O’Shea needs to make decisions as Bombers prep for preseason game against Ticats

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This article was published 18/06/2015 (3761 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

They are a giant lump of clay right now, still needing to be shaped and formed into something resembling a football team.

And with one preseason game to go — Friday night against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Investors Group Field — and cut-down day looming just a day later, Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea still needs to find answers to many questions. First and foremost, who starts where on both sides of the ball.

Asked which starting jobs are still up for debate heading into the final dress rehearsal, Bomber head coach Mike O’Shea offered a glimpse at how competitive training camp has been:

“We’ve got good competition on the O-line, good competition at running back,” began O’Shea. “We’ve got competition at the linebacker spot, at the DB (defensive back) spot, at receiver… I would say, not the long snapper (a job owned by Chad Rempel).

“It’s across the board and that was the plan. I started off in training camp letting them know there would be a sense of pride when they make this team because they beat out good football players. That’s what’s going to happen.”

The Bombers opened their preseason with a win over Toronto last week while the Ticats mauled the Ottawa Redblacks. All CFL teams must reduce their rosters by 9 p.m. Saturday and among the starting jobs still up for grabs are:

—Right guard and right tackle: First-round draft pick Sukh Chungh and last year’s first rounder Matthias Goossen are battling for the guard spot with Patrick Neufeld injured while Jace Daniels is putting a stranglehold on the right tackle job with Marc Dile on the shelf.

—Defensive end: Jamaal Westerman, the Canadian, is a lock on one side but veteran Greg Peach is being pushed on the other by Thaddeus Gibson, Derrell Jonson and Kashawn Fraser.

—Wide receiver: Darvin Adams has been solid, but is looking over his shoulder at Jhomo Gordon and Toney Clemons.

—Linebacker: Chris Randle is taking turns at the SAM (outside) linebacker spot, but the weak-side job is also a question mark. Only Sam Hurl, the Canadian, is a lock to start in the middle.

—The secondary: There is a ton of talent here across the board and the Bombers have been rotating players in and out of positions in the air defence.

“The idea that’s going to help us the most is that competition, the idea that every returning player has had to work extremely hard in practice because they’re possibly battling better players on a regular rep-by-rep basis,” said O’Shea. “And, also, because the person on the depth chart underneath them pushing them up is really giving them a run. I believe the returning players appreciate the fact we’ve brought in some better talent, one, because our team is going to be better talent-wise and, two, because it’s going to improve their game, too.”

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The Bombers coaching and management staff has spent hours working through the practice film to evaluate players. But there’s also no substitute for the work they do when the lights come on for a game.

“You want to see certain things pop in a game. You want to see guys make plays,” said O’Shea. “You want to see guys make great decisions at that moment when they’re under more-adverse conditions and the pressure level is a little higher and when the opponent is coming a little faster and with a little more violence.

“You’re looking for guys who find ways to make big plays.”

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait