Blue Bombers add to practice roster

[ModAdmin]

Blue Bombers add to practice roster

WINNIPEG, MB., October 20, 2024 – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers today announce the team has added American defensive back Nick Taylor and American linebacker Cam Bright to the practice roster.

Taylor (5-9, 187, Florida International; born: March 27, 1988, in Hollywood, FL.) returns to the Bombers as a free agent. Taylor has had stints with Ottawa (2016-2017), Edmonton (2018-2019), Winnipeg (2019-2022), and Calgary (2023). Taylor has won three Grey Cups - once with Ottawa (2016), and back-to-back with Winnipeg (2019-2021).

Across his six seasons in the CFL, Taylor has achieved 167 tackles, and 6 interceptions for two touchdowns in 60 career games (55 starts).

After a release from Edmonton (2019), Taylor signed with the Blue Bombers and started all 29 games he played in, recording 80 tackles and four interceptions for one touchdown.

Bright (6-0, 222, Washington; born: February 23, 1999, in Cleveland, OH.) signs with the Bombers after spending parts of the 2024 CFL season with Calgary and Ottawa.

In 2023, Bright signed as an undrafted free agent with the Cleveland Browns, attended camp, and played in all three exhibition games, recording two tackles. He was then released and signed with the Calgary Stampeders in February 2024.

Bright spent a five-year collegiate career with Pittsburgh (2018-2021), and Washington (2022). Over that time, Bright recorded 245 tackles (141 solo, 104 assists), 12 sacks, three fumble recoveries (one touchdown), three passes defended, and two interceptions in 65 games (32 starts).

[Pete]

what the heck? this makes no sense unless there is something else that is going on. I get Bright  if Notree isnt what they thought he was, but Taylor?

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Secondary depth must be depleted if they're bringing Taylor back, doesn't bode well for any DB's on the PR that are healthy and can't get on the game day.

[J5V]

what the heck? this makes no sense unless there is something else that is going on. I get Bright  if Notree isnt what they thought he was, but Taylor?

To compensate for Alexander?

[Pete]

Hes 36 and hasn't played since 2023

[Blue In BC]

Taylor was a very good player when last with Winnipeg. At worst he's a good depth player if we need him. What this means for some other DB's on the PR is less clear. For that matter it's not clear what this means for players that are injured at the moment.

The new LB creates the same question for injuries in the LB corp.

We've already shuffled players off the PR ( from the 5 man expansion ). We've moved players from the AR to the PR and now added some additional players to the PR.

I'm not going to do the exact math, but I think we have a few too many bodies on the PR but we're also a couple short on the AR due to earlier transactions.

To that end, we're going to see more movement as decisions are made.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Let's hope it's a backup backup plan for playoffs.

[Blueforlife]

Nice to have if we need them
Taylor would do in a pinch and knows some of the system maybe?

Makes me more worried than anything

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Let's hope it's a backup backup plan for playoffs.

Yep, could be the old Naaman Roosevelt move, signed for playoff insurance and if not needed will ride out the season on the PR.  Could be wrong, but I always get the impression the vet. imports they bring in like this are still hanging around in Canada and haven't moved on with their lives or back to the US yet.

[Pete]

we really don't seem to make very good use of the practice roster. We've had players like McGhee, Mitchell and  Chris Smith on it all year, and haven't seen anything. We have Whitehead who can't even practice for the last month yet have to play him because we have no confidence in a replacement.
Signing Taylor just reemphasizes this.

[J5V]

O'Shea on Nick Taylor

[Blue In BC]

Transactions show Person and Vanderpool added from the PR. That makes no sense unless it's one step prior to actual release?

EDIT: This won't be a game we can activate a bunch of PR players to give them some game time. This is a must win game to secure 1st place. Riders should win against the Stamps after we play so this is a critical game we still control/

[gobombersgo]

Need to Know  Week 21
Ed Tait

MORE NEW BLOOD: In addition to bringing in Taylor the Blue Bombers also added American linebacker Cam Bright, who has had stints this year with both the Calgary Stampeders and Ottawa RedBlacks.

Bright (6-0, 222, Washington; born: February 23, 1999 in Cleveland, OH) had NFL looks with the Seattle Seahawks and Cleveland Browns before signing with Calgary this February.

Bright 's five-year collegiate career was split between Pittsburgh (2018-2021), and Washington (2022) where he dressed for 65 games, including 32 starts, and recorded 245 tackles (141 solo, 104 assists), 12 sacks, three fumble recoveries (one touchdown), three passes defended, and two interceptions.

OUCH REPORT: Back at work over the last two practices coming out of the bye week were OL Gabe Wallace, DT Miles Fox, FB Bailey Feltmate and LB Michael Ayers.

WR/KR Lucky Whitehead was again a spectator.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Glad that Ayers is back. They're going to have to tell him to stop using his head to tackle guys on special teams when he's at top speed from running 40 yards in a line.

[TecnoGenius]

Taylor (5-9, 187, Florida International; born: March 27, 1988, in Hollywood, FL.) returns to the Bombers as a free agent. Taylor has had stints with Ottawa (2016-2017), Edmonton (2018-2019), Winnipeg (2019-2022), and Calgary (2023). Taylor has won three Grey Cups - once with Ottawa (2016), and back-to-back with Winnipeg (2019-2021).

I've been a huge fan of Nick Taylor.  He was one of the pivotal late pick-ups to get us the cups.  Along with Maston.

Nick did ok when he left for (I think?) CGY.  But was not re-upped or was cut, and ya, we haven't seen him play for a long time.

However, clearly he's stayed in game shape and hasn't given up on football yet.  He'll probably get the Grimes treatment: lots of looks at practice to see if can still ball.  However, he doesn't have as much time to prove it like Grimes did(n't).

If Kelly doesn't ball big time against MTL, I like your guys' idea that Taylor could take BA's FS spot.  Nick is a similar type player at this stage of his career.  Not the fastest, but certainly as fast as BA.  And Nick can bring the wood in run stop, just like BA.  And he knows the system.  Added bonus: Nick has a better nose for the ball than BA and may snag some INTs.

All that said, DBs have the shortest shelf-life of all positions, and over-32 is a bit odd, let alone over-36.