One of the last draft picks by former GM Joe Mack released

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This article was published 12/06/2015 (3750 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

One of the last remaining vestiges of the disastrous Joe Mack regime was banished by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday morning with the announcement non-import fullback Carl Fitzgerald had been cut.

Fitzgerald was a third round draft pick in 2013 by the former Bombers general manager and Fitzgerald’s release means the Bombers now have no remaining players from the 2013 draft, the last one that Mack directed for the Bombers before he was fired later that same year.

Fitzgerald joins (in the order the Bombers drafted them in 2013) DL Andy Mulumba, DB Kris Robertson, WR Mike DiCroce, WR Stephen Alli and P Billy Pavolopoulos as 2013 draftees who are no longer with the Bombers or never even reported in the first place.

Coincidentally, Fitzgerald’s release came on the same day the Edmonton Eskimos cut offensive linemen Tyson Pencer, who Mack made a third overall pick in 2012 in what is widely regarded as among the worst CFL draft picks in recent years.

Fitzgerald was one of five Bombers players released on Friday as the club whittles down its roster in order to get to a league-mandated 65 players by Sunday night. The other four cuts were all imports: linebackers Denicos Allen, Rodney Lamar and Curtis Taylor and running back Bradley Randle.

The release of Allen, who was highly touted coming into training camp, is yet another indicator that the Bombers are committing to starting non-import Sam Hurl at middle linebacker when their regular season opens June 27 in Regina.

Hurl, who the Bombers acquired as a free agent in the off-season, also played seven games at middle linebacker for the Saskatchewan Roughriders last season before he lost the job. Hurl told reporters following practice Friday morning that he learned from his experience in Regina.

“I think I learned a lot last year. I got a lot of game experience and I think that’s really helped me. Last year, I didn’t have any game experience and I got those first seven games and I felt like each game I was getting exponentially better.

“So I’m very excited to be going into this year and be starting on a good foot.”

While the release of Allen — and also Lamar — clears yet another hurdle for Hurl to take over the middle linebacker job, Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea noted Hurl still has other challengers in camp and he is not being handed anything just yet.

“Sam Hurl is a professional. He doesn’t want to be handed anything, he wants to earn everything and he goes out everyday to earn his spot. It’s important for the middle linebacker — and he knows this — to earn the trust of your teammates and that’s why he’s going out there and working everyday.”

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Meanwhile, the Bombers had some key injured players return to practice on Friday. Left tackle Stanley Bryant — Winnipeg’s big free agent signing in the off-season — returned to full practice after missing over a week with a leg injury.

And several other injured players — rookie receiver Addison Richards and veterans safety Maurice Leggett, slotbacks Rory Kohlert and Nick Moore and linebacker Graig Newman — all practiced lightly on Friday, clearing the way for all of them to return to full practice possibly as early as Saturday.

email: paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @PaulWiecek