Some injuries, but plenty of depth

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This article was published 06/06/2015 (4123 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Additions, subtractions and injuries continue to be storylines at Winnipeg Blue Bombers training camp.

The Bombers added defensive back Vernon Kearney — a 26-year-old native of Sarasota, Fla., who has been with Oakland, Cleveland and Buffalo over the past two NFL seasons — while releasing Winston Wright, another DB, And on Monday they also added Patrick Hall — again, a DB — who played his college ball at USC.

But the alarm bells are hardly clanging about some sort of talent deficiencies in the secondary. Bomber head coach Mike O’Shea indicated both Kearney and Hall are players the scouting department has been after for awhile.

“Guys we bring in certainly aren’t just camp legs,” said O’Shea. “These guys have been stalked by our scouting department for quite some time.

“Last year was different, trying to flip the negotiation list (change the talent to players scouted by the current staff) and develop the network they want to develop. Now that’s set in place so when we bring a guy in, it’s because they have something about them that we really like, and they can compete.

“We’re not just in the business of bringing in camp legs and bodies.”

OUCH REPORT: The Bombers got another scare on Thursday when right guard Patrick Neufeld, who has made frequent visits to the infirmary since coming to Winnipeg, appeared to injure his ankle and had to be helped off by the training staff. O’Shea did indicate the injury didn’t seem serious.

Slotback Addison Richards missed another day as did O-linemen Stanley Bryant and Marc Dile, LB Graig Newman, WR Justin Veltung, running back Bradley Randle and safety Maurice Leggett, among others. Meanwhile, receiver Greg Childs, who suffered a suspected torn Achilles tendon on Wednesday, was released.

TRIMMER LIRIM: Certainly Lirim Hajrullahu qualified as a minor, if not pleasant surprise in his rookie CFL season in 2014. Now the 25-year-old kicker is doing his part to improve what as already a pretty consistent leg.

The St. Catharines, Ont., native has dropped 10 pounds to weigh in at 205 at training camp.

“I just felt I needed to be in better shape,” Hajrullahu said. “Last year I felt I got a little tired toward the end, and weight had a little bit do with it so I think a major thing that helped me was that I didn’t have school this off-season.”

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NEW WRINKLES? NO BIGGEE: Hajrullahu will now be kicking 32-yard converts as part of the CFL’s attempt to jazz up the most boring play in football. As well, teams attempting a two-point convert will now be scrimmaging from the three-yard line. But the convert is no longer a gimmee.

“You’ve just got to treat it like any other field goal now,” said Hajrullahu. “Before… it’s very hard to miss those. Now, you’ve got to be a lot more focused and prepared. I think it’s going to be a lot better for kickers’ accuracy in field goals because you’ll be getting those extra 30 to 50 reps of actual field goals from the 32-yard line. They’re not gimmees, especially if you’re going into the wind.

“Until this year, I never really prepared for point-afters. Now you have to deal with it.”

–Campbell / Tait