Thoughts Between Pre-Season Games

"Great" schedule the Bombers ended up with this pre-season.  A week leading up to the first pre-season game, on a Monday, then 4 days leading into the second pre-season game on the following Saturday. Then 2 weeks to prepare for the season opener on June 26.

Here are some thoughts following a careful review of the pre-season opener against the Argonauts, heading into the pre-season finale in Calgary this Saturday.

Quarterbacks:

The top 2 QB's in Monday's game by a mile played for the Argonauts. Trevor Harris and Mitchell Gale both looked very comfortable and ready to play if the Argos need them.  Perhaps an unfair comparison for Bomber QB's, all of whom are joining a new coaching staff/regime, and all joining a new organization except for Max Hall.

Drew Willy looked poised in the pocket, made good decisions and stepped up or got out of the pocket when he needed to, no hesitation. Most importantly, he kept his eyes downfield and his receivers active when he was on the move.  Willy also showed a willingness to keep the ball on the zone read and turn the corner for a first down, important to keep the defense off-balance, allowing Paris Cotton the chance to run at hesitant defenders.

The biggest negative for Willy was his accuracy.  On some throws, that could be the result of miscommunication with receivers which should improve heading into the regular season with a regular crew of receivers, and some of it is likely on Willy.  To take a positive out of the negative, he kept the ball out of the defenders hands as well as his teammates hands.

Max Hall had a rough night.  Still has the happy feet in the pocket, which takes velocity off his throws and challenges his accuracy.  Ran a couple bad zone reads where he needed to read the end coming hard inside and keep the ball, rollout and pass or run around the edge, instead he sent his tailback on a suicide mission, and the Bombers lost ground.

Hall was 3 of 7, one drop by a receiver, one completion that was badly underthrown and snagged off the turf by Brett Carter.  The other incompletions were an overthrow into double coverage (aka a good overthrow!), an underthrow/miscommunication with Carter on a route he didn't break off, and an underthrown deep ball.

Brian Brohm also had a rough night.  Probably has the strongest pure arm of the Bomber QB's, Brohm and Marve would be close, but poor pocket presence and zero willingness to move around or out of the pocket other than on designed rollouts.  Brohm also had a bad zone read where he should have kept the ball.  

Brohm made one great throw which showed why he's been so highly touted since he was a high schooler, a bullet through a tight window on 2nd and 10 that would have been a first down if not for a Jaymar Johnson drop.  Otherwise, Brohm was a combination of inaccurate and wild, you can't expect a football receiver to catch a 90 mph fastball like the one he fired at Aaron Kelly on a slant on the Bombers final possession of the 3rd quarter.

Robert Marve led a great touchdown drive to close the game for the Blue Bomber offense.  It was a 6 play drive, 5 designed pass plays, 1 run play.  Marve scrambled on two occasions, once getting out of bounds with a yard, and once scrambling for a first down on second and 16, including the head first dive for the sticks.  

The star of the drive was Marve's arm.  He started with a bomb that hit Donavon Kemp in stride.  Each Bomber QB tossed the same seam route at least once, Marve was the only QB who hit his receiver in stride.  Marve's second throw was a perfect dart into a window bordered by the sideline and a defender to Jaymar Johnson just beyond the first down marker on 2nd and long.  Two perfect throws, perfect.  His final throw was a perfect back shoulder toss to Kemp for a 7 yard touchdown following the 2nd and long scramble.  Unfortunately, Marve and Aaron Woods couldn't connect on a 2 point conversion to tie, Marve was blitzed and underthrew a corner route.

The Bombers quarterback situation is this:

Drew Willy- starter
Max Hall, Brian Brohm- battle for #2 spot
Robert Marve- Developmental #3, short-yardage guy

Is it worth keeping the loser of the backup battle, likely Brohm, around? Probably not.  Brohm is already 28.  He's not getting a whole lot better. He's already spent a full season in the league and several years as a pro.  Better to get a look at and potentially carry and develop a QB with upside, rather than one who has peaked.

Offensive Line-

On the whole, the offensive line play on both sides was fairly respectable.  Quarterbacks had a lot of time for the most part.  Clearly both teams were not doing much in terms intricate blitzing or twisting and pretty much rushing straight ahead, making the game very simple for the offensive lines.

On the Bombers side, four guys particularly stood out as struggling.  
Among the starters, Jarvis Jones had a rough time at right tackle.  He was consistently beat off the snap around the edge by Thaddeus Gibson (who looks like he could be a player for the Argos).  A couple times, Willy was forced to throw early, leading to an inaccurate toss, and a couple teams he stepped up and out of the pocket and was able to find a receiver.

Quentin Saulsberry and Tyson Pencer were both bullied by guys who likely won't make the Argos.  Pencer in particular looked very slow getting out of his stance.  Not sure where Jesse Peterson played in college, but I'm guessing he wasn't a tackle. 

On a positive note, I really liked Dan Knapp at right guard.  He did a lot of good work with Steve Morley in zone run blocking, and got up to the second level.  Say what you will about Morley, but it's been a long time since we've had a centre who could actually block as well as him, like back to 2006 Obby Khan.  Snaps were good too.  Outside of the first team OL, run blocking was poor, especially on the inside.

Matthias Goossen looked ok at both centre and guard.  He was driven into the pocket a few times at guard, but to his credit he stayed on his block and gave the QB a chance.

Is Knapp an option at right guard?  How many imports will the Bombers be playing on the line?  They started 3 on Monday, but unless they get extremely creative with the ratio, it is hard to see a scenario where more than 2 imports play on the offensive line.  Based on what we saw on Monday, I think our best offensive line right now would be:

LT- January
LG- Greaves
C- Morley
RG- Knapp
RT- Neufeld

6th- Goossen or Kowalczuk, Jarvis Jones or Cordaro Howard on reserve.

It will be interesting to see how teams use their 2 new roster spots, might be a 7th OL in one of them.

Receiver-

Jaymar Johnson...a lot of good, a lot of bad, a lot of opportunity. Jaymar Johnson is clearly a guy that the coaching staff wanted a long look at.  He did enough to warrant further consideration, a nice sideline grab for a first down and a nice back shoulder touchdown grab called back for another receiver offside, but also had two flat-out drops, and a stumble out of bounds 2 yards short that killed a drive.

Mario Urrutia looks like a mix of Greg Carr and Chris Matthews.  Tall and thick, made a couple nice grabs in traffic, we didn't get to see him on a deep route.  Looks like he has the boundary WR all but spot locked up to start the season.

CJ Tarver made one real nice catch over the middle for a first down, but had one terrible drop and could not adjust on a couple deep balls to make a good effort on them.  Also let a punt hit the turf and didn't look too dangerous when he finally decided to pick it up.  I'm surprised he made it to the second pre-season game.

Julian Feoli-Gudino looked like a player.  Solid blocking when he was called in by his QB to do so, and made a nice grab for a TD releasing off a block.  May have to play a lot more than expected depending on the health of Watson and Kohlert, and I'm excited to see what he can do.

Donavon Kemp didn't get a lot of opportunity, but just produced on the Marve drive, catching the long bomb and the touchdown.  I expect to see him get some more action on Saturday to show if he's the real deal.

Aaron Woods looked ok in a vanilla offence.  I expect we'll see him in a more defined and individualized role when the season starts, he's got a skill set that Bellefeuille has maximized before with Corey Holmes and Marcus Thigpen.  Showed great hands on the first down catch he made, but he's not a guy you want on corner routes like the 2 pt convert attempt.  

Clarence Denmark, damn he looks like he's coming in still hot from 2013.  Wouldn't be surprised if he ends up leading this team in receiving.

Nobody did anything good or bad to change the depth chart at receiver in my opinion.  The starting 5 are still Urrutia, Moore, Denmark, Watson and Kohlert.

Running Backs-

Paris Cotton was great.  Good vision, comfortable running behind zone blocking, found the gaps, make a quick cut and got upfield.  Ran with power and through contact.  This performance should put him at the top of the depth chart, and he'll have a chance to solidify a roster spot in Calgary.

Nic Grigsby was the opposite of Cotton.  Couldn't find the gaps, looked very uncomfortable and cut into traffic several times, didn't survive contact either, and Grigsby saw more action with the first team offensive line.  One big run where he went right around the edge, otherwise a lot of 0-1-2 yard gains.

Will Ford better get back in the lineup for Saturday if he wants to hold off Paris Cotton's challenge for his starting RB spot. 


Defense-

On the whole, the defense did not look good.  The "rally to the ball" philosophy was not evident.  Pass coverage was very good, but the Bombers should have two concerns coming out of the first pre-season game.  First, the amount of yards after catch (YAC) given up.  The Argos ran the same playaction pass to the opposite flat a dozen times, and yet they turned it into first downs more often than not.  Second, the amount of yards the Argos piled up on inside runs was obscene. Sometimes they burst right through the line, other times they ran around it because the inside was sealed, but where was the rally to the ball?  A tailback shouldn't be able to run for 10-15-20 yards completely untouched, and certainly not multiple times in a game.

