Keep eye on three P’s this pre-season

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This article was published 15/06/2011 (5540 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Welcome to Camp Tranquility.

It’s been one of the quieter training camps in Winnipeg Blue Bombers history — what with no marquee position battle or any skirmishes between linemen –but that’s not to say there hasn’t been anything going on at Canad Inns Stadium.

The past 10 days of camp have shown us a few things, and with the first of two pre-season games scheduled in Montreal Thursday evening (6:30 p.m., TSN), those paying attention should be able to learn a few more things about this young group.

Game action. That’s where the interest lies now. Here are three things to keep an eye on against the Alouettes:

1. The pivots

When in doubt, focus on the quarterbacks, right?

Here’s what we know: Veteran Buck Pierce is not making the trip east.

That should leave plenty of face time for backups Joey Elliott and Alex Brink to put in their tender for the No. 2 spot. At the start of camp, it was assumed Elliott had the inside track on the spot, based on his performance at end of last season.

But neither second-year pivot has looked consistent, with both struggling to trust reads and to find timing — possibly due to the new influx of receivers.

Remember: Brink was exposed to the system all season in 2010, while Elliott only joined the program last July. That said, head coach Paul LaPolice has been happy with the progress both QBs have made from last year to this point.

Elliott, who will get the start against the Als, understands what he has to do to lock up the No. 2 spot.

“I have to get completions; you can’t worry about touchdowns, you can’t worry about yards,” he said. “You can only worry about your reads.”

A case could be made that the lack of position declaration to this point puts both upstart QBs at even-money, with the exhibition game decisions they make ultimately being the deciding factor in who serves as Buck’s backup.

2. The prospect

To say the Bombers are happy with their No. 1 pick in the CFL draft would be like saying Anthony Calvillo is an OK quarterback:

It’s a terrible understatement.

People inside the club are thrilled with the progress non-import linebacker Henoc Muamba is making as he bounces through the different levels of understanding the pro game, and he’ll be in uniform Thursday. He’s built like a jackhammer — 6-foot, 230 pounds with long arms and an endless motor — and is showing steady growth (and more responsibility) during the workouts.

Question: Is it possible he can he start sooner than later?

“I’m not in control of that decision,” he said. “I’m picking up more and more every day, but I’m not worried about that. My time will come.”

According to LaPolice, Muamba will see lots of action on special teams, plus valuable time in the linebacker spot.

“It’s a different speed when it’s game time — it will be faster,” the coach said, tempering public expectations with a healthy dose of reality concerning a first-year pro.

3. The protection

First came news from the head coach that import Andre Douglas was all but assured the left tackle spot. Then it came out that guard Brendon LaBatte was scheduled to see reps at centre this camp — even before veteran Obby Khan hurt his groin.

Now import right tackle Glenn January, who had been seeing most of the reps with the first group, is not travelling to Montreal today.

A groin injury suffered Tuesday forces him to miss the fight between himself, Kelly Butler, and Marlon Winn for the other starting tackle spot — the key battle on the line this month.

January missed the 2010 season with a torn pectoral muscle. He’s listed as day-to-day.

Winnipeg will take a host of O-linemen to Montreal (as many as eight), with the hope of sorting out the depth chart moving forward. Of note: Only LaBatte, Khan, January, and RG Steve Morley have more than one year of CFL experience.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca