Blue’s Waggoner worth the risk

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This article was published 06/05/2016 (3623 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When Winnipeg Blue Bombers general manager Kyle Walters willingly forfeited his first-round pick in the 2016 CFL Draft, it was impossible to know what exactly he was giving up.

He knew what he was getting: Garrett Waggoner, a defensive back out of Dartmouth College; a born and bred American granted a Canadian passport because his father was born in Canada. The DB was therefore eligible to be plucked in the 2015 Supplemental Draft.

Waggoner was just a minor piece in last season’s rebuild. The Bombers had already picked up a load of Canadian talent, signing Dominic Picard, Sukh Chung, who they took in with the second overall pick in the 2015 CFL Draft, Ivan Brown and Sam Hurl.

It wasn’t until the end of the 2015 CFL season, when the Bombers turned in a 5-13 campaign — the league’s second-worst record behind a 3-15 Saskatchewan team — that Walters would get his answer.

Since the CFL Draft order is determined by league standings from the previous year, it meant the Bombers would have selected second overall, the same draft position they used to get Chungh, a player who, despite some hiccups in his rookie year, started on the O-line for all 18 games last season.

How costly a gamble it was is yet to be seen.

“When you look back at Garrett last year and his productivity with the other first-round picks, I think he’s on point,” said Walters.

As predictable as Walter’s assessment was, it’s not wrong. Rarely does a player make a real splash in his rookie season, especially someone such as Waggoner, who had never played the Canadian game.

“When you start talking about Canadian draft picks, give the kids a year, give him two years before you start making a serious assessment about their long-term futures in our league,” said Walters. “It’s such a big step and a big development (curve).”

Though the Bombers won’t be picking in the first round, they have two picks in the top-10. Winnipeg has the first two selections in the second round — they picked up ninth overall in the Chris Greaves trade with Edmonton last season — and with that Walters believes he’ll have at least two viable pieces heading into training camp.

“I think you’re going to get, when you look at the board, two good football players, we just don’t know what positions,” said Walters.

“That’s a little bit different from the draft last year.”

Whether that means the Bombers will try and snag a player in a more skilled position — running backs and receivers available in the second round are always a bit of a gamble —remains to be seen.

The Bombers could always try to package their two picks in an attempt to move up at the draft, but the prospect doesn’t look likely, not with the draft being deep in offensive-line talent — a position that is often filled with Canadian talent.

“There’s been casual conversations with teams but at this point nothing,” said Walters. “As you get closer to the day, within 24, 48 hours, trade talks get a little more serious.”

Either way, Walters, who was chosen 10th overall in the second round of the 1996 CFL Draft, understands the importance of stocking up on Canadian talent — a must for any organization hoping to build a team strong enough to contend for the Grey Cup.

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.catwitter: @jeffkhamilton