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News January 10, 2025

1st & 10 | “We like how this has come together.”

Eric Deslauriers has joined the Blue Bombers scouting staff -- photo courtesy Montreal Alouettes

@EdTaitWFC

A thought, especially amid all the hand-wringing and nail-biting in Bomberland given the club’s sizeable list of pending free agents, with offensive coordinator and receivers coach vacancies after the departures of Buck Pierce and Kevin Bourgoin to the B.C. Lions, and the prospect of more upheaval as we are into the headline-making portion of the Canadian Football League’s offseason:

‘Don’t fear change; fear staying the same.’

That quote came across my social media feed Friday, not long after the Winnipeg Blue Bombers announced the additions of three veteran talent sleuths to its staff in Jim Jauch, Brock Sunderland and Eric Deslauriers — that trio all holding the titles of Senior Director of Player Personnel and come aboard following the departures of Ted Goveia and Cyril Penn to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Jauch, Sunderland and Deslauriers have already been out bird-dogging for new talent along with Danny McManus, the Blue Bombers long-serving Assistant GM/Director of U.S. Scouting.

“We’ve been able to add three quality scouts with significant CFL experience,” said Blue Bombers GM Kyle Walters. “We’re in the all-star game/bowl season in the U.S. right now and they were at the Hula Bowl and right now they’re trying to get to Dallas in a snowstorm (for the College Gridiron Showcase).

“It’s good because they and Danny are travelling as a pack, and we’ve already met as a group before the Hula Bowl to get on the same page to talk scouting and plan out the year. The first order of business right now is to try and look at the graduating players.

“Where their geography (where the scouts are based) comes into play is for the pro days and we’ll try to get to as many as possible. Danny takes care of Florida, Jim will handle the Carolinas, Eric is in the northeast and Brock will be in Montana and look at the west while I do the Dakotas.

“After that Danny and the guys will sort out the NFL camps and which guy has been where and put a plan together for that.”

You can read more about Jauch, Sunderland and Deslauriers here but safe to say the Bombers are thrilled to add a trio of scouts with such a vast scouting background and network. Jauch comes from the B.C. Lions — and, yes, he’s the son of former Blue Bombers coach Ray Jauch (1978-82) — Sunderland was last a GM in Edmonton and worked for Ottawa and Montreal, while Deslauriers went from playing to working in football ops and personnel with the Alouettes.

Blue Bombers GM Kyle Walters

“We went through a hectic few weeks (after the departure of Goveia) trying to figure out how this was going to all play out,” said Walters. “But we like Eric for his versatility, his connections in Quebec and in both Canadian and U.S. scouting. Brock gives us a scout more western-based than we’ve had before and gives us more access to areas like Texas and California and he’s got an extensive scouting background and is very well connected in UFL and NFL circles.

“And Jim came available late with what shook down in B.C. and bringing him in was a no brainer. He’s got a great reputation and between Danny, him and Brock we’ve got three veteran, heavy-invested lifers in U.S. scouting. Matt (Gulakow, the club’s current Director of Football Operations) will also be more involved now in our Canadian scouting.

“We like how this has come together.”

That’s indirectly an important point to remember as the Blue Bombers try to shake off the sting of a third straight Grey Cup loss: change can also be invigorating while understanding that no franchise has won more games since 2019 than the one right here in our backyard.

Just to reinforce that last bit — the Blue Bombers are 62-24 since 2019 with five straight Grey Cup championships and two titles. That’s a dozen more wins than the next highest total — Toronto at 50-36 — but there’s also no debating that change is coming to the franchise as it heads into a season in which the Grey Cup will be played at Princess Auto Stadium.

And it says here the club needs to embrace that change, not shy away from it.

More Blue Bombers related notes and quotes in our latest edition of 1st & 10…

Congrats to Ontaria ‘Pokey’ Wilson… who turned a 1K receiving season and his recognition as the Blue Bombers Most Outstanding Rookie player into a contract with the New York Jets.

Wilson’s 2025 CFL rights will remain with the Blue Bombers, but he’s chasing a dream now with the Jets. His departure — coupled with Kenny Lawler, Dalton Schoen and Lucky Whitehead all pending free agents — leaves the Blue Bombers receiving corps a bit of a mystery right now.

Under contract currently are 2024 leading receiver Nic Demski and veteran Canadian Drew Wolitarsky along with Kevens Clercius and Keric Wheatfall — both of whom started games in their rookie CFL seasons — as well as Kody Case, Myron Mitchell, 2024 CFL Draft pick AK Gassama and newcomers Keilahn Harris, who was signed in late November and Jaylen Hall, who attended camp last year and was re-signed in December.

Further to the above… now is not yet the time to sweat the length of names on the Blue Bombers list of pending free agents. Expect more signings leading up to the opening of free agency on February 11th and especially through the free agent ‘communication window’ that runs from February 2-9 and allows teams to chat with those about to hit the market.

Click here for a complete list of free agents across the league.

BTW, the Blue Bombers did knock another off their list with the return of Jamal Parker, Jr. That story is here:

“I’m 100 percent excited now. I just want to play and help us win a Grey Cup.”

Cool story first told… by Hockey Night in Canada’s Elliotte Friedman about Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea being part of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ annual ‘Mentor’s Trip’, which allows every player and staffer to bring someone who was influential in their lives or careers on the club’s latest road trip to Philadelphia and Carolina.

Tip of the hat to Paul Friesen of The Winnipeg Sun for more details, as he reported O’Shea was on the second trip with the Leafs and was the guest of long-time team masseuse Todd Bean, who previously worked in the CFL with Hamilton and Toronto.

FYI… Shout out to Ross Clark from upstairs here at Blue Bombers headquarters for helping bring to life a project we’ve been working on for eons with the club’s all-time roster. If you see any errors or omissions please pass along, and the all-time is here… The latest on the long-awaited CFL schedule release? Should/could/maybe will be done next week… And, finally, this is just me, but if I had locks like Brady Oliveira I wouldn’t be eager to bust out the clippers: