The Winnipeg Blue Bombers made waves on Tuesday afternoon, releasing fan favorites Bryant Turner and Clarence Denmark.
Turner leaves the Bombers as one of the most productive pass-rushing defensive tackles in the recent memory of the CFL. Turner, who learned the Canadian game playing beside Doug Brown in 2011, notched 26 sacks in just 53 games over his five seasons with Winnipeg. Still just 28, Turner will be a welcome addition to his next CFL club should he regain his 2014 form.
Denmark stayed remarkably healthy during his tenure with the Bombers, appearing in 87 of 90 games. After a 1,000-yard season in 2015, Denmark was rewarded with a contract rumoured to be worth in excess of $150,000 per season. That salary combined with the additions of Ryan Smith and Weston Dressler through free agency made Denmark’s release a relative inevitability. Still just 30, expect Denmark to resurface with another CFL club.
The departures of Turner and Denmark — both acquired prior to the 2011 season — leave defensive tackle Jake Thomas as the longest-tenured Blue Bomber on the roster. Thomas has been with the Bombers for four seasons since being selected in the fourth round of the 2012 CFL draft.
Thomas, alongside receiver Rory Kohlert and safety Teague Sherman, is one of just three Blue Bombers originally acquired by the club prior to the firing of general manager Joe Mack on August 9, 2013.
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