Follow CFL

© 2026 CFL. All rights reserved.

Insight and Analysis April 20, 2015

Bombers sign five after successful 2015 mini-camp

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

CFL.ca Staff
With files from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Bombers capped off their 2015 mini-camp on Tuesday in Bradenton, Fla., and on Wednesday announced they’ve signed five international players who participated in the weekend’s events.

Receivers Lavon Downs and Jhomo Gordon, linebackers C.J. Wilson and Kenny Tate and running back Carlos Anderson have all been added to the club’s roster. The team also announced it has released national receiver Kurt Goodrich.

The Bombers held their annual mini-camp with quarterbacks and rookies from April 19-21 at the IMG Academy, where Drew Willy and Offensive Coordinator Marcel Bellefeuille picked up the offence while the rookies had a chance to impress and potentially earn a roster spot heading into training camp.

All in all, the weekend was described as a success by the Bombers’ brass.

“It was positive,” General Manager Kyle Walters said. “The practice had good tempo and the players worked hard, most importantly relatively injury free. The players we brought here competed every day.”

“The last period of the last practice was high-tempo and the guys were still running around,” he added. “From the standpoint of productivity and players working hard, it was positive. Now the next step will be to sit back and do the evaluation and watch the film again.”

The Bombers are coming off a 7-11 season in 2014, but appear to be headed in the right direction after making big strides on offence and starting the season as one of the CFL’s hottest teams.

It’s only April now, but mini-camp is the first chance players have to strap on the helmet and hit the field running.

More on the Bombers’ signings:

Lavon Downs

Delta State alum Lavon Downs, 26, played and started ten games as a senior in 2012, catching 44 passes for 550 yards and four touchdowns. The six-foot-one, 190-pound receiver averaged 12.5 yards per catch that season.

Jhomo Gordon

Jhomo Gordon, 21, played in 43 games at Bethune Cookman from 2011-2014, starting 23, and hauling in 63 receptions for 905 yards and seven touchdowns. He was the team’s leading receiver in 2014.

C.J. Wilson

Six-foot-two, 205-pound linebacker C.J. Wilson spent four years at Western Michigan University, playing in 49 games, starting 45, and compiling 245 tackles and nine interceptions.

Kenny Tate

Linebacker Kenny Tate attended the club’s training camp in 2014 before being released in mid-June. Tate had an excellent five-year career at Maryland, where he played a variety of positions on defence and was a first-team all-ACC selection following a breakout junior season.

That year he recorded 100 tackles, 3.5 sacks and three interceptions while being a real force on defence. In the 2011 season, he racked up 35 tackles and two interceptions in the first four games, before suffering an injury.

His senior season saw him record 42 tackles, 6.5 for loss, and four quarterback sacks, after missing the first three games. Tate played in two Bowl games during his tenure – the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl, and the 2010 Military Bowl.

Carlos Anderson

Five-foot-eight, 180-pound running back Carlos Anderson spent four seasons at Northern Iowa, and was a First Team All MVFC in 2010. He played in 44 games, started 38, and finished with 2,345 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

More Bombers’ mini-camp content:

After dealing with some injuries in 2014, Drew Willy addressed his efforts to be prepared for a full season as a starting CFL quarterback:

Head Coach Mike O’Shea commented on both the quarterbacks and the size of the Bombers’ O-line: 

Marcel Bellefeuille talked about his expectations for Drew Willy this season, as well as the off-season rule changes: 

Richie Hall discussed the competition among rookies at Bombers mini-camp:

More clips and images from Bradenton, Fla.:

For more on the Bombers, follow along on Twitter.