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#21
Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: Cfl draft
Last post by Pigskin - April 19, 2026, 08:33:16 PMNFL draft starts on April 23rd. It will be interesting to see were some of the top Canadians are drafted. I think Bombers should still be looking at OL and DL first. However there are a couple of good WR and DBs that could be at #13 or #20.
#22
Offside Forum / Re: Winnipeg Jets Discussion -...
Last post by Pigskin - April 19, 2026, 07:59:11 PMKoepke back for two more years . At $1.45M per. Good 3rd/4th. line player.
#23
Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: Bombers hire new receivers...
Last post by Throw Long Bannatyne - April 19, 2026, 07:49:57 PMQuote from: Jesse on April 13, 2026, 08:52:53 PMThis was not an actually coach on the Bombers, was it?
How did I miss this?
Hired in 2025, let go in 2026 along with Jarious Jackson, perhaps there was a connection between the two.
#24
Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Positional Preview #4 | The De...
Last post by ModAdmin - April 19, 2026, 06:51:42 PMPositional Preview #4 | The Defensive Line
Ed Tait
@EdTaitWFC
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive line corps underwent some surgery this offseason. And not just a nip and tuck, either, but a significant facelift.
Yes, it's true that popular veteran and leader Willie Jefferson is returning, as is a Canadian contingent led by Cam Lawson and also featuring Tanner Schmekel and Collin Kornelson.
There are also some promising newcomers who flashed in the regular-season finale win over the Montreal Alouettes last year in Kydran Jenkins, Matt Jaworski and Global end Kemari Munier-Bailey.
Still, as we open the next instalment of our Positional Preview series with a look at the defensive line, two size-large changes must be highlighted: the departure of long-serving tackle Jake Thomas — who has retired and has transitioned to now become the D-line positional coach — and the addition of Jake Ceresna, who arrives with a significant track record in the Canadian Football League of crushing quarterbacks and demolishing running backs.
Ceresna's addition offers so much for the Blue Bombers defensive front as his skillset has allowed him to line up at both tackle and end, giving defensive coordinator Jordan Younger another presence up front to offset Jefferson, who still sees extra attention from offensive play-callers.
A two-time CFL All-Star (2022, 2024 in Edmonton, then Toronto), Ceresna was scooped up by the Blue Bombers in free agency. He was expected to be a highly coveted target on the market, even with his 2025 season severely impacted by a knee injury he attempted to play through before shutting down after Labour Day.
Now healthy again, he should provide the veteran presence opposite Jefferson — similar to what James Vaughters did a year ago before he left in free agency this winter for the Saskatchewan Roughriders after the signing of Ceresna. Jefferson is coming off a 2025 season in which he had just three sacks, ranking second on the team to the six Vaughters posted and his snap total dropped as the team often rushed just three linemen and dropped more bodies into pass coverage.
Ceresna could also play a critical role to what happens on the interior, too, depending on whether the Blue Bombers are operating in a three or four-man defensive front. On the inside, the Blue Bombers are expecting Lawson to continue to emerge as a force — he had five sacks in 2023, missed all of 2024 with an injury and had one sack a year ago while sharing time with Thomas.
On top of Ceresna's potential impact, Jenkins, Jaworski and Munier-Bailey certainly had enough eyebrow-raising plays in the final week of the regular season to have everyone in Bomberland intrigued at what could come from that trio in 2026.
More on the Defensive Line here...
https://www.bluebombers.com/2026/04/19/positional-preview-4-the-defensive-line/
Ed Tait
@EdTaitWFC
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive line corps underwent some surgery this offseason. And not just a nip and tuck, either, but a significant facelift.
Yes, it's true that popular veteran and leader Willie Jefferson is returning, as is a Canadian contingent led by Cam Lawson and also featuring Tanner Schmekel and Collin Kornelson.
There are also some promising newcomers who flashed in the regular-season finale win over the Montreal Alouettes last year in Kydran Jenkins, Matt Jaworski and Global end Kemari Munier-Bailey.
Still, as we open the next instalment of our Positional Preview series with a look at the defensive line, two size-large changes must be highlighted: the departure of long-serving tackle Jake Thomas — who has retired and has transitioned to now become the D-line positional coach — and the addition of Jake Ceresna, who arrives with a significant track record in the Canadian Football League of crushing quarterbacks and demolishing running backs.
Ceresna's addition offers so much for the Blue Bombers defensive front as his skillset has allowed him to line up at both tackle and end, giving defensive coordinator Jordan Younger another presence up front to offset Jefferson, who still sees extra attention from offensive play-callers.
A two-time CFL All-Star (2022, 2024 in Edmonton, then Toronto), Ceresna was scooped up by the Blue Bombers in free agency. He was expected to be a highly coveted target on the market, even with his 2025 season severely impacted by a knee injury he attempted to play through before shutting down after Labour Day.
Now healthy again, he should provide the veteran presence opposite Jefferson — similar to what James Vaughters did a year ago before he left in free agency this winter for the Saskatchewan Roughriders after the signing of Ceresna. Jefferson is coming off a 2025 season in which he had just three sacks, ranking second on the team to the six Vaughters posted and his snap total dropped as the team often rushed just three linemen and dropped more bodies into pass coverage.