There were some individual standouts:

So far a name we've heard a lot in the media is Don Unamba.  I wasn't all that impressed with his game, he had a lot of tackles, but only one close to the line of scrimmage, he was getting beat for a lot of YAC.  He is all hustle, just not sure that he's very good.

Maurice Leggett looked very solid on both special teams and defense, all over the field and fast.  He didn't make the official stat sheet, but I have him in on at least 3 special teams tackles, being the first contact twice.

Marty Markett was huge on D, to the point if I'm in charge of the Blue Bombers that I need to find a way to get this guy on the field.  Forced a fumble, nearly had a pick 6 among his 3 passes defended, and didn't let any YAC happen when he wasn't able to breakup the pass.

Bruce Johnson was tested a couple times, and passed with flying colours.  Would have had an INT if not for a teammate deflecting the ball away from him.

Matt Pierce lined up at linebacker and got home on a few blitzes, as did Graig Newman.  If that is a key attribute Etcheverry is looking for, those guys showed it.

Teague Sherman forced a huge fumble at the goal-line.  He should have the team made on special teams, huge bonus if he can take some snaps on D.

In terms of incumbent CFL stars, Demond Washington and Chris Randle were solid.  Randle was not challenged at all, a sign of respect. The Argos spent the first quarter successfully picking on Alex Suber. Ian Wild had a great game, and I think he'll be a very good player at MAC in this defense.  Wild made a slew of excellent open field tackles, a couple of them preventing huge runs.

On the defensive line, Zach Anderson and Jake Thomas performed well on the interior.  Both got licks in on Gale and Pachall, Thomas grabbed a tackle for a loss too.  Greg Peach had a flurry of sacks, but on the whole the pass rush was pretty tame.

Special Teams-

In terms of returns, nobody distinguished themselves.  A lot of punts hit the turf, which will drive the coaches nuts.  Even on Cotton's big punt return, he let it roll on the carpet for a couple seconds then scooped it and took off.  The returner gig is Aaron Woods' to lose, and nobody is giving him a big challenge yet.

In terms of kicking, wow, what a battle.  Brett Maher received a huge opportunity to prove himself, and he did quite well.  He outkicked his coverage once on a punt, and didn't place his punts all that well, usually hitting them closer to the hashmarks than the numbers.  But his leg is huge, as his 67 yard kickoff average shows.  Lirim Hajrullahu showed very well too.  Big leg, also a 67 yard kickoff average.  His punts were placed a little better, but he appears to be more of a placekicker. Neither kicker missed a FG, and both hit kicks of 40+ yards.

As of right now, I'd favour Maher to do all 3, and stash Hajrullahu for development.  He's got a future.

A few non-QB Argo standouts:

#11 Natey Adjei, another very good Argo NI receiver.

#6 Thaddeus Gibson, rush end, dominated a pretty good OT in Jarvis Jones.

#83 Terrell Sinkfield, receiver/returner, if the Argos cut him, wouldn't mind a look in Winnipeg

#1 Anthony Coombs, cool to see him in a CFL uniform, but I think he got a first-hand taste of how his running style needs to change, he isn't going to open up any gaps going east-west, just lose ground.

2014 CFL Mock Draft

We'll make each pick through 4 rounds and briefly summarize our rationale behind our picks in rounds 1 and 2.

Round 1-

1. Ottawa REDBLACKS - Pierre Lavertu OL Laval

There wasn't much discussion on this one.  Ottawa needs someone who can start right away.  Marwan Hage retired.  Alex Krausnick-Groh is a borderline CFLer, best suited to long-snapping and spot duty. Lavertu will start at centre for Ottawa immediately.  He's the best player in the draft who likely won't be signing with the NFL in 2014.

2. Winnipeg Blue Bombers- Quinn Smith DL Concordia

Quinn Smith is the hot prospect of the moment.  He is very athletic for an interior DL, and dominated the OL prospects in this draft at the combine, then flipped to the offensive side and did very well.  Would the Bombers view Smith as a future OL or keep him on the defensive side?  

This is a tough pick.  The Bombers really need interior OL, and really need a centre.  Much like the 2012 draft where they picked 3rd and BC swooped in for the 2nd pick, the Bombers are one spot behind where they need to be to pick the player they want and need, now victimized by being the worst team in an expansion year rather than a draft day trade.  

Kyle Walters has been adamant on adding OL to the pipeline in this draft and specifically with this pick.  Is this whole OL thing a bluff if Lavertu is off the board for the Bombers?  The Bombers don't pick again until 20th overall, so if they want a good OL prospect above all else, they will likely need to take one with their first pick.

3. Edmonton Eskimos- David Foucault OL Montreal

The Eskimos OL is the shallowest in the league, and they are lacking high-end guys too.  Simply put, it is a mess.  Hard to see the Eskimos not taking the best OL available at 3rd overall.  They do not pick again until 21st overall.  

4. Montreal Alouettes- Jesse Briggs LB McGill

A bit of an off the board pick, but Jim Popp is not one to hold to the form chart.  Remember Matt Singer?

Briggs has the athletic potential to be one of the most impactful players in this draft class, and Montreal values athletic ability above all else at the draft table.  He should be able to join the Als roster immediately as a special teams player, backup to Marc-O Brouillette and eventual replacement for MOB.  Evan Gill, Devon Bailey, Andrew Lue, Anthony Coombs and Kris Bastien are possibilities here too.

5. BC Lions- Evan Gill DL Manitoba

The Lions have no pressing needs.  Devon Bailey and Anthony Coombs are possible here with BC's NI playmakers likely coming to the end of their prime years.  Gill is much more of a sure thing though.  The Lions will likely want Gill to drop a few of the NFL pounds and regain a little extra quickness.  Don't be surprised if Gill decides to finish his CIS career and review his options with the CFL and NFL heading into the 2015 season, although Gill has a lot to gain by landing at an ideal playing weight and having a couple good CFL seasons to show the NFL, he might be better off at NFL end size (285-290).

6. Toronto Argonauts- Devon Bailey Receiver St. FX

Toronto is in a really good spot to take a high risk, high reward type gamble with this pick.  They could use a linebacker as depth behind Shea Emry, and there are some good options.  Could use a depth DL too.  They should still have good options at 15th overall to add a defender.  The Argos NI playmakers are aging, and Bailey or Coombs seem to be an obvious pick here.  We'll go with Bailey as a slightly safer pick.

7. Calgary Stampeders- Andrew Lue DB/LB Queen's

Calgary has a need for NI depth on the defensive side of the ball.  Lue is the best player available here.

8. Saskatchewan Roughriders- Dylan Ainsworth DL Western 

Ainsworth is a guy who might be able to develop into a good situational pass rusher, at worst he'll bring athleticism to special teams. 

9. Hamilton Tiger-Cats- Matthias Goossen OL Simon Fraser

OL pipeline pick, who might play sooner than later in Hamilton. Anthony Coombs is a possibility here too, but we didn't think Kent Austin would make that kind of outside the box move to consider a NI tailback.

Round 2-

10. Ottawa REDBLACKS- Anthony Coombs RB Manitoba

Probably not the best situation for Coombs to start with, but he should get a chance to play as a running back and/or receiver in Ottawa. Ottawa needs a NI playmaker somewhere, Kris Bastien is a potential pick here too.

11. Hamilton Tiger-Cats- Kris Bastien Receiver Concordia 

Bastien is in the running for best player left at this 11th in this mock, and Hamilton really needs some NI receiver depth behind Fantuz and Giguere.

12. BC Lions-  Beau Landry LB Western

Given who is left on the board, it seems very likely that BC would pick a defensive player here.  Landry is the best available.  OL is a possibility here too.

13. Montreal Alouettes- David Menard DL Montreal 

Menard should be able to platoon with Mike Klassen on the Als DL, potentially even in 2014.  That would help cushion the loss of Shea Emry to the Argos.  

14. BC Lions- Kyle Paterson OL Regina

The 2nd tier of OL in this draft begins with Paterson.  Paterson is raw, but athletic and needs to add a little bulk.  Terry Hart and Jas Dhillon are OL possibilities here too.  All are interior OL.

15. Toronto Argonauts- Jas Dhillon OL UBC 

OL pipeline pick.

16. Calgary Stampeders- Antoine Pruneau DB Montreal 

More depth for Calgary's defense and special teams, Casey Chin, Michael Dadzie, Raye Hartmann and Derek Jones are other potential selections here. 

17. Hamilton Tiger-Cats- Terry Hart OL St. FX

Make more room in the pipeline!

18. Saskatchewan Roughriders-  Casey Chin LB Simon Fraser

Chin should go much higher, but there will be a run on OL in the first couple rounds in a draft light on OL prospects.  Should help replace Newman and Butler on special teams immediately, should develop into a guy who can play a role on defense if not more.

Round 3-

19. Calgary Stampeders- Laurent Duvernay-Tardif OL McGill
20. Winnipeg Blue Bombers- Michael Dadzie DL Regina 

21. Edmonton Eskimos- Derek Jones DB Simon Fraser

22. Montreal Alouettes- Johnny Mark K Calgary 

23. Ottawa REDBLACKS- Adam Thibault DB Laval

24. Calgary Stampeders- Evan Pszczonak Receiver Windsor 

25. Calgary Stampeders- Max Caron LB Concordia 

26. Winnipeg Blue Bombers- Thomas Miles LB Manitoba

27. BC Lions- Raye Hartmann DB St FX 

Round 4-

28. Ottawa REDBLACKS- Tyler Crapigna K McMaster
29. Winnipeg Blue Bombers- Scott MacDonell REC Queens
30. Edmonton Eskimos- Guillaume Bourassa RB Laval
31. Montreal Alouettes-Quinn Everett OL Mount Allison
32. BC Lions- Tore Corrado REC Simon Fraser 
33. Toronto Argonauts- Eric Black DB Saint Mary's
34. Calgary Stampeders- Alexander Fox REC Bishop's
35. Montreal Alouettes- Travis Bent LB Concordia
36. Toronto Argonauts- Nigel Romick DL Saint Mary's

2014 CFL Draft: Blue Bombers Outlook

Ahh...that time of year is here again.  Flowers are blooming, allergies are crippling, the geese are returning and football drafts are on the horizon.  In reality, my yard is still under 6 feet of snow and the city just piled 3 feet of ice boulders in front of my garage, but the drafts are still coming!

This post will commence our 2014 CFL Draft coverage.  It will look at players the Blue Bombers should potentially target.  I've enlisted two friends of mine who follow the game closely within Canada to participate in a 3 man live 4 round mock draft where each "GM" will draft for 3 teams.  The results of that will be posted on this blog.

It is important to point out my bias when it comes to the CFL Draft.  I am firmly in the camp of taking the best player available with early picks. By that I mean, the best football player on the day of the draft.  In the CFL, you can't pick guys based on what they might be in 3-4 seasons. Careers don't last that long, contracts don't last that long.    

Jade Etienne is a prime example of why drafting on potential in the early rounds is a bad idea in the CFL.  Jade Etienne may still develop into a productive CFL receiver, he might even hit 1000 yards in a season or two in his CFL career.  That won't be with the Blue Bombers though.  When selecting a non-OL early, draft a player who can make your roster, contribute and develop along the way while he is a member of your team.  Cory Watson is a good example of this type of player. He saw limited action in his rookie season (2010) as a receiver, but contributed on special teams and developed into starting role and 793 receiving yards in his second season (2011).  Henoc Muamba is another example, make the team as a rookie, contribute and develop into an impact player.

Luckily, drafting for positional need shouldn't be too big of an issue for the Bombers in the 2014 CFL Draft.  They need non-import players at every position on the field.  Here is an overview of the current non-imports on the Blue Bombers roster with number of anticipated starters in parenthesis:

Tailback (0) - Volny

Fullback/Tight End (0) - Pontbriand, Fitzgerald

Receiver (2) - Watson, Kohlert, Feoli-Gudino, Brescacin, Renaud

Offensive Line (3) - Greaves, Morley, Swiston, Pencer, Kowalczuk, Neufeld, Paliwoda


Defensive Line (1*) - Lucas, Thomas

Linebacker (1*) - Stephan, Dubuisson-Lebon

Defensive Back (2*) - Alexander, Newman, Muamba, Bucknor, Sherman, West 

*2nd starting spot on defense is likely to be a rotation between one spot on the DL, at LB/secondary.

Kicker- Hajurllahu
Punter- Renaud

The Bombers currently have 27 NI's under contract with 2013 draftees Kris Robertson (DB) and Stephen Alli (receiver) potentially signing before training camp making that number 29.  In the CFL, you need to dress 20 non-imports, so the Bombers are pretty thin generally, with 7 of the 27 NI's under contract being OL (4 likely to dress). 

Bomber 2014 Draft Picks (as of April 5, 2014)

Round   Overall
1             2
3             20
3             26
4             29
6             47
7             56

The Bombers currently have 6 picks in the 2014 draft.  The first pick is likely to be a OL, who may start (please please!), or may need some development time.  In terms of roster management in 2014, that first pick will be an immediate upgrade to one of the 6 OL spots on gameday, or a guy who sits on IR to develop.

Where do the Bombers need NI depth?  Let's break it down, in order of immediate need.

1.  Offensive line

This one has been beaten to death.  Depth isn't so much what the Bombers need, as much as they need another high end NI to join Chris Greaves.  Morley is coming to the end of his career, Swiston is in danger of topping out at average, Neufeld is coming off a serious injury and playing a position that is likely going to an import, Kowalczuk is a marginal CFL player, Pencer is still a very raw prospect, and who is Paliwoda?  Nobody seems to know.  

The Bombers have depth, they need good CFL players at OL. Specifically, they need a starting centre.  Kyle Walters has all but guaranteed that the 2nd overall pick will be used on an offensive lineman.  Pierre Lavertu (Laval), a centre, looks to be the likely pick, and only Ottawa can throw a wrench into that plan.  If Ottawa selects Lavertu, I expect the Blue Bombers to select Matthias Goossen (Simon Fraser).  David Foucault (Montreal) might have a higher ceiling (one of those guys bound to leave once he becomes useful), but Goossen is ready to play and he can play all of the inside positions well, including centre.

All of the top OL prospects will be gone by pick 20, I wouldn't be shocked if 8 OL are picked by the time the Bombers pick for a 2nd time.

2. Receiver

Our NI's at the skill positions on offence aren't that bad.  Volny won't be confused with Cornish, but he can play a role backing up at tailback, he can block, he can catch, he can run, he can fumble sometimes. Pontbriand is a very good blocking fullback.  Fitzgerald is a prospect. Probably a better fit as an extra receiver/tight end than the fullback/tight end he was envisioned as by Joe Mack, but another guy who should be able to fill a role.

Watson and Kohlert are two pretty solid NI receivers, they will start. Behind them....nothing really.  Feoli-Gudino was a star at Laval, but has barely played in the CFL as a receiver.  Currently, he's a pulled hamstring away from being a CFL starter.  Brescacin was the top CIS receiver in 2012.  Taylor Renaud finished a solid CIS career 21st in receiving yards in 2013.

Watson and Kohlert both missed games in 2013, so if we're planning on starting 2 NI receivers, you can be sure that we'll have at least 3 or 4 NI's playing significant snaps at that position in 2014.  In terms of the upcoming season, the Bombers might end up mining the cuts of other CFL teams for NI receiving depth.   

The 2014 draft class has one great receiving prospect in Devon Bailey (St FX), one good prospect in Kris Bastien (Concordia) and a bunch of guys who are going to need some development time after them.  Arguably the best receiving prospect in this draft is Anthony Coombs (Manitoba), but that will depend on who drafts him and if he makes it as a tailback.  Bailey, Coombs and Bastien are likely to be gone before the Bombers pick again at 20th overall.

Some options for the Bombers in the 3rd and potentially 4th rounds at receiver:

Evan Pszczonak Windsor 6' 180 - Among the top receivers in all the measurables, top vertical among all combine attendees, 42 catches for 646 yards 6 TD's in 7 games in 2013.  Next closest Windsor receiver had 235 yards in 8 games, so he put up those numbers as the only consistent target in the offence.  Looking at his 2013 highlight pack, it's a lot of running by inferior athletes on wheel routes, which doesn't give the best indication of whether the guy has the route running skills to be a receiver in the CFL. Video

Alex Pierzchalski Toronto 6'5 220 - Tested low in terms of speed and agility, average in the jumps, not tremendously productive in CIS (51 for 537 9 TD's in 2013) in a strong passing offence at Varsity.  Big target who tracks the ball well and shows an ability to win some contested deep balls in his 2013 highlight pack.  He doesn't get off his feet and get it at it's highest point, and he tends to catch the ball with his hands down (bad habit!) on short and intermediate routes coming into the field, absorbing the ball into his body rather than attacking it with his hands up, that's a recipe for drops.   Video

Alexander Fox Bishop's 5'8 185- See Pszczonak's description above. Very similar but smaller and less athletic.  Over 1000 yards for Bishop's in 2013 in a not so great QSSF, mostly running by slower DB's. Video

Tore Corrado Simon Fraser 6' 175- Tremendous athlete who is climbing from the regional combine through the main combine.  Shows more varied route running (and kick returning) in his 2013 highlight pack than Pszczonak and Fox, but tends to absorb the passes with his body rather than catching them with his hands, again recipe for drops. Also would have to learn the waggle much like an import after playing BC high school and NCAA D2.  Video

Scott Macdonell Queens 6'5 230- Tested very well at the combine for his size rising through the regional combine to the main combine.  #2 target at Queen's behind Johnny Aprile, 31 catches for 449 4 TD's. Traditional Canadian football slot, big body make the grab and get upfield type, likely to play some tight end in the CFL.  Reminds me a lot of Aaron Hargreaves, whether or not he gets a better shot than Hargreaves to play anything but field WR we'll have to see.   Lazy hands on some passes when he is wide-open, habit he'll have to break to get on a CFL field.  Lots of special teams highlights in his pack too.  Video

Francis Lapointe Sherbrooke 5'11 180- See Pszczonak again.  30 grabs for 291 and 2 TD's in 2013. Video

Macdonell and Pszczonak are just a nose ahead of the rest of this group in my opinion.  Macdonell for the tight end and special teams potential, Pszczonak for pure athleticism combined with production, but they are all very close and all of these guys will get picked between the 3rd and 6th rounds.

