As a right guard or right tackle in the past decade, Chris Burns has established a reputation as a solid CFL player. As a left tackle the past couple of games, he and his reputation are taking a beating. Asked yesterday what he believes the problem is with the Renegades offensive line, Burns replied: "Other than the fact we've sucked?"

He quickly changed his tune by a note.

"I can only speak for myself ... I've sucked," said Burns. "I'm frustrated and embarrassed by my performance (Thursday) night. I'm disappointed I haven't been able to play a different position the way I expected to play it."

He may be relieved of the responsibility -- and returned to his natural position -- in time for next Sunday's game in Edmonton, pending the audition of imports Chris Smith and Matt Anderle.

Smith, a 6-foot-7, 280-lb., 24-year-old, is expected to take a physical and work out for Ottawa coaches this morning.

Also expected any day is cornerback Airibin Justin, whose father Sid played with Renegades coach Joe Paopao. Justin could debut against the Eskimos, too, as cornerback Jonathan Ordway will reluctantly sit out with a fractured facial bone and halfback Anthony Malbrough is questionable with an injured heel. Cornerback Bo Rogers can come off the injured list for the following week's game, at home against Montreal, and non-import DB Hassan Probherbs could be ready to play by then, as well.

But first and foremost, the Renegades need to fix their O-Line.

There's a reason offensive linemen levy fines on one of their own when he is photographed or quoted in a newspaper. It's their quest for anonymity.

Their job goal is to settle into a nice, comfortable zone of darkness. When a well-balanced attack helped the Renegades to a 3-0 start, they were inconspicuous. Since then, the Renegades have lost 5-of-6, had all three quarterbacks injured and scored an average of 20 points a night. Much of the blame has landed at the feet of the offensive linemen -- and they think that's the way it should be.

"If we give (quarterback) Kerry Joseph 20 seconds (to throw the ball) and we don't win, it's not as good as if he gets a half a second and we do win," said Mike Abou-Mechrek, who started at left tackle the first seven games before his struggles forced the Renegades to switch the line's bookend. "But if he had 20 seconds, we would win."

Burns also figures it's right to attribute the offensive problems to the play of the line.

"It's my job to block people and I haven't been getting the job done," he said. "If I can give our quarterback time, he's going to throw TDs. And that's how you win games.

"For our group to get our job done, I need to get my job done. And I haven't been doing that."

BURNS BURNED

The Renegades figured Burns could handle the switch and capably guard the QB's blindside, citing his experience and athleticism. Burns did, too.

But he says playing the left side is having to do "backwards" the things that have come natural to him for so many years. And against Hamilton's Joe Montford -- one of the CFL's quickest rush ends -- his inefficiencies were exposed.

"I got beat clean by Montford twice," said Burns. "And that's two times too many."

He does believe he can "play a whole lot better" at left tackle, should the Renegades decide to keep him there. But that is an experiment that is almost certainly over.

In the meantime, Burns must live with the disgrace of the Hamilton game.

"Another time I had to block two guys, to bump one then bump another ... and I don't touch either and then I fall on my ass," said Burns, a former Ticat. "That (game) film is going to be around forever, and I play like (crap) against a team I played for, guys I know."

'LAID AN EGG'

Bothering him more is performing poorly in front of fans for the team that employs him now -- and for what he hopes to be the rest of his career.

"It's extremely disappointing, going around town and seeing the Renegades hats and T-shirts ... after we laid an egg like that at home," Burns said of the 31-19 loss to the Ticats that left the Renegades in last place in the East. "For us to play the way we have, especially at home, where we value the fans and the place we play ... it hurts when you have to apologize for a bad performance. They pay to see us play well, and we're letting them down, just as we are the coaches, the owners and the rest of the staff.

"It's not under my control," he added of the imports being recruited to play the offensive line. "They're going to put the best players they can on the field, they've said that from Day 1. I'm confident I can play in this league and at a high level, and this team needs me to do that. At this point in my career, I can't imagine playing anywhere else."

don.brennan@ott.sunpub.com