May 29, 2016
No truth to the rumour that just before the opening of Winnipeg Blue Bombers 2016 training camp, a swack of those ‘Hello, my name is…’ name tags were passed around to everyone in attendance.
Although, come to think of it, the idea certainly has some merit. After all, when the Bombers stepped onto the field Sunday morning there were over 40 new faces in royal blue jerseys, in addition to four new members of Mike O’Shea’s coaching staff.
What was also new – although it’s near impossible to quantify – is a sense of expectation, tinged with hints of desperation.
The additions of vets like Andrew Harris, Weston Dressler, Justin Medlock, Ryan Smith, Euclid Cummings, Macho Harris and Keith Shologan means a whole lot more experience is now calling the Bomber locker room home.
And everyone in this town is aware of the franchise’s playoff and championship drought.
“It feels a lot different than last year,” began Bomber linebacker Khalil Bass.
“Everybody feels like we should win instead of just wanting to win. There’s a winning mindset coming in here on the first day.”
Khalil Bass
“It’s because the guys that have come in all know how to win. Last year I came in and didn’t really know what was going on. We were thrown to the fire. There are more older guys now that know what it’s like to make the playoffs and know what it’s like to win a Grey Cup. That expectation from them rubs off on everyone.
“We all said it to each other, the coaches don’t need to harp on it. It’s got to come from us. We were in there welcoming each other back and everyone was saying, ‘Let’s go get it this year.’”
That vibe extends beyond the locker room, at least based on evidence from Sunday. Bomber fans were waiting in the parking lot a good 90 minutes before the doors to Investors Group Field opened and staff at the Bomber Store said they enjoyed four times the sales of an average selling day.
“I’m just trying to get to know the guys and everyone’s just trying to feel each other out,” said Andrew Harris. “There’s a good core of guys who have been here before but there’s definitely a lot of new guys, too.
“There’s definitely a veteran presence, guys who have been here before and had some games and done some things. But at the end of the day it’s a clean slate, a fresh start. Everyone can admit to the fact they want to make a statement on this team and be an impact player and make a difference to the new organization.”
Granted, there will be skeptics out there as well. The betting site Bodog.ca has the over/under on Bomber wins pegged at 6.5 and, after being teased in years past, there is also an element of ‘show me’ among the fan base.
TRAINING CAMP CENTRAL
ALL THE LATEST ON THE BOMBERS’ 2016 TRAINING CAMP.
“We added some really good pieces leadership-wise and with the talent,” said quarterback Drew Willy. “It’s a great blend. Andrew Harris, Weston Dressler… these guys have been all-stars and Grey Cup champs. They’re not worried about themselves, they’re more worried about the team. They want everything to run smoothly. They know how things should look, so they’re not afraid to hold guys accountable. That’s awesome.
“You know, we have brought in the pieces and brought in the coaches and I think everything is meant for us to win this year. I really believe that.
“I know a lot of people aren’t picking us, but that’s fine. A lot of times the underdogs do come through.”
BOMBER CAMP REPORT – DAY 1
STANDING OUT:
Both Weston Dressler and Ryan Smith made instant impressions, drawing ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ from the crowd for their work during the morning scrimmage.
Smith in particular was doing his thing getting open and making acrobatic grabs.
“Ryan Smith was running around making plays,” said QB Drew Willy. “He’s going to be fun to watch for these fans and he’s going to bring some juice to our offence.”
“He practices extremely hard,” added Head Coach Mike O’Shea. “He practices like he plays the game. It’s good to have that example. Weston Dressler does the same thing. We’ve got a bunch of guys on both sides of the ball who really work practice like they play the game. That’s not easy to do.”
Also making a good first impression were:
- CB Matt Bucknor
- OL Travis Bond
- DB Kevin Fogg
- DB Julian Posey
NOTABLE:
Both Rec Addison Richards and OL Jace Daniels were on the field practicing on Sunday. Both had come off surgery and rehab during the winter.
The No. 1 offensive line unit, for what it’s worth, featured Stanley Bryant at left tackle, Daniels at left guard, Matthias Goossen at centre, Sukh Chungh at right guard and Patrick Neufeld at right tackle.
WALKING WOUNDED:
Not participating on Sunday were LB John Rush, LB Kyle Knox and Rec Gerrard Sheppard.
MORE SACKS, PLEASE:
Euclid Cummings (8) and Keith Shologan (7) combined for 15 quarterback sacks from their defensive tackle positions last year (with Toronto and Ottawa, respectively).
Asked if he could expect that kind of production again, or if those numbers were an anomaly, O’Shea said:
“I wouldn’t want to limit them. Why would I not expect that? We signed those guys because we liked what they did and we believed there was a fit here with our club. Every year I believe pro athletes are working to get better than they were the year before. So, why wouldn’t we expect more from those guys? They would expect more from themselves.”
GUEST COACHES:
The Bombers have some extra eyeballs helping them during training camp. Among them:
- Chris Bochen – Winnipeg Rifles assistant head coach/O-line coach
- Drew Owens –offensive coordinator, Western Connecticut State
- Jeff Cummins – head coach, Acadia University;
- Ventson Donelson – former CFL’er, now the defensive backs coach at the University of Regina
- Mike Watson – St. Paul’s High School
- Jeff Stead – Quarterback coach, Edmonton Wildcats
