Of natural causes

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/11/2010 (5646 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This isn’t easy, conducting yet another autopsy on yet another lost season for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Forget that it’s been 20 years since the last Grey-Cup championship was celebrated in these parts — that pain has been there for so long Bomber faithful have almost become numb to it all. No, when you take a scalpel in one hand and a pair of forceps in the other and slice open the corpse to find a cause of death, you find the organs are relatively healthy and free of disease.

This is a team that features the CFL’s leading rusher in Fred Reid, the top quarterback-sack man in Phillip Hunt, the second-leading receiver in Terrence Edwards and some emerging new young talent, including receivers Greg Carr and Terence Jeffers-Harris, cornerback Deon Beasley, linebackers Clint Kent and Marcellus Bowman and placekicker Justin Palardy.

But this is also a team that finished 4-14 and missed the playoffs for the second straight year. This in a league in which 75 per cent of the teams — six of eight — get invites to the Grey-Cup derby.

So, clearly, something isn’t right here.

We bring this all up today as part of our obit on the 2010 season and by presenting the 10 questions/issues the franchise must answer to return to glory.

1. THE NEW BRAIN TRUST: A REVIEW

NO question that GM Joe Mack and head coach Paul LaPolice have brought a level of professionalism that is in stark contrast to ’09 — albeit with three less wins. Mack, new director of player personnel Ken Moll and director of football operations Ross Hodgkinson have found some solid import talent and done a masterful job of adding/drafting some intriguing Canadian depth in Palardy, Cory Watson, Matt Morencie, James Green and Chris Kowalczuk.

There were some strange personnel moves, however — including, for example, re-signing Ryan Donnelly, giving him $10,000 up front and then not having him play a single down — but the free-agent list isn’t too long and the talent base, particularly at import, is young. Those are pluses.

There are more questions about LaPolice, though, and especially his play calling. There was the decision to attempt a 51-yard field goal in a loss to Toronto; a botched third-and-two handoff to Andre Sadeghian in another defeat to the Argos; and even the decision to punt in last Friday’s loss to Calgary with just over a minute remaining. It would seem he’s got some learning to do, too, over the winter.

All of this, of course, has the second-guessers in full throat. What if Jim Barker, who has his Argos in the playoffs, had been hired as GM and brought Montreal offensive co-ordinator Scott Milanovich in as the head coach? What if Mack had hired former Bomber defensive boss Greg Marshall as head coach? Those questions, unfortunately for the Bomber brain trust, don’t begin to get answered further until next summer.

2. CAN BUCK STAY UPRIGHT?

IN a word, No.

Love the guy’s game. Love what he brings to the locker-room and the huddle in terms of leadership. But he was hurt three times through the first half of the season and only played in five games. Saying that, he’s likely still No. 1 on the depth chart for 2011 and the emergence of Steven Jyles would give the Bombers — if the two are healthy — an interesting combo going forward. But it remains a huge question mark.

Now, a rumour that won’t go away: the Edmonton Eskimos have the option on QB Ricky Ray for 2011 and he wants to stay. But there are many in the Alberta capital demanding change and the veteran pivot’s QB juicy contract draws a pretty big bull’s-eye. Let’s throw it out there for debate, then: How would Ray look in blue and gold and, if he’s available, how much coin should the Bombers put on the table for a proven QB?

3. NO MORE WOE IS THE ‘O’ STUFF

THE Bombers were dead last in scoring in 2008 and 2009 and managed a pathetic 200 yards passing per game last year. Those numbers were far more juicy in 2010 — 27.8 points and close to 250 yards passing per game — even with four different quarterbacks making starts. But the finish wasn’t there when it mattered and those stats, while encouraging, speak of the strength of LaPolice’s scheme but raise questions about the team’s mental makeup and fortitude. Yes, for as impressive as the offensive improvement was, the nine losses by four points or less is far more concerning.

4. THE CANADIAN CONTENT — MORE STAR POWER NEEDED

NO issue plagues this franchise more right now and there is no quick fix. What’s worse is with Doug Brown contemplating retirement and Brendon LaBatte sniffing around the NFL, the return of the team’s two best Canadians is, right now at least, a bit iffy. As mentioned above, the team did add some Canadian depth this year and does hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 draft. But there’s a ton of work needed here and it must come through free agency, the draft or possible trades.

5. A QUESTION OF LEADERSHIP/ CHEMISTRY

IT comes up whenever a team struggles, just as the Bombers did in 2010, and especially when it matters in the clutch. There are well-respected veterans like Brown and Edwards as well as Joe Lobendahn, Jovon Johnson and LaBatte. But is there enough? Is there a ball-breaker who stands up and demands accountability the way Chris Walby or Milt Stegall or Eric Wilson did previously? Interestingly, these questions never get asked in places like Montreal or Calgary — or anywhere a team wins consistently. Those teams just expect to win and have oodles of talent.

6. THE ANNUAL DEFECTIONS: WHO LEAVES VIA FREE AGENCY OR TO THE NFL?

THE Bombers have, unofficially, nine potential free agents: defensive backs Jonathan Hefney and Keyuo Craver, fullback Jon Oosterhuis, running backs Yvenson Bernard and Daryl Stephenson, linebackers Joe Lobendahn and Pierre-Luc Labbe, defensive tackle Dorian Smith and centre Obby Khan. Of that crew, Hefney, Khan, Smith and Labbe have to be considered to be atop the priority list.

Couple that with the interest LaBatte and Hunt are sure to draw from the NFL and the Bombers have their fingers crossed they can get some key personnel to return.

7. PLUGGING THE HOLES IN THE AIR DEFENCE

IT was a huge concern as the lid lifted on the 2010 season, what with Jonathan Hefney having bolted for the Detroit Lions and Lenny Walls released. Considering that Keyuo Craver and LaVar Glover both finished the year on the injured list, this crew looks outstanding going forward. Hefney returned and is a free agent, but Alex Suber impressed as did Beasley at the corner. Newcomer Johnny Sears has some skill, too. Translation: there is enough depth here to make this one of the few areas not to be worried about heading into 2011.

8. SPECIAL-TEAMS NIGHTMARES AND DREAMS

THE Bombers surrendered six kick-return touchdowns this season, including giving up a score on the opening kickoff of the season. They were also burned for fake punts, don’t have a legit kickoff return threat in a league overflowing with them and need Palardy to add a few more yards to his kickoffs. There was good from these units, too, though: Palardy was spectacular (87 per cent) on his field-goal attempts after being added in late August and punter Mike Renaud was one of the CFL’s best.

9. THE DISCIPLINE QUESTION

A ready-made excuse for LaPolice & Co. when this issue is broached: the Alouettes, the best squad in the East, are the CFL’s most penalized outfit. But the Bombers are second-worst and it’s the type of penalties — the unnecessary roughness, the repeated offsides by the D-line and mental mistakes that get fingered by the officials — that are especially frustrating and raise questions about overall discipline. LaPolice brought the hammer down on transgressors more than you think, but the best motivator of all many be a benching or a dent in the pocketbook.

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10. WILL THE DROUGHT EVER END?

IT will. Sooner or later the sun will shine again on this franchise. Some have argued, including yours truly, that there is better talent here right now than at the end of the 2009 season. But 4-14 speaks for itself. And the road back to respectability is long and winding and full of potholes.

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca