Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Ex-BC Lions running back Stefan Logan signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers following a 1,366 all-purpose yard season.

The year before the South Dakota product signed with the Miami Dolphins in November 2007 and joined their practice squad. His contract expired after the year and he went unsigned.

Logan then headed north of the border with the BC Lions where he put together a 122 rushing attempts, 889 rushing yard, 52 catch and a 477 receiving yard season.

He added three touchdowns (all receiving) and four fumbles (all while rushing) to his season totals.

Following 2008, he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers where he's battling for a roster spot as a return specialist.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back Fred Reid on the other hand played his college football at Mississippi State, which is no South Dakota but following the draft also went selected.

Just like Logan he bolted for south Florida but headed towards the shore with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2005.

He was cut before the season, and didn't play football in 2006.

After star linebacker Barrin Simpson recommended Reid to the Bombers front office guys, they brought him into camp and obviously showed enough to keep a spot on the roster.

As a rookie in 2007 Reid got 40 carries, 270 rushing yards, two touchdowns and eight catches for 120 yards.

Playing in Joe Smith and Charles Roberts's shadow again in 2008, he still managed to get 101 carries and 709 yards with three scores.

Reid added 13 catches for 96 yards to his 2008 totals.

Now, Logan obviously had the better 2008, but Reid is on pace to shatter Logan's 2008 season.

After eight games in 2009, he has 115 rushes (seven less than Logan in a full season) and 795 rushing yards (93 less than Logan in 2008).

Not only are Reid's stats better in three years than Logan in one, they similar in body size.

Reid 5'8", Logan is 5'7" while they're both speedy 185 pound backs.

Because of these similarities, I'd be very surprised to not see Reid get an NFL shot as a kick returner or even a backup running back.

Michael Bishop's debut in the Blue and Gold was a successful one as the Bombers with help from their stingy defence were able to eek out a 13-12 victory over the Argos at the Rogers Center.  Alexis Serna's 48 yard field goal with 4:05 remaining was enough to turn the tide in Winnipeg's favour and improve their record to 2-3.

Coming off four day's of practice with a brand new team Bishop came out flying showing his versatility and mobility early on .  On the day Bishop threw for 213 yards and a touchdown against his former team.  While he appeared to lose his legs late in the game Bishop did enough to help the Bombers go back into the win column.

"I was tired in the second quarter," Bishop said. "It (playing) is different from practice because you can pace yourself whereas during a game you have the clock going, guys are hustling to the line of scrimmage and your mind is just racing.

While the Bombers offence was vastly improved from last week's embarrassment against the boatmen it was the defence that won this game for Winnipeg.  Middle linebacker Barrin Simpson and his teammates were instrumental, causing 7 Toronto turnovers none more crucial than Simpson's fumble recovery with the Argos threatening late in the game. 

"That's our mindset every week, get turnovers and make plays, big plays rather than just force two and out all the time," said Simpson. "A lot of times we were backed up and we came up with big plays and big plays win the game for you."

Afterwards Bombers coach Mike Kelly had nothing but praise for the way the defence played, "The way they play with that grit and determination, I think it's a special unit," Kelly said of his defence. "Those guys are keeping us in games right now."

Terence Edwards had the lone touchdown for the Bombers while Alexis Serna kicked two field goals in the victory.  The Bombers move into a third place tie with the Argos and head to Calgary next week to take on the defending Grey Cup Champions.

To be a Bomber or not to be a Bomber? That is the question for Bomber's wide receiver Derrick Armstrong.

Armstrong's future with the Bombers remains in doubt, after he refused to play in the Bomber's season opener against the Edmonton Eskimos this past week. Armstrong reportedly was frustrated with the fact that he wouldn't be starting in the game.

Bomber's head coach Mike Kelly recently came out saying that if Derrick Armstrong didn't want to be a Bomber, they would be happy to get rid of him. As of now, it appears that Armstrong's days with the Bombers are coming to a close.

If Armstrong is indeed traded away from the Bombers, he would have no problem finding another team.

