At this stage of training camp a year ago, punter Jamieson Sheahan was just another CFL newbie fighting for a job.
Today, the 27-year-old from Australia is as locked into his role as Collaros is into his.
“There were four of us in camp last year, up until the final day,” Sheahan recalled of the 2023 battle of the kickers. “It feels different this year. My expectations have increased. My confidence has increased. I feel like I belong.”
With all the star power on Winnipeg’s offence and defence, it’s easy to overlook the punter.
But Sheahan has never felt overlooked, from the first meeting he had with the Bombers before they picked him in the global draft.
“We really value special teams here, and when I was meeting them before they drafted me that was conveyed,” he said. “And it shows. Offence and defence we’re so loaded already. Guys trying to break into this team, the way to do that is on special teams. That is constantly the message.”
Winnipeg’s top rookie last season, Sheahan’s Aussie style stood out at times, those sidewinder, end-over-end rollers nothing like the classic style of someone like Bombers legend Bob Cameron.
But watching camp, it’s clear he can also let loose a towering spiral now and again.
“Getting more consistent at the spiral is what I spent a lot of the off-season doing,” he said. “Those trick kicks, the golf bag worth of different tricks, is something I’ll always have the ability to do. I’ve been doing that ever since I was able to walk … that’s what we grew up doing in Australia.”
Whatever first-year special-teams coach Mike Miller calls for is what Sheahan will do.
Yeah, those spirals feel good leaving the foot, but …
“Those runners on the ground that roll out to 50 yards feel pretty good, too. Basically it’s whatever’s going to set the defence up with good field position.”
The last few days of camp felt strange for Sheahan, as kicking mate Sergio Castillo took time off to deal with a family matter.
The two have become nearly inseparable. When they’re not on the sidelines together, they’ll be sharing a meal or out catching the horse races or a Jets game.
“He brings a spark and a bit of energy, a lightheartedness to the group that’s really important,” Sheahan said “He’s a special guy, and he’s got a really big heart. And we all missed it while he was away.”
Castillo was back home in Texas to be with his family after the recent death of his wife’s grandmother.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are coming off a rare home defeat, losing 27-12 to the Alouettes as 7.5-point faves in Week 1.
The Bombers were sloppy in that contest, missing tackles, taking poor penalties, and failing to execute on offense. That may have been partially due to rust since they chose to rest many of their starters in the preseason, but they’ll be highly motivated in a revenge spot here.
There’s a reason Winnipeg entered this season as the Grey Cup favorite, while most expect the Ottawa Redblacks to be one of the worst teams in the CFL. The Redblacks went just 4-14 SU and 6-12 ATS last year, which was their fourth straight last-place finish in the East.
Ottawa has a new quarterback in Dru Brown, who played well as Zach Collaros’ backup the last two years in Winnipeg. However, things won’t come as easy now since he’s surrounded by subpar weapons and protected by an awful offensive line.
On the other side of the ball, Ottawa has one of the worst secondaries in the league, which is bad news against a Bombers aerial attack led by two-time MOP Zach Collaros. Winnipeg lost wideout Kenny Lawler and reigning CFL leading rusher Brady Oliveira to injuries in Week 1 but Collaros still has weapons like All-Star receivers Dalton Schoen and Nic Demski.
Considering the Bombers were favored by 7.5 points against the defending champs last week, it’s a bit wild to see them available under that key number of 7.0 against a far worse team here. Granted, not playing at home is factored into that, but it’s still too much of a swing given they’re better than Ottawa in every facet. Take the Bombers at a buy-low price.
Until Zach Collaros shows any signs of slowing down, the Bombers are going to feature at the top of any quarterback rankings. The two-time Most Outstanding Player finished the 2023 season with the best big-time throw (36) to turnover-worthy play (20) ratio and the second-highest passing grade (86.6) in the league.
The Bombers also brought back elite rushing quarterback Chris Streveler. The 2019 Grey Cup parade legend spent the past few seasons as a backup in the NFL, but before that, he rushed for 1,167 yards and 22 touchdowns over two seasons as the Bombers’ main rushing signal-caller. Winnipeg running a two-headed attack with Collaros and Streveler should scare the rest of the league.
The Lions are a close second on this list with one of the best quarterback rooms in the CFL. They are led by starter Vernon Adams Jr., the highest-graded quarterback in the league last year (92.4).
Nobody pushed the ball downfield in 2023 like Adams, with 53.5% of his attempts going past the first-down markers. He led the league with 43 big-time throws and also added a very good 86.1 rushing grade.
The Lions brought in Jake Dolegala to be their backup this season. He struggled down the stretch last season after getting extended starting reps, but that experience should benefit him going into the 2024 campaign. Make no mistake, though, this team will go as far as Adams takes it.
turnover-worthy play (20) ratio and the second-highest passing grade (86.6) in the league.
The Bombers also brought back elite rushing quarterback Chris Streveler. The 2019 Grey Cup parade legend spent the past few seasons as a backup in the NFL, but before that, he rushed for 1,167 yards and 22 touchdowns over two seasons as the Bombers’ main rushing signal-caller. Winnipeg running a two-headed attack with Collaros and Streveler should scare the rest of the league.
The Lions are a close second on this list with one of the best quarterback rooms in the CFL. They are led by starter Vernon Adams Jr., the highest-graded quarterback in the league last year (92.4).
Nobody pushed the ball downfield in 2023 like Adams, with 53.5% of his attempts going past the first-down markers. He led the league with 43 big-time throws and also added a very good 86.1 rushing grade.
The Lions brought in Jake Dolegala to be their backup this season. He struggled down the stretch last season after getting extended starting reps, but that experience should benefit him going into the 2024 campaign. Make no mistake, though, this team will go as far as Adams takes it.
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