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May 11, 2018

The QB Crew

Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Matt Nichols (15) celebrates his touchdown against the Saskatchewan Roughriders during the second half of CFL Banjo Bowl action in Winnipeg Saturday, September 10, 2016. Nichols and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will try to accomplish something no other CFL team has this season: Beat the Calgary Stampeders at home. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

The name atop the Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback depth chart doesn’t change with Darian Durant’s decision to walk away from the game.

Matt Nichols has been the starting quarterback of this team since late July in 2016, and the ensuing seven-game win streak he helped author that breathed life back into the franchise. He is the unquestioned QB1 and was going to be whether Durant or someone else was on the scene for the opening of training camp next week.

Durant’s surprise move – he used his website to make the announcement and did not officially inform the team – impacts in two key areas. First, it means the experienced safety net he was to provide the team at the quarterback position behind Nichols is now gone. And second, the $70,000 bonus he has already been paid still comes out of the 2018 salary cap and undoubtedly could have been spent elsewhere during free agency.

How this news has unfolded is referenced in the team’s statement on Durant’s decision and it comes after Dominique Davis was released and Dan LeFevour retired this winter.

But now the question is this: just what do we know about the three men now listed behind Nichols in Alex Ross and Chris Streveler – along with Zack Mahoney of Syracuse, who was signed Friday – all of whom have moved up the depth chart before even taking a snap in camp?

Ross is the more experienced of the two, although his snaps are limited. A 6-1, 205 former star with the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers – he holds virtually every passing record in school history – Ross appeared in four games with the B.C. Lions last year, completing five of 12 passes for 82 yards with two interceptions, and looked solid in the Bombers mini-camp this spring.

One of his most memorable performances in college came in a playoff game against current Philadelphia Eagles QB Carson Wentz in their junior seasons. Coastal Carolina lost, but Ross ran for two touchdowns and threw for 197 yards despite separating his right shoulder in the first quarter. Ross was first scouted and brought north to the Canadian Football League by Ryan Rigmaiden, the Lions former U.S. scouting director, who is now the Bombers Director of College Scouting.

“I’ve seen him a ton,” Ridmaiden told The Vancouver Sun in January of 2017 after the Lions signed Ross. “He broke every passing record Coastal Carolina ever had. He’s a good decision maker, really accurate and throws a good ball. He can sling it. He’s a humble kid, too. His intangibles are off the charts.”

Streveler comes to the Bombers straight from the University of South Dakota Coyotes, where he spent two seasons after beginning his college career at the University of Minnesota as both a quarterback and receiver. Streveler also attended the Bombers recent mini-camp, but did not throw during any of the sessions as he was still waiting to see what options might open in the National Football League. He had some nibbles from NFL teams, but opted for the security of a CFL contract vs. bouncing from mini-camp to mini-camp down south.

His credentials, like those of Ross, are impressive. He was a runner-up for the Walter Payton Award, presented to the most outstanding offensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision after completing 65.7 percent of his passes for 4,134 yards with 32 touchdowns against just eight interceptions while also rushing for 870 yards and 11 more scores. He was selected as the QB on the 2017 Associated Press FCS All-American Team.

“We had decided to bring him up and work him out around the mini-camp time,” said Bombers GM Kyle Walters last week. “A lot of these guys don’t know what the CFL is about, but we wanted to show off our facility, show off the professionalism of the CFL and I think it worked out great. We made a very good impression.

“They were waiting to see what shook out in the NFL, but we’re not willing to do the whole mini-camp circuit and wait and wait and wait. And as soon as it (an NFL opportunity) didn’t happen, they decided ‘Let’s go up to the CFL.’ It was a good decision to bring him up here from our standpoint to see him and see him throw and work him out a bit. He’s certainly and impressive looking young man. He was pretty eager to sign his contract.”

Mahoney, meanwhile, was brought aboard after the Durant news broke. He was born in LaGrange Park, Illinois but has dual citizenship and was recently eligible for the CFL Draft. He dressed for 25 games at Syracuse after transferring from junior college and landing a spot on the club as a walk-on. He made nine starts for the Orange while throwing for 1,949 yards and 18 touchdowns against 10 interceptions while rushing 100 times for 242 yards and four touchdowns.

The Bombers plan to have Ross, Streveler and Mahoney at the opening of mini-camp next week and they’ll be joined by Nichols on the field for main camp on May 20th.

Also announced Friday was the signing of receiver Rashaun Simonise – the club’s first pick, 12th overall, in last week’s CFL Draft – to a three-year contract.