Morley, Vega still standing as music stops

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This article was published 28/04/2015 (4159 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The remaking of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers that’s been underway all off-season continued in a big way on Monday with the release of a couple of popular veteran players — non-import offensive lineman Steve Morley and import defensive end Jason Vega.

Bombers general manager Kyle Walters referenced salary-cap considerations and all the free-agent acquisitions the club has made in recent months in a statement Monday afternoon announcing the release of Morley and Vega.

“We have been very active throughout the off-season, through free agency and such, and with that come decisions you must make in regards to the salary- management system,” said Walters. “Both Steve and Jason are very solid individuals, and we sincerely thank them for their time with the Blue Bombers.”

Morley played six seasons for the Bombers but was widely expected to be released after the Bombers spent heavily over the winter to upgrade their offensive line with the free-agent acquisitions of centre Dominic Picard, left tackle Stanley Bryant and right tackle Marc Dile.

Morley was a stalwart presence on the Bombers offensive line. Capable of playing both centre and guard, he’s started more than 100 games in the CFL and had a remarkable 80-game streak of consecutive games broken in 2013 when he missed five games with an injury.

Originally a first-overall draft pick of the Calgary Stampeders in 2003, the Halifax native spent time early in his career with the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks — as well as the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe — before he returned to the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts in 2007.

Morley spent the 2008 season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders before he landed in 2009 in Winnipeg, where he’s been a year-long resident in recent years.

There was simply no room for Morley and his big contract this coming season on an offensive line that is expected to start three non-imports in Chris Greaves at left guard, Picard at centre and either Patrick Neufeld or second-year lineman Matthias Goossen at right guard. The Bombers are also widely expected to take another non-import offensive lineman with the second overall pick in next month’s CFL draft, which would make Morley and his contract even more expendable.

Walters had refused to discuss Morley’s future with the club on multiple occasions this winter, most recently telling a questioner at the club’s Fan Forum earlier this month that Morley remained a member of the team and it would be unfair to discuss his future in public. Morley did not return requests for comment Monday.

Listed at 6-7, 313 pounds and holding a valuable Canadian passport, it’s entirely conceivable Morley could land elsewhere in the CFL this coming season. He will turn 34 in August.

Vega, meanwhile, played two impressive seasons for the Bombers in 2011 and 2012, parlaying that into brief NFL stints with the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys in 2013.

Vega returned to the Bombers in 2014 but he missed nine games in what was an injury-plagued season.

Vega leaves Winnipeg with 82 tackles and 17 sacks registered over three seasons, including five sacks last season.

Vega was making substantial money after returning to Winnipeg from the NFL and the Bombers think they can — and need to — upgrade at the rush end position for this coming season.

Among the candidates right now to replace Vega is newcomer Derrell Johnson (6-2, 255 — East Carolina). Johnson played outside linebacker during college but he auditioned at defensive end for the Bombers braintrust during their mini-camp in Florida last week and had the club’s coaches gushing about his combination of size and speed.

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