Armstrong's career stats are very attractive to potential suitors.

In a fairly short CFL career, Armstrong has 3,994 yards and 20 touchdown passes. He has gone over the 1,000 yard mark three times in his career: twice with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and once with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

He was also a driving force in Winnipeg's 2007 playoff run.

As mentioned before, Armstrong could realistically find work with any other team in the CFL. The Hamilton Tiger Cats, for example, could definetly benefit from Armstrong's services. The team could use another star wide receiver to start opposite of star Prechae Rodriquez.

The Toronto Argonauts could also use another target for quarterback Kerry Joseph.

Though the Montreal Alouettes are loaded in the receiving core, adding Armstrong could give them an even more dominant group of receivers. Teamed up with Cahoon, Watkins and Richardson, Armstrong could make the Alouettes offense unstoppable.

If Derrick Armstrong were to be traded, it would likely be to a Western team. Each team in the West would be just as eager to snatch up this talented receiver.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have a lot of talent at the slotback position but could use a dominant wide receiver.

Armstrong could also help out both the Eskimos and BC Lions. The Eskimos are without a deep threat now that Kelly Campbell is gone and the Lions could use a good wide receiver to line up with star slotbacks Paris Jackson and Geroy Simon.

Even the defending Grey Cup champion Calgary Stampeders could use Armstrong in their arsenal.

So, while it is unknown whether Derrick Armstrong will remain a Bomber for long, it is certain that he would have no trouble finding another team if the situation arises.

Thursday marks the beginning of another season for the Blue and Gold who will look to end their Grey Cup drought which is now 19 agonizing years long.  Last year the Bombers were expected to repeat as Grey Cup finalists having come just short in 07.  If last season was full of expectation this season is full of question marks and unpredictability.  The Bombers went through a full makeover this off-season and Mike Kelly's team will have alot of questions to answer as they begin the 2009 campaign.  Here is a closer look at the 2009 edition of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Last Season- 8-10, 2nd place in East, lost in East Semi-Final

Head Coach- Mike Kelly, first season

New additions- QB Stefan Lefors, DE Fred Perry, LB Siddeeq Shabazz, LB Shawn Gallant, DT Tyronne Williams, DE Riall Johnson, WR Brock Ralph, OL Glenn January, OL Luke Fritz, OL Steve Morley, CB James Johnson, RB Lavarus Giles, RB Yvenson Bernard, WR Adrius Bowman, LB Jonathan Hefny

Key losses- SB Milt Stegall, QB Kevin Glenn, RB Joe Smith, Ol Dan Goodspeed, OL Alexandre Gauthier, OL Dominic Picard, CB Kelly Malveaux, DB Anthony Malbrough, DE Kai Ellis, DE Tom Canada, DB Stanford Samuels, Dl Jerome Haywood, SB Jamie Stoddard, Lb Zeke Moreno, LB Cam Hall, OL Matt Sheridan

Players to watch- The Key to success for the Blue Bombers will depend on how well Stefan Lefors responds to prime time. Having very little game time as a backup with the Eskimos does the former Carolina Panthers draft pick have what it takes to be a starting quarterback in the CFL?  With a virtually brand new offensive line Lefors could see alot of pressure his way and will have to be sharp if the Bombers want to erase last year's disappointing season from their memories.  Fred Reid in the backfield will be a featured part in the offence after having made his mark last season when the team traded Charles Roberts to BC.  With Joe Smith's release he is unquestionably the featured back and will be counted upon to put up all-star type numbers like he did last year in a half a season's work. 

Team strengths:  The Bombers can count on a solid and dependable receiving corps despite the retirement of legend Milt Stegall.  Terrence Edwards, Derrick Armstrong, and Romby Bryant bring explosiveness and consistency to the aerial attack that boasted 3 thousand yard receivers last season.  Canadians Arjei Franklin and Brock Ralph are solid and dependable and should help give Lefors plenty of support when throwing the football.  On the other side of the ball the Defensive line should be solid as usual anchored by Doug Brown who has shown no signs of slowing up as he approaches 35 years of age.  Tyronne Williams and Fred Perry are dependable d lineman who will only bolster veterans Doug Brown and Gavin Walls on the Defensive line.

