Winnipeg Blue Bombers release 8 including Alijah McGhee as 1st round draft pick joins camp - BERITAJA

There was 1 awesome astonishment arsenic the Winnipeg Blue Bombers announced their first information of cuts of main campy connected Wednesday.

The nine released 8 players, including 4th twelvemonth protect backmost Alijah McGhee.

The 26-year-old was trim loose aft practicing pinch the first squad defence astatine the bound cornerback position for the first 3 days of training camp. He played 3 seasons for the Ottawa RedBlacks and had 4 interceptions successful 19 profession CFL games.

Warren Burrell took McGhee’s spot connected the area pinch the first squad defence connected Wednesday aft attending rookie minicamp pinch the NFL’s New York Jets past year.

Head coach Mike O’Shea said the feline could cover.

“He’s a bully shot player,” said O’Shea. “Seems to person a bully knowing of the systems that are going in. He could return the schoolroom portion and bring it retired connected the field. Physically, his attributes, he could play that spot, and he seems to person a spot much knack of doing it.”

The Bombers released 7 others to get down to the 75-man limit positive draught picks. Defensive backs Michael Dixon and Jordan Taylor, protect lineman Eric Black, linebacker Aaron Smith, receiver Jahmal Banks, and violative linemen Joe More and Tariq Stewart were each fto go.

But the Bombers besides had a caller look connected the section for time 4 of training campy arsenic first information draught prime Nuer Gatkuoth joined the squad aft signing pinch the nine connected Tuesday.

He calls himself a shark connected the section arsenic a walk rushing specialist. The protect extremity was astatine rookie minicamp pinch the Denver Broncos past play and erstwhile he wasn’t offered a contract, he didn’t hesitate to motion pinch Winnipeg, alternatively of waiting for different NFL tryout.

“I cognize I wanted to travel play successful the CFL,” said Gatkuoth. “I grew up a Canadian, truthful I emotion Canadian ball. So, erstwhile I didn’t get this occupation pinch Denver, I was for illustration immediately, I’m going to spell and play pinch the Winnipeg Blue Bombers because I grew up watching the CFL. I was an (Edmonton) Elks instrumentality arsenic a kid, so, coming present is great.”

It’s the first clip the Edmonton merchandise has moreover been to Winnipeg, and he was mostly conscionable a spectator connected his first time of camp.

“He’s a bully kid,” O’Shea said. “He’s successful shape. He’s fresh to go. He’s up present sooner than we thought.

“He’s a competitory guy. His movie shows that he can, fixed his beingness stature, he packs a batch much punch than you whitethorn think.”

Linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox was injured connected the first time of campy and O’Shea indicated connected Wednesday he’ll person an update connected his wounded successful the adjacent fewer days.