Simon Fraser University - Western Oregon University GNAC NCAA football at Swangard Stadium, Burnaby B.C. October 24 2015. Photo: Ron Hole
REGINA – They are famished and have plopped down in a booth in the best restaurant in town.
Getting ready to glance over a high-end menu, their server has approached the Winnipeg Blue Bombers table to inform them the prime rib is currently not available. The chicken cordon bleu is out; ditto the filet mignon.
This is the Bombers’ dilemma as the Canadian Football League’s National Combine for draft prospects opens Friday in Regina at Evraz Place – six of the Top 10-ranked players from the December rankings by the league’s scouting bureau are not here.
At seventh, receiver Rashaun Simonise has had his draft year deferred to 2018 due to testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug during his stint with the Cincinnati Bengals during training camp last year.
So how does a team holding three of the Top 15 draft choices – first, sixth and 15th overall – conduct the eyeball test on players when they aren’t here to be eyeballed?
“It certainly makes it tougher,” said Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea on Thursday. “You’ve got to find a different way to get your information.
“One of the things Kyle (Walters) and I both strive to get here when you’re face-to-face with the athlete is to try and get to know them as quickly as possible and what makes them tick, what excites them about the game of football and if they’re excited about the game of football.
“So we’re missing that element with the guys that aren’t here and you’ve got to find a way to capture that somehow. It does make it a little trickier because we believe character is important and want guys who are excited about fitting into pro football.”
Just for the record, the top prospects not attending are Mississippi State offensive lineman Justin Senior – ranked first in December – Laval tight end Anthony Auclair (2nd), UCLA D-lineman Eli Ankou (3rd), Manitoba guard Geoff Gray (5th), Kwaku Boateng of Laurier (6th) and Montreal defensive lineman Junior Luke (9th). Simonise had been ranked fourth.
All of those not attending have drawn NFL interest and are holding their own pro days. That means attending the CFL combine – and perhaps not testing well or being injured – could hurt NFL interest.
The Bombers, like all CFL teams, won’t turn their backs on the best prospects just because they aren’t in Regina. Instead, they’ll have to do more legwork to attend the players’ pro days or fly them into Winnipeg for workouts or interviews.
The byproduct of all this is those who are here have a glorious opportunity to improve their draft stock with some of the big guns absent.
“You applaud them for taking this opportunity,” said O’Shea. “It’s changed. A while ago I don’t think there would have many guys who would have been turning down this invitation, this opportunity to showcase their talents and try to take that first step of earning a job as a professional football player.
“But hey, things change and we have to adapt with them. In our position, you certainly can’t let it bug ya. Gone are those days too when the first time it happened (a prospect didn’t attend) you were ticked off at him because if he’s good enough, guys are going to take him. So you’ve just got to respect their decision, I guess, and move on.”
With all this in mind, we thought we’d provide a bit of a primer for the next couple of days. Here is a handy-dandy guide to this weekend’s National Combine featuring 55 draft prospects:
Justin Vaughn, Fordham University.
Who to watch:
The Bombers hold the first and sixth selections in the first round, along with the 15th, 23rd, 50th, 59th and 68th picks.
Some players they may be paying attention to over the next two days (in no particular order):
Justin Vaughn, DL, Fordham University:
The Bombers let Keith Shologan go to free agency and have Jake Thomas, Brandon Tennant and Rupert Butcher still on board for a defensive tackle spot that still seems slotted to be reserved for a Canadian.
With Eli Ankou (UCLA), Kwaku Boateng (Wilfrid Laurier) and Montreal’s Junior Luke not attending, it’s a big opportunity for him to improve his draft stock.
Notable: Vaughn was a First Team All-Patriot League All-Star at defensive end after registering 11 sacks.
Jordan Herdman, LB, Simon Fraser/Justin Herdman, LB, Simon Fraser:
Jordan attended the Senior Bowl, generating some NFL interest, but did not like his testing numbers at Simon Fraser’s pro day earlier this month.
Notable: The Herdmans are twins and their father is former NFLer, USFLer and Blue Bomber James Reed.
