Dreaded phone calls coming as Bombers must make cuts to roster

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This article was published 13/06/2015 (3763 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TONY BURNETT said he’s nervous. Shaq Richardson said he isn’t.

And Jhomo Gordon didn’t even realize there was anything to be nervous about.

“Honestly, I didn’t even know there were cuts coming,” Gordon, a Winnipeg Blue Bombers receiving prospect, said Saturday as players got one last chance to lay down some tape at training camp before head coach Mike O’Shea swings the axe.

O’Shea has to trim his roster to 65 players (plus non-counters) by the end of today and the field boss said Saturday five players are going to soon get the call no football player wants to receive.

O’Shea said he’d made no final decisions on who will stay and who will go heading into Saturday’s practice.

“We had a very competitive practice again today, so we’ll have to watch the film again and make sure we’re doing our job and evaluating properly,” said O’Shea. “We wouldn’t be doing right by the club or anybody if we made those decisions and didn’t re-evaluate all along.”

O’Shea was asked if he’d have a tough night. “The players have made it tough on us in terms of the competitive nature of camp. That’s a good thing. But it’s always tough on a personal level because even though it’s such a short camp, you try to develop a personal relationship with everybody and start to figure out what these guys are really like.

“I guess I’d be kidding myself if I thought I really knew some of these guys that are new to our organization. But personally, it’s always tough.”

Burnett is one player making O’Shea’s decisionmaking tough. A linebacker prospect out of USC, Burnett signed with the Bombers as a free agent only 10 days ago and has had a lot less time to learn the CFL game and win a job than almost anyone else in camp.

But he made some notable plays in Tuesday’s pre-season win in Toronto and has shown himself to be a quick study.

Still, with so much on the line, Burnett admits he’s nervous right now.

“Definitely,” he said. “But I’ve also been there before, so I’m not as anxious about what’s going to happen.

“I’m at that point in my career where if it happens, it happens. If it’s not, it’s not. All I can really control is my effort and my attitude and knowing what I have to do.”

O’Shea said he’s been impressed with how quickly Burnett has learned the CFL game after joining the club late.

“The first thing you noticed is he picked everything up very quickly. First practice he was in he was fairly vocal, he was in the right spot, he was moving around to the right spots…” he said. “He’s fast, he’s quick. He seems to love football.”

Richardson, a defensive back out of Arizona, has displayed similar characteristics as he tries to win a job on a team that will return most of a veteran secondary.

The 23-year-old says he feels he’s done everything he could at training camp so far to win a job and is content to let the chips fall today.

“I’m going to sleep fine,” Richardson said. “There’s always ways you can get better, but I’m pretty happy with what I’ve shown so far.”

Gordon, who’s been singled out by O’Shea several times for his blazing speed, said he’s not dwelling on what the future holds.

“I try not to think about all that stuff. I’m just trying to come out and do what I got to do,” he said. “There’s always room to get better. And I try not to look at the stuff that I do, I try to look at the stuff I don’t do right and just try to get better.”

The Bombers final pre-season game is Friday at home against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. They open their regular season June 27 in Regina.

MAKING IT OFFICIAL: With so many rule changes this season, the Bombers have regularly had CFL officials on hand at training camp, calling penalties during scrimmages just as they will during games to get players acquainted with the changes.

O’Shea said he’s liked having the officials around.

“I think it’s important coaches get questions answered and players get questions answered,” he said. “It’s a good tune-up for them and it’s just good to develop the relationship too.

“From my standpoint, it helps me. If you know the guy’s first name, it maybe helps me keep my cool a little more — a little less likely to blast a guy if you have a better relationship.”

JUST PEACHY: Bombers defensive lineman Greg Peach says the character inside the Bombers organization has been completely transformed in the past couple seasons — entirely for the better.

“Since I got here in ’13, it’s a complete 180. And even better from last year to this year. It’s a credit to our coaches too — just coming in and changing the culture and bringing in guys with character. You can really see it…

“It’s the personalities but it’s also that coach gives us freedom to be adults and to be professionals. And if you’re not, you’ll get outed quick. Guys will figure it out. And that’s basically what’s happened. He’s given us the freedom to do our jobs and to be on time and get our assignments done and do the right things. And if you don’t, you’re probably out of here.”

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @PaulWiecek