Beginning late last July and through the end of the 2016 season, Matt Nichols, the 30-year-old product of Eastern Washington – a veteran of five CFL seasons pockmarked by injuries and lost opportunity – made the Winnipeg Blue Bombers his club.

Cast adrift by the Edmonton Eskimos midway through the 2015 campaign in a trade with Winnipeg for a fourth-round draft pick, Nichols was 2-5 in relief of Drew Willy upon his arrival that season.

And then last July 28^th, in a game in Edmonton against many of his old teammates, Nichols was given the keys to the offence and told to take the thing for a run. On the team’s first offensive possession, he drove the team 85 yards on eight plays for a touchdown as part of a critical win that stopped the bleeding after a 1-4 start.

By mid-September – in the midst of a seven-game win streak that began that night in Edmonton – he was so clearly entrenched as the new No. 1 quarterback, Willy was shipped to the Toronto Argonauts.

Nichols would set career highs in yardage (3,666) and TDs (18) while guiding the team to a 10-3 record. And his work in the West Semifinal loss to the B.C. Lions – he completed 26 of 40 for 390 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions – was arguably the best game of his CFL career.

Bombers training camp opens Sunday morning at Investors Group Field, and as we wrap up our positional preview series with a look at the quarterbacks, Nichols will step behind centre as the unquestioned top gun for the first time since his college days.

Now, while the West Division is stacked with marquee talent at the QB position – Bo Levi Mitchell in Calgary, Jonathon Jennings in B.C. and Edmonton’s Mike Reilly – Nichols seems like the perfect fit for the Bombers offence and the team around him.

Nichols’ best strength is his ability to read and react quickly, and it’s a huge reason why the club’s quarterback sack totals went down significantly and their turnover ratio was best in the CFL. But take a quick poll of the men in the offensive huddle, and they’ll all insist Nichols also brings a fiery approach to the attack that is infectious.

The Bombers have an interesting stable behind Nichols.

Dominique Davis has been patiently waiting for his turn behind both Willy and Nichols, and there is a belief among the Bombers coaching staff that he is ready for prime time. He’s 6-3, 215, runs well and has a good arm, but also didn’t throw a single pass last season and is now 27.

CFL veteran Dan LeFevour is both the safety net behind Nichols and Davis – he will challenge for No. 2 – but also an intriguing ‘different look’ out of the bullpen. He is 6-3, 230 and has suited up for Toronto, Montreal and Hamilton and became the second player in NCAA history – after Vince Young – to throw for 3,000 yards and rush for another 1,000 in a single season during his days at Central Michigan.

Listed fourth on the depth chart is hard-throwing prospect Austin Apodoca of New Mexico who we told you about last week. Apodoca may yet be pushed by another prospect  – Malcolm Bell was released on Saturday – for the developmental spot the Bombers have on their practice roster.

In the end, no player – rightly or wrongly – gets more share of the credit after a win and more fingers of blame pointed at him after a loss than the quarterback.

Matt Nichols is next in a town that is starving for a winner. He began winning over the masses late last July. But it’ll be the games in November by which everyone in Bomber colours are judged.

X FACTOR

Dominique Davis has been more than patient. And, given the opportunity to sniff around in free agency this past winter, the likable Lakeland, Florida product by way of Boston College and East Carolina opted to stay here with the Bombers and sign a new deal. As much as he flashes in practice, he won’t really be able to prove his worth until the preseason starts. And the only meaningful snaps he gets during the regular season – the Bombers hope – come in mop-up duty in a blowout win(s).

IMPACT NEWCOMER

Dan LeFevour has made seven CFL starts during his career – three of them last year for the Argos after being signed on an emergency basis after an injury to Ricky Ray. One of those starts came in Winnipeg against the Bombers in which he threw for 271 yards and four TDs, ran for 57 yards and had the home side on the ropes before Nichols & Co scored 27 unanswered points in a 46-29 victory.

He could potentially give the Bombers a different look at the QB position as he runs exceptionally well and is especially dangerous outside of the pocket.

JUICY NUMBER

15

It’s been 15 years since a Bomber quarterback was named to the CFL All-Star team. Khari Jones was the last to do it, in 2001. Seven different Bomber QBs have earned the honour dating back to 1965: Ken Ploen (’65), Don Jonas (’71), Dieter Brock (’80 and ‘81), Tom Clements (’84 and 87) and Jones (’01).

This is the final installment in the position-by-position training-camp preview series by bluebombers.com.

Previously:

Special teams
Defensive backs
Linebackers
Defensive line
Offensive line
Receivers