Robert Woodson, DB, Calgary:
Superb athlete who could be plucked in the first round and seen as a future starter.
Notable: Woodson was a Second-Team All-Canadian at halfback in 2016.
Nathaniel Behar, WR, Carleton:
Rory Kohlert wasn’t re-signed – he landed in Calgary – and the Bombers are still committed to starting a Canadian at wide receiver. Julian Feoli-Gudino, Addison Richards and Matt Coates are the Canadians currently on the roster.
Notable: Behar was a First-Team U Sports All-Canadian last season after pulling in 57 passes for 788 yards.
Jeremy Zver, OL, Regina:
A 6-4, 295-pound left tackle, Zver has seen his draft stock rise in the weeks leading up to camp. The Bombers start two Canadians along the offensive line, but could tinker with the ratio if they could find more depth to work behind Paddy Neufeld if he was to become a starter again.
Notable: Zver played both football and basketball at Regina.
Nathaniel Hamlin, DB, Carleton:
Again, with the Bombers committed to starting Taylor Loffler at safety, there is the need for Canadians on the depth chart. Brendan Morgan and Derek Jones are important special teams contributors, but a team is always looking for athletes.
Notable: Named a Second Team All-OUA All-Star in 2016.
Mitchell Picton, SB, Regina:
Like Behar, the Bombers could be looking at Picton to join the battle for the starting Canadian receiver spot.
Notable: Picton was a First Team U Sports All-Canadian last year after piling up 58 receptions for 834 yards and 11 touchdowns – the TD total leading the country.
Evan Johnson, OL, Saskatchewan:
He’s listed at 6-4, 280 on the Huskies website, so he has the size to make the transition to the pro game. Again, Canadian O-lineman are always a high priority in the draft and Johnson is another whose stock has risen.
Notable: Johnson was a U Sports Second-Team All-Canadian in 2016.
How To Watch
CFL.ca, for the first time ever, will broadcast player one-on-ones and individual drills live froom Evraz Place. The broadcast will feature play-by-play from sportscaster James Cybulski and Marshall Ferguson, the voice of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the CFL.ca’s combine guru.
Former all-star defensive back Davis Sanchez and Brodie Lawson will provide sideline access with interviews.
Fans can also follow the live-tracking of results on the CFL.ca.
The Tests
- Bench press: players get one attempt at pushing out as many reps as possible with 225 pounds on the bar.
- Three cone drill: One attempt (one mulligan) for the athlete. He begins in a three-point stance, runs to the first line five yards straight ahead and touches the line, proceeds back in the same direction and then runs around an 18-inch cone, and then heads left and right 90 degrees to another cone five yards away. The player then runs around the cone, keeping it on his left-hand side, and back to the second and on to the finish line.
- 40-yard dash: Two attempts. Pretty straight forward. Player runs as fast as he can in football’s long-standing speed test.
- 20-yard short shuttfle: Two attempts (one mulligan), once going left and once right. It’s similar to the three-cone shuttle; runner starts in the middle moving left and right and touching lines before moving back to the starting point.
- Vertical jump: A player can jump as many times as he wishes, as long as his attempts improve. Must jump off two feet and touch the highest slate-marker possible.
- Broad or standing long jump: Player stands behind a line and jumps forward as much as he can in a three-foot lane.
The Schedule:
Friday, March 24 (all times CT)
Order of testing: OL, DL, RB, LB, QB, WR, DB
- 9:30 a.m. – Height, Weight Measurements and Video Shot
- 10:30 a.m. – Vertical and Broad Jump
- 8 p.m. – Bench Press
Saturday, March 25
Order of testing: OL, DL, RB, LB, QB, WR, DB
- 10 a.m. – 40-yard dash, short shuttle and 3-cone
- 1 p.m. – Offensive and defensive linemen individual drills and one-on-ones
- 1:45 p.m. – Running backs, linebackers and quarterbacks individual drills and one-on-ones
- 2:45 p.m. – Receivers and defensive backs individual drills and one-on-ones
- 3:45 p.m. – Long snappers and kickers workout
- 4 p.m. – Combine completed
