Is it to be Godspeed, Goodspeed?

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This article was published 31/3/2009 (3765 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It is a rumour that has been circulating since January and doesn't figure to go away any time before the CFL's Canadian Draft next month: The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are floating Dan Goodspeed's name as trade bait.

The Bombers don't pick until the third round in the May 2 draft, 19th overall, and while the talent pool is said to be thinner than in years past the club would like to move up in the proceedings. And to do that they have shopped Goodspeed, the Bombers starting right tackle and top offensive lineman in both 2007 and 2008, and may also be willing to move running back Joe Smith. Both are imports.

Bombers head coach Mike Kelly was not available for comment Tuesday night, but a CFL source told The Free Press "the whispers (about Goodspeed) started on Sunday, but apparently the deal is dead."

At least, for now.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have the first overall pick and the third, courtesy the Bombers from last September's trade that brought Zeke Moreno here. The Toronto Argonauts pick second overall with the B.C. Lions holding the fourth, fifth and sixth choices. The Montreal Alouettes select seventh with the Grey Cup champion Calgary Stampeders holding the eighth and final pick of the first round.

The Bombers' second-round pick, 11th overall, was shipped to the Edmonton Eskimos in the Stefan LeFors' trade.

Ticats GM Bob O'Billovich confirmed that the Bombers are shopping Goodspeed in an interview Tuesday with The Hamilton Spectator. He said the Ticats are 'interested up to a point.'

"I think they're shopping him around the whole league. There's a lot of American offensive tackles out there. There aren't that many quality Canadian players.

"I'm sure they'd rather send him to somebody in the West rather than us."

The Bombers signed import tackle Glen January in February, as well as Canadians Steve Morley — who can play tackle, but is more likely a guard — and former Montreal Alouette Luke Fritz, who can also play both positions. Returning vet Matt O'Meara has also lined up at tackle and guard.

Speculation about possibly moving Smith began swirling last week when it was revealed the club, along with the Argos, may be interested in former Alouettes running back Jarrett Payton. As well, the Bombers last week signed Lavarus Giles, a 6-2, 215-pound bulldozing back built along the same lines as Smith.

Meanwhile, the Bombers will apparently look at two Canadian kickers at their free-agent camp in Florida next week: former Eskimo Warren Kean, who was picked up by Winnipeg last fall but released and Robert Eeuwes, who had two tryouts with the Argonauts after starring at McGill.

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca