Hunt an Eagle, Poblah will play

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This article was published 04/09/2011 (5446 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

REGINA — Former Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive end and 2010 CFL sack leader Phillip Hunt made the 53-man roster of the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday.

Hunt, who had three sacks in four pre-season games, played his way onto the team said Philadelphia GM Howie Roseman, who had to submit his 53-man roster by 6 p.m. Saturday.

“What we looked at was the job Phillip Hunt did in the pre-season,” Roseman told reporters in Philadelphia.

“We want to make sure we stayed true to what the film was telling us. In every game he played, he made a difference as a pass rusher. It’s a testament to him that he had the production he did.”

With the addition of Hunt to the Eagles roster, the club had to release a former third-round draft pick in Daniel Te’o-Nesheim to make room.

“We don’t care if we get them on waivers, through trades, from the CFL, the AFL — let’s just make sure we have the right players,” said Roseman.

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Kito Poblah will play today.

The worst kept secret in the CFL was finally revealed Saturday morning when the Bombers released their 46-man roster for today’s Labour Day Classic against the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the rookie wide receiver was on it.

Poblah is regarded as Winnipeg’s most exciting young prospect, but he has not played this season since injuring his knee in the first half of the club’s first regular-season game.

Poblah has been practising with the first team offence this week, but head coach Paul LaPolice refused to confirm he would be on the roster as recently as Friday.

Even after releasing his roster on Saturday, LaPolice still seemed reluctant to talk about why he had decided to pull Poblah off the nine-game injury list two games early to add him to this week’s roster.

“To win the football game,” LaPolice deadpanned.

The decision to add Poblah to this week’s roster was not a minor one. Because the Bombers are removing the Montreal-born receiver early from the nine-game injured list, they will now have to count his salary for the seven games he missed this season against their salary cap for 2011.

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Andy Fantuz is out for today, but could possibly make his return to the CFL in next Sunday’s Banjo Bowl at Canad Inns Stadium.

Last year’s leading receiver in the CFL with the Saskatchewan Roughriders was cut by the Chicago Bears on Friday and flew Saturday morning to Regina, where he told reporters that he’s going to continue to pursue his NFL options for at least the next few days while the Riders court him to rejoin their squad this season.

Riders head coach Ken Miller said Saturday that Fantuz will play the role of Riders fan and supporter during today’s game, but could be in a much more active role soon.

“He will be here somewhere (in Mosaic Stadium today), whether it’s on the sidelines or in the stands,” said Miller. “Certainly it will help. He’s been a leader, he’s been a high-energy person when he’s worked with us in previous years. Just having his presence around will help.”

And next week?

“I don’t know about all those ramifications how that’s going to work out,” said Miller. “We’d like him to practice and play but whether we’ll be able to get that done I don’t know. It may have to be later than that or he may be back down south by then…

“I’d like to have him in the lineup next week if possible.”

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Thirty-six-year-old Bombers defensive lineman Doug Brown says there are advantages to lining up opposite 38-year-old Riders offensive lineman Gene Makowsky.

“I ask him what kind of arthritis medication he’s on,” Brown joked Saturday.

“We like to stack stuff. You take some Advil with Motrin and then you snort the Advil. And then you chase it with some Celebrex. We have all different cocktails for our arthritis that we exchange with each other.”

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Riders quarterback Darian Durant worked out in the off-season in Atlanta with Bombers defensive end Odell Willis. But that doesn’t mean Durant is expecting any special treatment today from the CFL sack leader.

“He’s going to try and take me out regardless,” Durant said Saturday. “(Willis) and (Bombers slotback) Terrence (Edwards) work out all the time too and if they were on different teams, he’d try to kill him. That’s just how it goes.

“He’s the best D-end in the league. And we talked about that all off-season in Atlanta — how he’s going to explode this year. He’s a good guy and good player, but I’m a tough one to get to.”

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In addition to Poblah, the Bombers also added non-import defensive back Daryl Townsend, who’d been on the practice roster, to their 46-man roster.

Coming off the roster this week is slotback Scott McHenry, who was released last week and picked up by the Riders, and defensive back Jerry-Ralph Jules.

There’d been some talk in Regina that McHenry might suit up for the Riders today, but he was not on the 46-man roster they released Saturday morning.

Added to the Riders roster this week were running backs Wes Cates and Hugh Charles, defensive back Tamon George, linebacker Chris Graham and defensive lineman Remond Willis.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca