 Terrence Edwards is one of the incumbents at receiver in Winnipeg Blue Bombers training camp, a position battle that should prove to be one of the most intriguing for the CFL team. |
WINNIPEG - Six months ago the Winnipeg Blue Bombers lost the Grey Cup game to the B.C. Lions.
Six months from now they hope to be hoisting the venerable trophy above their heads at Rogers Centre, the site of the 100th Grey Cup.
On Sunday at Canad Inns Stadium, 46 players who were with the team last year and 30 players who hope to be with the team this year will hit the field in an attempt to help the Bombers go one step further in 2012 than they did in 2011.
Here is a position-by-position look at the Bombers heading into training camp.
QUARTERBACKS
STILL HERE
|
4 Buck Pierce
7 Alex Brink
14 Joey Elliott
18 Justin Goltz
WHO’S IN
None
WHO’S OUT
Brandon Summers (released, Edm)
THE SKINNY
Pierce is the No. 1 gun, while Brink will start camp as the backup. Elliott is coming off knee surgery and looking to move back to No. 2 on the depth chart.
RUNNING BACKS
STILL HERE
19 Chris Garrett
24 Carl Volny*
26 Bloi-Dei Dorzon
39 Michel-Pierre Pontbriand*
WHO’S IN
5 Chad Simpson
29 Anthony Woodson*
WHO’S OUT
Fred Reid (released)
Nick FitzGibbon* (released)
THE SKINNY
Garrett replaced the injured Reid midway through last season and increased production at the position. Simpson has 28 games of NFL experience, so it could be an interesting camp battle. Pontbriand saw plenty of action as the fullback after joining the Bombers in August. Woodson has looked good in rookie camp, while Volny is coming off knee surgery for a torn ACL.
RECEIVERS
STILL HERE
82 Terrence Edwards
81 Cory Watson*
89 Clarence Denmark
12 Kurt Adams
1 Kito Poblah*
88 Jade Etienne*
WHO’S IN
87 Rory Kohlert*
13 Chris Matthews
83 Doug Pierce
86 Jeremy Blount
80 Cassidy Doneff*
84 Paul Hubbard
71 Victor James
70 Isaac Anderson
WHO’S OUT
Greg Carr (free agent, Edm)
Aaron Hargreaves (free agent, Edm)
THE SKINNY
Edwards, Denmark, Watson and Poblah are four of the five starting pass catchers, so one of the most fascinating camp battles to watch is for that fifth spot. Matthews and Pierce have the size to create mismatches, while Blount has the speed. Hubbard is another to watch. Another interesting subplot is watching how Etienne, the fourth overall draft pick in 2011, develops in his second year.
OFFENSIVE LINE
STILL HERE
62 Steve Morley*
69 Glenn January
64 Chris Greaves*
59 Andre Douglas
67 Chris Kowalczuk*
66 Justin Sorensen*
55 Paul Swiston*
WHO’S IN
61 Brendan Dunn*
66 Jordan Taormina
58 Tyson Pencer*
65 J-S Laberge*
53 Sam Nemis*
WHO’S OUT
Brendon LaBatte* (free agent, Sask)
Obby Khan* (retired)
Kelly Butler (retired)
THE SKINNY
This is, without a doubt, the biggest question mark going into the season. Douglas, January and Morley are the only returning starters. Greaves starts camp as the left guard, while Morley, Kowalczuk and Sorensen will be the main combatants at centre. One to keep an eye on is Pencer, the third overall pick from last month’s draft.
DEFENSIVE LINE
STILL HERE
98 Jason Vega
92 Bryant Turner
90 Dorian Smith
54 Kenny Mainor
45 Rodney Fritz
56 Fernand Kashama*
WHO’S IN
99 Andre Caroll
96 Alex Hall
94 Ryan Lucas*
91 Brandon Collier
40 Brandon Akpunku
95 Jake Thomas*
93 Rob Jubenville*
WHO’S OUT
Doug Brown* (retired)
Odell Willis (traded, Sask)
Don Oramasionwu* (free agent, Edm)
Deji Oduwole* (released)
THE SKINNY
There is quite a bit of turnover here with the departures of Brown and Willis, both of whom started the Grey Cup. Vega and Turner are the two returning starters, and the team is high on Fritz, who saw some action in 2011. Hall brings NFL experience, and Caroll could be Brown’s replacement at tackle.
LINEBACKERS
STILL HERE
10 Henoc Muamba*
47 Pierre-Luc Labbe*
38 Marcellus Bowman
41 Clint Kent
3 Dustin Doe
51 Javon McKinnon
WHO’S IN
27 Terrell Parker
42 Rene Stephan*
WHO’S OUT
Joe Lobendahn (released, Cgy)
Merrill Johnson (traded, Edm)
THE SKINNY
The most intriguing camp battle on defence will be at middle linebacker, where Canadians Muamba and Labbe will fight it out for the starting role. Muamba was the first overall pick in 2011, while Labbe went 47th overall in 2008. Bowman and Kent are the returning starters at weak and strong side, respectively.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
STILL HERE
2 Jovon Johnson
23 Jonathan Hefney
31 Ian Logan*
21 Alex Suber
8 Brandon Stewart
0 Johnny Sears
22 Darrell Pasco
20 Deon Beasley
25 Brady Browne*
WHO’S IN
33 Dan West*
30 Giovanni Aprile*
15 David Pender Jr.
34 Jeremy McGee
37 Demond Washington
WHO’S OUT
Jerry-Ralph Jules* (released)
THE SKINNY
All five starters are back, but that doesn’t mean it will be status quo. GM Joe Mack warned there would be plenty of DBs in camp after Johnson, last year’s CFL defensive player of the year, and Hefney had Twitter trouble in the off-season, and he wasn’t kidding. Logan is a lock at safety, Suber returns to his strong-side halfback spot, and Stewart is sure to face some stiff competition at strong-side cornerback. Pasco looked great in rookie camp.
SPECIALISTS
STILL HERE
9 Mike Renaud* (punter)
17 Justin Palardy* (kicker)
50 Chris Cvetkovic* (long snapper)
WHO’S IN
35 Eric Wilbur (punter)
44 Jordan Matechuk* (long snapper)
WHO’S OUT
Jamie Boreham* (released)
James Green* (released)
Merrill Johnson (traded, Edm)
THE SKINNY
Punter will be another position to watch during camp. Renaud lost the job last season but gets a chance to earn it back against Wilbur, who is at a bit of a disadvantage because he’s American. Cvetkovic is the veteran long snapper who will be pushed by Matechuk, and the Bombers will have to replace two of their top three special teams tacklers last season in Green and Johnson.
RETURNERS
STILL HERE
2 Jovon Johnson
20 Deon Beasley
WHO’S IN
86 Jeremy Blount
5 Chad Simpson
37 Demond Washington
26 Bloi-Dei Dorzon
WHO’S OUT
None
THE SKINNY
The Bombers keep saying they’re going to take the punt return job away from Johnson, yet he continues to be the best option. Simpson brings an NFL resume to his kick return tryout, but there is a long list of those kind of players who have failed in their quest to earn the job. Beasley did most of the kick returning last year, and he wasn’t the worst in the league.