Bomber Notebook

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/06/2016 (3479 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mike O’Shea grinned on Saturday after being asked about the physicality displayed at the morning’s training camp practice.

Football’s physical nature may be none more apparent than in the life of a linebacker, which O’Shea played for years before taking to coaching. The player inside the man precludes him from feeling any other way about.

“To me, it’s fun,” O’Shea said. “It looked like they were having fun out there, for sure.”

One particular play saw receiver Thomas Mayo stiff-arm defensive back Bruce Johnson after catching the ball down field. That was followed quickly, and on the same play, by fellow defensive back Kevin Fogg, who subsequently laid out Mayo.

Another play included defensive lineman Jamaal Westerman, who broke through the defensive line with ease and stood up running back Andrew Harris, who failed to make it past the line of scrimmage.

There was also some jawing, both light-hearted and with a little more malice, including left tackle Stanley Bryant, who wanted a piece of someone on the defensive line in Saturday’s first session.

It’s competition, as O’Shea would put it.

* * *

With Wednesday quickly approaching and with it the first preseason game of the 2016 season for the Bombers, O’Shea spoke about how he’s planning on using his bevy of players, both rookies and veterans.

“We’ll come up with a plan and there’s a chance you go rookies across the board for a few series here and there,” he said. “There’s no one out there to rely on to help put them in a good position, so you want to get the most of them out also out there. I don’t know how it’s going to look just yet, we’ll have a meeting shortly to figure out their rep distribution.

* * *

Drew Willy continued his trend of throwing a pick in practice on Saturday. Matt Bucknor came down with the ball in the end zone. Here it is:

Drew Willy picked in the end zone. #Bombers pic.twitter.com/GU93I5NTDS

— Scott Billeck (@ScottBilleck) June 4, 2016

* * *

Justin Cole became the latest player in Bombers training camp to pick up an injury bug and on Saturday morning, he was cut from the team.

Cole isn’t gone yet and appears to be following the lead of Emmanuel Dieke and Kris Adams before him, rehabbing with the team.

Cole was emerging as the man to occupy the spot on the defensive line opposite of Jamaal Westerman.

Mike O’Shea spoke to the array of injuries at the vacant defensive end position.

“The one guy we have left is doing pretty well,” O’Shea said, with a smirk. “We’ll be alright. It’s frustrating for the players. They show up and they want to compete. They want to show everyone what they can do, that they deserve to be the one to start Week 1. They’ll work through it and we’ll make the best decision when the time comes. It’s part of football.”

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @scottbilleck

Scott Billeck
Reporter

Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade’s worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024.  Read more about Scott.

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