Hello there, Mr. Eternal Skeptic. Now that we’ve got a game tomorrow, which position battles/players should we be keeping a keen eye on?
Well all just my opinion but these are the most interesting position battles right now to me.
RB1: Johnny Augustine has been getting some regular reps with the #1's in camp. I had assumed Oliveira had the upper hand coming into camp but it appears like this is an open battle. I think it ends up in a time share and we'll see if either emerges as a #1 over the first half of the year, but it will be a battle.
WR4: If we consider Wolitarsky as the locked in #5, with Ellingson, Bailey and Demski locked in the top 3 spots, this open WR spot is pretty much wide open. Heard of everyone from returner Janarion Grant to canadian Brendan O'Leary-Orange to big Carlton Agudosi (albeit Agudosi hasn't practiced since an injury on Monday/Tuesday not in the lineup tonight) to rookies Dalton Schoen and Blake Jackson getting extended looks with the #1s so far in camp. This is a wide open battle, particularly in the wake of the Saunders news, as to who will slide in here.
DT1: Casey Sayles came into camp as the favourite here, but there's been talk of a few different guys stepping up in camp such as rookie Cedric Wilcots. The Bombers rotate quite a lot along the DL, including DE and DT rotating all along the DL so there's playing time to be had here depends who steps up.
SLB: This is the "dimeback" role. Might morph into more of a LB role again with the hashmarks moved in, but still seems most teams are treating this as more DB than LB. It was locked in with Mercy Maston, but he suffered what sounds like another devasting injury in camp (missed all of 2021 after an Archilles injury in camp last year). Right now CFL rookie and former Indianapolis Colt Donald Rutledge Jr appears to have the inside track, having played both CB and FS in the NFL/NCAA. But a few guys have had some looks.
FCB: The spot of departed DeAundre Alford. Right now it appears ex-Alouette Tyqwan Glass is the favourite for this spot, but there's a gaggle of rookie Americans as in the mix here as well as returning players DeMario Houston and rookie Canadians Patrice Rene and Tyrell Ford.
S: With Brandon Alexander expected to miss the first half of the year a few different canadians will get looks to open the year. Nick Hallett appears to be the front runner, but fellow canadians Tyrell Ford, Malcolm Thompson, Redhi Kramdi and perhaps Patrice Rene will also be getting looks here. Noah Hallett is also injured to start the year.
K: Liegghio has stated he worked very hard on his kicking game this off-season. He wants to win both roles. Mourtada will be helped by hash marks being brought in, so he'll get a chance as well.
P: Tom Hackett is one of the NCAA's all-time best punters. But he hasn't played football since a brief try-out with the Jets in 2016. Liegghio showed good directional punting in 2021, but certainly does not have the leg of a Hackett. But honestly Hackett when home when the strike started so I'm not sure if he's even back in Winnipeg yet.
MAYBE LG: I think Geoff Gray has this spot pretty much locked down, but there's a possibility Liam Dobson makes a push to start here.
BTW here's the roster for tonight's game. QB Zach Collaros is only one I've heard on this list that will not be dressing tonight.
Following the game the Bombers will need to release players down to 75. They currently have 98 in camp. However many guys in camp are "non-counters" such as USports mentorship QB Jackson Tachchinski, 4 Wpg Rifle try-outs players like Luke MacMillan, etc, a few players confirmed to return to school such as DT Cole Adamson, so it will probably be 10-15 cuts total following the game (probably tomorrow).
