The Bombers are taking a chance by extending the contract of an untested, unproven running back.
Who exactly is Lavarus Giles?
Apparently he has dazzled the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' regime so much that it announced on Sunday the extension of Giles' contract despite the fact he has yet to play a regular-season game in the professional ranks.
Earlier in the week, Calgary announced the contract extension of quarterback Henry Burris, who has been in the Canadian Football League for nine seasons. He led his team to a Grey Cup win last year and in return the Stamps extended his contract for four more years.
Burris is a proven pro player.
Giles is not.
But Winnipeg clearly thinks he's pretty darn special.
He did so well during training camp and pre-season the team dropped veteran Joe Smith, acquired midway last season for Charles Roberts, the Bombers' all-time rushing leader.
We can only assume the Bombers think so highly of Giles that they are worried he will dazzle in his rookie CFL season and potentially create interest in the National Football League. Because he would be on a one-year contract with the standard option-year clause, Giles could bolt the Bombers and exercise the option-year window in his deal and try to secure an NFL contract.
But not anymore. By extending the deal, the Bombers prevent that possibility for at least two years.
It's a calculated risk.
While terms of the deal were not revealed as per club policy, suffice to say the Bombers sweetened things financially to convince Giles and his representative to forego the possibility of free agency after this season.
If Giles signed an extension without a little financial gravy, we'll salute the Bombers.
But we just don't think that happened.
We believe that dumping Smith gave the Bombers financial wherewithal to invest in Giles in the long run.
Giles is 6-foot-1, 213 pounds, a slightly smaller version of Smith, who along with Fred Reid formed a "Thunder and Lightning" combination last year with Winnipeg. Expect Giles to assume Smith's role as "Thunder."
Then again, maybe he will supplant Reid as the feature back.
Both Reid and Smith didn't play in the final pre-season game to give Giles and another rookie back, Yvenson Bernard, every opportunity to prove themselves. They did well enough to force Smith's release.
The Bombers, in particular new head coach Mike Kelly, have done so many unconventional things, beginning with the off-season trade for a seldom-used third-stringer in Edmonton, Stefan LeFors, and anointing him as the starting quarterback.
Now they have extended the contract of an untested, unproven running back.
It's worth recalling that when Roberts came to the CFL, he too was a pure pro rookie. Although he had an excellent career at Sacramento State, Roberts had to prove himself. He didn't start as a running back in his rookie year, but starred as a returner and proved his all-around ability with his all-purpose yardage. In his second season with the team, he became an every-down running back and henceforth one of the best of his era en route to being the all-time leader in Winnipeg.
Roberts also proved to be extremely high maintenance, seeking more money and testing the patience of the coaching staff and management with his attitude.
The Bombers played hardball with Roberts, asserting their authority over him.
In this new regime, clearly the philosophy is different. Kelly et al are embracing Giles as if he is the second-coming of Roberts, who was nicknamed "Blink" because he could make sensational moves in the blink of an eye.
Either Giles has that ability and the Bombers don't want to lose him after only a season or they have blinked by giving him the bling-bling a little too soon.