Bellefeuille’s tweaks to Bomber playbook getting thumbs up

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This article was published 21/08/2013 (4480 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This is what it has come to for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers: a day in which no one was promoted, demoted or fired becomes, in itself, the news of the moment.

And so when head coach Tim Burke stepped to the podium for his daily media session following practice today and the meatiest questions involved injury updates and roster adjustments it seemed almost, well, normal.

Those still thirsting for more heads to roll will have to wait. In the meantime, here are some of the nuggets worth passing along from Wednesday in Bomberland:

• Receiver Terrence Edwards and offensive tackles Glenn January and Shannon Boatman were all back at work after missing portions of Tuesday’s workout.
• Defensive back Alex Suber did not practice as he has been hobbled by a foot injury. Burke said Suber is probable after having positive test results from the training staff. Guard Steve Morley, who has missed the last two days of practice with ‘bumps and bruises’ should also return on Thursday.
• Max Hall and Buck Pierce took the majority of reps with the No. 1 offence, but so did Justin Goltz.
• Clarence Denmark was taking a lot of turns at slotback with Jade Etienne at wide receiver.
• Burke said fullback Carl Fitzgerald will be added to the roster this week “because we’re going to save some new personnel packages and we want to utilize his talents in those.”

Meanwhile, the tweakings new offensive coordinator Marcel Bellefeuille has made to the playbook are drawing the thumbs up from those in the trenches.

“He’s been on the details with everything with every position,” said running back Chad Simpson. “He’s coaching up the O-line, the running backs… he’s giving us a little bit more game insight because the CFL game is different. I’m not saying (Gary Crowton) couldn’t have done that, but (Bellefeuille) has more experience being in the CFL.

“On offence you just want to read and react and expose a defence for their weaknesses and take advantage of that. I don’t think we’ve been doing that. A lot of teams have been blitzing us and we haven’t been having an answer. With this guy coming in and being detailed oriented and changing a couple of things we should handle that differently… better.”

Asked if he thinks he might be busier this Saturday in Guelph against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats – running backs have been featured prominently and productive in Bellefeuille’s offences with other CFL teams in the past — Simpson grinned.

‘Y’all have to see. You’ll have to wait. I’m not going to give it away,” he said. “We’re in a tough position right now and I don’t want to be giving anyone any tips.”

Ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait