It was an innocent enough question that elicited the strongest response.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers were front and centre Tuesday afternoon as they took their turn in the Canadian Football League’s annual team-by-team season preview media teleconferences.
President and CEO Wade Miller, GM Kyle Walters, head coach Mike O’Shea and quarterback Matt Nichols were all on the call, touching on subjects like the recent CFL Draft and their takes on the season ahead.
But it was when the crew was asked by an Alberta-based reporter if the success from last season – an 11-7 season and playoff berth for the first time since 2011 – has them feeling vindicated and proud of doing what they set out to do, there was a sense spines were stiffening in the room.
“I don’t think we’ve done what we set out to do at all,” said Walters. “We’ve shown improvement over the last couple of years, but to say there’s any sort of patting each other on the back and ‘job well done’ that’s not it at all. We’re looking to keep improving and we’re looking to win Grey Cups as a group and we haven’t done that.
“Do I believe we’re headed in the right direction? 100 per cent I do. Do I think we’re improving our roster, improving the organization? I do. But to hint that we’re anywhere close to where we need to be or that we’re happy with it, is false.”
That much was evident this offseason as the club looked to address some roster needs while continuing to upgrade its overall depth, both import and Canadian.
Free agency was quieter than in 2016 when the likes of Andrew Harris, Justin Medlock, Weston Dressler, Ryan Smith, Euclid Cummings and Keith Shologan were brought aboard.
Re-signing Nichols, Medlock, receiver Darvin Adams and guard Sukh Chungh were all critical, and the team feels it has upgraded its defensive line with the additions of Tristan Okpalaugo, Drake Nevis and first-overall draft choice Faith Ekakitie.
CFL veterans like receiver Kenny Stafford, linebacker Thomas Miles and fullback Mike Miller bolster the overall depth.
All in all, it was an offseason that focussed on rebuilding the team’s roster in order to end a championship drought that dates back to 1990.
O’Shea said Tuesday he expects training camp – which opens later this month – to be the most competitive he’s staged since taking over in 2014.
“We’re very excited,” said O’Shea when asked about the team’s draft haul. “We thought we did well… I know every team is going to say that.
“We’re excited about the players who are going to come in, they’re going to be a good fit, they’re going to compete and certainly push the guys ahead of them to make us a better team. That’s a real testament to how Kyle and his staff have flipped this roster over. We’re getting better and better and the guys that are going to possibly end up on our practice roster are going to be very good players.
“It’s a real testament as to how this roster has been changed.”
The Bombers led the CFL with a +29 turnover ratio, but also surrendered a league-high 7,343 yards defensively – an average of 407.9 yards per game.
O’Shea was asked if defence was a priority to strengthen in the offseason.
“The real answer is we look to improve in all areas,” he said. “I know that’s not a real juicy thing to write about or talk about. But we need improvement in all areas.
“Now there are some areas we need to improve with a little more gusto and that would be stopping the yardage that we bled. But I have no problem thinking we’ll do that. We’ve added some quality players to our defensive line. We’ll get some push and some more pressure and the DBs (defensive backs) were great ball hawks last year and we’ll look to continue that.
“I don’t think we’re going to try and say we’re not going to try and get those takeaways and that it can’t happen again. It happened once and we’re going to try and take the ball away from the opposition as much as possible.
“But to say we’re focussing solely on the defence and that yardage is not true. We’re going to look and improve in every facet of the game.”
The Bombers finished last season on a 10-3 run before falling 32-31 to the B.C. Lions in the West Semi-Final. That might represent progress to some, but not to the guys in the clubhouse.
“If you’re not playing this game not to win a championship, what are you doing it for?” said Nichols.
“That’s the main thing in my career. I’ve yet to be able to hoist that trophy and I plan on doing that and doing it soon.”
