Notes and quotes from Day 2 of Blue Bombers training camp:
COLLAROS, BROWN, AND…: The Blue Bombers have got considerable mileage out of the No. 3 QB spot over the last few years, from Dan LeFevour to Chris Streveler to Sean McGuire and Dakota Prukop last year.
Prukop left this winter for the USFL and more playing time, leaving the third QB spot behind Zach Collaros and Dru Brown wide open. Billy Hall of Reinhardt University and Josh Jones of UNC-Pembrooke remain in camp, along with CFL Canadian QB Internship pivot Arnaud Desjardins of Laval.
Here’s Coach Mike O’Shea on what they’re looking for at that position:
“We’re looking to find out what they do really well and trying to keep them in that groove. And as they go along, learn the system and give them more — that’s the type of progression you get from any young quarterback you bring into this league that’s not used to playing against 12 defenders, wider field and all those things.
“I think Buck (Pierce, offensive coordinator) does a great job of making sure he’s adding more to their plate but also seeing what they can do and trying to keep it progressing forward in a real positive way. We’ll see where they all end up.
“There’s different ways to do it. You either say, ‘Here’s our system. We’re very rigid. We’re bringing people in to fit that system. If you don’t fit the system, you’re gone.’ We look at it the other way — what can they do and how do we put them on the field and have them be successful.”
KICKER WATCH: For what it’s worth, Sergio Castillo, Marc Liegghio and Chandler Staton were a combined 9-for-9 in field goal attempts, the longest distance covering 50 yards.
The club also has three impressive punters still in camp, along with Liegghio, in Kansas State product Devin Anctil and the two players selected in the CFL Global Draft — Jamieson Sheahan and Karl Schmitz.
FYI: WR/KR Janarion Grant has yet to practice, but O’Shea said he will be good to go. Ditto for LB Adam Bighill. “He’ll be on soon enough,” O’Shea said of Bighill. “He doesn’t need the reps. We’ve got a lot of guys to look at, too.”… O’Shea on Stanley Bryant, who recently turned 37:
“He’s that old? He has a lot of fun, he likes being around the guys and he’s just so damn good he just keeps rolling. He’s good. He’s the best. As long as he wants to play. We’ll see, but he just keeps showing up and getting the job done. As long as he’s having fun doing it, why would you want to stop?”… One more from O’Shea on Tui Eli, who he raved about on Sunday:
“He is just a great human being. Brings a lot of joy to the locker room. He’s always bringing his best and that’s not always on the field but just in the locker room with his attitude every day. He’s a fun guy to be around.”
Asked about the effect of that — bringing joy to the locker room — he added:
“It’s contagious. If you walk into a locker room and there’s a bunch of guys moping around all the time, it’s hard to be around. People start to just divest themselves of that person. They try at first to bring the guy up, find out what’s wrong and see if we can’t help you out. But over the course of time if you’re never happy then you’re tough to be around… unless you’re so grumpy it’s comical all the time then you’re fun to be around.”
