There was one major surprise as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers announced their first round of cuts of main camp on Wednesday.
The club released eight players, including fourth year defensive back Alijah McGhee.
The 26-year-old was cut loose after practicing with the first team defence at the boundary cornerback position for the first three days of training camp. He played three seasons for the Ottawa RedBlacks and had four interceptions in 19 career CFL games.
Warren Burrell took McGhee’s place on the corner with the first team defence on Wednesday after attending rookie minicamp with the NFL’s New York Jets last year.
Head coach Mike O’Shea said the guy can cover.
“He’s a good football player,” said O’Shea. “Seems to have a good understanding of the systems that are going in. He can take the classroom piece and bring it out on the field. Physically, his attributes, he can play that spot, and he seems to have a bit more knack of doing it.”
The Bombers released seven others to get down to the 75-man limit plus draft picks. Defensive backs Michael Dixon and Jordan Taylor, defensive lineman Eric Black, linebacker Aaron Smith, receiver Jahmal Banks, and offensive linemen Joe More and Tariq Stewart were all let go.
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But the Bombers also had a new face on the field for day four of training camp as first round draft pick Nuer Gatkuoth joined the team after signing with the club on Tuesday.
He calls himself a shark on the field as a pass rushing specialist. The defensive end was at rookie minicamp with the Denver Broncos last weekend and when he wasn’t offered a contract, he didn’t hesitate to sign with Winnipeg, instead of waiting for another NFL tryout.
“I know I wanted to come play in the CFL,” said Gatkuoth. “I grew up a Canadian, so I love Canadian ball. So, once I didn’t get this job with Denver, I was like immediately, I’m going to go and play with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers because I grew up watching the CFL. I was an (Edmonton) Elks fan as a kid, so, coming here is great.”
It’s the first time the Edmonton product has even been to Winnipeg, and he was mostly just a spectator on his first day of camp.
“He’s a good kid,” O’Shea said. “He’s in shape. He’s ready to go. He’s up here sooner than we thought.
“He’s a competitive guy. His film shows that he can, given his physical stature, he packs a lot more punch than you may think.”
Linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox was injured on the first day of camp and O’Shea indicated on Wednesday he’ll have an update on his injury in the next few days.
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