Bombers bring in fresh blood at QB

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This article was published 27/10/2010 (5457 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Put those cleats back in the basement, football fans. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are not holding an open quarterback tryout this week.

The Bombers welcomed two new import pivots to the practice field Tuesday, getting their first live looks at Justin Goltz and Frank Wilczynski at the Winnipeg Indoor Soccer Complex. Both players were assigned to the practice roster earlier this week and barring any signings between now and Saturday, both should be in uniform when the Bombers take on the Edmonton Eskimos at Commonwealth Stadium.

The Blue and Gold have exactly 17:54 of CFL game experience at the most important position of the field heading into the final two games of the season and with Steven Jyles (shoulder) and Alex Brink (broken collarbone) both done for the year, the club needs at least two warm bodies to back up rookie starter Joey Elliott.

Enter Wilczynski and Goltz.

“Right now I’m trying to learn everything,” a slightly dazed and confused Wilczynski offered after the workout. “My head is kind of spinning. I’m brand new to everything. Everything is different.”

Tuesday was more of a meet and greet between the two pivots, the Canadian brand of football, and the Bombers playbook. As Wilczynski indicated, it’s a brave new world for the young Americans — both forced to navigate the unique dimensions of the field, the number of downs, the size of the ball, and of course, the extra man on both sides of the ball.

“It’s really strange seeing an extra person on the field,” said Wilczynski, a mobile prospect from Rowan University (Division III). “I mean, you don’t really feel like there’s 12 on offence but you feel like there’s 12 on defence. It’s tough.”

Goltz a 6-foot-5, 215-pound Missouri native, comes to Winnipeg after three years as a starter at Occidental College, another obscure Division III school. The 22-year-old was a late cut by the Sacramento Mountain Lions (UFL) in June and after discussions with the Bombers, decided to come up and see what the CFL was all about.

The club made no promises for a training camp spot next season, he confirmed, so the next 10 days may be his only chance to make an impression.

“I have to earn a spot to come here next year,” Goltz said.

As expected, Bombers coach Paul LaPolice didn’t have much to go on evaluation-wise after the initial workouts. Until he checks the film, how the new pivots performed will be seasoned with some benefit of the doubt.

“They threw to open people… I wasn’t sure if they knew WHY they threw it,” he said. “They just saw open people and threw it to them.”

UNDER THE KNIFE: As the three rookie quarterbacks prepare for the Eskimos, the news for Jyles isn’t good.

The 28-year-old requires surgery on his injured throwing shoulder, a procedure that will have doctors repair torn and/or stretched out ligaments in the joint. A timeline for recovery won’t be known until the damage inside the shoulder is known, the team said.

LaPolice did not have an update on OL Brendon LaBatte’s bicep injury Tuesday.

NOTES: With Deon Beasley (undisclosed injury) on the sidelines, DB Johnny Sears spent a lot of time in his cornerback spot…Seeing a lot of time with the No. 1 offence was RB Chris Garrett…Hamilton QB Kevin Glenn (offensive), DE Stevie Baggs (defensive), and WR Chris Bauman (top Canadian), along with Toronto KR Chad Owens (special teams) were named the CFL players of the week.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca