Bombers GM approaching draft day like kid in a candy store

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This article was published 11/05/2015 (3795 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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Drag your finger down the list of Winnipeg Blue Bombers draft picks over the last few years and two things become and instantly and abundantly clear:

1. No wonder the CFL’s annual Canadian draft is often referred to as the ultimate in sporting crapshoots and;

2. Little wonder the Bombers have missed the playoffs the last three seasons and in four of the last five years.

Consider this: dating back to 2007, only one of the Bombers’ first picks in the draft — Matthias Goossen, selected second overall last year — is still with the team. Two players, Henoc Muamba (First overall in 2011, now with Indianapolis) and Andy Mulumba (second overall in 2013, now with Green Bay) are in the NFL. Two more, Mike Morris (19th overall in 2009) and Tyson Pencer (third overall in 2012) were busts and another trio, Cory Watson (ninth overall in 2010), Brendon Labatte (sixth overall in 2008) and Corey Mace (11th overall in 2007) are now with division rivals Edmonton, Saskatchewan and Calgary.

That, to sum up, is how you mess up a franchise.

So, as Bombers brass enter Tuesday’s draft with three of the Top 15 picks — second, 11th and 15th overall — there is a very real sense if they can get this right, the club could take another monumental step toward respectability.

And barring any last-minute surprises, they will almost certainly select an offensive lineman with the second pick in the draft — either Alex Mateas of UConn; Sukh Chungh or Sean McEwen, both of Calgary or Laval’s Karl Lavoie or Danny Groulx — depending on whom the Ottawa Redblacks select with the first overall pick.

Worth noting here: Mateas, a centre who can also play guard, is from the Ottawa area.

Worth noting here II: the O-lineman whose stock is climbing the most in the hours leading up to the draft is Chungh, the Dinos’ 6-4, 300-pound guard who was All-Canadian in 2013 and 2014.

“Things have been hectic this morning. Phone’s been ringing off the hook,” said Bombers GM Kyle Walters in a media conference Monday. “There’s a lot of talk right now. There’s still a lot of stuff going on between now and 7 o’clock tomorrow night. But there’s a big difference between talking and actually doing some deals. Everybody gets antsy right now. It’s about as much trying to gather information for your own behalf so you can put scenarios out there to see what you can gather.

“I’m quite confident we’re going to stay at No. 2, but the closer it gets to the actual draft the talks get a little more serious. We’ll see.”

Walters, along with head coach Mike O’Shea, assistant GMs Ted Goveia and Danny McManus and national scout Drew Morris were to meet via conference call later Monday to go over their draft board and weigh potential offers. But the expectation is they’ll remain at No. 2, possibly attempt to package the 11th and 15th picks to move up for a second first-round pick if a name they like is still available but more than likely hang on to their selections.

After going O-line with their first pick, the Bombers could use the 11th to grab a receiver — especially Manitoba’s Nic Demski or either Regina’s Addison Richards or Lemar Durant of Simon Fraser.

Demski, FYI, has dropped from fifth to ninth in the CFL Scouting Bureau rankings.

“My impressions on Nic are what I’ve been saying all along: he’s a great football player,” Walters said. “We had him in here for a meeting. He’s a sharp kid, works hard, phenomenal athlete. Nothing’s changed on our thoughts on Nic. He’s going to be a high draft pick somewhere and he’s going to have a successful CFL career.”

The current Bomber regime, trying to erase the misdeeds of the last crew, did well in last year’s draft as four of the five selections — Matthias Goossen, Jesse Briggs, Derek Jones and including offensive lineman Quinn Everett, who will be in camp after returning to college — all remain in the club’s plans for 2015.

As well, the Bombers did land defensive linemen Jamaal Westerman and Ivan Brown, linebacker Sam Hurl and centre Dominic Picard in free agency, significantly upgrading their Canadian talent base.

Asked if he thought there was a consensus No. 1 pick in the draft, Walters didn’t hesitate.

“We’ve gone over all the scenarios and if this player is at No. 2, we’re taking him,” said Walters. “If we drop down to three (via trade), then we’re comfortable here… you go down the line to a point where you have to cut that off and say, ‘No, we’re no longer comfortable dropping down below that because there’s not enough names on the board that we’re comfortable with.

“You go through all these scenarios so that (Tuesday) night we’re not caught off guard and make good, firm decisions because we’ve talked about it at length over the last few months.”

BLUE NOTES: Free agent LB Johnny Sears, Jr. signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Monday. He had been given several offers from the Bombers dating back to December but delayed on signing in other to chase a NFL shot. After free agency — and with the club having been active in upgrading their roster — the dollars they could offer him dropped dramatically… Watson, the former Bomber slotback traded to Saskatchewan this winter, was dealt again by the Riders on Monday, along with a second-round draft pick in 2016, for long snapper Jorgen Hus and a third-round pick in 2016.

 

Five things to watch on draft night

1. COVINGTON, BOYKO, VARGAS FACTOR: Ask any CFL GM right now who the most-talented player in this draft is and they’ll unanimously nominate Rice defensive lineman Christian Covington. Covington, however, was selected by the Houston Texans in the NFL Draft, making his availability to whoever calls his name out in the CFL Draft very risky. Ditto for Brett Boyko, an O-lineman from UNLV who signed with the Philadelphia Eagles and Yale running back Tyler Varga, who signed with Indianpolis. And so in one of those developments that makes the CFL so quirky, three of the best prospects will see their stock drop. Same goes for Regina defensive back Tevaughn Campbell and Western D-lineman Daryl Waud, who attended NY Giants rookie camp last weekend and will be headed to the Washington Redskins this coming week.

2. BISON WATCH: In addition to Demski, who is projected to go in the first round or early in the second, the U of M Bisons could have others selected including running back Kienan LaFrance, linebackers Jonathan Jones and Mitch Harrison, defensive backs Jordan Linnen and Tremaine Apperley and quarterback Jordan Yantz.

3. THE CANADIAN QB QUESTION: It’s still laughable that Canadian QBs are so often overlooked in the draft — they are a separate designation on the roster — but there are more and more homegrowns who can pitch the pigskin. In addition to the Bisons Yantz, who certainly didn’t look out of place in Bomber camp last year, there is Brandon Bridge of Southern Alabama and Andrew Buckley of Calgary. Sadly, some of them would be drafted with the idea of converting them to other skill positions on the field.

4. HOG HEAVEN: It’s not unreasonable to suggest the first six players picked in the draft Tuesday night could be offensive lineman. The draft is that deep along the O-line and, after Mateas, Chungh, McEwen, Groulx and Lavoie, there has also been chatter about Jacob Ruby of Richmond and James Bodanis of Michigan State.

Despite the trend that has CFL teams starting more Americans along the O-line, particularly at tackle, more Canadian starters line up in front of the quarterback.

5. WHEELING-DEALING: Last year’s draft, buoyed by the return of Ottawa, featured six draft day trades. The phone lines were said to be buzzing again Monday and will be busy leading up to, and during, Tuesday’s proceedings. The depth of this draft could mean more teams attempt to move up in the first round, or package later picks to grab talent that might still be rated high on draft boards as the event unfolds.

Ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait