Tough roster calls ahead for O’Shea

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This article was published 05/06/2019 (2285 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

REGINA — The Winnipeg Blue Bombers wrap up their pre-season schedule with a date against the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium tonight.

The clash between the Prairie rivals will be the final tune-up for both teams before the start of the regular season. The Bombers, who are 1-0 after a 20-3 win over the Edmonton Eskimos last Friday, will keep a number of their defensive starters at home, while dressing a number of regulars on offence, including starting quarterback Matt Nichols.

It’s also a final chance for those players on the bubble to prove they’re deserving of a roster spot. There’s many questions still to be answered on the roster, something Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said he hopes will look clearer after the game.

“We’re not sure — it’s not just me trying to put the question off — we’re not sure how the roster is going to shake down yet. That’s a good thing, to know that you have that kind of depth in camp and that kind of talent and competitiveness in camp that you can go down to the wire and make tough decisions,” O’Shea said earlier this week.

As for the Roughriders, they’re coming off an embarrassing 37-1 road loss to the Calgary Stampeders. They’ll have a much more competitive lineup in place for this game, with the hope of earning a better result.

With that in mind, here are five storylines to keep an eye on:

 

NICHOLS GETS THE START

Nichols will start under centre, making it his first taste of game action since falling to the Stampeders in the West final last November. The Bombers’ No. 1 pivot has looked good in training camp, thanks in part to a few changes to his off-season regime, including how he trained and what he ate.

One of the more noticeable parts of Nichols’ work through training camp has been his increased mobility. It’s been a goal of his the past two years to be a better runner, something he was never able to display last season after suffering a knee injury late in camp. But he insists he’s never felt better heading into a regular season, and if what we’ve seen through camp is any indication, he’ll have ample opportunity to show off his feet this year.

But just how much we’ll see of that tonight will depend on how much playing time Nichols gets. Expect him to play a quarter, while executing a limited playbook. How he performs won’t determine his season, but a strong game could help boost the pedigree of a club expected to be in the hunt for the Grey Cup.

 

BATTLE FOR NO. 3

Nichols should be limited in his play, if only because the Bombers still have a tough decision to make when it comes to determining their quarterback depth.

Chris Streveler is the clear No. 2, following a rookie campaign that saw the 24-year-old throw 11 passing touchdowns — compared to five interceptions — and rush for 10 more as an integral part of the Bombers’ short-yardage team.

What’s less clear is who will claim the third job: veteran Bryan Bennett or newcomer Sean McGuire.

Both had strong outings last week against the Edmonton Eskimos, with Bennett throwing for a game-high 122 yards, including the game’s only touchdown, a 48-yard strike to Winnipeg native Dylan Schrot. But McGuire, who ended the game a modest 6-for-10 passing for 69 yards, was also impressive, and had a couple balls not been dropped, his stats would have looked much better.

The Bombers like Bennett and his versatility. He chips in on special teams and is the holder for kicker Justin Medlock. But Winnipeg needs to decide whether it believes he can help them at QB, and after four years in the CFL, Bennett hasn’t hit his ceiling. At just 23 years old, McGuire still has plenty to learn. An improved performance against the Roughriders might give him the opportunity to continue his employment in blue and gold.

 

BAILEY LOOKS TO BREAK OUT

It’s been well documented that the Bombers have a strong crop of American receivers currently at their disposal. It’s now about finding out where they all fit.

Kenny Lawler saw his stock rise last week, when he reeled in a team-high four receptions for 52 yards against the Eskimos. Kenny Walker, who had three catches for 34 yards, was also able to make an early impression.

Others, though, including Rasheed Bailey, struggled to make their mark. Bailey, who has been impressive for much of training camp, was working with the No. 1 offence this week and is eager to prove he deserves strong consideration for a starting job. After signing with six NFL teams over the past five seasons, the 25-year-old Philadelphia native vowed to make Thursday his coming-out party.

“I want to make plays so bad that it gets to me a little bit. I’m here to make plays, to score touchdowns and get that love back for the game,” Bailey said. “Once I get into a rhythm, it’s on.”

With Chris Matthews still sidelined, and Charles Nelson also banged up, the Bombers might need to rely on more than just one person for Week 1 of the regular season in Vancouver against the B.C. Lions. Opportunity is certainly there, it’s now just a matter of who makes the most of it.

 

STILL QUESTIONS ON O-LINE

It will be another big test for the Bombers’ O-line, a unit that continues to face a number of uncertainties with just more than a week remaining before the regular season opens.

Left guard Patrick Neufeld has yet to practise, and right tackle Jermarcus Hardrick has been ruled out for a second straight game. It’s expected that Hardrick, who practised this week, will return to action against the Lions, but the same can’t be said for Neufeld.

That leaves potentially two jobs up for grabs, with the battle for right guard also still to be determined. O’Shea insisted earlier this week that three players – Cody Speller, Geoff Gray and Drew Desjarlais — remain in the mix, but it will likely come down to the pre-season film in determining who’s most ready.

The Bombers have a lot of confidence in Speller, who was with the team all of last season. There’s plenty of intrigue with Gray, who was drafted in the first round eighth overall in 2017 and hopped around the NFL before signing late last year. But don’t rule out Desjarlais, the University of Windsor product who the Bombers took with the fourth overall selection in May. He might just be the nastiest of them all, and is proving to be a quick study.

 

A GLOBAL EXPERIMENT

Justin Medlock won’t be dressing for the game, making it a one-man show for newcomer Gabriel Amavizca Ortiz when it comes to the kicking and punting duties.

Ortiz is one of three “global” players on the Bombers’ roster, drafted onto the team as part of CFL 2.0 — an initiative by the league to attract players from Mexico and Europe with the hope of generating interest abroad.

Ortiz has been shaky at times in training camp, which doesn’t come as a surprise, given Mexico isn’t known for that type of football. But he didn’t look out of place against Edmonton last week. He made good on his lone field goal from 36 yards out, and was effective with his punts, including one that pinned the Eskimos inside their own 10-yard line.

It’s also important to note that with long snapper Chad Rempel also ruled out, Winnipegger Zach Greenberg will be in charge of feeding Ortiz the ball.

Each CFL team is required to have one global player on its roster this season. That undoubtedly will go to German linebacker Thiadric Hansen, who has impressed with his physicality on special teams. But another strong effort by Ortiz would certainly help boost his confidence, not to mention give a bit more credibility to CFL 2.0, which has already built up plenty of critics.

 

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton