Bombers’ Thompkins the favourite to replace traded Bowman

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This article was published 25/07/2018 (2657 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Just as one of Winnipeg’s splashiest off-season acquisitions was shown the door, opportunity came knocking for at least one unheralded player who had been toiling for most of the last two months on the CFL club’s practice roster.

Kenbrell Thompkins is the clear favourite to replace 33-year-old slotback Adarius Bowman, who was traded by the Blue Bombers to the Montreal Alouettes on Monday.

The 29-year-old from Liberty City, Fla., was not anointed heir apparent to Bowman by Winnipeg head coach Mike O’Shea, but he took all of the first-team snaps during Tuesday’s practice at Investors Group Field and is expected to be in the starting lineup when the Blue Bombers host the Toronto Argonauts Friday night.

“I’m just getting better, just trying to take advantage of the opportunities and I have a big opportunity in front of me,” Thompkins said, adding he was not discouraged by his stint on the practice roster.

“I enjoy playing football. So, I had the opportunity come out here (to) play football — whether it’s practice squad, it don’t even matter. I’m here running routes, I’ve been doing it for a long time.”

Thompkins has an extensive NFL resumé, having played for the New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders and New York Jets between 2013 and 2015. He had suited up for 33 regular-season games in the NFL, starting 17 times and catching 70 passes for 893 yards and four touchdowns. However, his last game action involved pre-season games with the Jets in 2017 and the Blue Bombers this spring.

O’Shea suggested the club would hold an audition for Bowman’s spot, with Thompkins, Corey Washington and Ryan Lankford as the top candidates.

“Both Washington and Thompkins have good speed, but they’re bigger targets and have shown well in practice,” Bombers offensive co-ordinator Paul LaPolice said. “Lankford has good speed and has played in a bunch of different spots for us… We’ve got good options.”

The departure of Bowman, a three-time league all-star, did not come as much of a surprise. He’s caught only nine passes for 95 yards in six games since signing a rich free-agent deal worth about $140,000 in the off-season, and didn’t manage a single catch in three of those outings.

“I keep hearing people say, ‘Work out,’ and there’s a couple of different things we’ve got to factor in here,” LaPolice said.

“First of all, Adarius didn’t go in… on two of our personnel groups, so he was averaging about 15 plays less a game than the other guys.

“Then, in our mind, Adarius came here to be one of the receivers to mix in with our guys but — so did Nic Demski… (Running back) Andrew Harris is going to touch the ball in our offence, he was leading the CFL in catches last year… We didn’t bring him here to be our No. 1 receiver, if that made sense.

“I thought Adarius was doing well with what we were asking him to do, but then there’s certain situations you evaluate as your offence moves on.”

The Blue Bombers clearly believed they could get equal or better production from a younger player on his first CFL contract.

“In our offence, unfortunately, there’s a couple of other guys getting the ball first, so it didn’t amount to the type of production that Adarius would’ve wanted or we would’ve wanted, so all the other business factors in and the deal gets done,” O’Shea said.

No. 1 quarterback Matt Nichols said he understood the business side, but would miss Bowman’s upbeat presence in the locker room.

“I have nothing to do with any of those decisions,” Nichols said. “It’s definitely a sad thing, a bad part of this business. A guy I’ve known for eight years and a good friend. A guy that I love and would do anything for. That’s always the hardest thing.”

REGAINING HIS FORM: On Saturday, Nichols’ third game since returning from a knee injury also turned into his best performance of 2018 so far.

He completed 19 of 27 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns, and avoided the interception scourge which resulted in three picks during a 20-17 loss to the B.C. Lions in Week 5.

“Obviously, the first couple of games weren’t to my personal standards — and I’ve talked about, more than a few times, that I’m my biggest critic for sure,” Nichols said.

“I felt like I wasn’t holding up my end of the bargain, and really just tried to focus on every little detail last week. It definitely felt like one of the better games that I’ve played.”

 

A STEADY IMPROVEMENT: After a slow start out of the gate, the Bombers defence appears to be hitting its stride. While the offence put up 38 points against the Argos, the defence allowed just four points — 16 points were scored off offensive turnovers — and forced three turnovers.

“We’re improving. The key thing is minimizing those explosion plays and making teams have to do things consistently, down in and down out,” Bombers defensive co-ordinator Richie Hall said. “I thought the guys were very solid: the front, the middle and the back end. Open-field tackling… the execution; we still left plays on the field, but they felt in their zone.”

Winnipeg was particularly good against the run, limiting Toronto running back James Wilder Jr. — last season’s rookie of the year — to just three carries for minus-two yards. The Argonauts had just 22 rushing yards and only 173 yards of net offence.

“Even when they did throw him the ball, on some screens and some check downs, you saw a lot of people rallying and gang-tackling him and that’s the kind of defence that we have to be,” Hall said. “They talk about our motto is being fast and furious, and that’s what you got to do, you got to be kind of chaotic out there.”

 

ROSTER MOVES: The Blue Bombers signed veteran Canadian linebacker Frédéric Plesius to the active roster on Tuesday. The 30-year-old was added with defensive back Jeff Hecht and Brendan Morgan, both special teamers, who were not practising on Tuesday due to undisclosed injuries. Meanwhile, Canadian linebacker Frank Renaud is likely out for an extended period after surgery for a knee injury.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @sawa14jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @jeffkhamilton