Hope springs eternal

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/04/2011 (5273 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

First impressions can be lasting, even if it’s simply a mini-camp in April and weeks before the entire squad takes to the field for real in June.

And so it was Monday that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers held their first of three workouts at the Winnipeg Soccer Complex in a new concept finally approved by the CFL.

Yes, gone are the days of clandestine off-season practices. Welcome to sanctioned spring workouts.

“It’s great for the league,” said Bomber head coach Paul LaPolice after taking a peek at 22 players. “It allows, one, for the fans to be involved and to start thinking about football. But, two, it allows you to get guys up and start working fundamentals because it’s hard to have a short training camp and then go play football. The more you can meet with them, the more you can start, the better off you are.”

The camp will feature five offensive linemen, but no D-linemen, linebackers or kickers. What it does allow for is quarterbacks and receivers to work on their timing and for coaches to drill home some of the CFL nuances to imports new to the Canadian game. And, yes, even at a mini-camp some jobs can be earned or lost.

“We are evaluating some players that haven’t signed contracts yet,” LaPolice said. “We’ll evaluate them and make decisions on who we want to keep from there.”

NEW FACES: The Bombers auditioned a handful of players on Day 1 of mini-camp, including Tim Brown, who along with Damian Sherman is a wide receiver who has been reported about but not officially announced by the club.

The other newcomers included:

— DB Matthew Bucknor, a Canadian from the University of Windsor: Five interceptions last year for the Lancers.

— DB Chayce Elliott, University of Ottawa: Passed through the draft last year but was named to the CIS second all-star team as a fifth-year player.

— WR Bobby Guillory from Central Missouri: Spent time last year with the San Francisco 49ers after a college career with the Mules as a running back/receiver/returner.

— DB/LB Giancarlo Rapanaro of Wilfrid Laurier: attended camp last year and then returned to school where he had an outstanding season with the Golden Hawks and was named a CIS all-Canadian.

BLUE NOTES: Four quarterbacks participated: Buck Pierce, Joey Elliott, Alex Brink and Justin Goltz… CB Deon Beasley and WR Damian Sherman had flight issues and did not arrive in time for Monday’s workout but could be on the field today… QB Joey Elliott has spent the off-season in Houston training with Edmonton Eskimo QB Jared Zabransky… Here’s Pierce when asked if it was a different feeling for him at mini-camp without Steven Jyles present: “I don’t think so. I prepared myself the same way I would if Brett Favre was here. I’m just out here to try and get better.”

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca