Edwards staying with Bombers

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This article was published 15/04/2011 (5596 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Terrence Edwards has had his stay in Winnipeg Blue Bomber colours extended.

The football club announced Friday what we told you in today’s paper — the gifted receiver has signed a contract extension with the team that will keep him in Winnipeg through 2012. And Edwards wanted it no other way as he has found a football home in Winnipeg after signing here in 2007 following a year with the Montreal Alouettes.

“I wanted to stay there,” said Edwards from Atlanta where he is helping the Bombers at their invitation-only free-agent camp. “I didn’t want to play the option year out and go to free agency. The team wanted to keep me there, they think I’m a leader, and they said I was a big component of what we’re trying to do.”

Edwards, who turns 32 next week, is coming off an outstanding season in which he posted career highs in yardage (1,372) and touchdowns (12) while pulling in 78 receptions en route to being named a CFL All-Star and the Bombers Most Outstanding Player. Only Saskatchewan’s Andy Fantuz (87-1,380-6) had more receiving yards in the entire league last season.

A former star at Georgia, Edwards was the most-consistent component of a receiving corps that underwent significant change in 2010 — all the while playing catch with four different quarterbacks — and is a respected presence in the locker room. Interestingly, the veteran pass catcher is also convinced his team is on the cusp of becoming a real contender again after missing the playoffs the past two years.

“I don’t want to rehash a whole lot of the past, but the difference from the ’09 season to the last season was very different, even though (two years ago) we had a better record,” said Edwards. “We played with a lot of young guys last year and we lost a lot of close games. We feel if we win at least half of those close games then that will put us in the playoffs.

“We’ve got a good quarterback — I was sad that we traded (Steven) Jyles — but I believe in Buck (Pierce) and I believe in the players we have there. I think, on paper, we’re no different talent wise than the champs. But they’ve done it and we have to prove it on the field.”

Now entering his fifth year as a Bomber, Edwards has 4,478 yards in Winnipeg colours, a total which ranks him ninth on the team’s all-time list behind only Milt Stegall (15,153), James Murphy (9,036), Joe Poplawski (8,341), Rick House (6,286), Perry Tuttle (5,817), Ernie Pitts (5,525), Jeff Boyd (5,110) and Gerald Wilcox (4,608).

“Terrence is an outstanding receiver and one of the best in the CFL,” said Vice-President and General Manager Joe Mack. “We’re excited to extend his contract so that he can remain a Blue Bomber and act as a mentor to the young receivers on our team. He is a true professional both on and off the field, and retaining his veteran leadership is a great positive for our organization”

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca