Blue Bombers Roster Moves - June 3

[TecnoGenius]

Added to practice roster:
American offensive lineman Drew Richmond
American offensive lineman Chris Ivy
National offensive lineman Jakub Szott
Global offensive lineman Tomoya Machino

American defensive back Abu Daramy-Swaray

I'm a bit surprised we kept so many OL.  Those guys were hot garbage.  I was watching when SSK put in their #2's on OL and they did quite well.  Then look over at our #2 and #3 OL, and they were horrific.  Why?

I guess it's becoming urgent that we find or develop our Yosh/Stan replacement for when one finally retires.  Richmond seems to be our prime candidate as we've been trying him out for a while.  But he hasn't stood out yet.  Can you imagine replacing Yosh/Stan with Richmond mid-season?  Disaster.

Szott might be an interesting case as clearly The Mafia saw something good in him in OTT in '21.  (What was the dude doing in '22?)  I'll give him some rope.

I guess the GLOB is a freebie, so no comment there.  Ivy looked horrific so not sure what's going on there.  The entire US of A and we can't find the future Yosh/Stan??

As for Swaray: he stood out in game 2 and I think it's a good signing.  Kick the tires a bit more.

[DM83]

Don?t like Richmond and Ivy.  Saw them standing around a lot with no opponent near them, nor they around the ball carrier.
Still some deletions I expect.

[Blue72]

I'm surprised that McCrae is still her same as is Augustine. McCrae really hasn't jumped out as a outstanding IMP RB, I know he does a backup receiver and RB but so would Salima if given a chance. As for Augustine, if he wasn't Canadian would he still be here. We need a big monster like the guy Toronto has if we want to go Canadian RB.

[the paw]

I guess the only mild surprises are Leggs getting outright released and Barrington Wade also getting outright released.

.

Leggs was a coin flip, but it wasn't a surprise in the sense that it has been in the wind all training camp.

the only real surprise was this DE Haba making the team, I did not see that coming at all. 

I was wondering if Salima showed enough to get McRae's spot, but when i stop and think about its not a surprise they stuck with McRae. 

[DM83]

This Hana guy didn?t. Even get in a camera shot.  Who is he!

Ok now for real,  Hurl would be better. 

[Pete]

I'm a bit surprised we kept so many OL.  Those guys were hot garbage.  I was watching when SSK put in their #2's on OL and they did quite well.  Then look over at our #2 and #3 OL, and they were horrific.  Why?

I guess it's becoming urgent that we find or develop our Yosh/Stan replacement for when one finally retires.  Richmond seems to be our prime candidate as we've been trying him out for a while.  But he hasn't stood out yet.  Can you imagine replacing Yosh/Stan with Richmond mid-season?  Disaster.

Szott might be an interesting case as clearly The Mafia saw something good in him in OTT in '21.  (What was the dude doing in '22?)  I'll give him some rope.

I guess the GLOB is a freebie, so no comment there.  Ivy looked horrific so not sure what's going on there.  The entire US of A and we can't find the future Yosh/Stan??

As for Swaray: he stood out in game 2 and I think it's a good signing.  Kick the tires a bit more.

i thought richmond did well against sask especially when they had their 1st team. I think your underestimating the ability of him and likely Ivy. Putting 5 guys together for a game that haven't played together is going to be very tough. One of the main strengths of our #1 unit is how they work together. It only takes one weak link to make the whole line look bad

[ModAdmin]

Roster cut down by 25

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers still have some lineup decisions to complete over the next few days, but the roster they'll take into the 2023 Canadian Football League season will look very, very familiar.

And that shouldn't exactly shock anyone across the three-down neighbourhood, given this club's three-straight Grey Cup appearances including back-to-back championships in 2019-2021 and their dominance in posting a franchise record 15-3 mark a year ago.

The Blue Bombers announced their roster decisions early Saturday evening prior to the 10 p.m. deadline, and here are the details, plus a look at who is returning, who is new and a quick take on what it all means with less than a week before the season opener this Friday at IG Field against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats...

