Two long-standing mantras in pro football which still hold true to this very day:

1. You can never have too much of a good thing at any one position and;
2. Father time is undefeated.

We trot out this reminder today in opening of the third chapter of our Positional Preview series and a look at the linebackers: the smallest group in terms of starting positions — just two — but also one of the most important groups given its impact on defence and on special teams.

(Just as an aside: the Blue Bombers use Redha Kramdi as a ‘dime’ in almost every defensive situation, meaning a third linebacker spot — what was previously referred to as the strong side linebacker — has virtually disappeared in their defensive scheme with another defensive back on the field).

Now, the Blue Bombers got some steady work from their two starters in 2025, with middle linebacker Tony Jones and weak-side linebacker Kyrie Wilson both suiting up for every regular-season game and the loss to the Montreal Alouettes in the playoffs.

Jones led the Blue Bombers and finished second in the Canadian Football League with 102 defensive tackles (Micah Awe, now in Montreal, was first at 104) while Wilson — who had suffered through some injuries in the four seasons before last year — had a sensational campaign with 49 tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles.

Kyrie Wilson

Yet also worth noting here because it’s the reality — Wilson is 33, and Jones is 31 and teams always attempt to balance the need to win now versus the eye to the future with younger/cheaper talent. Cold and harsh? Yes, and yes. And… welcome to pro football.

Having said all that and further to the never-having-too-much-of-a-good-thing notion listed above: it could be argued one of the most-intriguing additions in free agency this winter was the signing of Jovan Santos-Knox, now 31, as he returns to the place where his CFL career started in 2017.

Santos-Knox: “I wanted to get back to where it all started.”

Santos-Knox, who has started games at both middle and weak side, is coming of a 2025 season in which he was named the Ottawa RedBlacks Most Outstanding Defensive Player but was the victim of a coaching change in the nation’s capital with Ryan Dinwiddie now the head knock, and with that club adding A.J. Allen (Saskatchewan) and Nyles Morgan (Edmonton) in free agency.

Essentially, what his addition does is bolster an already solid pairing of Jones and Wilson, giving the defence a valuable, versatile and familiar face to push for starting work and offer depth. That proven trio is also augmented by Michael Ayers, who led the Blue Bombers in special teams tackles with 23, the third-highest total in the CFL. Over the last two years Ayers has chipped in with 40 tackles on specials in 35 games.

The Blue Bombers are deep in Canadian talent, too, even with the departure of a familiar face. Shayne Gauthier, who made one of the biggest special teams plays in franchise history with a game-saving tackle on a kick return in the 2019 Western Final win over Saskatchewan, remains unsigned after becoming a free agent in February and won’t be back in 2026.

The homegrown linebacking contingent now features three players grabbed in last year’s CFL Canadian Draft in Connor Shay, Jaylen Smith and Lane Novak along with steady veteran Tanner Cadwallader. Both Shay and Smith suited up for every game as rookies — Novak dressed for the first five games before a season-ending knee injury — and all three flashed enough to think they could evolve beyond being important contributors on special teams.

What all this says is the Blue Bombers are in a very good spot at the linebacker position with camp a couple weeks away. Every CFL team, after all, is chasing the exact same mix of talent, experience, depth and potential already here in house.

POSITIONAL PREVIEW ’26

Jaylen Smith (#39)

The Linebackers

Linebackers coach: James Stanley
The Returnees
Starters: Tony Jones (18 starts), Kyrie Wilson (18 starts)
Returning vets: Michael Ayers, Tanner Cadwallader*, Connor Shay*, Jaylen Smith*, Lane Novak*
CFL vets: Jovan Santos-Knox (Ottawa)
2026 CFL Canadian Draft: Charles-Elliott Bouliane (Rd 3, 24th overall); Brody Clark (Rd 5, 42nd overall)
Newcomers: Micah Cretsinger, Johnny Hodges, Mike Smith, Jr., Aaron Smith
Departed: Shayne Gauthier*, Fabian Weitz (Global), Jonathan Jones (Ottawa)
*Indicates Canadian

Keep an eye on:

Connor Shay #34
Jaylen Smith #39
Lane Novak #48

There was some major eyebrow raising across the CFL on draft night last spring when the Blue Bombers took Shay and Smith with their first two selections — 6th and 15th overall — and then grabbed Novak 45th overall. Yet, as mentioned above, all three rookie linebackers made the club out of camp and both Smith (22 tackles) and Shay (14) made significant contributions on special teams.

Now the question will be what kind of growth they might show in Year 2. If it’s significant enough by any of the three to push for defensive snaps this season, it gives the Blue Bombers that much more roster flexibility with the ratio.

Did you know?

Adam Bighill was the last linebacker to be named the club’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player, as he was saluted in 2021 and 2018 before that.

Also, dating back to 1962 a Blue Bombers linebacker has been named to the CFL All-Star Team 23 times, led by Tyrone Jones (four times, 1984-87)) with other multiple-year honours going to Bighill (2018, 2021), Barrin Simpson (2006-07), Greg Battle (1990-91), James West (1987, 1989) and Phil Minnick (1966, 1969). The others: Henoc Muamba (2013), Zeke Moreno (2008), Maurice Kelly (1999), Shonte Peoples (1997), K.D. Williams (1996), Elfrid Payton 91993), Aaron Brown (1984), Harry Walters (1979 and Gord Rowland (1962).

Notable Number: 102

Tony Jones became just the seventh player in Blue Bombers history to crack the century mark for tackles in a season last year with his 102 takedowns.

Barrin Simpson holds the club record for defensive tackles in a season with 112, set in 2007 and also had 110 tackles in 2006. That total is followed by Greg Battle (108 in 1989; he also had 100 in 1990), Henoc Muamba (106 in 2013), Adam Bighill (105 in 2018), with Jones equalling Khalil Bass (2015) and K.D. Williams (1996) with his 102 total.