Ceresna could also play a critical role to what happens on the interior, too, depending on whether the Blue Bombers are operating in a three or four-man defensive front. On the inside, the Blue Bombers are expecting Lawson to continue to emerge as a force — he had five sacks in 2023, missed all of 2024 with an injury and had one sack a year ago while sharing time with Thomas.
On top of Ceresna's potential impact, Jenkins, Jaworski and Munier-Bailey certainly had enough eyebrow-raising plays in the final week of the regular season to have everyone in Bomberland intrigued at what could come from that trio in 2026.
More on the Defensive Line here...
https://www.bluebombers.com/2026/04/19/positional-preview-4-the-defensive-line/
#25
Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: Cfl draft
Last post by Throw Long Bannatyne - April 19, 2026, 05:24:12 PMQuote from: Blue In BC on April 19, 2026, 04:22:19 PMA high draft choice is not usually a QB and can play ST's or be emergency in game depth. A QB is a bit of an exception if he doesn't make the AR, what do you do with him?
Placing him on the 1 game IR comes at an SMS disadvantage. If he's the # 4 QB he's not going to get many reps in practice so that's another issue. Even in pre season how many reps is he going to get unless he's expected to make the AR?
I'm hoping he can be the SY QB at the very least. Keeping 4 QB's after TC is not the usual plan?
In the case of Elgersma guaranteed he will be the SY QB or the 3rd QB holding the clipboard. The more he plays the better, but that depends largely on Zach's health, I heard somewhere that he was physically knocked out of 4 games last season, which seems worrisome.
#26
Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: Bombers hire new receivers...
Last post by DM83 - April 19, 2026, 05:16:35 PMI remember him as a reliable receiver. He certainly has a lot of experience. He was a Wolitarski fourth or fifth option. Decent but unspectacular speed. But you don't need that as a coach. Lol,
#27
Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: CFL (Non-Bombers) off-seas...
Last post by Throw Long Bannatyne - April 19, 2026, 05:16:28 PMQuote from: Tecno on April 19, 2026, 02:26:48 AMYa, if anything that makes him look even more guilty. At least TOR stood behind Kelly (ya ya, could be they are douches too...).
The evidence or optics could be soooo bad with Ajou that they just cut bait before it got worse. Maybe the ladies in question got some juicy video of the event...
As difficult as Chad Kelly is to handle, they realize he is their franchise player.
#28
Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: Cfl draft
Last post by Blue In BC - April 19, 2026, 04:22:19 PMQuote from: Throw Long Bannatyne on April 19, 2026, 04:15:20 PMI think it would be pretty unusual for the Bombers to ever place a high draft pick on the PR, they want to give the player every advantage to succeed as they are critical to the future success of the CFL brand. Plus they don't want to make their recruitment process look dumb by picking the wrong player, so ego plays into it.
A high draft choice is not usually a QB and can play ST's or be emergency in game depth. A QB is a bit of an exception if he doesn't make the AR, what do you do with him?
Placing him on the 1 game IR comes at an SMS disadvantage. If he's the # 4 QB he's not going to get many reps in practice so that's another issue. Even in pre season how many reps is he going to get unless he's expected to make the AR?
I'm hoping he can be the SY QB at the very least. Keeping 4 QB's after TC is not the usual plan?
#29
Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: Blue Bombers Add Receiver
Last post by Blue In BC - April 19, 2026, 04:15:31 PMIf we draft a receiver, I hope he's able to participate on ST's at the very least. Otherwise it will be difficult to make the AR.
In a perfect world a receiver that could see some duty as a back up returner would be nice. The usual alternative is a starter and that becomes a dual duty injury risk.
Whether we do or don't start 3 Canadians is already a fight for a starter and a back up on the AR.
In a perfect world a receiver that could see some duty as a back up returner would be nice. The usual alternative is a starter and that becomes a dual duty injury risk.
Whether we do or don't start 3 Canadians is already a fight for a starter and a back up on the AR.
#30
Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: Cfl draft
Last post by Throw Long Bannatyne - April 19, 2026, 04:15:20 PMQuote from: Blue In BC on April 19, 2026, 02:20:56 AMEvery team has a # 4 to consider during TC and may or may not retain him anywhere on their roster. When an injury happens they'll have other QB's on their speed dial.
PR spots are limited which means making a spot for any QB a challenge. Keeping him on the 1 game IR is not the best way to spend SMS.
Suggesting that he might be scooped if we put him on the PR is a maybe at several levels. Moving from one team to another means they have to activate him to the AR doesn't it? To prevent it, means the Bombers would have to do that. It's not something you see often.
They you risk losing the player that gets bumped possibly. QB's get released after TC all the time. Not many get signed elsewhere.
The simple solution is for him to be better than 2 of our group and win a spot on the AR.
We're going to need reports from TC to determine what his chances might be.
I think it would be pretty unusual for the Bombers to place a high draft pick on the PR, they want to give the player every advantage to succeed as they are critical to the future success of the CFL brand. Plus they don't want to make their recruitment process look dumb by picking the wrong player, so ego plays into it.