Upon Further Review | Pre-season vs BC

The axe came down hard for 28 would-be Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and the purge included former first overall draft pick Faith Ekakitie and defensive back Brian Walker.

Ekakitie, the top selection in the 2017 Canadian Football League Draft, and Walker – who started 13 games last year as a rookie – were the biggest names among the Bomber releases announced Saturday afternoon as the club began to shape its roster for the season opener this Thursday at home against the Edmonton Eskimos.

In addition to Ekakitie and Walker, two other players who suited up for games last year – Canadian defensive backs Abu Conteh and Kahlen Branning – were also released, as were four members of the 2018 draft class who are expected to return to school in wide receiver Tyrone Pierre (Laval), defensive back Jacob Firlotte (Queen’s) and offensive linemen Matthew Ouellet De Carlo (Bishop’s) and Ben Koczwara (Waterloo).

Rounding out the Canadians released were quarterback Zach Mahoney, receiver/long-snapper Brendon Thera-Plamondon, and three members of the Winnipeg Rifles, all of whom had solid training camps, in defensive tackle Hayden Nellis, safety Andrew Ricard and slotback Brendan Naujoks.

The imports cut adrift included two receivers who had touchdown receptions in the pre-season in Myles White and Rueben Randle, as well as receiver/returner candidates A.J. Coney, Donteea Dye, offensive linemen Dillon DeBoer and Na’Ty Rodgers, linebackers Jevaris Jones and Quentin Gause, defensive backs Jordan Thomas, Chris Humes and Mohammed Seisay, running back Jahad Thomas and defensive linemen Chris Casher, Sam Montgomery and Daniel Awoleke, all of whom had solid showings in Friday’s pre-season loss to the B.C. Lions.

Added to the practice roster were import defensive backs Marcus Sayles, Robert Priester and Tyneil Cooper, receiver Corey Washington and linebacker Kyrie Wilson as well as the following Canadians: receiver Tylor Henry, offensive lineman Cody Speller and fullback John Rush.

The club’s injured lists will be announced next Wednesday, the day before the home opener.

More on the Bombers roster shaping and Friday’s 34-21 loss to the Lions in our weekly installment of UPON FURTHER REVIEW…

THE EXIT OF EKAKITIE CAN’T BE CATEGORIZED ANY OTHER WAY BUT… as a disappointment.

A likable, hard-working sort who was late to football before earning a scholarship to the University of Iowa, Ekakitie was dubbed prior to the draft as the most ‘pro-ready’ prospect as a defensive tackle adept at stopping the run.

But Ekakitie bulked up for the Iowa pro day last spring and that extra weight did not serve him well in his first season with the Bombers. A spot-duty rotational player in the trenches, he dressed for 14 games and finished with five tackles. He worked out feverishly in the offseason to improve his fitness level, but still struggled in his development of his pass-rushing skills. That, coupled with the return of Jake Thomas and the decision to go all American on the defensive line, made him expendable.

It also means the Drew Willy trade with Toronto in September of 2016 must now be examined through a different lens. The Bombers got a season and a half out of defensive back T.J. Heath – both of them CFL All-Star campaigns – but he returned to the Argos as a free agent. Ekakitie is now also gone, leaving the one remaining component to the deal the third-round draft pick from this past draft, which was used on promising rookie receiver Daniel Petermann, who has cracked the Bombers roster.

Willy, of course, is no longer in Toronto either and will now open the 2018 season as the starting quarterback of the Montreal Alouettes.

WE NOW RETURN TO OUR REGULAR UPON FURTHER REVIEW PROGRAMMING… The big news from Friday’s pre-season game in Vancouver was the play of the Bomber quarterbacks and how it affects the decision on who will start Thursday against Edmonton in the place of Matt Nichols, now on the six-game injured list.

Alex Ross posted the best numbers, going 10-of-13 for 78 yards, and Chris Streveler struggled early but finished strong and was 3-of-9 for 44 yards with a late 32-yard TD strike to Kenbrell Thompkins, but also tossed a Pick-6.

Bryan Bennett, meanwhile, was 5-of-9 for 64 yards and a 58-yard TD to Rueben Randle.

Here’s Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea on the QB situation:

“It takes a bit of time to watch the plays and really go through what exactly goes on on plays that don’t go well, to make sure we’re evaluating it fairly and properly.”

“I thought Alex Ross came in and fared much better, which is what we expected he would do, and on a personal level, you feel really good for the guy because he wasn’t happy with the way he played last game.

“The rest of it, we’ve got to take our time and make sure we evaluate it thoroughly.”

Who starts next against the Esks likely won’t be confirmed until Monday’s return to the practice field to see who is working with the No. 1 offence.

