Reaves, Yantz cut as Blue Bombers trim down to final roster

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This article was published 20/06/2015 (3760 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Local hopefuls Jordan Reaves and Jordan Yantz were among the final cuts announced by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Saturday evening.

Reaves, a receiver, and quarterback Yantz, were among 10 players cut as the Bombers got down to their league-mandated 46-man roster. Another 10 players were placed on the practice roster, while five players — including starting safety Maurice Leggett — were placed on the one-game injured list.

Another three were placed on the six-game injured list, including OL Patrick Neufeld.

Reaves — son of Bombers Hall of Fame running back Willard Reaves — had never played football as an adult but was a successful university basketball player. The Bombers signed him this spring in hopes he could make the transition between sports.

While Reaves improved after a shaky start at the club’s Florida mini-camp, his development hit a plateau during training camp, and the club simply had better non-import receiver options available to them.

Yantz, who had an exceptional career with the University of Manitoba Bisons, never did find traction as the Bombers’ fifth QB in training camp. He never saw pre-season action.

With the 2015 CFL pre-season wrapping up Friday, the league’s nine teams had until 9 p.m. Saturday to get down to their 46-man rosters, plus practice rosters and injured lists.

The other cuts were: OL Marc Dile, RB/KR Carlos Anderson, R Ja-Mes Logan, DB Dominique Franks, DB Shaq Richardson, R Mike Willie, DB Justin Warden and P Anthony Santella.

Dile was a free agent signing by the Bombers during the off-season, and the club was expecting him to challenge for the starting right tackle spot. But he was hurt most of camp, and Jace Daniels won the job.

Anderson looked to have a job locked up with the Bombers as a kick returner, at least until he sustained what appeared to be a knee injury in Winnipeg’s loss to Hamilton Friday night.

The Bombers placed three players on the six-game injured reserve list: Neufeld, DB/KR Troy Stoudermire and DL Nate Collins.

In addition to Leggett, four other players will also start the season on the one-game injured list: QB Josh Portis, DL Kashawn Fraser, DL Ivan Brown and WR Addison Richards.

Leggett also didn’t play in Friday night’s game. Demetrius Wright started at safety Friday and will presumably do so again Saturday when the Bombers open their regular-season schedule in Regina against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The club’s practice roster to start the season will be: RB Da’Rel Scott, RB Chris Normand, OL Corey Lewis, R Toney Clemons, R Jhomo Gordon, FB Ettore Lattanzio, OL Tommy Griffiths, DL Deantre Harlan, DB Vernon Kearney and DB Malachi Freeman.

The Bombers did not make anyone available to comment on their cuts, but head coach Mike O’Shea is holding a news conference this afternoon.

The relegation of Clemons and Gordon to the practice roster means Darvin Adams — whom the Bombers signed as a free agent during the off-season — won the import receiver job up for grabs, and non-import receiver Kris Bastien — who the club acquired from Saskatchewan in a trade for Cory Watson — has also made the roster.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @PaulWiecek