It’s right there in big, bold letters in the unofficial handbook for football coaches/managers:

Be stone-faced when the cameras are rolling. Under-sell and over-deliver, and under no circumstances gush about any player before he steps on the field.

Still, as much as he may have tried to take that approach during a session with the media on Tuesday, there was little doubt Winnipeg Blue Bombers GM Kyle Walters is excited to see some of the fresh new faces he and the team’s scouting staff have spied, then signed over the winter when they step on the field for the opening of rookie camp on Wednesday.

That enthusiasm became evident when Walters was asked to compare what he might be thinking now to the previous three camps he has overseen as the football boss.

“Everybody is confident about their roster,” said Walters. “I just think there are less holes, to be honest with you, at this one. As far as guys who have proven they can succeed at this level, I think we’re solid across the board.

“I know our Canadian talent’s deeper and trust that if we do have injuries with Canadians, we do have other guys who can step up and play. Some of the young guys we’ve drafted will push the back end of our roster. There’s more depth top to bottom this year, particularly with the Canadians and the overall talent of our Americans based on what they’ve done in this league is better as well.”

The Bombers didn’t make the big splash in free agency that they did in 2016, but did add some important pieces in defensive linemen Tristan Okpalaugo and Drake Nevis, receiver Kenny Stafford, and key special teams depth guys like Mike Miller and Thomas Miles.

Couple that with another draft class and there is a real sense a team that finished last season on a 10-3 run to finish 11-7 can take that next step this season.

But as Walters also said Tuesday, there’s no one on Chancellor Matheson Road patting themselves on the back, either.

“We haven’t won a playoff game as a group,” he said. “We’re trying to win Grey Cups. That’s what we’re striving for. It’s not about look at where we were and look at where we are now. It’s ‘we’re not where we need to be.’ That’s our focal point.”

With all this as a backdrop, here’s a quick handy-dandy guide to get Bomber fans ready for the opening of rookie camp which gets underway Wednesday afternoon:

WHO’S ATTENDING

All CFL newcomers, including the 2017 CFL Draft class, all the quarterbacks and players who have played less than seven games (Padric Scott, Justin Warden, Nick Temple, Manese Foketi, Kieren Duncan) are eligible to attend.

The one exception among the draft class is University of Manitoba Bisons guard Geoff Gray – drafted eighth overall by the team this spring – who has signed with the Green Bay Packers.

Veteran players are reporting this week and the entire team will be on the field for the first day of main camp on Sunday.

WHAT’S AT STAKE

Everything, to be blunt. Rookie camp consists of just three days of practice before the main sessions begin this Sunday. That means every rep is critical in terms of making a meaningful impression. Let’s just reinforce how tight that timing is right here and right now: The Bombers open their preseason schedule on June 10^th in Saskatchewan and are back on the field for a home preseason date with the Edmonton Eskimos on June 15th.

THE 2017 DRAFT CLASS

(Not including Geoff Gray)

• 56 Faith Ekakitie, DT (Iowa): The first-overall selection in the 2017 CFL Draft will be working to get regular snaps along the defensive line right from the first rep on the first day.
• 64 Qadr Spooner, OL (McGill): Big tackle/guard prospect who is everything a team would want off the field and who brings a healthy dose of nasty on it. A RESQ All-Star last season.
• 18 Abu Conteh, FB (Grambling State): Winnipeg product who was late to the game but started to flash his athleticism in college. He’ll get a look at the safety spot.
• 72 Felix Menard-Briere, K (Montreal): The top punter in U Sports last year, Menard-Briere is here not just to keep veteran Justin Medlock’s leg from falling off in training camp. He’s got a year of eligibility left, but will get a ton of work. Was a respectable 17 of 25 in field-goal attempts last year.
• 91 Ian Marouf, DT (Guelph/Hamilton Hurricanes, CJFL): A project-type tackle who caught the eye of the Bombers a couple of years ago in Guelph before playing with the Hamilton Hurricanes junior club.
• 70 Brendon Thera-Plamondon, WR/LS (Calgary): Missed most of last year with a shoulder injury, but returned to the Dinos late in the season and posted respectable numbers. A long-snapping specialist, as well.
• 71 Tylor Henry, WR (Alberta): Led the Golden Bears in receiving last season and set a Canada West record with 19 catches in a game against Manitoba. Big-play, speed prospect.

2017 first overall pick, Faith Ekakitie.

FIVE TO WATCH

• 94 Jackson Jeffcoat, DE: He popped in for a quick workout during mini-camp in April – he was the lone lineman attending – and the Bombers staff is impressed with the former Texas star’s quickness. An All-American with the Longhorns, he is the son of former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Jim Jeffcoat.
• 47 Roc Carmichael, DB: It’s a nightmare for new defensive backs to be asked to cover receivers on the wide Canadian field AND get used to the ‘Waggle’ – receivers in motion pre-snap – but Carmichael gobbled it up and stood out at mini-camp. He could get snaps at defensive halfback and the dime/strong-side linebacker spot owned by Maurice Leggett.
• 65 Dominick Jackson, OL: He’s a human-eclipse of a man at 6-6, 315 and started 14 games as a senior at Alabama while being named second-team All-SEC in 2015 before stints with Washington and Detroit.
• 14 T.J. Thorpe, SB/WR/KR: Another of the rookie camp standouts, Thorpe got good size at 6-0, 200 to play slot, the speed to play outside and kick-return skills. That’s the kind of talent toolbox every coach covets.
• 6 Dom Davis, QB: He’s hardly a newcomer, but he is fighting with veteran Dan LeFevour to lock down the No. 2 spot behind starter Matt Nichols. And given those stakes, reps in rookie camp will mean just as much as the work in main camp come this weekend.

THE LOCAL GUYS

The Bombers have invited four Winnipeg Rifles products to rookie camp.

• 73 Xander Tachinski, WR: Exceptional athlete who attended Bombers camp a year ago. Had 17 catches for 239 yards and two scores in six games with the Rifles in 2016.
• 76 Mike Ritchott, RB: Finished second in the Prairie Football Conference last season with 881 yards in just seven games. Good quickness and solid receiver.
• 74 Brendan Naujoks, SB: Led the Rifles in receiving last year with 28 receptions for 419 yards and three TDs.
• 78 Andrew Ricard, S: Had 23 tackles, a forced fumble and a pick in eight games for the Rifles in ’16. Will work at safety in rookie camp.

THREE KEYS TO STANDING OUT

1. Minimize The Assignment Mistakes: It’s asking a lot, to be sure, but coaches have no patience for players who haven’t done their homework. And if a prospect screws up, at least screw up at full speed.
2. Stay Off The Police Blotter/Be On Time: This isn’t complicated: this is a job interview and any ‘extra-curricular’ stuff that puts the club in a bad light can lead to a quick exit.
3. Can’t Make The Club from the Tub:  A training-camp commandment courtesy the late Cal Murphy, who used to lament players who were injured and missed a bunch of practices while watching from the hot/cold club. Staying healthy and fighting through the aches and pains that come with camp are critical.