Late round special:

Kit Hillis Saskatchewan 5'9 175- Sneaky, sneaky receiver who just gets open and makes plays.  46 catches for 537 and surprisingly only 1 TD.  Doesn't test very well, especially for his size.  Great football player, impactful on special teams too, lined up anywhere and everywhere for the Huskies, comes from a program with a good history of producing CFL receivers. video

3. Defense

Any spot on defense is a need for the Bombers in terms of NI's.  In the 2014 off-season the Bombers lost their top 2 NI defenders.  Henoc Muamba signed with the Indianapolis Colts and Pierre-Luc Labbe retired.  The Bombers have added Donovan Alexander, Matt Bucknor and Graig Newman this off-season to compete for the starting safety spot, and potentially take some snaps at other spots in the secondary.    

As it looks right now, the Bombers will start a NI at safety and need to fill a 2nd NI spot on defense.  It is unlikely that one player will take the bulk of these snaps.  It will likely be a mix of having 1 NI DL/LB/6th DB present on every defensive snap.  This could be difficult to manage and will take some co-ordination among positional coaches when they build defensive packages.  

We are extremely thin at NI LB.  Rene Stephan hasn't been able to stay healthy and on the roster.  Dubisson-Lebon was very good on special teams, but doesn't look like a prospect to play defense, something he didn't even do much of at the CIS level.

We are also very thin at NI DL.  Jake Thomas and Ryan Lucas are serviceable CFL gap holders, but neither one is going to be impactful or play more than 20-25 snaps a game.

I believe it is likely that the Blue Bombers will pick through the bargain bin of cuts from other teams at NI LB and DL, but they will also look to pick up some prospects at the draft.  One injury in either spot, and we have no one, if we aren't in that position all ready at LB.

Defensive players I expect to be picked before the Bombers get back on the conference call: 

Evan Gill DL Manitoba, Quinn Smith DL Concordia, Dylan Ainsworth DL Western, David Menard DL Montreal, Jesse Briggs LB McGill, Beau Landry LB Western, Casey Chin LB Simon Fraser, Andrew Lue DB Queen's, Antoine Pruneau DB Montreal

Let's look at some of the defensive prospects who the Bombers might have a shot at in the 3rd and 4th rounds:

Raye Hartmann St. FX 6'2 190 - Flying up the draft boards with strong regional and main combines.  Hasn't played since 2011.  Big strong DB, more of a corner or half type, will kill on special teams regardless. Video

Max Caron Concordia 6'2 210- Top defensive player in all of CIS in 2011, Caron was once a sure first-round pick in this class, but he's been flying under the radar recently.  Did not test well at the combine, so he could be around at 20.  Weak-side LB type in the CFL, maybe even a safety although he's on the slow side for that spot.

Travis Bent Concordia 6' 240- Another guy who came through a regional combine, Bent is a pure middle linebacker and a vicious tackler at the CIS level as you'll see in his highlight pack (video).  He tested well for a traditional linebacker, does he have the potential to pick up pass coverage well enough to play a role like the one Pierre-Luc Labbe played on passing downs, or is he just a special teamer?

Derek Jones Simon Fraser 6'1 195- Played corner for SFU, in what looks to be a defense that plays primarily cover 2 in American (11 man) football.  Highlight pack shows a good mix of Jones playing zone and man, looks to be a physical DB who can make a play on the ball. Maybe a guy who can develop into a field corner? video

Chris Johnson Toronto 5'11 220- Played weak-side LB at Varsity.  His own highlight pack doesn't really flatter him in pass coverage, but he tested very well at the regional combine and he's one of those special teamers who might develop into something types, otherwise known as a 4th or 5th round CFL pick. video

Adam Thibault Laval 6' 205- Arguably the best athlete in this draft. Had to fight for playing time at Laval, and as a result is inexperienced compared to other players in the draft.  He does have a lot of special teams experience though to go with the 4.4 potential.

Derek Wiggan Queen's 6'1 255- Undersized interior DL prospect in the CFL who mostly played end for Queen's, did not test well at the combine and might drop a bit because of it, likely into the 3rd round or beyond.  Looks much more comfortable at end in his highlight pack, comes straight up out of his stance when he's in a 3 point, if he does that against CFL OL who are as athletic and stronger than him he'll end up on his back side. Video

Michael Dadzie Regina 6'1 230- Guy who tested very well in regional and main combine.  Huge motor, played LB in junior, shifted to DE at the U of R.  A guy who will for sure be able to make a roster on special teams and perhaps develop into a situational pass rusher, potentially an interior guy in a few years too if he can get into the 250's and keep his quickness.

Late round special: 

Matt Webster Queen's 5'11 190- Played strong half, dime and safety at Queen's.  Tested very well at the Toronto regional combine.  Someone will take a flyer on him in the 4th-5th-6th round and see what he turns into. video

4. Longsnapper

A position that doesn't get a lot of time in the roster or draft discussion, but it is important.  Can't get that ball back to the punter reliably, and you have major problems.  Currently the Bombers only longsnapper is Ian Wild following the retirement of Chris Cvetkovic.  Carl Fitzgerald was touted as a guy who could longsnap heading into 2013 training camp, but he quickly showed that he can't do it at the CFL level.  Wild is a starting LB too.  Do we want a starting LB longsnapping full-time? There's a relatively high probability of a starting LB leaving a game with an injury too.  We need some cover at that spot.  With the draft being 7 rounds and limited in depth in this transition year for NCAA players and eligibility for the CFL Draft, I think it is a fair possibility that the Bombers could use a 6th or 7th rounder on a guy who is primarily a longsnapper.

Here are a couple guys who fit the bill:

Kyle Tyo Windsor 6'5 240- He's already got the long hair. video

Thomas Miles Manitoba 6'1 220- Made the main combine as a LB, can longsnap too. video

Stay tuned for our mock draft...

Off-Season Roster Analysis: Special Teams and Summary

In part 6 of 6 we'll look at the Blue Bombers special teams heading into the 2014 season and summarize what we've looked at for the entire roster.

Special Teams depth chart as of today (March 15, 2014):

K- HAJRULLAHU 
P- RENAUD
KR- Woods, Ford, Washington, Denmark
PR- Woods, Washington, Denmark, FEOLI-GUDINO

Kickers

The kicking situation is a major concern.  

Mike Renaud survived a challenge by Brett Cameron, Billy Pavlopoulous and Australian Tim Hutchison in 2013's training camp. To this point, the Bombers have not brought in any competition for Renaud at the punter position.

Lirim Hajrullahu is a CFL rookie fresh out of CIS....undrafted at that. Hajrullahu was first-team OUA at both punter and kicker, and second-team All-Canadian as kicker.  

Hajrullahu's kickoff average in 2013 was 61.6 yards and he made 85% of his field goals with two makes over 40 yards.  The kickoff average suggests that Hajrullahu has the raw leg needed to play in the CFL, he needs to prove that he can put the ball on the numbers and between the uprights in the CFL.  For comparison, the Blue Bombers averaged 55 yards per kickoff with Palardy and Deangelis in 2013.  Of course, it may have just been that windy....

The first-team All-Canadian placekicker in 2013 was Johnny Mark out of Calgary, who is eligible for the upcoming 2014 CFL Draft, and was second-team All-Canadian as a placekicker the in 11 and 12 as well. Mark averaged 53 yards on kickoffs and hit 88% of his field goals, five of them more than 40 yards.

Mike Renaud finished just above the CFL league average in both gross and net punting in 2013, which is about where the expectation for him should be.  He's developed into a steady punter who can put the ball where he wants, this is something he struggled with at times in the past (and something we are going to track this season, punt and kickoff placement).  Renaud is not a placekicker...at all.  Watching him attempt converts in a 2010 game when Louis Sakoda was a last minute scratch following the release of Alex Serna was painful. 