Team Weaknesses: The Bombers secondary should be a real cause for concern as usual.  Last year they gave up 304.1 yards passing per game the third worst in the entire league.  With the departure of all-star cornerback Kelly Malveaux they will need to rely on a great pass rush to take the pressure off the secondary that is depleted and a definite area of weakness.  Newcomer James Johnson will need to come up big for the Bombers, a big year from him could help ease the pain he caused Bomber fans in the 07 Grey Cup while with Saskatchewan.  The Special teams game and more specifically the kicking game is a huge area for concern as rookie Alexis Serna was unpredictable all season and will need to show the consistency he had down the stretch last season.

Final Outlook: Like most teams in the East Division it is hard to predict where the Bombers will finish at the end of this season.  Their are alot of area's they will excel in however they may struggle mightily in alot of other facets.  With no established quarterback Lefors will need to silence the critics if they are to have any success.  The good news for Winnipeg is that aside from the Alouettes no one knows what to expect in the East with the Ti-Cats, and Argos going through extreme transformations as well.  In the end I expect the Alouettes to take the division with the Bombers, Ti-Cats and Argos battling it out for second and third.  It will not be pretty but I do expect the Bombers the make the playoffs, anything after that is anybody's guess.

“Following the release of Kevin Glenn, Ryan Dinwiddie and Stefan Lefors appear to be the front runners for the starting quarterback job in Winnipeg. But will either of them be able to orchestrate the Bombers offense?”

It was crazy times in Winnipeg this off-season.

Crazy times.

There has been a front office shuffling, a new head coach added to the team who has already generated controversy, and tantalizing discussion about a new stadium.

The Blue and Gold were also involved in a number of trades and said goodbye to some veteran playmakers on their team.

When all is said and done, a shakeup may have been need in Winnipeg.

For a team that was a supposed injury away from winning the Grey Cup in 2007, the Bombers looked anything but Grey Cup bound in 2008. The team started off the season with an atrocious 4 game losing streak, and never seemed to rebound from there. Winnipeg did manage to finish second place in a weak Eastern Division, but went on to lose to the Edmonton Eskimos, who had crossed over from the West.

So what does the future hold for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers?

What can a team that has recently experienced both highs (Grey Cup appearance) and lows (multiple losing streaks) expect this season.

The Eastern Division looks to be weak again this season, and Winnipeg has a lot of talent on their roster.

Let’s take a closer look at the Winnipeg Blue Bombers:

What’s New?

The Blue Bombers started the off-season by reshuffling their coaches and management. The team released fiery head coach Doug Berry, and general manager Brendan Taman resigned. To fill their vacant head coaching position, the Bombers turned to former offensive coordinator, Mike Kelly.

Kelly, who had success with the Bombers in the past, immediately stated his promise to turn the Bombers struggles around. It seems however, that he spent more time creating controversy through some of his comments. Kelly openly blasted the past Bombers management and also took a shot at the province of Saskatchewan. Needless to say, Kelly made things very interesting during the off-season.

By the time the free agency period had been concluded, the Bombers had made some good moves, but also lost some key players from their team.

The Bombers lost two solid offensive lineman, Alexandre Gauthier, and Dominic Picard to free agency. What perhaps made the moves harder to take was the fact that both players went to Eastern teams. Gauthier landed in Hamilton and Picard landed in Toronto. The Blue and Gold also traded away another solid lineman, Dan Goodspeed later in the off-season as part of a three way trade with both Hamilton and Saskatchewan.

To sure up their offensive line that took a bit of a beating, the Bombers acquired lineman Glen Janurary and Steve Morely from the Saskatchewan Roughriders and also picked up tackle Luke Fritz from the Alouettes and Kelly Bates from the Lions.

