Kelly going with young RBs in Montreal

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This article was published 22/06/2009 (5943 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ONE point of bringing in new talent is to push the established players.

The young running backs at Blue Bombers camp are close to shoving the door right off its hinges.

Bombers coach Mike Kelly let it slip late Sunday morning that he wouldn’t be using veteran running backs Fred Reid and Joe Smith in Tuesday’s pre-season game against the Montreal Alouettes (6 p.m., CJOB), but that doesn’t mean the returnees are home and cooled where their jobs are concerned.

Kelly has intimated there may be a shakeup in the backfield and will take another look at newcomers Lavarus Giles and Yvenson Bernard on Tuesday night.

"I’m taking the two young kids and leaving the old guys home," said Kelly. "That doesn’t mean the old guys are sure things. Not at all. We want to take a good, hard look at the young guys one more time. One hundred and forty-one yards on 28 carries the last time we played… we want to take a good look at them and we also want to let the old guys heal up a little. These young guys have warranted our attention and we want to make sure we’re doing the right thing when we sit down and put this roster together."

Reid broke out late last season and finished up with 709 yards on 101 carries while sharing the backfield with Smith, who played in four games with the Bombers after coming over from the B.C. Lions in a trade for Charles Roberts.

Injuries had their effect on Smith last season, but he was the league’s best in 2007, rushing for 1,510 yards and collecting 19 touchdowns.

Coming into to camp, on the surface at least, it appeared the Bombers were set at running back.

But Kelly asked personnel man John Murphy to bring in some competition and the human database did his job, maybe too well.

Giles and Bernard have oodles of potential and appear ready to take the prime time stage. So don’t be surprised if there’s a trade in the next week or so perhaps even a big-name release. Nothing is set in concrete.

"The competition on the back end from those guys is wide open. Giles has the potential when he turns the corner to be the fastest guy on the field and Bernard gives us something different," said Murphy.

"We’re of the opinion that if you can get depth you do it. Having those two kids fight it out, it also gives us a trade opportunity with someone else if other teams don’t like what they see with their own people. It gives us options."

Giles signed with the Calgary Stampeders in September of last season but was not on the active roster for any games.

"I’ve never been to Montreal. Been to Calgary and been to Winnipeg now. This is another audition. It’s a big game and it’s important for me," said Giles. "I need to go in and do what I gotta do and make it hard for the coaches."

Giles played his college football at Jackson State in Mississippi.

"I would say speed is my best trait. I ran the hundred in 10.4 in college," said the 6-2, 215-pound, 23-year-old. "I knew coming here they had Fred and Joe. My thing was to come in and compete."

Bernard played at Oregon State under former Blue Bombers coach Mike Riley and left as the school’s second all-time leading rusher.

"You always want a good outing. I want to perform at the top of my abilities. I think I can play here, it’s all about opportunity," said Bernard, 23. "I know we can get traded and that we’re kind of on display. That would make me real, real sad because I really like this organization and that’s when I’m able to perform, when I’m comfortable. Coach Riley was a huge coach here and he talked about it all the time. I like it here a lot."

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca

Murph’s take on running back hopefuls

Blue Bombers director of player personnel John Murphy is responsible for bringing in fresh talent. Here’s his book on rookie running backs Lavarus Giles and Yvenson Bernard when they were coming out of college.

Yvenson Bernard, Oregon State — One of the most productive runners in the NCAA from 2004 through 2007, Bernard carried the Beavers to many a victory. He runs with very good vision, quick feet and hard for his size. NFL scouts wonder if he has the straight-line speed to be more than a situational player, but you can’t overlook his production to date.

Lavarus Giles, Jackson State — A versatile, junior college transfer who runs in the 4.45 range at 6-1, 215 pounds. Giles can line up in the backfield or out in the slot and is a very exciting return man. NFL scouts love to take chances on size/speed guys, and he fits that category. He has proven to be a strong special-teams guy; returning a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown in college.