Drag your finger down the Top 10s of the 2016 Canadian Football League statistics, and the contributions of Andrew Harris to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are prominent in black and white.

He led the club in rushing with the third-best total in the league and finished second on the squad in receptions, posting the highest total for a running back since Robert Mimbs way back in 1991.

And yet, ask anyone associated with the Bombers for a take on Harris, and the answer is universal: somehow, some way, he was even better than they imagined when the club made him one of their marquee additions in free agency last winter.

We begin the sixth in our positional preview series leading into the opening of main training camp – this installment looking at the running backs and fullbacks – by focusing on Harris for all the obvious reasons.

It’s not just about the 974 yards and four TDs he had rushing, or the 67 receptions he had for an additional 631 yards and another score.

And the fact that he was a Winnipeg born-and-raised product who became one of the faces of the franchise while becoming the first Canadian to lead the team in rushing since Gerry ‘Kid Dynamite’ James in 1957 was more than an added bonus.

But what became obvious early last season – especially in a 1-4 start that had the vultures circling again – was how quickly Harris had morphed into an important leader in the dressing room and a voice of reason with the media swarming around him and looking for answers.

In retrospect, Harris’ ability to handle the offensive workload, become a veteran voice in a new dressing room – AND do it while dealing with the pressures of returning to his hometown – made him one of the best free agent signings in franchise history.

All this means that as 2017 camp opens, Harris – named to the CFL All-Star team for the third time in his career last year – is one of the names that will be most certainly written in ink atop the depth chart.

That said, the crew working with and around him in the offensive backfield is impressive, too. Christophe Normand – we keep repeating this over and over again – is an athletic and underrated fullback who would be the Bombers’ ‘get-them-out-of-the-game’ tailback if Harris were to be injured. The fullback position was also bolstered by the free agent addition of Mike Miller, ex of the Edmonton Eskimos, although his contributions will almost exclusively be on special teams.

Not to be forgotten is what Timothy Flanders provided last year when Harris was out of the lineup. Flanders made three starts in ’16, rushing for 281 yards and a 6.1-yard average.

There are a pair of import prospects who will try to push Flanders behind Harris in Kendall Roberson – the former star at tiny East Texas Baptist University who rushed for 1,600 yards and 24 TDs last year – and ex-Baylor star and Washington Redksins 2014 draft pick Lache Seastrunk, who has had stints with both the Calgary Stampeders and Saskatchewan Roughriders. Also in camp is Winnipeg Rifles workhorse Micheal Ritchott.

Still, any discussions about the Bombers backfield should rightfully begin with Harris. It’s his job to lose and this is his team to help lead.

X FACTOR

Timothy Flanders waited patiently for an opportunity last season and got it in September when Harris was forced to take a knee due to injury. He’s more than a solid backup and, if the Bombers weren’t locked in to playing a Canadian at running back, would definitely be in a battle with Harris for the starting chores. The club might be tempted to get both on the roster – as they did on occasion last year – but it’s unlikely they would use one of the designated import spots on a tailback.

IMPACT NEWCOMER

Mike Miller won’t be an offensive threat – he has suited up for 104 CFL games with the Eskimos and has yet to register a carry or a reception – but will bolster the Bombers special teams units.

A team-first sort who is tight with quarterback Matt Nichols, Miller led the CFL in special teams tackles last year with 27. The Bombers triumvirate of Wade Miller, Kyle Walters and Mike O’Shea love their foot soldiers, and Mike Miller is the ultimate in unsung warriors.

JUICY NUMBER

302/60.4

Andrew Harris has 302 receptions over the last five years with the B.C. Lions and Bombers, for an average of 60.4 per season.

That’s what makes him such a deadly threat in the offence – he has the ability to move the sticks as a ball carrier and is so talented as a receiver there are some in the organization who believe he could also start at slotback.

This is the sixth in a position-by-position training-camp preview series by bluebombers.com.

Previously:

Special teams
Defensive backs
Linebackers
Defensive line
Offensive line

The rest of our camp previews are scheduled as follows:

Receivers, May 27
Quarterbacks, May 28