It is inconceivable that the Bombers will enter training camp without competition at kicker.  The question is who will the competition be.  Is a guy like Johnny Mark a target for the Blue Bombers in the draft, and will he last until the 3rd round (Bombers pick 2nd and then 20th) in a shallow draft class?  Are the Bombers willing to go with a rookie fresh out of CIS as the placekicker?  Will the Bombers bring in an import who can potentially compete for both the placekicking and punting jobs?

Kick Returners

In terms of kick returning, the Bombers have a good amount of players who can do the jobs on the roster heading into 2014.  Will Ford was All-CFL as a kickoff returner.  Aaron Woods provided ball security, a consistent 20 yards on kickoffs, 10 on punts and was seemingly one shoestring tackle away from busting a lot of big runs on punts and missed field goals.  Demond Washington is a threat each time he hangs onto the ball and Clarence Denmark is a safe and reliable guy who will catch the kickoff or punt.  Washington and Denmark are likely to be key players on defense and offence in 2014, so it is unlikely they will return kicks in all but extreme circumstances.  Ford can't catch punts, so he'll be limited to kickoff returning.

The big question in terms of kick returners will be the health of Aaron Woods.  The foot injury that Woods suffered tends to be one that does not heal easily and can reoccur or affect speed and agility moving forward.  Another question would be whether Woods sees an expanded role for the Blue Bombers in 2014.  Offensive Coordinator Marcel Bellefeuille is the guy who made Corey Holmes and Marcus Thigpen focal points of his offence.  Will he do the same in Winnipeg?  

I expect that the Blue Bombers will add 1 or 2 more guys to compete for a spot primarily as a returner.

Kick Cover

Taking a look at the coverage units, the Bombers lose their top 3 special teams tacklers from 2013 (Green, H Muamba, Stewart) and a key veteran in Pierre-Luc Labbe.  The Bombers cover units in 2013 were pretty good.  They allowed one punt return touchdown and sported good averages with opposing teams averaging 8.2 yards per punt return and 19.3 per kickoff return.   Good benchmarks for returns are 8 yards for a punt and 20 for a kickoff.  Anything under that is very good for a cover unit.

Solid bets to take on a bigger special teams roles in 2014 are Teague Sherman and Phillippe Dubuisson-Lebon. 

Full Depth Chart

Players under contract as of March 15, 2014:

62 (27 non-imports, 35 imports)

13 open roster spots (75 max in off-season, 68 plus non-counters can be brought to training camp)

You'll notice that the Bombers are short one non-import starter based on this depth chart.  I believe they will decide in training camp how the 7th NI spot on the field will be deployed.  There are a few possibilities (in no particular order):

-Neufeld starts at RT.

-A 3rd NI Receiver/tight end spot taken by Feoli-Gudino or Brescacin, or rotated between a couple receivers.

-A 2nd NI spot on defence split between Thomas, Lucas, Newman at WIL/DB, Bucknor at DB.

In my opinion the 2nd NI on defense is most likely at this point.

QB- Willy, Hall, Brohm, Marve

RB- Ford, VOLNY

FB/TE- PONTBRIAND, FITZGERALD

WR boundary- Moore, Sims, Urrutia

SB- WATSON, FEOLI-GUDINO

SB- KOHLERT, BRESCACIN

SB- Denmark

WR field- Kelly, Robinson, RENAUD

LT- January

LG- GREAVES, PALIWODA

C- KOWALCZUK

RG- MORLEY, PENCER, SWISTON

RT- Jones, NEUFELD, Knapp

DE- Vega

DT- Turner, THOMAS

DT- Anderson, LUCAS

DE- McAdoo, Griggs, Peach, Gatling

SAM- Banks, Dunn

MLB- Parker, Hogue

WIL- Wild, Tate, NEWMAN

Weak CB- Randle, Sears

Weak HB- Washington

S- ALEXANDER, MUAMBA

Strong HB- Suber

Strong CB- Markett, BUCKNOR

Rookies- Loper, Leggett

K- HAJRULLAHU

P- RENAUD

KR- Woods, Ford, Washington, Denmark

PR- Woods, Washington, Denmark, FEOLI-GUDINO

Special Teamers- STEPHAN, SHERMAN, WEST, DUBUSSION-LEBON

 

Off-Season Roster Analysis: Winnipeg Blue Bombers Linebackers and Defensive Backs

This is part 5 of our 6 part series taking a look at the Bomber roster post-free agency.  This post will take a look at the linebackers and defensive backs.

A strong defensive backfield has become a Bomber hallmark in the late 00's and early 10's after many lean years in the mid 00's.  The 2013 Blue Bomber secondary ranked 2nd last in the league, only ahead of Toronto, in terms of passing yards per game allowed, and tied with Hamilton for most passing touchdowns allowed at 35.  

Now, there is one big excuse that turns the Bombers secondary (and defense as a whole) from an average or even good one into a bad one statistically.  That excuse is the complete lack of a functional offence. The more possessions a defense faces, the longer a defense spends on the field, the more yards and points it will give up as a rule.

The offence wasn't the only problem for the 2013 Blue Bomber defense though.  A scheme that relied heavily on assignment perfection with very little tendency breaking nor ability to disguise coverages and create pre-snap confusion for opposing offences was ripe for the picking as veteran players left their prime (Jovon Johnson), young players learned the ropes and inept players were thrust into the lineup out of necessity .  

Exhibit A for this was the week 5 game, where the Blue Bombers faced Bo Levi Montana...er Mitchell in his first CFL start.  Simply put, they got picked apart, and did nothing to challenge a very young quarterback physically or mentally.  Mitchell did not have to make any difficult decisions or throws, an easy pass for 8 yards was always there. Where was the zone blitz?  We just let a guy in his first start complete 88% of his passes?  What?  If you needed a punch in the gut to realize the gulf between the coaching staff in Calgary and the Bombers 2013 coaching staff, that game was it.

In 2014, we can likely look forward to the other extreme.  Etcheverry doesn't tend to keep it simple like Burke.  He tries to disrupt the offence and cause pre-snap confusion.  Who is going to blitz?  Who is going to drop into coverage?  Anyone can and will do anything.  Neither philosophy is right or wrong, just different, and in either case you need 12 guys to do their jobs properly...and potentially the more moving parts you have on defense the more you confuse the guys who are tasked with executing the scheme, no matter how innovative it is.

Let's take a look at the current depth chart:

SAM- Banks, Dunn, Sears*

MLB- Parker, Hogue 

WIL- Wild, Tate, NEWMAN*

Weak CB- Randle, Sears*

Weak HB- Washington

Safety- ALEXANDER, MUAMBA, NEWMAN*

Strong HB- Suber 

Strong CB- Markett, BUCKNOR

Special Teamers/Depth- STEPHAN, SHERMAN, WEST, DUBUISSON-LEBON

Rookies- Loper, Leggett

*Likely to play/be in contention to start in multiple positions
NON-IMPORTS


Let's take a look at each position individually.  It should be noted that it is very hard to judge linebackers and defensive backs when you don't know what the coverage call is.  It is also rare to get a good look from TSN broadcasts to let us determine the coverage being played on each play.

With that in mind...

SAM-

This position has been problematic for the Blue Bombers for some time, since Clint Kent was deemed finished and released prior to the 2012 season, and was played primarily in 2013 by Desia Dunn.  

Dunn had an inconsistent rookie season, which is not unexpected. 

It is uncommon for a CFL rookie to be given the role of SAM without playing in another secondary position first, because it is a position that requires some familiarity with the Canadian game, heavy on reads and quick decision-making, plus they generally end up covering one of the opposition's top receivers.  Where does Dunn fit in 2014?    He'll be fighting to stay on the team as depth in my opinion.

Banks had played some version of this position for years in BC.  He should provide stability and leadership for the Bombers.  Will he provide all-star level play?  He sure should be motivated to prove Wally wrong, but at 35 he is clearly coming to the end of his illustrious CFL career (eight time divisional all-star, five time league all-star, two Grey Cup rings, $1 million dollar guaranteed Glieberman contract).

Johnny Sears has all of the skills you want in a SAM.  He is a vicious and reliable tackler in the box, he can cover any receiver on the field and he brings just a little bit of crazy to the field, not Hefney 09-11 crazy, but still a good amount.  Can he stay healthy?  In my opinion, Sears is unlikely to win a starting position in this crew due to his inability to stay on the field during his Blue Bomber career.  He is pencilled in as a designated import to play dime and maybe some other spots in different packages, and injury replacement.  Sears can play anywhere in the secondary, so that versatility works in his favour.

MLB-

This position is up for grabs in the absence of Henoc Muamba, and regardless of who takes over there will likely be a significant drop in production.

