Winnipeg Blue Bombers #59 Michael Couture
Just over a year ago, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers collection of talent gurus pushed away from the table at the conclusion of the 2019 Canadian Football League Draft more than content with their handiwork.
As it turned out, they likely should have been doing cartwheels down the hallway.
The Bombers’ 2019 draft class, after all, could already be ranked as one of the best in franchise history. Six of the nine selections from a year ago are still on the team heading into 2020, including Drew Desjarlais, who started 10 regular season games and all three playoff tilts at guard along with Brady Oliveira, Connor Griffiths, Asotui Eli, Nick Hallett and Kerfalla Exumé.
Jonathan Kongbo, meanwhile, parlayed his solid first season as a pro with the Bombers into a contract with the San Francisco 49ers while the two other selections — Tariq Lachance and Malik Richards – are now with the Edmonton Eskimos.
All told, last year’s group combined to appear in 73 regular season games for the Bombers, with Desjarlais having almost instant success as a starter and Exumé and Hallett making significant contributions on special teams. Though limited due to injury or lack of opportunity, the trio of Oliveira, Griffiths and Eli all remain intriguing prospects heading into their second season.
We bring all this up to open Part 3 of our Bombers at the Draft series as next week’s 2020 CFL Draft draws near and with this theme in mind: sometimes the toughest act to follow in the sports business is your own.
Last year’s draft class was significant because it helped offset the losses of Matthias Goossen, Sukh Chungh and Taylor Loffler in the winter and ultimately provided the depth for the championship run.
It was also proof that cupboards can never be too full of homegrown content in the Canadian Football League.
As a result, what the Bombers have now in national talent is a solid combination of established vets – led by the best Canadian in the CFL in running back Andrew Harris, the league’s rushing champ three years running – and promising youngsters. Worth noting here: just two of the Bombers’ seven Canadian starters – Harris and guard Pat Neufeld – are over 30 years of age.
Harris is surrounded on offence by starting receivers Nic Demski and Drew Wolitarsky and the solid and deep group of Canadians on the offensive line is led by Neufeld, Desjarlais and centre Michael Couture.
The defence started just one Canadian overall down the stretch last season, on the D-line, after the decision was made to move Brandon Alexander to safety.
Matching last year’s draft success will be impossible, as the Bombers don’t have a first round selection – yielded to Toronto after Zach Collaros re-signed – and won’t call out their first name until 18th overall.
That’s followed by selections at 37, 39, 46, 55, 64 and 73 overall. But the impact of last year’s class – and its upside – means the Bombers aren’t desperate to find an instant starter. Instead, they want to augment what they already have. To that end, bluebombers.com looks at the current crop of Canadians and how they were acquired…
BLUE BOMBERS CANADIANS
RETURNING STARTERS
RB Andrew Harris
Acquired: Signed as a free agent on Feb. 9, 2016 after six years with the B.C. Lions. Signed to a contract extension through 2020 on May 20, 2018.
411 on Harris: He’s coming off a season that featured both the highest and lowest points in his pro career. But, consider this: his yards-per-carry average of 6.1 was also a career high and his 1,380 yards was just 10 shy of another career best – that coming after he sat for two games. There’s more… in his four seasons with the Bombers he has averaged 75 receptions. Just to put that into perspective, the club record for receptions by a running back before Harris arrived was 71, set by Robert Mimbs in 1990. Until he shows signs of wear and tear, Harris is not only the best Canadian in the CFL, but also the best running back. Period.
G Patrick Neufeld
Acquired: Trade with Saskatchewan on Oct. 10, 2013 along with a 4th round pick in 2015 CFL Draft (FB Chris Normand) for DE Alex Hall and a 2nd round pick in the 2014 CFL Draft (DL Dylan Ainsworth). Signed a one-year extension on December 10, 2019.
411 on Neufeld: An injury on the eve of camp cost him two-thirds of the regular season, but upon his return he instantly established himself as one of the best guards in the CFL. He was superb in each of his six starts in the regular season and a force in the playoffs.
SB Nic Demski
Acquired: Signed as a free agent, Feb. 13, 2018 after three seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Re-signed on February 12, 2019.
411 on Demski: His numbers were down slightly from 2018, as he finished with 44 catches for 543 yards and three touchdowns. Part of that is undoubtedly due to the club starting three different quarterbacks last season. But when it mattered most – in the playoffs – Demski was superb with 10 receptions for 126 yards and five rushes for 78 more and a touchdown in three games.
WR Drew Wolitarsky
Acquired: Selected by the Bombers on June 27, 2017 in one of the CFL’s Supplemental Drafts (the club forfeited a third-round pick in this year’s draft). Signed a two-year extension on December 15, 2019.