The decision won’t be based solely on the numbers Ross and Streveler put up in the two pre-season games, but what they have also shown in practice and behind closed doors in offensive coordinator Paul LaPolice’s meeting room.

“We’re going to look at everything,” said O’Shea. “You’ve got to do a comprehensive evaluation taking everything into account. They’ve given us lots to think about. That’s a good thing.”

Asked if there was a possibility both Ross and Streveler could play or if the starting QB decision had to be absolute, O’Shea added:

“We can do all that stuff. We don’t have to make a decision right now and I don’t think it has to be set in stone. We could (play two). I know (quarterbacks coach) Buck (Pierce) has been in a system before where all three guys played. I know he doesn’t mind that idea, but we’ll have to actually have some conversations about that based on what’s best for the team and the character of the guys.”

ROSS WAS VERY CANDID IN HIS ASSESSMENT… of his work in last week’s game against Edmonton, and was clearly happier with what he did against his old squad in Vancouver.

It didn’t start well, what with his first series featuring a fumble on a sack that was returned for a TD by Odell Willis, but he settled in after that and looked comfortable.

“There are definitely some things we need to clean up… we need to do a better job of getting rolling more often and a lot of two-and-outs. Other than that, I feel pretty good about it,” said Ross.

“It felt good to get out there and get rolling a little bit and get the completions that I didn’t have last week. The biggest thing for me this week was the accuracy, the accuracy was there. Last week everything was just like a yard off. So I think I was a little bit more focused this week and a little bit more in tune with myself and that made the difference.”

Was it enough? We’ll soon see.

“We’ll see what the coaches decide,” said Ross. “That’s the coach’s decision to make and I’m sure whoever’s number they call will be ready.”

THAT WAS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME TONE FROM STREVELER POST GAME… The rookie from the University of South Dakota struggled early, but is also a quick study and rebounded with the toss to Thompkins.

“I wasn’t thinking about (who might start) at all today,” said Streveler. “I was just thinking about coming out here and learning and improving. I felt like I did some things today that I can definitely learn from and I made some mistakes today that I can definitely learn from. That’s my biggest goal every day, just to learn and get better. I’m not thinking about any starting position or anything like that. The coaches make decisions on things like that and it’s everyone’s job to be ready to go, no matter what.”

WE MENTIONED IT EARLIER IN OUR… post-game recap, but one of the younger players who stood out in Vancouver was Petermann, the third-round draft pick just last month.

Lining up in the slot, Petermann finished with four catches for 21 yards and had a key block on Bennett’s TD strike to Randle. He also did fumble after a completion, but scrambled to recover the ball which helped set up a 52-yard-field goal by Menard-Briere on the last play of the first half.

“I thought I did well, other than the fumble,” Petermann said. “All I can say is thank God I recovered it. But I thought I had a solid game.

“Playing the position I do I’m going to have to be able to be physical and do that (also block).”

Petermann’s first half, essentially, was his game in a snapshot. He can make the tough catch over the middle and then has the quickness to then make defenders whiff on tackles afterward.

“That’s what I did in college at McMaster and that’s what I’m going to try and do here.”

Asked if he would have a restless night leading into Saturday’s roster cutdown, Petermann grinned then added:

“Of course. I’m sure everyone is a little anxious. I had a good camp and preseason, so whatever happens, happens.”

-HE WAS ALREADY TENTATIVELY PENCILLED IN AS A STARTER… on defence, and halfback Anthony Gaitor had a solid first half that seemed to secure his spot. The veteran DB had two tackles and a pass knockdown, but was lamenting what he thought were two opportunities to intercept passes afterward.

“I went out there and did what I had to do, that’s it,” said Gaitor. “I dropped two interceptions… that ain’t nothing to feel good about. I’ve got to make those plays to be great. I strive to be great, so those are plays I’ve got to make.”

-AND, FINALLY… one of the few Bombers who could breathe easy after the game was receiver Ryan Lankford. Not only did he lead the club with five catches for 52 yards, he has had an excellent camp and drawn rave reviews for putting himself in the position to be a plug-and-play receiver at any spot across the depth chart because of his understanding of the offence.

“It felt good… it’s nice to get the ball thrown to you and make plays when the plays are there,” said Lankford. “Obviously, you’re never satisfied and I felt there were a couple of things I could have done better.

“The more you can do is something that is always marketable. It’s a ‘what-are-you-doing-for-me-now’ type business. If you can return kicks and show some roles on special teams – on top of your position on offence or defence – that’s another plus for you.

“I took this offseason to try and learn everybody’s position and not just one set position. LaPo always talks about having plug-and-play guys and that’s what I’m hoping I can be.”