Homegrown offence for Blue

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This article was published 15/02/2018 (3020 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Running back Andrew Harris knows exactly what Nic Demski and Kienan LaFrance bring to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

In Demski, a six-foot, 208-pound receiver, Harris pictures another capable target for quarterback Matt Nichols and a guy who “can make those tough catches, make people miss and take it the distance.”

With LaFrance, a bruising tailback at 5-9 and 205 pounds, Harris sees a playmaker who, when given the chance to shine on offence, has “done really well” and who can also chip in on special teams.

But most of all, Harris hopes that when all is said and done on the 2018 CFL season, the lasting image will be the three Winnipeggers together, along with the rest of the Blue and Gold, posing with the Grey Cup. After all, it’s been 27 long years without a championship.

“I’m sure they don’t really understand the Grey Cup drought because both of those guys are pretty young… but there’s something that goes into that,” said Harris in a phone interview Wednesday.

“You can’t deny that they’ve seen the seasons the Bombers have had in the past. Maybe not the last few years because they’ve been away, but from when they were growing up and in high school.”

Demski and LaFrance were acquired Tuesday on the first day of CFL free agency. Both former University of Manitoba Bisons grew up in Winnipeg, played high school football in the city and spent the 2017 season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders before signing one-year deals with the Bombers. They also have a close relationship with Harris, with the three of them spending a lot of time together over the off-seasons.

The two newest Bombers met with local media for the first time Wednesday and, when asked about the current Grey Cup drought, paid little attention to it. Neither had been born when the Bombers last won in 1990, but both would like nothing more than to be part of bringing a championship back home.

“It would be amazing, especially with a bunch of guys from Winnipeg here, it would be unreal,” said Demski.

“It definitely makes you more hungry,” said LaFrance, who was a member of the 2016 Grey Cup champion Ottawa Redblacks.

But as great as that would be, Harris said just being home can be a lift for Demski and LaFrance, who are coming off a season hampered by injuries.

“Both of them are kind of coming off, not down seasons, but seasons that weren’t their best and probably not what they wanted out of it,” said Harris, who went through a similar transition after spending years with the B.C. Lions before signing with the Bombers as a free agent prior to the 2016 season. “Coming home is an added inspiration to want to do bigger and better things.”

Demski spent the last three seasons in Saskatchewan after being drafted by the Roughriders with the sixth-overall pick in 2015. After two years of working his way into a bigger role with the offence, he had a hot start to the 2017 season with 14 catches for 169 yards and a touchdown in the first two games. But a foot injury derailed his season, forcing him to miss the next nine weeks.

“It was really a fluke accident — I didn’t even really touch anyone,” said Demski, who fractured a foot bone. “It sucked but at the end of the day my body is 100 per cent now. I got X-rays and everything is good to go and I’ve been training the last two months. I feel good mentally and physically.”

Demski said he could have returned to the Roughriders for their playoff run but the team opted for fellow Canadian receiver Rob Bagg.

Demski said one of the biggest reasons he signed in Winnipeg was to play under offensive co-ordinator Paul LaPolice, who is known as one of the most creative minds on offence in the CFL. Demski said LaPolice liked the versatility he could bring. While Winnipeg is used to starting just one Canadian receiver, Demski’s skill level could have them consider starting two.

“I don’t think I’ve got to my full potential yet, so that’s one thing that brought me over here: they want to utilize me and that was a huge thing in my decision-making,” he said. “If they want me doing screens, if they want me coming out of the backfield, if they want me in the slot, wide out — I’ll do whatever they want me to do but really I just want to go out and make plays for them.”

LaFrance was a key off-season signing by the Roughriders last season, expected to come in and pick up where he left off from the championship run with the Redblacks. But an injury in the pre-season handcuffed his chances to make an early impression and that seemed to rob any momentum from building the rest of the year. LaFrance finished with 68 carries for 273 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games, adding another 123 yards on 14 catches and one touchdown through the air.

“When you go through some injuries it’s definitely frustrating… really challenges you as an individual,” said LaFrance. “I am definitely looking forward to increasing my role this year and contributing to the team as much as I can.”

While Harris is the undisputed starter at running back, LaFrance could play an important role to ensure less wear and tear on Harris over the season. The Bombers have also run two tailbacks before, using Timothy Flanders more as a receiver, making it a potential move to use LaFrance in that role.

“I spoke with the coaches a little bit, and voiced that I’m definitely here to make some plays,” said LaFrance. “I love how they run their offence and how they’ve incorporated all the different players within the offence.”

As for Harris, he’s looking forward to building something special in 2018 with his old friends and new teammates.

“That’s the beauty of this game, that you have relationships that you already had going into a season, they just get better and better as they go on,” he said. So I’m looking forward to getting those guys better and winning some games with them.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @jeffkhamilton