Bombers were mindful of cap during spending spree: GM Walters

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This article was published 10/02/2016 (3527 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Despite all the cash and contracts he handed out in the CFL’s first 24 hours of free agency, Winnipeg Blue Bombers GM Kyle Walters refuses to get ahead of himself.

Walters added seven players — running back Andrew Harris, defensive tackle Keith Shologan, receiver Ryan Smith, kicker Justin Medlock, offensive lineman Jeff Keeping and running back Pascal Lochard Tuesday and defensive tackle Euclid Cummings Wednesday — then held court with reporters to say he’s done little so far.

“No one in this organization is in the position of patting ourselves on the back and saying, ‘Wow, look what we’re doing here,’” Walters said Wednesday at Investors Group Field. “We need to start winning football games. Until we do that, there’s no sense of accomplishment whatsoever with anything down here.”

Walters was asked what his actions this week tell long-suffering Blue Bombers fans, who saw their team go 5-13 and miss the playoffs again in 2015.

“I’d like to think it shows we’re exploring all avenues to put a winning product on the field, that last year and the year prior just wasn’t good enough,” Walters said. “Between our scouting department finding players and our drafting young Canadian players and developing and free agency, we need to figure out ways to put a winning product on the field for the people of Winnipeg.

“What it shows is we’re certainly not content to sit idly by and say that last season was acceptable, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with making players in that locker-room uncomfortable, that you’re bringing in a lot more talent. Which says it’s not good enough, that what we’ve done here the last two years is not good enough, and we expect these players to come and raise the talent and raise the expectation level in this organization.”

So, as optimistic as some fans have suddenly become, Walters said there is one constant.

“There’s pressure to win,” he said. “Yesterday says last season wasn’t good enough, that we need better football players. Period.”

Walters wouldn’t elaborate, but there is some speculation that because of his spending spree this week, he’ll have some pressure soon to comply with the CFL’s salary cap.

“I’ve said all along there are going to be some tough decisions leading up (to camp),” he said. “I’m not going to speculate on players’ futures in this forum. But we had a plan going in with the cap in mind, so depending on how everything went down, it was planned out accordingly.”

Cummings, 24, spent last season with the Argos, recording 27 tackles, eight sacks and one forced fumble.

“He’s a dynamic young interior defensive lineman that we thought very highly of right from the beginning of free agency,” Walters said. “His NFL aspirations didn’t pan out in January and February, which led him coming back to the CFL and looking at offers yesterday.”

The Bombers started eight Canadians at times last season and added more homegrown talent this week in Harris, Shologan, Keeping and Lochard.

“What it allows us to do is approach the season with a lot of flexibility,” the GM said. “The ability to start three Canadian O-linemen is an option, the ability to start two Canadian receivers is an option, a tailback now, certainly two (defensive) linemen… and a defensive back.

“That adds up to 10 Canadians in-house that have started, so I think it allows us to find the best seven and put the best team on the field come training camp.”

Walters said allowing kicker Lirim Hajrullahu to depart and signing Medlock was not a tough call.

“It’s like signing Chad Rempel as the long-snapper,” he said. “It’s just something you can trust that when you have the best in the business kicking field goals and long-snapping, that’s one less thing you have to worry about.

“I think Lirim is going to have a bright future in this league but we just had an opportunity to go get Justin Medlock and couldn’t pass that up in my opinion.”

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The biggest headliner of his signings, though, is likely Harris, the Winnipeg-born back who has been in B.C. for six seasons.

“When you sit down with Paul (LaPolice, offensive co-ordinator)… for his vision at the beginning of this on what he wants his offence to look like, what kind of back he’s looking for, as he was describing it, it was Andrew Harris, a versatile guy that can run routes,” Walters said.

“Andrew’s a very sharp guy. From a protection standpoint, he’s trustworthy. From a route-running standpoint, he’s very trustworthy. And Paul likes to get his back out on routes.

“So versatility is the key. I expect Andrew to get a lot of touches.”

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca