Bombers may have new faces line up against Argos

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This article was published 02/11/2015 (3623 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

None of the decisions have been officially announced yet. But the team the Winnipeg Blue Bombers field for this Friday’s regular-season finale in Toronto against the Argonauts will feature changes and some fresh new faces.

And that, in itself, is revealing about this team’s plans going forward.

Monday’s practice had Dominque Davis, the third or fourth-string QB for much of the season, taking a good chunk of the reps behind centre. Other newcomers, like receiver/returner Spencer Davis and defensive linemen Ethan Farmer or Jamarkus McFarland also got a lot of work, pointing to Bombers management wanting to use the game – which means little to both teams, although the Argos are heading to the playoffs – to see what they have in their talent cupboard.

All of this suggest that head coach Mike O’Shea and GM Kyle Walters feel comfortable enough to take the opportunity to evaluate personnel that will be on the field for them – and not a new football operations department – come 2016.

Asked Monday if he was told he would be back next season, O’Shea said: “That conversation hasn’t happened yet.”

As for how he was dealing with that or whether he deserved to be back, O’Shea — the Bomber coach is 12-23 since taking over prior to the 2014 season – would not let his guard down.

“I’m not dealing with it at all,” he said. “I’m dealing with evaluating tape and getting guys a look on the practice field to see what they can do and whether or not they can help us and putting the roster together for the game.

“These are the questions I haven’t thought about a lot. That might surprise you… or maybe not. But I’m sure we can get into this in more detail after our game.”

O’Shea said there is clearly a difference in evaluating personnel in real game action versus what they show on a daily basis in practice. Davis, the QB, for example, hasn’t thrown a real pass since playing for the Calgary Stampeders in a preseason game this June.

“It’s different in a game situation when there’s people in a different coloured jersey and different helmets trying to take the stuffing out of you,” said O’Shea. “It’s different. People react differently than they do in practice because they know in practice they are safe. You have to see what players do under the lights, under fire — whatever the clichés are — when the bullets fly. It’s important because sometimes you run into players that have two different mentalities.”

Ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait