Bombers look to fill key holes when camp opens Sunday

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This article was published 18/05/2018 (2697 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With rookie camp in the rear-view mirror, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers kick off training camp Sunday, the first step of what they hope to be a long and prosperous journey in 2018.

The Bombers enter this year’s camp down a few notable pieces from a strong 2017 outfit that finished the regular season 12-6, only to suffer an early exit from the playoffs thanks, in part, to a string of injuries late in the year. New faces acquired through free agency to fill the holes left behind has Winnipeg confident they are destined for a better ending this year, with many in the front office believing the level of talent assembled during the off-season to be the best it’s been in years.

But in an organization that hasn’t won a Grey Cup since 1990, there’s a natural tendency to downplay any perceived progress. Perhaps that’s why there was no hint of swagger in general manager Kyle Walters’ response when asked whether his team should once again be considered among the CFL’s best.

“Everybody is undefeated right now, so everybody is tied heading into the year,” Walters told reporters in an interview last month. “Everybody at this point of the year feels good about the way they’re heading in and we’re no different.”

Like all nine CFL teams, the Bombers still have areas on their roster they need to address. With the next 20 days to do just that, here is a look at some of the more pressing issues heading into training camp:

Who will back up Matt Nichols?

With Darian Durant’s retirement earlier this month, the fight for the backup quarterback spot is suddenly wide open.

Alex Ross, 25, who attempted just 12 passes – including five completions and two interceptions — as a member of the B.C. Lions last year, is the most experienced of the trio of pivots fighting to be No. 2. Chris Streveler, a 23-year-old who dazzled while at the University of South Dakota last season, is perhaps the most intriguing, while Zack Mahoney, 23, out of the University of Syracuse, joins the Bombers with a resume that includes going neck-to-neck against NCAA powerhouses Clemson, LSU and Florida State.

The early edge goes to Ross if only because he has the most CFL experience — but whatever perceived lead he might have is slim. Offensive co-ordinator Paul LaPolice is particularly high on Streveler, though anything can change over the next three weeks.

While all three showed moments of promise during mini-camp, a decision likely won’t be made until the pre-season. Still, that may only include playing a quarter or two, so every rep during camp will certainly play a big factor in determining the depth chart.

Wanted: A middle linebacker

For a second consecutive year, Winnipeg will enter camp in search of a middle linebacker.

Last season began with a battle between Kyle Knox and Nick Temple, but they were both beat out by Sam Hurl by the time the season began. With Temple no longer in the CFL, Knox signing in Montreal and Hurl inking with Saskatchewan, the position is once again up for grabs.

Though Walters has said in recent months that returning players Ian Wild and Javon Santos-Knox – both of whom shared weak-side linebacking duties — are more than capable of playing the middle, the feeling is the frontrunners for the job are Kyrie Wilson and Quentin Gause.

Signed in April 2017, cut in June and then added back a month later, Wilson spent much of his time with the Bombers on the practice roster. He got into one game, recording a special-teams tackle, and should, given his familiarity with the defensive playbook, have an edge over Gause.

The 25-year-old Gause has spent the last couple of years trying to make the NFL, including three stints in 2016 with Philadelphia, New England and Denver, where he saw action in six games with the Broncos. Both Gause, at six feet, 243 pounds, and Wilson, 6-1, 232 pounds, have the size and speed to cover both the pass and run.

Secondary a primary focus

After giving up far too many big plays for far too many yards, the Bombers went through another overhaul of the secondary, giving their last line of defence a completely new look for 2018.

They bid farewell to all-star halfback T.J. Heath and brought in some much-needed experience with the additions of Chandler Fenner, Anthony Gaitor and Steven Clarke — a trio that combined for 33 games with B.C. last year. Zavian Bingham, who the Bombers coveted for a year before signing him to the practice roster late last season, is also a guy Winnipeg is high on.

Returning to the fold are all-stars Chris Randle and Taylor Loffler, second-year players Brandon Alexander and Brian Walker, and depth defensive back Kevin Fogg.

As you can see, there are a lot of cooks in the kitchen and only so many starting spots. This is the most competition the Bombers have had in the secondary since the new regime took over in 2014. The need for a major improvement from this group is needed if the Bombers are to take the next step and challenge for the Grey Cup, making it among the must-follow storylines at camp.

Job opening at receiver, must be Canadian

With the addition of Nic Demski, the Bombers have opted to go with two non-import receivers to fulfil their ratio requirement of starting seven Canadians. With Matt Coates, the presumed frontrunner to line up beside Demski — released earlier this month after he broke his foot in an off-season workout — the options are suddenly limited.

Drew Wolitarsky has the early lead as he begins his second season with the Blue and Gold after a standout career at the University of Minnesota. Though he spent much of last season on the practice roster, the Bombers have been impressed by his improvement and attitude at mini-camp.

But Wolitarsky won’t just be handed the job, not with a few intriguing pieces also competing for playing time. They include No. 12 overall pick from May’s draft, Rashaun Simonise who, despite being new to the CFL, has a stint with the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals on his resume. Two other draft picks from this year — McMaster’s Daniel Petermann (26th overall) and Tyrone Pierre (41st) out of Laval — should also be in the mix.

New toys on offence

It’s hard to think Andrew Harris will put up the same godly numbers he had last year, when he registered a league-leading 1,035 rushing yards and added another 857 yards through the air on 105 receptions (a CFL record for running backs).

That’s not because Harris won’t be a main target again on the offence. It’s just that he will be complimented by more legitimate threats on what was an already-deadly offence in 2017. With Darvin Adams mostly recovered from a shoulder injury, Weston Dressler back for another year, and free-agent signing Adarius Bowman now in the fold, not to mention Demski in the slot, Nichols has more options that ever before.

It will be interesting to see how quickly Nichols can build chemistry with his new receivers, while also giving enough to the cast that allowed him to put up such strong numbers the past two years. While having too much of a good thing might seem like the least of problems, Winnipeg will once again be relying on a hot offence to carry them this season and the sooner they can jell, the better.

Will Moe be good to go?

Maurice Leggett was the Bombers’ best player on defence in 2017 until a torn Achilles derailed what could have been a career year.

Leggett shocked anyone who attended mini-camp and saw him in full padding — just six months after rupturing the tendon — even if he didn’t compete in most drills. He claims he’ll be 100-per-cent healthy come the season-opener June 14 against the Edmonton Eskimos, but the word is he isn’t expected to be on the field Sunday.

While Leggett is, no doubt, one of the elite playmakers in the CFL, he’s also 31 and there has to be some concern over how his heel will react to the rigours of the game. With Fenner having experience at strong-side linebacker, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Leggett test out a few new spots in the secondary once he does return. Either way, Winnipeg will be happy just to have him on the field.

Gotta have Faith

Despite being the No. 1 overall selection in last year’s draft, Faith Ekakitie’s first season in the CFL had its fair share of growing pains.

It’s not often a first-year player makes an immediate impact, but there are fewer excuses with each successive season. Having bulked up with the intentions of earning an NFL roster spot last year, Ekakitie was slow — figuratively and literally — to adapt to the pass-happy CFL. The huge leap to professional football provided the motivation during the off-season to trim down and with a year of experience with the defensive schemes, both he and the Bombers are expecting a notable improvement.

The Bombers plan to go with four Americans (Canadian defensive end Jamaal Westerman jetted to Montreal) on the defensive line but if Ekakitie can prove he’s capable of carrying a larger workload, he could be relied on to start in the event there’s an injury to a Canadian, especially with the Bombers starting just one non-import on the defence — Loffler at safety.

 

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.catwitter: @jeffkhamilton