Enlarge Image

Don Healy / postmedia news archives Andy Fantuz appears to be on his way out of Saskatchewan. Is Winnipeg a potential landing spot for the pending free agent? (POSTMEDIA REGINA LEADER-POST)

Is Andy Fantuz the missing ingredient for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers?

Before laughing off this image of the soon-to-be free agent receiver ensconced in Blue and Gold minutes after the market officially opens Feb. 15 (11:01 p.m. central), take a second to contemplate what the 6-foot-4, 220-pound pass catcher could bring to the club.

Fantuz answers the biggest need on Winnipeg's current roster: Starting Canadian receiver.

A position of weakness flipped over into a position of strength, just like that.

Gone are the days of Gerald Wilcox (circa 1994), when Winnipeg carried a Canadian stud receiver on the depth chart. Aaron Hargreaves has soft hands but he has not been the answer (he appears headed to free agency), and counting on second-year talents Kito Poblah and Jade Etienne to build off of invisible rookie seasons and handle the workload in the Canuck pass catching department feels like a lot to ask.

Picture this ratio-friendly receiving pool for Winnipeg: Fantuz, Poblah, and fellow Canadian Cory Watson, with imports Terrence Edwards and Greg Carr, should he come to terms with the club. Etienne and Clarence Denmark would provide the requisite depth for the group.

More importantly, it would be a major shot in the arm to one of the worst passing offences in the CFL last year.

Fantuz, who appears set to hit the free agent market after the Saskatchewan Roughriders all but resigned themselves to the fact Tuesday, also has a previous working relationship with Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice from their days together in Regina.

So there's a need and a history on the Bombers side.

Is there a want?

Last season, after a brief flirtation with the Chicago Bears that saw no NFL-mandated off-season workouts (thanks to the labour strife), the 28-year-old landed back in Saskatchewan with a thud. The lack of practice time hurt him, and he had just 13 catches for 175 yards and no TDs in four games before an ankle injury sidelined him for the rest of the year.

Are those numbers worth the quarterback-type money ($200,000 per season) Fantuz's agents (Tim Fleiszer and Gil Scott) are believed to be looking for in free agency? Of course not, but that's not what suitors like Edmonton, Toronto, and even Hamilton are about to smash piggybanks for.

No, teams interested in the Western Ontario product feel his 87-catch, 1,380-yard and six touchdown stat line in 2010 is more the norm, and measuring those high numbers next to his physical tools and coveted birth certificate makes it worth finding space under the $4.35-million salary cap for, they believe.

Tampering regulations prevent the Bombers from officially acknowledging any Fantuz fantasy before the free agent deadline next week, so it's difficult to gauge interest level on the subject. In this brief history under GM Joe Mack, though, it's become apparent the team would rather bypass pricy veteran additions and look for younger, cheaper facsimiles to build a roster -- a slow and steady formula that has yielded mixed results.

One thing is certain: This is no longer a young upstart in a rebuilding stage. Last year's Grey Cup appearance has accelerated expectation curve and if the Bombers are as near to the CFL summit as they feel they are, going after the 2010 most outstanding Canadian now makes some sense.

Quarterback Buck Pierce is locked up to a new deal, the smothering defence from a year ago remains intact (for the most part), and a move into a brand new, revenue-generating stadium is imminent. The window of opportunity is wide open in Winnipeg, with the rest of the East Division dealing with varying degrees of turnover and unrest in key areas, so it appears to be the perfect time for the Bombers to go for it.

Or at least put an offer together.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 9, 2012 C3