Bombers’ rookie receiver L’Damian Washington is in no rush

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This article was published 18/07/2017 (3002 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

L’Damian Washington was a late arrival to training camp and one of the new kids on the block. His rookie season in the CFL has also been slow to catch fire.

In three games, the former University of Missouri star receiver has four catches for 59 yards and one touchdown while being targeted 12 times. Underwhelming, perhaps, but Washington hasn’t lost faith. 

“Being the new guy is tough, coming in late is tough and adjusting to a whole new game is tough,” Washington said, following the Blue Bombers’ practice at Investors Group Field Monday afternoon. “Whenever you get to camp late and you’re a Day 1 starter, it’s just a learning curve. I’ve just got to build that trust with Matt (quarterback Nichols), that he trusts me. I don’t think I’ve done that yet.”

Veteran slotback Weston Dressler has received the bulk of the attention from Nichols, catching 19 of the 24 passes thrown his way for 309 yards and two majors. Wide receiver Darvin Adams has been targeted 26 times, catching 14 for 159 yards and a touchdown.

“I get it that (Dressler), Adams, (Clarence Denmark), Julian (Feoli-Gudino) — like they’ve been here a long time, so they’ve been here since last year and in the league for five-plus years, each guy,” Washington said. “I’m just trying to get better each day.”

Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea sees a good future for the 26-year-old American.

“He’s a good football player,” O’Shea said of Washington. “He’s fast, he’s long, he’s got good hands, he uses his speed well, you know, he’s picked up the waggle real well, so he’s just young. We’ve got a lot of young guys… I’m sure any new guy has the same kinda thought process — you gotta work hard for the quarterback so you see ball more.”

Denmark, 31, is a different case. In his seventh season, he’s only caught five passes for 77 yards thus far and has yet to find the end zone.

“You just never know how the season’s gonna play out,” Denmark said. “The best thing about it, our offence is doing well, and we’re winning some games, so you don’t think about stuff like that this early.

“We all go in as unselfish players every week and we like to see, whoever the ball’s going to, making plays.”

Nichols believes the slow-starting offence in Winnipeg mirrors what’s happening around the league. He believes it’s only a matter of time before the offence gets more productive.

“I think we’ve done some great things,” Nichols said. “Obviously, you’d like to have pierce plays every single play but it’s not the business we’re in. (We’ve) played against some tough defences and I feel like we’ve made plays when we needed to make plays and on par with everything else I’ve been talking about, is just getting better each and every week and big plays will happen.”

Praise for the O-line

Winnipeg’s offensive line was a big factor in the club’s 33-25 win over the Toronto Argonauts in Week 4. Toronto, which led the CFL with 14 sacks entering the game, was shut out.

“The team leading the league in sacks and put some serious hits on the quarterback this year (and we) didn’t give up a single sack and ran the ball effectively,” Nichols said. “They (O-line) kinda took over the game. That’s what we expect out of them.”

Said O’Shea: “I think they… played more to their standard then they maybe did in the first couple of weeks. Any time you can hold a team to no sacks, it’s pretty special for an O-line.”

Noteworthy

Canadian linebacker Jesse Briggs (lower body) is considered week-to-week. The Blue Bombers added import defensive lineman Shayon Green and import linebacker Kyrie Wilson to their practice roster while also signing non-import linebacker Nehemie Kankolongo to the roster.

Green spent last season with Winnipeg, playing in 13 games and recording 22 defensive tackles, three sacks and one interception. Wilson was in Winnipeg’s 2017 training camp. He was a three-year starter at Fresno State. He was signed by the Oakland Raiders last spring and spent part of last season with the NFL club.

Kankolongo (5-11, 205 pounds, Wyoming) played with the B.C. Lions in 2016, suiting up for 13 games and recording six special teams tackles. He originally signed as an undrafted free agent with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2015 and played in nine games that season.

The club has also released Canadian receiver Derek Yachison from the practice roster.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14