Bomb squad happy to get Watson back

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/10/2013 (4386 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WHEN he’s been healthy, there have been few players more effective for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers this season than slotback Cory Watson.

But the problem is that he hasn’t often been healthy — Watson has missed nine of his team’s 13 games this season. Add to that the eight games Watson missed to injury in 2012 and he has now missed almost a complete season to injury.

With Watson practising again this week and finally expected to play again Saturday in Calgary versus the Stampeders, the fourth-year Bomber was asked Tuesday if his durability as a pro football player is now in question.

“Durability issues? I don’t know how to respond to that one,” Watson said. “Yeah, in the past couple years I’ve been facing injuries and you could say that it’s durability issues, but I (don’t) concur.”

Watson has 18 catches for 289 yards in the four games he has played this season.

— — —

On the other hand, a player who definitely doesn’t have durability issues will also return for the Bombers this week.

Veteran guard Steve Morley — who had never missed a start in five seasons with the Bombers until he hurt his knee last month — is practising again and expected to reclaim his old position at right guard this Saturday in Calgary.

— — —

The Bombers continued to make changes Tuesday, announcing they’d added two new players to their practice roster while cutting another.

And still more changes will come today, with head coach Tim Burke revealing on Tuesday his club will add another five players today as the CFL expands its practice rosters. Tuesday’s newcomers were import RB Mario Fannin — an Auburn product who spent the last two full seasons on the Denver Broncos injured reserve — and DE J.D. Griggs — an Akron product who was a late cut this year of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Bombers also announced they had cut RB Bradley Randle, another recent NFL cut who the Bombers picked up as a free agent a couple weeks ago but who never actually played in Winnipeg. Burke said the Bombers offered Randle a contract and hoped to move him from the practice roster to the active roster this week, but Randle declined, citing NFL opportunities.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca