When surveying our roster after the culmination of the 2022 season, the linebacker room was one of the position groups of which we were most confident.
With all-star Adam Bighill back, Kyrie Wilson returning from injury, Malik Clements with a year of experience in our system, and strong special teams contributors filling out the room, the Blue Bombers scouting staff did not need to prioritize improving the linebacker position.
With the addition of players such as University of Iowa product Barrington Wade, that group has become even deeper heading into training camp.
The 25-year-old Skokie, Illinois native started just four of the 33 games he played in his career at Iowa but showed enough when on the field to be signed as an undrafted free agent in 2021 by the Baltimore Ravens. Though he was waived by the Ravens midway through training camp, the Denver Broncos swiftly claimed him off waivers, identifying his traits as worthy of development.
Wade stands at 6-1 and weighs in at 232 pounds, but he looks much bigger on the field due to his excellent length. With 34 ½-inch arms and an absurd 6-9 wingspan, he’s able to affect passing lanes, shed blocks and stretch out to make diving tackles more easily than the typical 6-1 linebacker. Wade’s length is complemented by impressive straight-line speed (4.65 second 40-yard dash) and quick feet evidenced by a 3-Cone Drill time that ranked in the 92nd percentile at his position (6.89 seconds).
Those excellent physical tools impressed the Broncos enough that they kept Wade around on the practice squad throughout the 2021 season and signed him to reserve/futures deal to return for 2022 training camp.
When I attended Denver’s training camp in early August of 2022, we had already had Wade on our negotiation list for a full year, so keeping a close eye on him was a priority. In addition to his excellent physical tools, I noted Wade’s nimble footwork in positional drills, his ability to navigate through traffic while working sideline-to-sideline, and a high level of effort on a play-to-play basis.
Wade was ultimately released from the Broncos near the end of their 2022 training camp, but waited on coming up north to the CFL as he sorted through potential NFL opportunities, such as a tryout with the Kansas City Chiefs in mid-December.
When Bombers fans watch Wade at training camp this year, they’ll immediately notice that he is a thicker and longer player than many of our incumbent linebackers and will give the offence a different look as a result. Like all rookie American players, he will need to adjust instinctually to the CFL game, but being schooled by the likes of veterans such as Bighill and Wilson should help accelerate the learning curve while he finds his footing in coach James Stanley’s linebacker room.
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Cyril Penn is a Blue Bombers U.S.-based scout, and he will be writing regularly for bluebombers.com and providing an inside look at some of the American prospects the club will be brining to camp.
