From the FreeP:

They aren’t marquee names, but they could be important pieces in the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ rebuild.

The club announced today the signing of Canadian safety Dan West, who had become a free agent earlier this week, and import wide receiver Antonio Robinson.

West (6-2, 201, Bishop’s) has suited up for 27 games over the past two seasons after signing as a free agent in 2012 with the Bombers, primarily as a special-teams player.

Robinson (6-3, 195, Nicholls State) was a versatile college player, pulling 47 receptions for 992 yards and 10 TDs, rushing 24 times for 249 yards and two majors while also returning kicks. He spent the 2010 and 2011 seasons with the Green Bay Packers on their practice squad, then joined the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League in 2012, and the New Orleans VooDoo of the Arena Football League in 2013.

 

Dan West is a ho-hum, but Robinson sounds interesting...

with us not having any import RB of note right now, what about going NI at running back? Volny backed up by a draft pick this year, or an NI free agent we pick up. That would give us a lot of flexibility too.

I don't know that it's worth it. RB can be such a weapon I don't think the team is in such a position where they can go with "he'll do" at the position. Better off using a good import rb and throwing the scraps at some other position. 

17, do you think Matt Walter is capable of being a feature back? Should the Bombers try to pry him out of Calgary? 

I think you can find RBs too easily in the states to worry about making it a NI position. Would rather go heavy on NI receivers than RB. 

Also, if you start a Canadian RB you need to have a capable Canadian RB so the ratio isn't affected if the starter goes down with injury. Cornish is a special player so the Stamps have to start him as he is a ratio buster.... If Winnipeg uses Volny as a starting back,  then we need a Canadian backup which we don't have. Therefore, Volny can't start. The only way Volny would really help us is if we somehow had Andrew Harris starting ahead of him. Over an entire season, Volny couldn't be our starting running back.  I agree, find an American back. 

Only way I want a Canadian at RB is if it's Harris.

 

What's going on with Noel Devine? if he'd come fairly cheap I'd be interested in him. I'd much rather have a back up RB returning than a back up receiver. He'd be an awesome RB to have in certain packages as well.

Only way I want a Canadian at RB is if it's Harris.

 

What's going on with Noel Devine? if he'd come fairly cheap I'd be interested in him. I'd much rather have a back up RB returning than a back up receiver. He'd be an awesome RB to have in certain packages as well.

 

The only thing easier to find than import RBs are import RBs who can't hold onto the ball.

I'm surprised there's no Anthony Coombs love if we we want an NI running back.

A Canadian Running Back

 

IMO, there are several ways to make it work.

 

The obvious one would be a capable Canadian backup, but that seems unlikely

 

Or...

 

His backup could be an American who dresses as a DI and returns punts / kicks.  If the NI gets injured or needs a breather, one possibility would be a serviceable Canadian receiver who plays special teams and could replace an American receiver if need be.  Then the American RB can play.

Trying to force an NI RB into the lineup seems like a bad plan... Volny is a huge question mark and the only FA available is Woodson...

 

Our ratio-breaker has to be at RT.  If none of Neufeld, Pencer or Swiston can finally step up, then things are worse than any of us imagine.

 

4 NI OL, 1 Safety, 2 NI REC

Trying to force an NI RB into the lineup seems like a bad plan... Volny is a huge question mark and the only FA available is Woodson...

Woodson was extended by the Argos in January.

Trying to force an NI RB into the lineup seems like a bad plan... Volny is a huge question mark and the only FA available is Woodson...

 

Our ratio-breaker has to be at RT.  If none of Neufeld, Pencer or Swiston can finally step up, then things are worse than any of us imagine.

 

4 NI OL, 1 Safety, 2 NI REC

 

Remember, Morley is expected to start at centre this season, meaning 2 of Neufeld, Pencer and Swiston will need to start if we want to have 4 NI's on the OL.  If only one steps up and we end up starting Jarvis Jones at RT, then we will need to start either 2 NI DB's or a NI on the DL. 

Let's make sure we have 3 decent nip OL before we make the leap of faith to 4.

I'm surprised there's no Anthony Coombs love if we we want an NI running back.

I am waiting to see what his numbers look like at the combine. And I don't mean how much grain he harvests on his John Deere.

Let's make sure we have 3 decent nip OL before we make the leap of faith to 4.

That's never how the ratio works. The ratio works by identifying your best 7 NIs and where you have depth and playing those guys. And here's the thing, it may not be great, but the do have the most NI depth on the o-line so it only makes sense that they are looking at 4 NIs on the o-line. 

I'm surprised there's no Anthony Coombs love if we we want an NI running back.

 

There's a better chance of the Bombers winning the Grey Cup in 2014 than Coombs starting for anyone at running back in 2014.  I think he'll be back with the Bisons, if he's unlucky he'll get stuck on someones PR, his best chance at football glory is 2014 with Yantz, Demski and the Bisons.  He's a project as a CFL player.  IMO if he turns out he'll end up being a less jacked version of a guy like Durie, he relies way too much on his crazy agility against CIS defenses, something he wouldn't be able to do in the CFL, more of a find the gap, hit the gap kind of running style needed play to play.

 

Gill and Demski are the bonafide CFLers on the Bisons right now.  Gill is who I would pick 2nd overall...unless he gets drafted by the NFL, best pick for now and the future.

Why Gill over an OL?

Guessing we draft a C at #2 hoping he can start. Thus an OL of January- Greaves -Lavertu/Goosen-Pencer/Swiston-Neufeld.

Why Gill over an OL?

Because Pencer and Swiston rock? Shrug.

Why Gill over an OL?

 

Because Gill is going to be a great CFL player, more likely to contribute right away (again, assuming no NFL) than any OL on the board too.

Swiston and Pencer rock.....maybe in a chair.

Swiston and Pencer rock.....maybe in a chair.

I was thinking rock as in large, immobile objects.