We lack any CFL experience at this position.  Terrell Parker has played WIL, and backed up at LB, but not started at MLB.  He is a likely candidate to make the transition.  We don't have to worry about Parker's ability to get around the field, but will he be able to make plays between the tackles?

The other candidate under contract as of now is Doug Hogue from Syracuse via the Detroit Lions and Carolina Panthers.  Hogue started out his NCAA career as a running back, and converted to linebacker in his junior season.  See a couple scouting reports here.

WIL-

Ian Wild is the incumbent at WIL, and seems to be a lock after a tremendous rookie season taking over after Terrell Parker's injury.  His scrappy versatility as a guy who can play in the box but also cover running backs and slots outside of it should fit well within Etcheverry's scheme.  In 2013 he was all over the field making plays.  Wild is also the incumbent long snapper and an excellent special teamer across the board, giving him even more value. 

Kenny Tate is an intriguing prospect who seems to fit at WIL, but could also figure in to the competitions at MLB, SAM and the secondary. Tate was recruited to Maryland as a receiver and converted to defender, and that's really the word that best describes his NCAA career.  He played everywhere.  Tate was a top NFL prospect who had some knee trouble that scared off NFL teams.  He will attempt to resurrect his pro football career with the Blue Bombers. 

Graig Newman also factors in at WIL.  He played at a hybrid linebacker position for Saskatchewan in limited packages, and based on Kyle Walters comments when he signed with the Bombers as a free agent, that is a role he may fill in Winnipeg.

Weak Corner-

Chris Randle comes to Winnipeg from a very crowded Calgary Stampeders secondary.  Randle played the weak corner spot for the Stamps, the same spot that Jovon Johnson has mostly occupied for the Blue Bombers since 2009 (after playing half in 2008).  It is safe to assume that Randle will remain at this key secondary position (weak-side are the easiest throws, your weak HB and CB should be your best DB's) for the Blue Bombers in 2014.

Randle led the Stamps in knockdowns (9) and tied for the team lead in interceptions (4) in 16 games in 2013 after being Calgary's nominee for Top Rookie in 2012.  

You can see a brief 2013 highlight reel for Randle here.  Clearly you can't judge a player by a three minute highlight reel, but one of Randle's clear strengths is the ability to make plays on the ball when it is in the air.

Johnny Sears has also played the weak corner position well in the past, but again, can the Blue Bombers rely on him to stay on the roster for more than three weeks at a time?

Weak Half-

Demond Washington will be the starting weak-side halfback for the Blue Bombers in 2014.  He is the top player in our secondary, and likely the top player on our defense with Muamba in the NFL.  Washington is an elite CFL player, he can go toe to toe with any receiver in the league, is a strong tackler, comes in to help stop the run, another vicious tackler and he has ridiculous football sense.  If a ball bounces off someone's foot and is still live or is tipped up in the air anywhere on the field, there's a 50-50 chance Demond Washington is coming down with it. 

Safety- 

This position is up for grabs.  The competitors in this derby are Donovan Alexander, Cauchy Muamba and Graig Newman.

Alexander and Muamba have experience on their side.  Alexander started at safety for the Eskimos the last three seasons.  Muamba has started much of the last two seasons for the Lions and Blue Bombers. Newman has seen limited playing time for the Roughriders.  

Generally there are three things you are looking for in a safety (and this may or may not apply with Etcheverry).  They are range: can the guy cover a lot of ground and take good angles to contest a pass or make a tackle; reads, when he cheats, does he make the right read pre and post snap and cheat to where the play is going, or is he always getting caught on the wrong side of the play; tackling, can he make a tackle consistently.

In my opinion, Muamba failed miserably at all three of these in 2013, although it is hard to judge his reads, the fact that he was chasing the play so often gives us some clues.  Muamba got burned on deep balls. The worst thing a defensive back can do when a ball is in the air is stop moving and try to read where the ball is headed without continuing to move, much like a fly ball in baseball, you need to be able to track the ball as you travel to it.  Muamba struggles with this and all it takes is losing one step to a receiver on a deep ball and it is game over. Tackling is also poor.  If a ball carrier came at Muamba, there was a good chance he would go for another 5 or more yards.  One thing Muamba did surprisingly well was blitz.  For a couple games in September including the Banjo Bowl, Creehan/Burke were sending him often, almost felt like they threw up their hands and figured since the safety can't cover, just send him at the QB.

Safety is a position that needs to improve, and there is no advantage for Muamba in this situation as the incumbent.

Strong Half-

Alex Suber is likely to start at strong halfback for the Blue Bombers in 2014.  Suber is now the longest tenured member of the secondary, entering his 5th season with the Bombers.

Suber is among the top DB's in the league at defending timing routes, slants, hitches, any quick dig routes or outs by a slot.  Anything downfield is a weak spot for Suber.  It's not a size disadvantage, it is an issue with tracking the ball, holding position and timing when to make a play on the ball.  Suber is also a strong tackler in the secondary.

Strong Corner-

This position is up for grabs, as it almost always should be.  Strong corner is one of the simplest positions on the field, and should almost always be occupied by a young, cheap player in my opinion.  Brandon Stewart has played this spot since 2009.  Far too long.

Marty Markett has the inside track on taking a starting spot here with a season under his belt.  Markett's best assets are speed, strong ability to cover downfield and make a play on the ball in the air.

Non-import Matt Bucknor could be in the mix for this position as well, at least in some packages to satisfy the ratio and potentially full-time if none of the non-imports pan out at safety.

Final Thoughts-

Middle linebacker and safety are huge concerns.  It is unreasonable to expect anyone to fill Henoc Muamba's shoes.  Will Terrell Parker step up and provide at least adequate play in that position?  Could the Bombers potentially add a CFL veteran like Robert McCune? 

At safety we brought Alexander and Newman in to compete.  Hopefully one of them can earn the position.  If not, we have some cover with Bucknor who can play corner, or with Newman to play a hybrid spot if he struggles at safety.

Randle is a clear upgrade on Jovon Johnson, and the mood of the team should be improved by the departure of a couple long suffering, physically declining vets from the secondary.

Demond Washington should have a huge season as a clear team leader in his 3rd year.  He's my pre-season prediction as the Blue Bombers Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2014.

There are a couple X factors on defense heading into 2014.  Johnny Sears, we know he can play, can he stay healthy and be a force wherever he lines up?  Kenny Tate, what can he do?  He's an exciting prospect based on his NCAA career, maybe not Dwayne Slay, but still exciting.

Joe Mack had a pretty good track record of bringing in impactful players at linebacker and defensive back.  Has the new regime unearthed any gems in 2014?

Mid-February Roster Analysis: Winnipeg Blue Bombers Defensive Line

In part 4 of 6, we take a look at the Blue Bombers defensive line.

In 2013, the Blue Bombers defensive line had some dominant efforts, and some forgettable ones.  They finished up with 51 sacks, 15 of them by Alex Hall, who was traded late in the season to Saskatchewan. Other than Hall, the Blue Bombers did not feature any notable edge rushers.  What is notable about this group is the pass rush generated by the interior, in particular Bryant Turner and Zach Anderson.  They each finished with 7 sacks.

Let's take a look at who the Bombers have under contract at this point (as of February 28, 2014):

Veterans-

Bryant Turner (6'2 275 26) is entering his 4th season as a Blue Bomber and CFLer.  Zach Anderson (6'3 280 24) is entering his 2nd season as a Blue Bomber and CFLer.

Turner and Anderson are mainstays for the Bombers in the middle of the defensive line.  They are remarkably similar as smaller tackles who both lean towards pass-rushing more than run stopping.  Turner and Anderson can make some spectacular plays against the run when they win plays off the snap.  If they lose off the snap, the ball carrier is into the 2nd level immediately.  They are inconsistent against the run.  

This is a trade-off that the previous regime (and Tim Burke's defensive scheme in particular) preferred, playing with two three-technique (most effective in the outside gap of the guards) tackles rather having one three-technique and a nose tackle (inside gap of the guards). Anderson is young and he could develop into more of a nose tackle.

This raises two questions for training camp.  Does this preference for pass rush carry forward into the Walters-O'Shea-Etcheverry regime?  And, if it doesn't, are Turner and Anderson redundant?

Etcheverry is tough to read.  He doesn't have a lot of tendencies when it comes to lining guys up in certain spots snap after snap.  Generally he schemes to fit talent in, rather than fit talent into his scheme. Etcheverry likes to show different looks, and likes versatile players. Bryant Turner can line up anywhere on the defensive line and rush the passer.  Seems like a good fit.  Anderson is also a talented, high motor guy with some versatility.  I think we'll see some interesting fronts utilizing the abilities of Turner and Anderson.

Jason Vega (6'4 260 27) returns to the Blue Bombers after spending the 2013 season in the NFL.  Vega totaled 12 sacks in 26 games with the Blue Bombers in 2011 and 2012.  