Through trades, Winnipeg also managed to pick up defensive ends Kai Ellis, Fred Perry and Riall Johnson, defensive back James Johnson, slot back Brock Ralph, and receiver Adarius Bowman

Soon after free agency, the Bombers also retired Milt Stegall. The illustrious receiver has had a record breaking in Winnipeg and his leadership will be missed.

In the CFL Draft, the Bombers didn’t have any significant picks to work with and didn’t have any notable picks.

Perhaps the biggest news of the off-season was the announcement that the Bombers will likely get a new stadium in 2011, which would help them in a future bid to host the Grey Cup.

Concerns

The biggest issue heading into the season for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers is who will be the starting quarterback?

Ok, I’m sure you’ve heard it already, but when the battle for the starting job is between a third string quarterback and an unproven backup, it is a point that will be continually hammered in until it is settled.

Stefan Lefors, a third string quarterback in Edmonton, was traded to the Bombers this season. Sitting behind Ricky Ray and Jason Maas in Edmonton, Lefors had a few chances to play, but did shine on occasion. We don’t really know a lot about Stefan Lefors, and the fact that he has thrown more interceptions then touchdowns in his career has to make one wonder if he will be able to be a consistent threat.

What is a Dinwiddie? A question many fans asked when Ryan Dinwiddie started the Grey Cup game in 2007 over the injured Kevin Glenn. While Dinwiddie didn’t play terrible in the game, he did throw three interceptions as the Bombers lost the game. In 2008, Diniwddie saw limited playing time. While he did show some flashes of excellence during the season, his inexperience is a huge question mark.

With two inexperienced quarterback’s fighting it out for the job, will it even matter which one wins it? The Bombers offense is talented on paper, with up and coming star Fred Reid running the ball and a talented receiving core, but if the Bombers don’t get solid play from their quarterback, it may not matter.

There are also huge question marks on the offensive line. The Bombers line was led last season by players like Alexander Gauthier and Dan Goodspeed. With both of these players gone plus Dominic Picard, the Bombers may in fact experience a drop off in 08.  Are players like Glen January, Steve Morley, Kelly Bates and Luke Fritz, who were brought in via free agency, ample replacements?

I don’t think so. While Luke Fritz and Kelly Bates are fairly solid lineman, Glen January was inconsistent last season for the Riders and Steve Morley didn’t even play.

On the defensive side of things, the Bombers look to have a fairly solid front seven, but their defensive backfield may continue to be a weakness for them this season.

Summary

With player like Derrick Armstrong, Romby Bryant and Fred Reid on the offense, the Bombers have plenty of star power, but the question marks in both the quarterback position and the offensive line are too strong to ignore.

How much faith can the Bombers put in Stefan Lefors and Ryan Dinwiddie?

One has to wonder what the mood is going to be in the Bombers locker room with Mike Kelly running the show.

Kelly has talked like he has big plans for the team, but he been spending more time apologizing for his comments then improving the team this off-season.

Winnipeg took strides backwards last season, and since they really didn’t improve during the off-season, one has to think they will continue to slide this season.

Of course, in a weak Eastern Division, anything is possible.

But the outlook doesn’t look good for a team that was “one injury away” from winning the Grey Cup game.

My Prediction: Around five to eight wins, and a third place finish in the Eastern Division.

Outstanding Player of the Year: Fred Reid

Defensive Player of the Year: Barron Simpson

Canadian of the Year: Doug Brown

Lineman of the Year: Luke Fritz

Special Teams Player of the Year: Alexis Serna

Rookie of the Year: Mike Morris       

Do you have a magic crystal ball that you can use to look ahead and see what will happen in the upcoming CFL Season? If not, stay tuned for my CFL Team Previews, coming out twice week, to see how each team will fair in the upcoming season

Past Previews:

Toronto Argonauts

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders, pulled off a three team trade yesterday.

Originally, the Blue Bombers sent All-Star offensive lineman Dan Goodspeed, the negotiation rights to running back Tyler Roehl (a fifth round pick in this years draft) and then a fifth rounder in 2011 or 2012 to Saskatchewan.