411 on Wolitarsky: His numbers were down, too, with 33 catches for 361 yards and four TDs in 17 games – all starts. But he’s got great hands, is a solid blocker and doesn’t whine about workload. There’s a sense, as well, that he’s still just scratching the surface on his potential.
C Michael Couture
Acquired: 2016 CFL Draft, 2nd round (10th overall). Signed a two-year extension on February 10, 2020.
411 on Couture: Remember when the 2019 season opened and there was so much concern about how the Bombers would replace Goossen and Sukh Chungh? Well, that narrative disappeared almost instantly and it was the work of Couture – among others – which was a big part of that. Properly developed over his three-year apprenticeship, Couture transitioned smoothly from prospect to starter. Unfortunately, he was injured in the final regular season game, but was capably replaced by Cody Speller.
OL Drew Desjarlais
Acquired: 2019 CFL Draft, 1st round (4th overall).
411 on Desjarlais: The Bombers knew they were getting a good one when they selected the University of Windsor product with the first of their two consecutive draft picks last spring. What was unknown at that time was just how quickly Desjarlais would transform into a starter. He started 10 regular season and all three playoff games as a rookie and handled the transition from college to pro.
DT Jake Thomas
Acquired: 2012 CFL Draft, 4th round (29th overall). Signed a one-year extension on January 31, 2020
411 on Thomas: There’s a deep respect for his game inside the Bombers locker room that suggests he is underrated only outside those walls. Thomas posted career-high tackle (22) and sack (five) totals last year while playing in all 21 games. His workload could increase if the Bombers stick with starting one Canadian on defence, but it will likely still involve a rotation of homegrowns on the D-line.
IN THE MIX TO START
OL Cody Speller
Acquired: Signed by the Bombers on December 11, 2017
411 on Speller: He’s got a quiet-assassin look and brings a whole lot of nasty to the O-line. An undrafted free agent out of McMaster, he has proven to be invaluable both as a guard and – as we saw in the playoff run – at centre, too.
OL Geoff Gray
Acquired: 2017 CFL Draft, 1st round (8th overall)
411 on Gray: The athletic skills are all there and as Gray showed in his 12 starts a year ago, he just needs more snaps to further develop. The Bombers’ Canadian OL depth might affect that, but 2019 is also evidence that teams need homegrown depth in the trenches.
SB/WR Daniel Petermann
Acquired: 2018 CFL Draft, 3rd round (26th overall)
411 on Petermann: Forget his modest numbers – 15 catches for 118 yards and a TD in 18 games – because they are a product of being behind both Demski and Wolitarsky on the depth chart. The Bombers still believe he has starter potential. Exceptional hands and a sneaky-good yards-after-the-catch skillset.
RB Johnny Augustine
Acquired: Signed as a free agent on May 16, 2018 following stints with Edmonton and Saskatchewan. Signed a two-year extention on December 27, 2019.
411 on Augustine: Patiently waited for his turn with the Bombers. Made two starts for Harris last year and was more than solid: rushed 12 times for 98 yards in the Labour Day Classic and then 16 times for 75 yards in the Banjo Bowl, while adding a combined six catches for 92 yards and a TD in those two games.
STILL RIPENING ON THE VINE
RB Brady Oliveira
Acquired: 2019 CFL Draft, 2nd round (14th overall)
411 on Oliveira: The Bombers were just starting to get a look at Oliveira last year when he suffered a season-ending leg injury in the home opener. Put up exceptional numbers at North Dakota and he and Augustine provide excellent depth behind Harris at the RB spot.
DT Connor Griffiths
Acquired: 2019 CFL Draft, 3rd round (25th overall)
411 on Griffiths: A developmental year for Griffiths, who spent the entire season on the practice roster. That can be a tough deal for a player who was as accomplished as Griffiths was during his days at UBC. There’s a lot to like here and he could get some real action this year along the Bombers’ D-line.
DB Kerfalla Exumé
Acquired: 2019 CFL Draft, 8th round (71st overall).
411 on Exumé: One of the cooler Bomber stories of 2019, he went from being picked in the last round to not only making the roster – a feat in itself, on a team that eventually became Grey Cup champions – but also tying for the team lead with 25 special teams tackles, second overall in the CFL. Initially pegged as a special teams only prospect, there have been enough flashes of athleticism to wonder if he might have more to give.
DB Nick Hallett
Acquired: 2019 CFL Draft, 7th round (61st overall).
411 on Hallett: Very similar story to that of Exumé, both in his ability to crack the roster and contribute on special teams – he had 14 tackles – and the possibility he could be a candidate at safety if the Bombers return that to a Canadian at that spot.
