WINNIPEG 鈥� When Zach Collaros looks around the Winnipeg locker room, he gets a good feeling of d茅j脿 vu.
The Blue Bombers have returned 47 players who suited up for at least one game last season.
It was a campaign that featured the CFL club setting a franchise record for wins (15-3) before losing the Grey Cup 24-23 to the Toronto Argonauts to foil a championship three-peat.
The veteran quarterback, who鈥檚 entering his 11th season and fourth with the Bombers, said the number of returnees shows that players love being part of the team.
"It鈥檚 always great when you enjoy coming to work, so it鈥檚 always nice seeing familiar faces," Collaros said after Monday鈥檚 practice, where his backups are returnee Dru Brown and newcomer Tyrrell Pigrome.
"I鈥檝e said it for a long time, I really think continuity matters in this league and we certainly have that. That鈥檚 not something you can just rest your laurels on, so to speak, but it is nice having guys back."
Collaros, the league鈥檚 back-to-back reigning most outstanding player, didn鈥檛 play in Winnipeg鈥檚 final exhibition game, but he鈥檚 ready for the regular-season opener Friday at home against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
All-star middle linebacker Adam Bighill should also be in the lineup after missing all of training camp for the first time in his 11-year career. After returning to practice Monday, he said new cleats he was trying out gave him an ingrown toenail that got infected and was painful.
He鈥檚 been impressed with a roster filled by so many returnees.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if I鈥檝e been to a camp where you really don鈥檛 have an open slot on offence or defence,鈥� Bighill said.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I can say that in any camp that I鈥檝e been in. So you鈥檙e looking for depth, you鈥檙e looking for guys to come in and help play roles.鈥�
Winnipeg hopes returning placekicker Sergio Castillo will bring consistency to its kicking game.
Marc Liegghio, who was cut last weekend, did all three kicking duties in his second season last year but had costly convert and field-goal misses at times, including in the Grey Cup loss.
The Edmonton Elks released Castillo for contract reasons 10 days before training camp, and Winnipeg scooped him up within hours.
Castillo started his career with the Bombers in 2015, left for other teams and then got picked up by Winnipeg in a trade late in the 2021 season.听
He was good on all five field-goal tries in Winnipeg鈥檚 overtime Grey Cup victory against the Tiger-Cats before signing a higher-paying contract with Edmonton for the 2022 season.
Global player Jamieson Sheahan (Australia) takes over the punting.
Being viewed as Winnipeg鈥檚 kicking saviour won鈥檛 put too much weight on Castillo鈥檚 shoulders.
鈥淚 think if I could overcome an ACL (tear in 2017 with Hamilton) and being without a team for 618 days, I can overcome anything,鈥� Castillo said.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited. Obviously, there鈥檚 going to be ups and there鈥檚 going to be downs, it鈥檚 normal, right?鈥�
Castillo isn鈥檛 the only former Bomber to return to the fold.
Winnipeg is expected to have an explosive receiving corps, although the season debut for Kenny Lawler has been delayed.
The American wide receiver signed back with the Bombers after taking a lucrative deal with the Elks last season, but Winnipeg put him on the suspended list last week. The team announced it was due to a 2021 off-field incident that was expected to be resolved in three to four weeks.
The Winnipeg Sun then reported that Lawler had pleaded guilty this past April to an October 2021 impaired driving charge and is dealing with immigration paperwork.
On a happier note for the team, one rookie has cracked the active roster.
Defensive lineman Anthony Bennett, the team鈥檚 first pick (eighth overall) in this year鈥檚 CFL draft, has earned praise from his teammates and coaches.
"I don鈥檛 want to compare him to anybody, but he understands the game of football and I think he's a natural pass rusher," head coach Mike O鈥橲hea said of the University of Regina product.听
Bennett, who will have a rotational role, said he feels a bit lucky but hard work helped him reach his initial goal.
鈥淏eing honest, I just fought every day,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 went into camp thinking, 鈥業鈥檓 going to make this team.鈥� It wasn鈥檛, 鈥極h, I鈥檓 going to beat the older guys.鈥�
鈥淣o, it鈥檚 a puzzle piece, that鈥檚 why they drafted me. I鈥檓 honestly going to be the ultimate puzzle piece.鈥�
While the Bombers don鈥檛 have the pressure of going for a three-peat this season, the bar is set high again.
鈥淚f you look at the guys we have, what we鈥檝e done in the past, the team we have, the continuity, we expect to be in the Grey Cup and we expect to win the cup,鈥� Bighill said.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 where our mindset is and that鈥檚 where we set our work targets at.鈥�
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2023.
Judy Owen, The Canadian Press
