Mini-Camp Ends

It’s like renewing old acquaintances. Players who haven’t seen each other since their lockers were cleaned last year get a chance to say hello and then shake off five months of rust. It’s the first chance to put on the shoulder pads, throw on the helmet and show the boss you still have game.

“You know it’s a long off-season in the CFL and players go off the train and sometimes the first refresher course is right before camp and then all of a sudden its two weeks to the first pre-season game and you’re off and running,” said quarterback Buck Pierce on Friday after the completion of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers three day mini-camp.

“I think the timing in which we did this, a month before camp…right before the draft, we can assess our talent. We can see the pieces in motion a little bit and go back there and look at it. For the players – a month’s not a whole lot to time so they can take their playbook and everything that they learnt at this camp and go work on those things and just be ready to go. It’s very important and I definitely think this will help our offence move forward.”

Newly signed pivots Chase Clement and Max Hall joined Pierce at the Winnipeg Indoor Soccer Complex and according to head coach Tim Burke both held their own.

“I really feel much more comfortable after mini-camp than going in,” said Burke. “Not that I wasn’t comfortable but now I feel a lot better. To see them (Clement & Hall) in our offence throwing the ball against CFL defenses – that’s the thing I thought they picked up really well. I’m kind of surprised really that they picked it up so well.”

The head coach was also impressed with his starting quarterback.

“This off-season he (Pierce) really ate healthy and tried to lose some weight so that he’d be quicker in the pocket. I think he is in tremendous shape.”

With mini-camp over the focus now shifts to rookie camp which will take place from May 29th-31^st. Training camp begins June 2nd.