Goodspeed latest to exit Bomberland

The bandages won't officially come off until late June, but the major reconstructive surgery on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers roster is continuing in earnest.

Yes, set aside some loonies and toonies right now football fans, as you're going to need the extra cash to purchase programs for their home opener because this squad -- right now, at least -- is 'Blue Bomber' in name only.

The Bombers made two more deals on Thursday involving right tackle Dan Goodspeed -- in a three-team deal with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats -- and defensive back Anthony Malbrough, who was shipped to the Edmonton Eskimos for future considerations, believed to be 6-foot-8, 317-pound import offensive lineman Kelly Butler.

Winnipeg sent Goodspeed, their top O-lineman in both 2007 and 2008 to Saskatchewan -- who then dealt him to the Ticats -- as part of a complex trade that brings import receiver Adarius Bowman here but also involves draft picks and the rights to negotiation list players.

Interestingly, Bomber head coach Mike Kelly refused to confirm the Goodspeed trade because it hadn't been officially registered with the CFL yet -- even though both the Roughriders and Tiger-Cats announced the deal through press releases.

"I was just about to go out to dinner with my wife when my phone rings and it was (Ticat) coach (Marcel) Bellefeuille and he says 'I want to welcome you to the Hamilton Ticats,' " Goodspeed told the Hamilton Spectator. "The next call was from head coach (Mike) Kelly, which was a little disappointing, because I haven't talked to him this whole off-season. He says 'We've sent you to Saskatchewan.' So I didn't really know what was going on.

"They wanted those players and those draft picks more than they wanted me. That's fine. Hamilton wanted me so that's where I want to be."

Here's how the Goodspeed deal breaks down, courtesy of the Riders and Ticats:

"ö The Bombers sent Goodspeed, 31, to the Riders along with the negotiation list rights to import running back Tyler Roehl (who played last year at North Dakota State), a fifth-round pick in the 2009 CFL Canadian Draft (originally traded to Winnipeg for Jermese Jones), a fifth-round pick in the 2011 or 2012 draft and one of the following: the option to swap first-round draft picks in either 2010 or 2011 or, if not, then the Riders will receive two future second-round draft picks from the Bombers.

"ö The Bombers, in return, acquire Bowman, non-import offensive lineman Jean Francois Morin-Roberge, non-import defensive back Brady Browne (formerly of the University of Manitoba), an unnamed player from the Riders neg list, the Riders sixth-round draft pick in the 2010 draft and fifth-rounder in the 2012 draft. After landing Goodspeed, the Riders then immediately sent him and the fifth-round pick in this year's draft reacquired from Winnipeg to the Ticats for Canadian O-lineman Jordan Rempel and Hamilton's second-round pick in this year's draft (ninth overall).

Bowman (6-foot-4, 220, Oklahoma State) comes to the Bombers after an up-and-down rookie campaign with the Riders. Once touted as one of the top receivers in the U.S., he had six catches for 112 yards and a TD in his CFL debut last season, but finished the year with just 23 receptions for 358 yards and three scores in nine games. He became expendable with Saskatchewan's signing of Jason Clermont this winter. Bowman's addition -- and Kelly's silence -- immediately led to speculation that either Bowman or one of the Bombers other starting receivers, including 1,000-yard men Derick Armstrong, Terrence Edwards or Romby Bryant, could be on the move as part of another trade.

Morin-Roberge (6-foot-6, 325, Montreal), meanwhile, was a fourth-round pick of the Riders in 2008 and was a CIS first team all-Canadian in his senior season who spent all of last season on the Riders' practice squad.

Goodspeed has apparently already been paid a chunk of his 2009 salary, but the Bombers clearly did not want to start two imports -- including Glenn January -- along their offensive line. The Ticats will now start both tackles from last year's Bomber offensive line: Goodspeed and Alexandre Gauthier, signed in free agency.

The departure of Goodspeed and Malbrough -- plus the retirement of Milt Stegall -- means 14 players who started games for the Bombers last year have now been cut, traded, retired or lost in free agency.

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 2, 2009 C5