Major moves should pay big for Bombers

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This article was published 30/05/2015 (3769 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Stanley Bryant stepped in front of a Winnipeg Blue Bombers backdrop, surrounded by every type of Bomber-logoed item imaginable on display in the Bomber Store, with the Bomber playing field visible in the distance.

He was sporting a pair of gray sweats with a tiny Calgary Stampeders horse just below the left pocket.

Oops.

“You weren’t supposed to notice that,” said Bryant with a grin. “This is all I brought up. I packed up all my other stuff, boxed it up and sent it out here. This is all I have. But I’ll get something (Bomber-themed).”

Byrant, the 6-5, 313-pound all-star left tackle, was one of the biggest additions — literally and figuratively — for the Bombers this off-season, and is to be a key component in the club’s attempt to first end a three-year absence from the playoffs and then a 25-year championship drought that dates back to 1990.

The Bombers were not on the field Saturday — it was medical day — but when camp opens this morning Bryant, along with Dominic Picard and Marc Dile, are expected to play a major role in beefing up the offensive line and cranking up the level of nasty for a team that went 7-11 last season.

“I’m ready to get out there with this group of guys and see what it’s all about,” said Bryant. “This is a challenge. I know that they picked up a lot of key guys in free agency and I see that the team is headed in the right direction. I’m happy to be a part of that.

“I can see us making a stride forward to making the playoffs and making things happen.”

Every training camp features a number of new faces, but even so the Bombers have undergone a significant overhaul. In addition to Bryant, Picard and Dile, the team added Canadians Jamaal Westerman, Sam Hurl, Ivan Brown and Kris Bastien, along with Darvin Adams, through free agency or trade this winter.

All told, eight men who started the 2014 regular-season finale in Calgary — O-linemen Glenn January and Steve Morley, linebackers Johnny Sears and Ian Wild, receivers Cory Watson, Romby Bryant and Jerrell Jackson and defensive end Marvin Booker — are all gonzo alonzo. Also released was veteran defensive end Jason Vega, who was on the injured list at the end of last year.

Asked if he liked the moves made by management in the off-season, defensive tackle Bryant Turner Jr. — as loyal a company man as there is — couldn’t hide his disappointment over Vega’s departure.

“Some of the moves I like,” he said. “Jason Vega… would have been better to see him around. Other than that, I think we’ve got some really good guys on the team. I think (GM) Kyle Walters is one of the smartest guys in the CFL as far as getting talent. I’m excited to see what they do on the field.

“I feel like this is the off-season where Kyle kind of put his foot down and took over. Just since I’ve been here it’s a big difference. They know what we need in the locker-room and they went out and got those players. It’s exciting. That does get you excited if you’ve been a player here.”

So as another camp is about to open, there is a quiet optimism building — as there is in all nine Canadian Football League stops. Last year was all about change in Bomberland, this season will be about taking that next step to morph into a playoff squad.

“Great acquisitions on both sides of the ball,” said linebacker Chris Randle of the off-season work by management. “We have a good enough core to compete and build a great team. I was really happy with it.”

Compete? That’s it?

“I’m being modest,” said Randle with a smile. “You have to come in with a chip on your shoulder and start from the bottom, compete really hard and build that environment piece by piece.

“We should build off what we started last year. It got rough at parts, but we fought through those times and finished on a good note. We have the pieces in place to build a great team and build off what we had last year.”

Club adds veteran snapper

The club added veteran long snapper Chad Rempel and import receiver Mike Willie on Saturday while cutting five import players: defensive backs Ryan Steed and Gabe Lynn, defensive tackle Kheeston Randall, receiver David Gettis and offensive lineman David Mims.

Rempel (6-3, 225, Saskatchewan) has appeared in 125 career CFL games, the first nine of which came with the Bombers in his rookie season of 2005. Arguably the best long-snapper in the CFL, Rempel moved on from the Bombers to play seven seasons for Toronto and one in Hamilton, before spending the 2013 season with the Chicago Bears. He returned to the CFL for the last half of the 2014 season with Saskatchewan. The 2015 season will be Rempel’s 11th in the CFL.

Willie (6-2, 220, Arizona State) played two years at Arizona State, and caught 72 passes for 897 yards and nine touchdowns. He went undrafted in 2012 and was signed as a free agent by San Diego, earning a practice roster spot. He had a stint with Baltimore last season.

THE RING’S THE THING: The Calgary Stampeders received their 2014 Grey Cup rings at a private function in Cowtown Friday night. Kilometres away in Winnipeg Stanley Bryant — a key cog in that championship — was getting to know some of his new Bombers teammates.

“I really don’t have too many feelings,” said Bryant of missing the ceremony. “I saw a lot of pictures on Instagram and Twitter. I’m just waiting on my ring. I think they’re holding it hostage on me. I thought it was going to be here when I got here, but that’s OK. I’ll get it when I get it.”

MAKING A MOVE: Chris Randle has been asked to switch from cornerback to SAM linebacker in new defensive co-ordinator Richie Hall’s defence. He’s completely cool with being closer to the line of scrimmage and, likely, much more involved.

“I’m happy with it,” said Randle Saturday. “It’s a position I played before and am familiar with it. When the opportunity presented itself I was more than welcome to it. I can see myself playing that or any other position so, whatever the defence wants me to play, I’ll play it.

“They created a plan for me to be more versatile this year.”

A PLAYBOOK AND EVERYTHING: Last year’s Bomber defence did not have a playbook — as per former defensive co-ordinator Gary Etcheverry’s wish — and played an unorthodox, multi-look scheme. Hall’s defence is much more traditional.

“He’s coming from a great defence in Saskatchewan,” said defensive tackle Bryant Turner Jr. “They had some really productive defensive linemen so all of our defensive linemen are excited to get on the field and see what we can do. We’re looking forward to it. It’s more common, more something we’re used to.

“It was such a different defence last year, it took some time to understand what the coaches wanted. We were getting that down, but a more traditional defence means we should be able to pick it up faster. We do have a playbook. We’ll see. We don’t know anything until the first day of practice.”

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait