Walters gives O’Shea an ‘A’, blames himself

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This article was published 06/11/2014 (4044 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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IF there was any doubt about who would be coaching the Winnipeg Blue Bombers next season — and, according to Mike O’Shea, there was — Bombers general manager Kyle Walters laid it to rest with a one-word answer on Wednesday.

Speaking to the media for the first time since O’Shea told reporters Sunday everyone’s job was under review this off-season — including his own as head coach — Walters was asked if O’Shea’s job is safe for 2015.

“Yes,” Walters replied, without elaborating.

But, while Walters was definitive that O’Shea would return next season, he was non-committal on the fates of the rest of O’Shea’s coaching staff, including offensive co-ordinator Marcel Bellefeuille and defensive coordinator Gary Etcheverry.

“I’m not going to get up here and talk about contract status of anybody in the organization. But when Mike and I sit down, everyone is going to be evaluated,” said Walters. “All facets of our football department are going to be evaluated. And if tweaks need to be made and changes need to be made, we’ll be willing to do them.

“Mike and I have the same goal as (CEO) Wade (Miller) — and that’s to win a Grey Cup every single year and have sustainable winning in this organization. And we’ll do whatever it takes to do that.”

Walters said he wouldn’t discuss which of the club’s 16 potential free agents the team would attempt to re-sign prior to free agency in February.

Asked to grade his own performance in what was his first full year as Bombers GM, Walters took the blame on himself for a 7-11 season that saw the Bombers squander a red-hot 5-1 start to the year and ultimately miss the playoffs for the third straight year.

“Organizationally, we didn’t make the playoffs and that’s on me,” said Walters.

Walters promised to continue to be an aggressive player in free agency this winter in anticipation of the Bombers hosting the 2015 Grey Cup — a strategy both the Toronto Argonauts and Saskatchewan Roughriders used successfully when they hosted, and won, Grey Cups in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

But Walters cautioned he’s not interested in free agents at any price. “I don’t think that spending recklessly with free agents is long-term success,” said Walters. “Regardless of hosting the Grey Cup or not, I think you have an organizational blueprint. And ours was, ‘Let’s improve our roster through free agents until we get through a few Canadian drafts and until we start developing our own guys.’

“So if you’re asking, are we going to be aggressive in free agency? My answer is yes. But I’d caution it doesn’t always go your way.”

Walters described the need to upgrade Winnipeg’s offensive line — which yielded a franchise record 71 sacks in 2014 — as his top off-season priority.

“It’s critical, of course it’s critical. It’s paramount to our long term success being in the western conference where you saw down the stretch you’re going to have to run the ball — and you’re going to have to stop the run — getting into this cold weather and the playoffs.

“And we need an offensive line that can control the clock and keep Drew out of second-and-long situations and make more manageable passing situations and keep him from getting hit as much.”

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @PaulWiecek