O-line hardly hog-tied

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/06/2012 (4855 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

He has been the lone island of calm in what have otherwise been the raging waters of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive line this month.

So what does veteran Bombers guard Steve Morley think about the idea that, at least for the moment, he is the lone starter on the offensive line from last year who is both currently on the roster and healthy enough to play?

“Why is that surprising for you?” Morley laughed Monday when asked after practice about his status as the last hog standing. “We’ve had some guys go down — (tackles) Glenn January and Andre Douglas. And they’ve missed a lot of two-a-day (practices), so I don’t feel too sorry for them. I’ve been out there grinding out those two-a-days in the hot sun, through the hollering and screaming and running around and hitting.

“And I’m still standing. So I guess that’s good.”

And also unique.

With January and Douglas out for over a week now with injuries the club has described in only the most vague of terms, the first-team offensive line at practice on Monday remained what it’s pretty much been for awhile now — Morley and the inexperienced Chris Greaves at guards, rookies Jordan Taormina and Paul Swiston at tackle and former B.C. Lion Justin Sorenson at centre (being backed up by Chris Kowalczuk, who’s in his third full CFL season but has yet to play a regular-season game).

Put it together and the 79 CFL games Morley has played over the past six seasons is more — lots more — than all five of those other guys combined.

The good news is January and Douglas are expected back sooner than later, although no one is saying if that will be in time for Wednesday’s final pre-season game against Hamilton or, even, in time for the first regular-season game against B.C. on June 29.

But even when they do inevitably come back, this is still going to be a very green offensive line in 2012 with Greaves taking the place of former all-star Brendon LaBatte (Saskatchewan) and Sorenson or Kowalczuk replacing Obby Khan (retired).

That’s going to be a challenge and everyone involved knows it. “We’ve got a lot of new guys out there,” said Morley, “and there’s a lot of learning to do. But we moved the ball pretty well against Montreal (in a pre-season game last Thursday) and I think we can build on that.

“But the O-line is always the last thing to come together in camp, just because of all the x’s and o’s.”

Offensive co-ordinator Gary Crowton, who surely couldn’t have known how decimated his offensive line would be when he took the OC job last winter, said the good news is the new guys are quick learners.

“I can’t worry about filling holes for guys who are gone or who have injuries. These are the guys we’ve got and they need to perform. And I think they’ve been doing that. There’s really been a progression there that has impressed me.”

They are, in other words, learning on the job. And the man who stands to potentially pay the biggest price for that — possibly as early as tomorrow night — is, of course, starting quarterback Buck Pierce.

Pierce took too many hard hits as it was last season, playing behind a much more experienced line — although, by Pierce’s own admission, he could have avoided some of the hardest hits if he’d just been a bit less stubborn.

But even against that backdrop, the qualities Pierce says he likes most about his new line this year are the same ones fans seem to most like about him — big heart and hard work.

“I’m comfortable with the guys. They’re getting better every day. They’re calm. And they’re probably one of the hardest-working groups I’ve ever been around. They’re learning…

“They’ll be fine.”

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca