Pair hopes fill-in job at DE rolls their way

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/07/2011 (5237 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A mini position battle of sorts is unfolding at Bombers practice this week.

The knee injury to starting defensive end Jason Vega, suffered in the 22-16 win against the Toronto Argonauts, has opened up a spot on the defensive line.

In one corner, we have non-import Fernand Kashama, who replaced Vega during the game and performed quite admirably. He ended his night with just one tackle, but was part of a furious pass rush from the Bombers’ front seven.

Head coach Paul LaPolice wasn’t quite ready to call Kashama the second coming of Phillip Hunt after practice Monday, but he was pleased with how the 26-year-old acclimatized himself when he was thrust into duty.

“You have to be ready in the Canadian Football League to play,” LaPolice said. “He did a good job. He pushed the pocket, he made some tackles — he was able to respond.”

In the other corner, we have Kenny Mainor, an import who opened a few eyes during training camp. He eventually lost the gig to Vega but has spent the last three weeks on the practice roster, waiting for his opportunity.

Barring a drastic change in plans, Mainor will be promoted to the active roster this week, regardless if he wins the starting spot or not, as the club will need a backup in the DE hole.

Kashama, a former second-round draft choice (16th overall, 2008) who made 10 starts for the Stamps as a rookie in 2009, said he would love to see some playing time against his former team Thursday (7 p.m., Canad Inns Stadium).

“It’s always special,” he said. “I used to play for Calgary, so I still have a lot of friends on the team. I know the coaches and what not. It’s will be fun to play against the guys.”

The Bombers won’t make any final roster decisions until Thursday.

SICK BAY: Other Bombers currently dealing with injuries include WR Greg Carr (quad), LB Henoc Muamba (knee), WR Kito Poblah (knee), DB Johnny Sears (ankle) and DB Leslie Majors (leg). Defensive back Alex Suber also sat out Monday with a sore leg. The club expects him to be ready for Thursday.

FINALLY: Winnipeg leads the CFL with nine sacks. DT Doug Brown and DE Odell Willis are tied for the league lead with three sacks apiece… Once again, the club will be wearing the popular royal blue uniform when they take the field against Calgary… The Bombers announced more than 24,000 tickets have been sold for the game.

— Wazny