Not out of their depth

Tim White knew exactly what he was getting into.

So when the former Hamilton Tiger-Cats receiver inked a one-year deal in the off-season to catch passes for a Winnipeg Blue Bombers team that already has a perennial 1,000-yard producer in Nic Demski, a one-time NFL-hopeful in Ontaria (Pokey) Wilson, and later, a highly respected safety blanket in Tommy Nield, there were no concerns about where White would fit and whether he would see enough volume in the passing attack.

Oddly enough, the club’s depth made it even more compelling for him to sign on the dotted line, and he hasn’t regretted it for a second.

“That was the major reason why I came here. And I felt like this was the best offer for me because of the pieces that were already in the room,” said White. “The leadership that was in the room, and then me being able to step in and just kind of add to it. For who I am, I felt like that would be a great fit.”

The Bombers, who brought in White and Nield to bolster their receiver room, have seen that depth flourish through seven weeks. The club currently fields three of the CFL’s top 20 in receiving yards.

The only team with more players in the top 20 is the Toronto Argonauts, who have five players with at least 350 receiving yards.

Demski leads the way for the Bombers with 400 yards and two touchdowns on 27 receptions. White follows closely at 378 yards and three touchdowns on 29 receptions, while Wilson has 375 yards and three majors in 27 catches.

Nield is in the top 30 with 281 yards on 20 receptions.

“It speaks highly of (the depth of the receiver room),” White said. “The guys are ready, and we understand that all of us can contribute, and I think that’s important in an offensive system, and it speaks volumes to the system as well for (offensive co-ordinator) Tommy (Condell) too.

This is what head coach Mike O’Shea and general manager Kyle Walters envisioned when they set out for the services of two trusted veterans on the free agent market.

“I think the pieces we added, both Tim and Tommy, they’re very, very professional,” said O’Shea. “If you’re in the meeting room with them and they get asked any questions, they always have a very thoughtful answer. They’ve obviously been listening, taking notes, are intelligent, and they take that out of the field.

“In terms of the entire room, I think we’ve got a very, very good receiving room. I think that the group has gelled well together. I think they make each other better. I think they hold each other accountable, which is all excellent.”

The Bombers have had a different weapon lead the team in receiving yards in nearly every game this season. White was the most recent example, hauling in seven passes (on nine targets) for 97 yards in Winnipeg’s 36-34 victory over the Ottawa Redblacks on Sunday.

White also led the aerial attack in Week 1, but in between those outings, Nield ( seven catches for 111 yards in Week 2) and Demski (six catches for 92 yards in Week 4) have also had their turn. Wilson (two catches for 39 yards and a touchdown in Week 5; 10 catches for 133 yards and a touchdown in Week 6) is the only player to lead the team in consecutive weeks.

While it’s no secret that any receiver would like more targets, it’s made it easier on the Bombers’ pass-catchers knowing that they have each earned the trust of quarterbacks Zach Collaros and Dru Brown, and that they could be the one leading the charge on any given night.

“I feel like as receivers, it’s like every play the ball doesn’t come your way, it could be a little frustrating, right?” said White. “But I feel like the guys handle it well, and we understand in order to get each other open, we each have to do each other’s part. And when it works really well, I think guys handle it well, and we just continue to execute down the field and put points up. I think as competitors, we love the ball in our hands, and you want that in your receivers for sure.”

Whose turn is next will be answered when the Bombers (4-2) welcome the Calgary Stampeders (2-4) to Princess Auto Stadium on Friday (7:30 p.m.).

“I think that’s the biggest thing being a receiver. Being a receiver, you want the ball to come your way. You want to make those plays. You want to be that game changer. But at the end of the day, the reality is in football, there’s only one football out there,” said Demski, who is 40 receiving yards away from becoming the sixth player in franchise history to reach 6,000. “So my biggest thing is: How can I be effective when the ball is not in my hands, whether that’s blocking, whether that’s running my routes to get other guys open, and then just also just having that mindset of when the ball comes your way, you got to be ready.

“Maybe it only comes your way once a quarter, or maybe, all of a sudden, one quarter it comes your way four or five times. But how are you going to stay ready and how are you going to stay positive to know that this team can rely on you when that ball does come your way?”

Roster trimming

The Bombers released offensive lineman Micah Mazzccua, American receiver Christian Frederickson and American defensive back Kaylin Moore from the practice roster on Wednesday.

Mazzccua is perhaps the most notable of the transactions. The 24-year-old rookie made one start at left guard in the club’s Week 5 victory in Hamilton, filling in for Gabe Wallace. Frederickson mhad a strong showing in training camp, but did not see the field for any regular season action.

Moore signed to Winnipeg’s practice roster last month but also did not see any game action.

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