In return, the Bombers received offensive lineman Jean Francois Morin-Roberge, wide receiver Adarius Bowman, defensive back Brady Browne (a sixth round pick in 2010) and fifth rounder in 2012 from the Roughriders.

After acquiring Goodspeed, Saskatchewan turned around and sent him along, with a fifth rounder this year, to Hamilton for an offensive lineman, and the Tiger-Cats' second round pick this year.

Analysis:

Winnipeg

On a day where they lost their force on the offensive line, the Bombers came out pretty well. A lot of picks are coming their way, along with talented players from the 2007 Grey Cup Champs, make this a pretty even deal for Winnipeg.

Saskatchewan

I have the belief that Saskatchewan got ripped off in this deal since the only player who is already under contract that they received is Rempel. Not to knock Rempel, he's a solid player, but not nearly worth what they gave up in the three way deal as a whole.

In total, the Roughriders gave up three players (four if you count Goodspeed) and three draft picks.

Hamilton

It's never a bad day when you get all-star in both 2007 and 2008. However, the second round pick (9th overall), could have come in handy to the rebuilding Tiger-Cats.

Tradition can only go so far.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers announced today that they released former East Most Outstanding Player finalist Kevin Glenn.

Glenn is an eight-year veteran who has spent time with three teams, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the Toronto Argonauts and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

However, he spent less than one day with Toronto after being traded their by Saskatchewan only to be traded later that day to Winnipeg.

Kevin Glenn was an all-star in the 2007 season where he was also the East finalist for Most Outstanding Player. He spent three season with the Riders completing 170 of his 222 passes for 2213 yards, 13 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.

In Winnipeg he completed 1327 of 2292 passes for 18,091 yards, 96 touchdowns and 78 interceptions.

It is unknown where Glenn will go next but I would think the top contenders on who would want him are the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the Hamilton Tiger Cats and the Montreal Alouettes.

The Roughriders, because with two young up and coming quarterbacks in Dalton Bell and Darian Durant as your possble starters for this season, it would be good to have a veteran quarterback who has proved he can get it done if those two QBs don't work out.

The Hamilton Tiger Cats because they always have quarterbacking woes and they seem to like to try and load up on them so why wouldn't they sign him?

The Alouettes because there is no telling how much longer Anthony Calvillo will be in this league. He is getting older and with this age you must assume come injuries. If that were to happen, Glenn would be a much better than average backup to have if anything were to happen.

Calgary and Toronto are also possible situations if they are looking for a solid backup to have behind the previous two Most Outstanding Player award winners in Kerry Joseph and Henry Burris.

February 18, 2009 will go down in history as a tragic day for all Winnipeg Blue Bomber fans and fans of the Canadian Football League. Wednesday marked the end of Milt Stegall as a football player as he officially announced his retirement after 14 glorious CFL seasons. 

Stegall leaves the game as without question the greatest receiver in the history of the Canadian Football League.  Known as the Turtle man among other names today is a day all Bomber fans dreaded as Milt has been the face of the Bomber Franchise since he got here from the NFL back in 1995.  ''I have enough stored up right now where I can really ride into the sunset and really enjoy and not be sad that it's over, but be happy that I got a chance to go through it,'' Stegall said. ''It was a great experience and I'll miss it, but I'm not sad it's over.

Steaks leaves the game as the all-time leader in career touchdowns (147), career TD catches (144), and career receiving yards (15,153).  In edition he holds the single season record for most touchdown in a year with 23 in 2002, and most yards from scrimmage as he averaged 26.5 yards in 1997. 

A hall of fame shoe in Stegall came here following a good college career at Miami of Ohio where he spent a good deal of time returning kicks.  in College Stegall was also a member of the track team and held the record for most kick return yards with 1,377 career yards, a record that would last until 2002.  Stegall dream of playing pro football came true when his hometown Cincinnati Bengals from 1992-95.  He spent the majority of his time as a kick returner but saw little playing time before being cut in 95.  He was briefly signed by the Green Bay Packers but was a late cut that year.