Released outright from the roster on Saturday were 25 players including:

   Veteran kicker Marc Liegghio, who handled all the kicking chores a year ago and played in 32 regular season games and the last two Grey Cups for the club.
   Three draft picks in defensive back Bret MacDougall, linebacker Max Charbonneau from this year's class along with converted defensive tackle/guard Cole Adamson from last year's class. Defensive tackle Collin Kornelson - selected in the fifth round this year - is expected to return to the University of Manitoba and was moved to the suspended list.
   Quarterback Josh Jones, American receivers Manasseh Bailey, Sean Coyne, Braxton Westfield, Tavaris Harrison, Brendan Beaulieu and Gavin Garner, running backs Kevon Latulas, Vance Barnes and Jordan Salima. Harrison dressed for five games last year but did not catch a pass, while Salima scored a TD in Friday's preseason finale.
   Along the line of scrimmage, American offensive linemen Kelvin Ateman and Desmond Bessent and D-linemen Joe Beckett, DeJaun Cooper - who dressed for five games a year ago - Aaron Sterling and Keenan Agnew were all let go. As were Americans Barrington Wade, a linebacker, and defensive back Karon Delince, along with Canadian DBs Jordan Veltri and Jacob Janke and American placekicker Chandler Staton.

The club also added 13 players to the practice roster - eight Americans, two Canadians and three Globals. That list:

   The Americans: running back Greg McCrae, receiver Amare Jones and O-linemen Drew Richmond and Chris Ivy, defensive lineman/long snapper/fullback Damian Jackson, defensive tackle Caleb Thomas and defensive backs Abu Daramy-Swaray and Matt Cole.
   The Canadians: 2023 draft pick Jeremy Murphy, a receiver, along with O-lineman Jakub Szott.
   The Globals: O-lineman Tomoya Machino, defensive back Souleymane Karamoko and punter Karl Schmitz.

WHO'S RETURNING

*Indicates Canadian, PR: Practice roster

QB: Zach Collaros, Dru Brown

RB: Brady Oliveira*, Johnny Augustine*, Greg McCrae (PR)

FB: Mike Miller*, Konner Burtenshaw* (six-game injured)

Rec: Dalton Schoen, Nic Demski*, Rasheed Bailey, Drew Wolitarsky*, Janarion Grant, Brendan O?Leary-Orange*, Carlton Agudosi

OL: Stanley Bryant, Geoff Gray*, Chris Kolankowski*, Pat Neufeld*, Jermarcus Hardrick, Liam Dobson*, Drew Richmond (PR), Tomoya Machino (Global, PR)

DL: Jackson Jeffcoat, Willie Jefferson, Jake Thomas*, Cam Lawson*, Ricky Walker, Thiadric Hanson (Global; six-game injured list)

LB: Adam Bighill, Malik Clements, Kyrie Wilson (six-game injured list), Shayne Gauthier*, Tanner Cadwallader*, Jesse Briggs*, Les Maruo (Global), Brian Cole

DB: Deatrick Nichols, Brandon Alexander, Alden Darby, Jr., Evan Holm, Winston Rose, Desmond Lawrence, Nick Hallett*, Demerio Houston, Redha Kramdi*, Jamal Parker, Souleymane Karamoko (Global, PR)

LS: Mike Benson*

WHO'S NEW:

QB: Tyrrell Pigrome

Rec: Kenny Lawler (suspended list), Jeremy Murphy (PR, 2023 3rd-round pick), Amare Jones (PR)

OL: Tui Eli* (one-game injured list), Jakub Szott* (PR), Chris Ivy (PR),

DL: Anthony Bennett* (2023 1st-round pick), Celestin Haba, Tanner Schmekel* (2023 4th-round pick), Caleb Thomas (PR)

DB: Jake Kelly* (2023 2nd-round pick), Matt Cole (PR), Abu Daramy-Swaray (PR),

K: Sergio Castillo

P: Jamieson Sheahan (Global); Karl Schmitz (Global, PR)

LS: Damian Jackson (PR, also a DL and FB)

WHAT SOME OF THIS MEANS

   The current roster includes 47 players who suited up for at least one game last season.
   All but three starters from last year's Grey Cup - centre Michael Couture (B.C.), defensive tackle Casey Sayles (Hamilton) and receiver Greg Ellingson (Montreal) are back.
   The decision on Liegghio means the club will have two new kickers handling the chores this season, although the return of Castillo for a third stint with the team hardly makes him 'new.' Sheahan, the club's first pick in the 2023 Global Draft, is on the roster as the punter with Schmitz, the second pick, on the practice roster. Interestingly, in the two seasons since Justin Medlock kicked six field goals in the 2019 Grey Cup, the club has used four different place kickers - Liegghio in 2021 and 2022, Castillo at the end of 2022 as well as Tyler Crapigna and Ali Mourtada.
   The team's top four picks in the 2023 CFL draft - Bennett, Kelly, Murphy and Schmekel - all made the team, with Bennett and Kelly currently on the active roster.
   Pigrome, who had a sensational preseason, has made the team as the No. 3 QB behind Collaros and Brown.
   And, finally, Monday's first practice session will be very revealing as to the Week 1 status of players like Bighill, Oliveira, Jeffcoat, Lawrence, Grant and Rose, all of whom had been limited, or not practised at all, during camp.

https://www.bluebombers.com/2023/06/03/roster-cut-down-by-25/

[BBFANDM]

This Hana guy didn?t. Even get in a camera shot.  Who is he!

