times in punt and kickoff returns last year -- that's a whole lot of touches to be unsure of heading into a campaign.

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca.

lawless: rookies 'on job interview all year' D4

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 27, 2009 D3