Vega is a multi-dimensional player...something you don't see a lot along the highly specialized defensive line on both sides of the border.  He is a solid player who does his job and a little extra, against both the pass and the run.

Vega is an excellent pass rusher with multiple moves and a high motor. Unlike other "pass rush specialists," Vega is not out of the play if he doesn't beat the tackle around the edge off the snap or if he gets into a handfight.  Vega is an effective pass rusher from both the edge and from a three-technique position (outside gap of the guard).  This ability allowed the Blue Bombers to throw pure pass rushing fronts out against obvious passing downs in Vega's previous stint in Blue and Gold.

Vega will start at defensive end, and rarely leave the field.



Greg Peach (6'3 255 27) is entering his 6th CFL season, 2nd as a Blue Bomber.

Peach is Vega-lite.  He's not particularly great at any aspect of pass rushing, but he has a decent motor, he plays intelligent in terms of gap control, but he takes stupid penalties.  Like Vega, Peach is a versatile player.  He can play away from the line of scrimmage and drop into a zone or cover a running back coming out of the backfield.  Maybe this versatility will make him useful in an Etcheverry defense, but we can do a lot better in terms of pass rushers.



Ryan Lucas (6'6 280 29) and Jake Thomas (6'2 275 23) are both entering their 3rd year as a Blue Bomber.  They are the non-import contingent on the defensive line.

Both Lucas and Thomas are strictly interior defensive linemen.  They are both best described as "depth players."  Neither one is quite good enough to start, neither one is a threat to generate a consistent pass rush.  They are both at the level of coming in for 15-20 snaps a game, holding a gap, not having any major screw-ups and playing a role on special teams.

Lucas and Thomas should be able to take enough snaps on defense to form a 2nd NI starter on defense along with some snaps taken at LB and DB by other NI defenders.

Prospects-

The Bombers currently have two young defensive end prospects under contract:

JD Griggs (6'5 260 23) and Michael McAdoo (6'7 245 24).

We got to see them both in limited action at the end of the 2013 season.  They are both Alex Hall look-a-likes, tall and long.  McAdoo was a highly rated NFL prospect before running into some eligibility issues at North Carolina and then rupturing his achilles while a member of the Baltimore Ravens.  Griggs was right out of college in 2013, with a brief stop in the camp of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Big Picture-

The starting defensive line as of today (Feb 27) would look something like this:

DE Vega
DT Turner
DT Anderson
DE Peach/McAdoo/Griggs

The defensive line is a position of strength for the Blue Bombers, and there is really only have one spot up for grabs at rush end.  There is a strong possibility that the Bombers will use a DI spot on a third defensive end.

In terms of additions before training camp, another interior lineman, another edge rusher or two are likely, along with the potential release of Greg Peach before training camp as he is somewhat redundant with Vega back in the fold.  Another non-import or two would be nice to battle Lucas and Thomas for a roster spot.  Drafting Evan Gill with the 2nd overall pick and having him in training camp would change this picture quite a bit. 

Mid-February Roster Analysis: Winnipeg Blue Bombers Offensive Line

Part 3 of 6...the most maligned group of "athletes" in Winnipeg, the Blue Bombers offensive line.

The Blue Bombers currently have 11 OL under contract, 7 non-imports and 4 imports.  

Here's what we ended last season with:

LT January
LG GREAVES
C SORENSEN (signed with Edmonton)
RG MORLEY
RT Jarvis Jones

First, we'll take a look at each guy individually, then the group.

The Veterans-

Steve Morley (6'7 325 33) entering his 6th season as a Blue Bomber, 9th as a CFLer, the first overall pick of the 2003 CFL Draft.  

Morley started at tackle in his first season as a Bomber (2009), but has made his living at right guard since 2010.  Morley was a decent tackle and it took him a long time to become a good CFL guard, something he's still struggling to be over 18 games.  In my opinion, his best stretch as a guard for the Blue Bombers was the 2nd half of the 2011 season, when Chris Garrett took over at RB and the Blue Bombers committed to actually having some remnant of a power run game.

The more aggressive Morley plays, the better he plays.  He has the ability to be a very good CFL offensive lineman, and has shown that ability in spurts.  Morley tends to play more aggressive (better!), including in pass blocking, when the Blue Bombers establish the run. Why?  Couple reasons.  First, he's physically engaged in the game. Second, teams aren't going to pin their ears back and blitz like crazy because they are playing against a team that just might run the ball. This is a typical trait of nearly all offensive linemen, not just a Morley thing.  If you don't know this by now, you will hear me say it a lot, the simplest way to improve your OL play as a team is to commit to establishing the run.  This doesn't mean you run the ball 50 times a game, it means you run a more balanced offence, ie 60/40 pass run, and don't pull a Crowton and abandon the run if your first two carries are not successful.

Morley struggles in pass blocking.  He plays guard like a tackle (or a guard who isn't that great), which is to say that he almost always retreats off the snap and pops high out of his stance, giving up leverage.  A tackle has more leeway to give up ground, because the edge rusher is taking a long route as long as the tackle doesn't get beat inside.  A tackle can lose 5 yards and still form a nice pocket, and this is in fact basic pass protection technique, for a tackle to keep the rusher in front of him and widen the rush lane (route to the QB) rather than quickly engaging him at the line of scrimmage.  Guards and centres need to get a lick on rushers coming through their gaps ASAP.  They don't necessarily want to fully engage a rusher, because then the rusher can make a quick move and slip into the pocket clean, but they want to get a body on them and start the battle.  If you are giving up ground before you even engage the rusher, and then continue to get pushed into the pocket...bad, really bad for your QB and passing game.  

The play at 3:18 of this Bomber-Argo video perfectly illustrates bad Morley.  The line of scrimmage is the Argo 53.  Morley is playing right guard.  Pause at 3:20.  Notice the left guard (Greaves) and the centre (Sorensen).  They stay low, pretty even with the LOS before making initial contact with any rusher and their hips remain facing the Argo endzone.  Morley is immediately scrambling backwards, high out of his stance with his hips turned towards the sideline (big no-no) and chases an Argo end who is already being blocked by Jarvis Jones, giving up his inside gap (the biggest no-no).  The Argos are only rushing 3, which probably saved Max Hall`s life, if a guy like Shane Horton is coming on a delayed blitz and Morley turns to chase a defensive end back 10 yards, KA-BOOM!  Greaves and Sorensen are perfect off the snap, but a little nonchalant in supporting January against the 3 man rush (while Morley is too eager to support Jones), Greaves finishes the play poorly with a half-assed hip check, forcing Hall to flee the pocket (although he had a lot of steamboats).

There`s one ongoing question with Morley...can he play a full season at his full potential?  If he can, we should have no major issues at right guard, but he hasn't done it yet at 33.

Chris Greaves (6'5 300 27) is heading into his 5th season as a Blue Bomber and CFLer, his 3rd as a starting guard.

Greaves is one of the most athletic offensive linemen in the league. He's the anti-Kabongo.  Greaves is one of the few linemen in the league who is as quick as the guys he is blocking.  He is not the strongest relative to many of the interior DL he faces as a guard, so he needs to battle and use his agility to be successful.  He's not going to drive a DL 5 yards downfield, he needs to get a good fire out of his stance and turn the DL to open up a gap in zone run blocking and hopefully move up to the next level (LB/HB) with a little help from his friends at tackle or centre.  Greaves is very quick out of his stance in run blocking, especially when he puts a hand down into a 3 point stance, athlete.  

Greaves is a steady pass blocker.  He's patient, he holds his inside gap first and foremost, he keeps his butt and hips low facing the endzone and battles.  As a guard, he engages rushers at the line of scrimmage as he should to help form a pocket.  Greaves is very good at getting his hands inside and fending off initial pass rushing moves.  As an interior OL, if you win or tie the initial 3 steps off the snap, you've won the play (just hope Morley isn't chasing wildly after Buzz and Boomer on the other side of the formation, leaving his gap wide-open).  Greaves will be the starting left guard, no doubt about it.

Glenn January (6'6 300 31) is heading into his 6th season as a Blue Bomber and 8th season in the CFL.  

Take everything I said about Greaves and transfer it to the tackle position, that's January.  As a tackle, his main job in pass protection to widen the pass rush lane to the QB for the edge rushers while making sure he doesn't lose his inside gap to that edge rusher or a blitz. January does his job.  He struggled with consistency in his early years with the Bombers, but has developed into a very steady import OT and clearly one of the team leaders.  He's in his prime and he's one of the best in the league, probably would get Most Outstanding Lineman hype if he played on a better team.  January will be starting at left tackle.

Jarvis Jones (6'7 300 26) is heading into his 2nd season as Blue Bomber and CFLer.  Joined the Bombers on September 17, and started at left tackle in the game 3 days later.  