Late in the 95 CFL season Stegall decided to go North to Canada in hopes of being noticed by the NFL.  He signed a deal with the Bombers to play the final six games that season and from there Chocolate Milt was born.  That year Stegall gained 469 yards and it became clear that Milt was a real special receiver.  In 1997 Stegall really burst onto the scene becoming a CFL all-star for the first of many times and reaching his first 1000 yard season, gaining 1616 yards.  By this point Stegall had moved into a full time slot-back and teams keyed heavily on him. 

It was clear that Stegall was a Diamond on a team that lacked talent,depth,Discipline and everything in between.  Stegall would often get double or triple coverage but always seemed to find a way to get open and turn in positive yardage.  While the team did not often get the results in his early years Stegall was always putting on a show both on and off the field.  A CFL career that was only supposed to be brief turned into 14 incredible season that the city of Winnipeg won't soon forget.

In 2001 Stegall finally got a little help with an MVP QB in Khari Jones and a Running Back in Charles Roberts.  The help would propel the Bombers to the Grey Cup game where they fell short to the Calgary Stampeders but Stegall still managed to score a touchdown.  By this point in his career Milt Stegall was a Winnipeg icon and it was clear there was no place else on earth that Milt wanted to be. 

In 2002 he had a banner year setting records in receiving touchdowns and winning the most outstanding player award.  Six years later with Milt now in the twilight of his career was instrumental in the Bombers making the Grey Cup in 2007.  Sadly the story book ending that was supposed to be for Stegall became a Greek tragedy as the Riders edged the Bombers in a heartbreaking game.  Bomber fans will be left to wonder what would have been had Glenn not been hurt.  That was as close as Stegall would come to hoisting the cup, he would play one final season in 2008.

Despite all his accomplishment what fans and players will always remember about Milt is his love for his team.  He never cared about his acheivements all that was second nature, for Milt Stegall there was only one thing that mattered, winning. 

The future hall of famer Stegall will come back and be a guest analyst next season with TSN.  Despite not winning a Grey Cup Stegall insisted that is not a regret he will carry.  With Stegall now gone it's only fitting that I end this with a guarantee of my own.  Milt was once quoted as saying there are six guarantees in this world, death, taxes. trouble, Milt Stegall being on time,Milt Stegall being pretty,and Milt Stegall being in tip top shape.  Well Milt here's one final guarantee from myself, Milt Stegall in the hall of fame as the greatest ever receiver in the Canadian Football League.

It appears that the Bombers may have been able to find a dance partner when it comes to dealing former MVP quarterback Kevin Glenn, as the Hamilton Ti-Cats have expressed interest, but talks of a deal are as a standstill as of now.  The big speed bump appears to be a $50,000 bonus that Glenn is due to receive on March 1, a sum which the Ti-Cats do not want to have to pay.

There is to be some restructuring of Glenn's contract reportedly as he awaits his almost certain exit out of Winnipeg.

While the ongoing process of getting rid of Glenn has no doubt been a trying time for him, he remains upbeat that things will turn out. ''It's not really that frustrating because this stuff is part of the game,'' Glenn told the Free Press. ''What's hard is not knowing where you're going to be playing. I don't know that right now and won't know until (Winnipeg and Hamilton) make a decision. But what can I do about it but wait and see?''

On the other end, coach Mike Kelly admitted that there has not been much interest for Glenn but still wants to make sure he gets a fair shake.  "I don't want to string Kevin along; that's not my intention at all,'' Kelly told the Free Press. ''We want to do right by the kid. But we also want to make sure we make the right business decision, and things don't always move along as rapidly as people would like them to.'' 

So Glenn patiently awaits his uncertain future in hopes that he can rejuvenate his career elsewhere.  Should a deal fall through, Glenn will most likely be replaced; however, should that occur, what team if any picks him up would be very much up in the air.

It makes the most sense for him to be traded to Hamilton, as young quarterback Quinton Porter appears to be the franchise player for the Tiger-Cats, and this move would enable them to release Casey Printers and free up a ton of salary cap space.  Wherever he ends up, Glenn will have his work cut out if he wants to return to his MVP form of 2007.