Ok now for real,  Hurl would be better. 

He only played in that last game I noticed him he seem to get up field well on most plays just didn't have a good stat line.

[Pigskin]

I am puzzled with Bennett on the AR. But, then again who else do we have.

P3, is going to be a very exciting player to watch. I hope Buck can put together a package for this kid.

A little disappointed that we couldn't find that 6'2" 300lb. DT run stopper. 

[TecnoGenius]

i thought richmond did well against sask especially when they had their 1st team. I think your underestimating the ability of him and likely Ivy. Putting 5 guys together for a game that haven't played together is going to be very tough. One of the main strengths of our #1 unit is how they work together. It only takes one weak link to make the whole line look bad

SSK's random "5-guys together" 1st, 2nd and 3rd OLs stopped our A/B/C DLs all night.  None of our 1st, 2nd or 3rd OLs stopped SSK's DLs all night.

How is this possible unless either our DLs were crap, or our OLs were crap, or both?  Or SSK's random "guys together" OLs/DLs were world beaters?

See what I mean, the "PS random guys" excuse has to work both ways for both teams, does it not?  Our QBs were looking like 2022 Fajardo out there.  I felt sorry for them.

I will take a closer look at Richmond on the PVR.  I'm going mostly by what I saw live @IGF.  I haven't studied the PVR yet.  Of course it could have been just 2-3 crap guys making the whole OL look bad.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Two sticking points for me, they lost Sayles in F.A. and they replace him with Schmekel a Natl. that looked inadequate in both pre-season games.  They now have 3 Natl. DT's + Ricky Walker, no ratio logic, why not just go with Caleb Thomas who looked much more effective than Schmekel?

Same for Bennett, he looked pretty ineffective in both games, I'd be fine with him developing on the P.R. but the DE's are going to need help right out of the gate.  Help looks like probably needs to come from outside the team.  McCallister, Lemon or whoever, do it fast Kyle before nobody is left.

[kkc60]

Two sticking points for me, they lost Sayles in F.A. and they replace him with Shmekel a Natl. that looked pretty bad in both pre-season games. Same for Bennett, he looked perfectly ineffective in both games, I'm fine with him developing on the P.R. but the DE's will need help right out of the gate.

last season our DL was the weak point on defence. It?s only gotten worse.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

last season our DL was the weak point on defence. It?s only gotten worse.

Last season the DE's were stressed out with inadequate rotation and had less than a great season.  Same thing for Bighill, he was busy covering up for weaker LB's and had less than his greatest season.  Going into this season, it doesn't look like much has changed, and the stars of the defence aren't getting any younger.

[Blue In BC]

Two sticking points for me, they lost Sayles in F.A. and they replace him with Schmekel a Natl. that looked inadequate in both pre-season games.  They now have 3 Natl. DT's + Ricky Walker, no ratio logic, why not just go with Caleb Thomas who looked much more effective than Schmekel?

Same for Bennett, he looked pretty ineffective in both games, I'd be fine with him developing on the P.R. but the DE's are going to need help right out of the gate.  Help looks like probably needs to come from outside the team.  McCallister, Lemon or whoever, do it fast Kyle before nobody is left.

The roster isn't quite set so we could see Caleb Thomas on the AR later this week. Once the injuries among the DB's shake out. As far as I can tell ( once Parker is moved to IR ) is that we have 1 extra import DB, Cole and Haba on the roster to fill 2 DI spots.

One of Lawrence or Rose might end up on IR. In theory you'd think Haba is our only choice for an import DE so he should stick as a DI. So the choice might come down to Cole or C. Thomas.

Bennett is our only Canadian choice at DE so that's no surprise.

We don't really know when Hansen might return. It could be anything from next week to mid season? Getting him back would help.

Is the PR 13 players or 12? We show 13 at the moment but I thought it was only 12?

Yes, we should be calling Lemon's agent. Haba might have a future but Lemon has enormous experience which we need at the moment. If Jeffcoat hasn't recovered totally from his injury, then what? Don't even have another choice on our PR.

[GOLDMEMBER]

I was out with Bombers fans last night many were sad of Liegghio but I think it was a needed move on from. He just does not have the distance consistently in punting and place kicking, well you know the story there.
Nice guy.
Interesting to see if another Club picks him up?