Jones was impressive.  He immediately got under Marcus Howard's skin in that first game with his tenacity, ability to keep Howard from getting around the edge (for the first 3 quarters anyways) and willingness to play through the whistle.  Ended his first drive as a Blue Bomber by driving Howard 5 yards deep into the endzone on a Bomber 1 yard TD.  Jones showed very good raw ability to take on edge rushers, but struggled at times with inside moves, spins in particular and blitzes through his inside gap.  I expect Jones to have the inside track on being the starting right tackle for the Blue Bombers in 2014, barring any ratio issues.   

Shannon Boatman...please don't bring him to training camp.

Chris Kowalczuk (6'5 305 29) the only Bomber OL under contract currently who has snapped a football in a CFL game.  

Unfortunately, that really means nothing.  He started the 2012 season as the Bombers centre and immediately lost the job after one game to Justin Sorensen, who won't be joining John Bonk in the Blue Bomber hall of fame to put it mildly.  Kowalczuk is entering his 5th season as a Bomber and has only played a handful of games.  He hasn't seen enough meaningful action to say anything definitive.  I thought he played ok as a guard in his start against Edmonton in 2013, after the first drive I was no longer concerned for Max Hall's life, but otherwise he barely saw the field.  Hard to know where he stands against the other spare part OL the Bombers have, that he's still here after 5 years and few contributions on gamedays is odd.

The Prospects-

Paul Swiston (6'8 325 25) is heading into his 4th season as a Blue Bomber and CFLer.  

Swiston has a lot of similarities with Morley.  He's a natural tackle. He's being moved inside to play guard.  It's an awkward transition. Based on what we've seen of Swiston as a guard, which isn't a whole lot in terms of game action, he's good in pass protection, he engages at the line of scrimmage, you don't have to worry about your quarterback getting killed when Swiston is playing, which is always a good starting point.  

He needs to work on getting his hands inside to control rushers and battle against inside pass rushing moves.  Based on his couple of 2013 starts, he tends to lean to his outside gap too quickly, leaving him prone to a quick inside move by the guy he's blocking or a delayed LB blitz. It's a classic lock on one block instead of focusing on blocking your gaps from the inside out, much like Jarvis Jones at the tackle spot.  You never want to give that direct route into the pocket.  

As a guard in a tackles body, he's always going to struggle to get leverage inside, especially in run blocking.  On the bright side, Swiston is 25 and has 3 seasons in.  He is still raw, and his development is stalling due to injury, problems which date back to his CIS career, causing his drop into the 4th round. Will he take the next step and become a viable starting CFL OL?


Patrick Neufeld (6'5 295 25) is entering his first season as a Blue Bomber, 4th in the CFL as the Blue Bombers top OL acquisition heading into 2014.  

Neufeld only started one game in his aborted return from a broken fibula suffered in the 2013 preseason.  That game was the Banjo Bowl. Neufeld started at right guard.  Zach Anderson absolutely mauled him all afternoon, just beat him up physically.  There's not much technique to look at, he spent half the game on his can, with Anderson getting free runs at Durant.  Neufeld didn't play again in 2013, apparently reinjured his leg and was traded to the Blue Bombers before the end of the season.  

In 2012, he started 13 games for the Roughriders at right tackle.  The full game I watched of Neufeld at tackle was the 2012 West Semi-Final against Calgary.  Neufeld is matched up against Charleston Hughes and Cordarro Law, two of the better pass rushers in recent CFL history. Neufeld held his own in that game, but looked more like a speedbump than a guy you'd want starting 18 games at tackle.  Hughes and Law did get a reasonable amount of pressure but they never got a free run at Durant.  

It became pretty clear that Hughes was taking a wide first move and coming quickly inside on Neufeld to break into the pocket, Neufeld didn't really have an answer for that.  Sometimes he was able to get a shot on Hughes as he drove through into the pocket, but at that point Neufeld's hips were already turned to the sideline and he had no hope of blocking Hughes.   This forced Durant to leave the pocket consistently.  In that situation, when a guy literally has no hope of contesting a rusher with such strong moves, you just want to make the rusher take the longest path to the quarterback possible.  Hold your inside gap and kickstep to widen the rush lane as much as possible without letting the rush end make a quick and easy inside move.  

The Riders supported Neufeld quite often with a tight end or running back joining him on his outside gap.  Something I really didn't like from him in that game was that he was getting locked on the outside rusher rather than minding his inside gap first, this was even happening when he had blocking support from a tight end/receiver or running back on his outside gap.  Knowing that he had support, if anything Neufeld should have cheated inside.  Calgary did have some success blitzing LB's through Neufeld's inside gap, along with Neufeld's chasing Hughes making his rips and spins to the inside more effective.  

The Riders offence (they did score 30 points) started going when they began dropping off screen passes behind the rush and letting Sheets go.  They only ran a handful of designed running plays, and other times Durant was just running for his life.

Neufeld is a natural tackle and has not shown to be even passable as a guard...yet.  That leads to two big questions; first, will Neufeld show well enough to beat Jarvis Jones out for the starting right tackle spot?  Second, if he doesn't win the right tackle spot, can he be a useful player for the Blue Bombers at another position (maybe a conversion to centre?)?

Also, is his fibula back in one piece?

Tyson Pencer (6'7 300 25) is heading into his 3rd season as a Blue Bomber and CFLer, the 3rd overall pick in the 2012 CFL Draft.  

In watching his first couple starts, Pencer actively engages pass rushers, and he was getting a good surge off the line in run blocking, even out of a 2 point stance.  Like most of the younger OL I've talked about in this post, he shows a tendency to lock on blocking one rusher and not always minding the concept of making a pocket by protecting inside to outside, giving up only the widest and most indirect rush lanes. This plays right into a lot of the stunts and blitzes that defense's run, and why patience is a virtue for offensive linemen.   Pencer actually played most of his first start at right tackle after Glenn January left due to injury, and he looked quite comfortable.  He did get beat off the edge a few times due to being overaggressive and attempting to engage the defensive end too early off the snap inside of getting a couple kick steps in and widening the rush lane a bit first to match the speed of the defensive end.   That is somewhat understandable given that he had been practicing as a guard and preparing to start that game as a guard.

Pencer certainly has the aggression and the athleticism necessary to be a CFL OL.  Will he develop the physical and mental technique? Getting to see Pencer play last season was encouraging, because he is not that far away from being a valuable player, but he does need experience and he needs to take advantage of the opportunity.   It is time for Walters and the coaching staff to decide which position they want Pencer to play.  In my opinion he could be either a tackle or guard, but moving him back and forth will only hurt his development.


Terriss Paliwoda (6'4 300 30) has spent time on the practice roster with the Eskimos (2007), Argos (2013) and Bombers (2013), he is a non-import.  Have no insight into his game.  I'm hoping he can play centre....

Dan Knapp (6'5 305 25) started a game at right tackle in his first week as a Blue Bomber, just like Jarvis Jones, 3 days after he joined the Blue Bombers.  As an import he's in tough to beat out January or Jones for a job.  I'll spot him Boatman.

The Big Picture-

3 out of 5 positions are up for grabs: centre, right guard and right tackle.

Here is how the OL stacks up as of February 20 (NON-IMPORT):

LT- January
LG- GREAVES 
C- KOWALCZUK
RG- MORLEY, PENCER, SWISTON
RT- Jones, NEUFELD, Knapp


I've omitted Boatman because bringing him up for training camp would defy logic.  Also omitted Paliwoda because I have no idea where the Bombers see him fitting in.  He played guard at the University of Alberta.  Is he a candidate to play centre?

Based on our current depth chart, we need a centre for sure.  Will someone currently on the roster convert to centre?  Morley? Neufeld?  Will the Bombers draft a centre, and will that centre make the immediate jump into the starting lineup?  

Players have converted later in their career from other positions to centre.  Two notable recent examples for the Bombers are Moe Elewonibi and Obby Khan, who both started their CFL careers as tackles.  Is it safe to assume that someone can do this easily?  No. 

For all we know, the process has already begun and whoever they chose to be the convert has been working on snapping the ball etc. This is a very important issue for this team which must be addressed before training camp.  The centre handles the ball on every offensive play.  That guy doesn't get the ball clean to the QB on 10% of the plays, that's 6-7 fumbles in a game.  The centre is absolutely crucial.

The battle for right guard should be one to watch.  The Bombers have been trying to replace Steve Morley since mid-2012, and no one has stepped up to take the job.  Will Pencer or Swiston take it this season?

The battle at right tackle will be more about the ratio than anything else. If they both had the same passport, there would be no contest between Neufeld and Jarvis Jones, Jones wins easily.  But, if the Blue Bombers need to start 4 non-imports on the offensive line to satisfy the ratio, it won't be a contest either, Neufeld wins by default.


In part 4 we will shift to the defensive side of the ball and look at the defensive line.