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March 31, 2017

Ryan Smith | Walking Away From The Game

Ryan Smith (12) during the game between the Montreal Alouettes and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Investors Group Field on Wednesday June 8, 2016 in Winnipeg, MB. (Photo: Johany Jutras)

Football has always been an adjust-on-the-fly business, and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were dealt a healthy helping of that reality this week.

Receiver Ryan Smith, just 25 and heading into his second year with the Bombers, informed the club earlier this week he was retiring from the game to ‘pursue interests outside of football’, reportedly in the financial sector.

That decision that was made official Friday with a press release by the club and a social media statement by Smith, who has opted not to do interviews.

 

 

Bombers GM Kyle Walters admitted in a conference call the organization was surprised by Smith’s retirement. The silver lining to the retirement is the addition of CFL vets Kenny Stafford and Ryan Lankford this offseason, plus the re-signing of Clarence Denmark means the club won’t be scrambling to find some experienced help to offset Smith’s departure.

“Once Ryan said initially that ‘I’m retiring’ there’s a bit of surprise and then you just move on,” said Walters. “Players make decisions for a wide variety of reasons and you respect those decisions and wish him the best in whatever he chooses to do. Then you focus on how it affects us and go from there.”

How the Bombers go from here should make April’s mini-camp and main training camp all that more interesting. There are currently 12 receivers on the roster – import vets Darvin Adams, Weston Dressler, Gerrard Sheppard, Denmark, Stafford and Lankford; Canadians Julian Feoli-Gudino, Addison Richards and Matt Coates; Kieren Duncan, who spent a chunk of last season on the practice roster, and newcomers Xavier Rush and Alex Chisum. Rush comes to the Bombers after a stint with the Philadelphia Eagles and playing his college ball at Tulane, while Chisum had a shot with the Detroit Lions after playing at the University of Cincinnati.

Ryan Smith (12) and Tim Flanders (32) during the game between the Calgary Stampeders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, AB. Saturday, September 24, 2016. (Photo: Johany Jutras)

Ryan Smith (12) and Timothy Flanders (32) during the game between the Calgary Stampeders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, AB. Saturday, September 24, 2016. (Photo: Johany Jutras)

The plan is to bring 15 receivers to main training camp.

“You always like to find good young players who are going to push the veteran guys, so maybe this is an opportunity for a younger guy to get a few more reps now,” said Walters. You always try to look for the positive and who is going to step up now.

“There’s a core group of guys and then you expect the young guys to come in and push them, whether Ryan Smith was here or not.”

Smith signed with the Bombers last year after beginning his CFL career with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Plagued by injuries, he pulled in 53 passes for 488 yards and a touchdown. And his best game as a Bomber came in his last, as he had seven receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns in the West Semi-Final loss to the B.C. Lions.

“We’re going to miss Ryan,” Walters said. “He was a good teammate, outstanding young man, good in the locker room, worked hard every single day.”

“Regardless of the on-field productivity of players, Mike and I put value in how they handle themselves and carry themselves off the field and at practice, and Ryan was not really a vocal guy but a guy who went out and earned the respect of his teammates with the way he worked every single day.

“We’re going to miss that, but I think we’ve got a core group of guys and the next guys will all fall in line and work as such.”

GRAY’S DAY:

Walters also weighed in on the Pro Day held by University of Manitoba Bisons offensive lineman Geoff Gray, who worked out for eight NFL teams along with the Bombers and Riders on Thursday.

“Everybody knew he was a good football player and when you put his testing numbers up against all the players who were in Regina at the CFL Combine, they compare very favourably,” said Walters. “Now he’s on that list of patiently waiting for the NFL process to work itself out. The CFL comes in after the fact and tries to piece in the puzzle of NFL interest and if there is any NFL interest is it (an invitation) to a mini-camp, a contract, do we see him in a year, six years, training camp… all that sort of stuff.

“He’s another one you now throw into that mix which makes it very frustrating for the CFL evaluators to figure Geoff Gray and guys like that out as far as where to draft them.”

The Bombers hold the first pick overall in the May 7th CFL Draft, along with the sixth, 15th and 23rd choices. Gray was ranked fifth in the CFL Scouting Bureau’s last evaluations of draft prospects.