Pierce takes reps as Bishop eyed as insurance

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This article was published 28/09/2011 (5305 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ailing Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Buck Pierce threw crisply and for distance Wednesday as he led the first-team offence for the majority of practice at Canad Inns Stadium.

But whether Pierce’s performance was good enough to convince Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice to start him against the Montreal Alouettes Friday evening at Canad Inns Stadium remains very much in doubt.

LaPolice said following practice Wednesday that while he was impressed with Pierce’s passing during practice, there are other considerations that will go into his decision on whether to start Pierce — who has been battling a lingering case of bruised ribs for most of this month and which worsened in a 25-24 loss to the Toronto Argonauts last Saturday.

“He threw the ball like he always does, but it’s a different story when you get hit by a 300-pounder and thrown to the ground,” LaPolice said of Pierce’s first return to the field since he was pulled out of the Toronto game in the first half. “We wanted to see if he could throw the ball, we wanted to see his soreness level…

“There are more factors than whether he could complete passes today that will go into it.”

Pierce said following practice that while he remains sore, he has improved since Tuesday and was pleased with his performance during practice. “It’s sore. That’s not a secret. And it’s not going to go away in a day or by Friday,” Pierce told reporters. “Can I manage it? And can I stay away from getting a hit on it? Right now, it’s better than it was yesterday, so I’m happy about that.”

Backup quarterback Alex Brink, who led the first-team offence on Tuesday, was reduced to a secondary role on Wednesday as Pierce and his ribs auditioned for the Bombers coaching staff.

LaPolice told reporters the coaching staff continues to consider two quarterback scenarios against Montreal on Friday: Pierce starts and is backed up by Brink and Justin Goltz or Brink starts and is backed up by Goltz, with Pierce dressing as the third-stringer and seeing action only in the unlikely event both Brink and Goltz should get hurt.

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Also returning to the practice field on Wednesday was offensive lineman Brendan LaBatte, who practiced with the first team offence for the first time since he was injured against Toronto.

LaPolice refused to say whether LaBatte will start against the Argos but did say definitively for the first time that defensive tackle Doug Brown — who hurt his shoulder against Toronto — will not play.

Meanwhile, LaPolice refused to discuss media reports Wednesday that the club is flying in former Bombers QB Michael Bishop and adding him to their practice roster today.

LaPolice confirmed the club has been in discussions with Bishop this week but said he would not comment beyond that until Bishop was actually in Winnipeg and signed.

Bishop, 35, played for the Bombers in 2009 and was most recently on the Calgary Stampeders roster in July as a backup to Henry Burris. He did not appear in any games for Calgary and was released in August.