OL Asotui Eli
Acquired: 2019 CFL Draft, 4th round (34th overall).
411 on Eli: The Bombers are still very much intrigued by Eli, whose selection last spring drew some raised eyebrows across the rest of the league. A former two-time Rimington Award watch list candidate as the best OL in college football, the Hawai’i product spent a good chunk of last season shaking off rust after missing all of 2018.
RETURNING FOOT SOLDIERS
FB Mike Miller
Acquired: Signed as a free agent on March 3, 2017 after six seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos. Re-signed on December 11, 2018.
411 on Miller: Earned some well-deserved recognition last season as the Bombers’ Most Outstanding Canadian and Most Outstanding Special Teams Player, the West Division’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player while earning a spot on the West Division All-Star Team. Tied for the club lead in special teams tackles with Kerfalla Exumé, ranking second overall in the CFL. Simply put: a pro’s pro.
LB Thomas Miles
Acquired: Signed as a free agent on March 4, 2017 after three years with the Toronto Argonauts. Signed a one-year extension on February 11, 2020
411 on Miles: Intelligent, reliable special teams player who brings an upbeat team-first attitude. Every squad needs guys with this kind of approach and skillset.
LB Jesse Briggs
Acquired: 2014 CFL Draft, 2nd round (17th overall). Re-signed on December 17, 2018.
411 on Briggs: Injuries limited his contributions for the first time in his six years with the Bombers, as he suited up for just four regular season games and then the playoffs. He’s drawn praise previously from head coach Mike O’Shea and, if you ply your trade on special teams, that’s as high a compliment as a man can get.
LB Shayne Gauthier
Acquired: 2016 CFL Draft, 4th round (28th overall). Re-signed January 25, 2019.
411 on Gauthier: Will be remembered for his touchdown-saving tackle late in the West Final win over Saskatchewan. But that play came following a solid campaign in which he dressed for all 18 games, finishing with 12 tackles on special teams.
LS Chad Rempel
Acquired: Signed as a free agent on May 30, 2015 after originally selected by Edmonton in 2004 and playing 10 years in the CFL with Winnipeg, Toronto, Hamilton and Saskatchewan before returning to the Bombers.
411 on Rempel: Still the best in the biz and specialists often get to determine when they are done. That said, Rempel does turn 39 next month.
FB John Rush
Acquired: First signed as an undrafted free agent in 2015, Rush was released in training camp and returned for 2017. Re-signed January 4, 2019.
411 on Rush: The former Presidents’ Trophy winner as the top defensive player in Canadian college football has switched from linebacker to fullback and dressed for all 18 regular season and three playoff games last season.
LS Maxime Latour
Acquired: Signed on September 4, 2019, following an injury to Chad Rempel.
411 on Latour: Handled the long-snapping chores for three regular season games and the Western Semi-Final. Spent the 2019 training camp with Montreal and also got a look from Toronto. His future with the club really depends on Rempel.
LB Brandon Calver
Acquired: Signed by the Bombers on September 6, 2019 following his release by Ottawa.
411 on Calver: Has now played in 28 CFL games – 22 with Montreal, one with Ottawa and five with the Bombers. Also played in the West Semi-Final win over Calgary.
NEW FACES/PROSPECTS
WR Julian Feoli-Gudino
Acquired: The Bombers brought the veteran receiver back by signing him on February 5, 2020. Originally drafted in the 5thround of the 2011 CFL Draft, 38th overall, by Toronto, he spent 2014-17 in Winnipeg.
411 on Feoli-Gudino: He’s hardly a ‘new’ face to Bombers fans and he enjoyed his most productive seasons in blue and gold, including the 2017 season when he had 45 catches for 462 yards and three touchdowns – all career bests. His return, following two seasons in Ottawa, might have surprised some but he is veteran insurance at the receiver spot and does provide depth for a club that only has one draft pick through the first three rounds.
OL Chris Kolankowski
Acquired: Signed by the Bombers on February 6, 2020. Originally chosen by Toronto in the 6th round, 49th overall, of the 2016 CFL Draft.
411 on Kolankowski: He’s a 28-year-old vet with a Grey Cup ring from the 2017 Argos and has 22 regular season games under his belt.
K Matthew Riley
Acquired: Signed on February 11, 2020. Was not selected in his draft year.
411 on Riley: Finished his fifth and final year at the University of Manitoba in 2019 and hit on 21 of his 30 field goal attempts, or 70 percent. Included was a 53-yarder. He finished with a 40.5-yard punting average, just behind Garrin Mcdonnell of UBC, who led Canada West at 40.6.
