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TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS archives Clint Kent is not to be confused with Clark Kent says Blue management, and they will survive without the linebacker.

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Let the second-guessing begin.

The Blue Bombers made their final 12 cuts to the roster Friday, with the biggest slice coming at the linebacker position. Clint Kent, a popular player in the locker-room and an unsung leader inside the Bombers defence, was released after the club deemed his services expendable thanks to the influx of new talent in the secondary.

The 28-year-old veteran has been with the club since the 2010 campaign, earning his spot on the team as a defensive back before switching to the strong-side linebacker position later that year. A team captain last season (his second with the Bombers), Kent registered 68 total tackles, a career-high four sacks and three pass knockdowns.

The move was met with surprise from fans, players and followers of the club. Over the winter, Winnipeg management promised a slew of new defensive backs to compete for jobs in training camp after a number of players openly questioned the direction of the team.

Who would have thought it would be Kent that would get squeezed?

"To me, this was the best camp I ever had," Kent said Friday, moments after being let go. "Put on the film of the last two weeks and you'll see that. I'm locking up everything in front of me and no one is getting behind me. It's a crazy business, though. Even Peyton Manning got cut, and he's the best to ever throw it.

"It's just really shocking," he added. "I didn't really play much in the two pre-season games; I was told I was being held out to avoid injury. They said they didn't want me to get hurt.

"That's why this is so crazy. Part of the business... the bad part."

Kent says he'll explore what playing possibilities are out there before deciding what to do.

From the Bombers' end, the move is a byproduct of the competitiveness of training camp, as Kent, while a good player and a quiet leader, was a half step slower than some of the other players, the team says. The play of rookies Demond Washington and Darrell Pasco, along with the presence of backups Deon Beasley and Johnny Sears, forced the coaching staff to look at where they could fit those pieces into the roster.

That put Kent on the endangered list, head coach Paul LaPolice told reporters Friday.

"Some of the other guys, when they had opportunity in games they made a tremendous amount of plays," he said, adding Kent's age wasn't a factor in the decision. "We felt a change could help us."

When a popular and respected player in the locker-room gets moved there's bound to be some reaction, and members of the Bombers defence -- never shy to voice their opinion, despite warnings from management -- took to social media to express their shock.

Some made a point of saying they weren't going to say anything, while those that did react publicly took a careful approach.

Safety Ian Logan (@ianlogan31) summed up a defence in disbelief on Twitter Friday morning: "At a loss for words. WOW. #WTF."

LaPolice wasn't too concerned with how the other players were reacting to the Kent dismissal.

"We can't live in that world," he said. "You have to make the decisions you think are best."

And who takes over at strong-side linebacker now?

"You've seen 'em practising. We have a number of guys."

The candidates include defensive backs Jonathan Hefney, Brandon Stewart and Sears leading the way. Hefney indicated Friday that he wasn't moving into Kent's spot, so cross his name off the list.

Inexperienced linebacker Dustin Doe is also a possibility, though with the job description calling for pass coverage first, he figures to be a longshot.

Winnipeg has 54 players left and must declare its 46-man roster by 9 p.m. tonight, meaning eight players will likely start the season on the injured list.

The club is also required to name its practice roster today. CFL teams can put up to seven players on the practice squad.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @wazoowazny

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 23, 2012 C6