Oliveira catching on as a receiver

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This article was published 28/08/2024 (405 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brady Oliveira averaged only six catches per season over four years at the University of North Dakota.

In his first two seasons as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ starting running back, he was fortunate to catch two passes in a game, as he was looked to provide — almost exclusively — as a rusher.

So it may come as a surprise to hear the Bombers’ bruising tailback say he’s always viewed himself as being better at catching than running the football.

“I’ve always taken great pride in being a complete back. Even back in my high school days and college days, taking pride in being extremely well in pass protection… but even more in the pass game,” Oliveira said after Wednesday’s practice at Princess Auto Stadium, where the Bombers are preparing for the annual Labour Day Classic against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Regina on Sunday (6 p.m.).

“Even when I was a young kid playing, I’ve always had great hands and it’s something that I took great pride in. Not many backs can do all three things of run, block and catch so it’s something that I’ve always said from Day 1 is, I think I’m a better receiver out of the backfield than a runner out of the backfield.”

A skill that has gone largely untapped throughout his career, Oliveira has put his skills as a pass-catcher on full display this season with 37 grabs for 296 yards. The hometown product is on pace to shatter single-season career-highs, projected for 63 receptions and 503 receiving yards, which would be the most by a Bombers running back since Andrew Harris caught 70 balls for 529 yards in 2019.

It’s been a welcomed uptick in usage by Winnipeg’s bell cow (running back who is adept at all facets of the position), who said it was rare for him to be targeted in the passing game at UND and it was something he was determined to prove he could do at the next level. For the last two years, Oliveira has spent extra time after every practice catching balls from the JUGS machine, just as a full-time receiver does.

“How can I get better? How can I get one per cent better? Because I still know that there’s so much more to untap in my game,” Oliveira said.

“I know that I’m just scratching the surface.”

The importance of Oliveira’s receiving ability has been heightened this season as three of the Bombers’ top receivers hit the six-game injured list early on.

In many ways, the fifth-year pro has become a safety valve for quarterback Zach Collaros as he looks to pick up any positive yardage on a dying play.

“I’ve always been confident in Brady. I think with the way the defences play over the last season and a half, two seasons, it is kind of a ‘Don’t let them get behind you’ type of thing and dropping nine people in coverage, so the back has to do a good job of getting out and catching it and getting upfield, and he does a great job of that,” Collaros said.

“I would venture to guess, without digging into it, a lot of (Oliveira’s targets) has been exhausting your progression and getting down to him as a check down.”

Oliveira is on pace for his usual workload in the ground game this season. In 10 games (he missed Week 2 due to a lingering knee injury), he’s rushed 135 times for a league-leading 809 yards (an uber-efficient six yards per carry).

It’s not often that offensive co-ordinator Buck Pierce is manufacturing plays for Oliveira in the passing game, which he said has made the running back’s numbers all the more impressive. Most of Oliveira’s receiving yards — 256, to be exact — have come after the catch, which is the fourth-most in three-down football.

“A lot of the times you have things designed up for the ball to go other places and, as an offensive guy, coverage dictates where the ball is going to go,” said Pierce, who has appreciated his running back’s ability to earn tough, valuable yards after the catch.

“Brady’s done a great job of being able to recognize that and being on the same page in communication and protections, when to get out and those type of things. Backs in today’s CFL have got to be complete backs. You got to be able to run, catch, protect, understand routes, understand pass concepts and he’s doing a good job of that.

“I think that’s where his growth has (been), just the overall understanding of the offence and defences in general of where they’re vulnerable.”

The Bombers have been spoiled by complete running backs for years. Harris, a well-documented mentor of Oliveira, was lauded for his dual-threat ability. The franchise-great accumulated 609 receptions and 32 receiving touchdowns in 13 pro seasons, with his most prolific year coming as a member of the Bombers in 2017 when he had 105 grabs and 857 receiving yards en route to being named the league’s Most Outstanding Canadian.

While Oliveira has a long way to go before reaching those lofty numbers — he also has yet to record a receiving touchdown this season — he said the most important stat is playing in all 18 games.

The rest, he believes, will take care of itself.

“I’ll always remember that (2017) season that (Harris) had with Matt Nichols here where he caught an absurd amount of footballs and I’m like, ‘That’s what I want to do. I know I can do that,’ Oliveira said.

“I’ve been working on it ever since because I know I’m capable of it.”

BIGHILL IN LINE TO PLAY SUNDAY

Linebacker Adam Bighill was a full participant in practice on Wednesday and is in line to play in Regina this weekend.

The 12-year pro and heartbeat of the Bombers defence did not practice for 10 days and missed last week’s game after leaving the Aug. 18 contest against the B.C. Lions, where he pulled up while in pursuit of a ball carrier. He was placed on the six-game IL on Aug. 22 with a hamstring injury.

Though many feared Bighill could miss at least a few games given his placement on the injured list, head coach Mike O’Shea said it’s standard practice for the club to put players on the six-game IL to give them more time to heal if necessary and save cap space.

“He didn’t think it was going to be long. We didn’t think it was going to be long,” O’Shea said.

“Not surprised.”

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jfreysam