Tag Archives: titus ryan

Have the 7-11 Bombers Improved? Or Should Fans Still Be Patient.

Sure, the Canadian Football League is still 2 ½ months away from the start of training camp, but do you get the sense the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a long way from being a contender?

In fact, last year at this time, many of the local football experts were worried that the team being assembled by Mike Kelly was starting to resemble the team that was assembled in 1998 by Jeff Reinebold. Plenty of no-names and an untested quarterback caused many of our great local football minds to question the new head coach.

Wonder where they all went this year?

I mean, really, has anyone noticed that the Blue Bombers have lost both of their good young defensive halfbacks? Jonathan Hefney signed with the NFL’s Detroit Lions while Lenny Walls was released to Montreal. Granted they signed aging Lavar Glover, 32, but right now they look old and slow.

Meanwhile, the Bombers traded away young, gifted Gavin Walls for a knee-injured Canadian defensive end named Stan van Sichem and they still need a real middle linebacker.

They lost two good young receivers to the NFL in Dudley Guice and Titus Ryan and their new quarterback was a backup in Saskatchewan who has one career start, has thrown only 152 CFL passes and was unwanted in Edmonton.

Are the 7-11 Bombers a better team yet?

Just asking.

Bombers Now Officially in Disarray

It’s official, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are in disarray. The only thing this team has going for it is the fact the 3-8 Toronto Argos — another team that is, officially, in disarray — are coming to town this Saturday night.

In the meantime, it was a wild and crazy day in Montreal yesterday, a day that ended with head coach Mike Kelly losing his temper and trading frustrated wide receiver Romby Bryant to the Calgary Stampeders.

First, the Bombers fell to 3-8 on the season, drilled 33-14 by the Alouettes at Molson Stadium yesterday. Avon Cobourne scored two touchdowns and Damon Duval kicked five field goals as the Alouettes took advantage of four Bomber turnovers — three interceptions and a fumble. The Bombers scored fewer than 15 points in a game for the seventh time this season and have now tossed up 10 interceptions in three weeks.

Then, after dropping an important pass and picking up a dumb penalty, the Bombers traded WR Romby Bryant along with popular by oft-injured SB Arjei Franklin to the Calgary Stampeders for receivers Jabari Arthur and Titus Ryan, defensive lineman Odell Willis and a couple of 2010 draft picks. On the upside, program sales should rise at Canad Inns Stadium.

The Bombers’ problem, of course, isn’t Romby Bryant. It’s a failure to find a quarterback to replace Kevin Glenn.

On Sunday afternoon, we had a chance to see Winnipeg’s new “Casey the Quarterback.” Sadly, it was Casey Bramlet not Casey Printers. Casey the Quarterback went one-for-eight with two interceptions. Hmmmm, wrong Casey, I’d say.

But, hey, go ahead and trade away Romby Bryant and Arjei Franklin. Two new receivers won’t make much difference if there is no one who can get them the football.