![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2024_Sponsorship_GMC_BlueBomber_Digital_NewsLetter_Ad_600x100_Op1-183.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cIt\u2019s amazing. It\u2019s exciting. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever really been this excited for a football season and that\u2019s crazy because every year I\u2019m excited, I\u2019m jacked up,\u201d said Oliveira in a Zoom media call from the Canadian Football League\u2019s Content Capture event in Hamilton. \u201cBut just seeing the moves that were made by the organization, especially offensively\u2026 bringing in Tim White, that was a massive signing. Tommy Nield is a very under-rated signing. He\u2019s going to come in and do some big things for us and help us out.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy favourite signing was big Brox; having Jarell Broxton part of that offensive line group is only going to make it that much more effective and dynamic when it comes to what we want to do as an offence and what our identity is going to be.<\/p>\n
\u201cBringing Tommy Condell on, with his experience as an offensive coordinator and the relationship he\u2019s built with Zach (Collaros) and understanding that relationship they\u2019re going to have moving forward\u2026 there\u2019s been many conversations that I\u2019ve had with Zach with offseason and how tight he\u2019s working with Tommy in building out this playbook and getting inside what the players are wanting.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s going to be a great working relationship with players and coaches moving forward. That\u2019s a recipe for success.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Brady-Oliveira-20-23876-Large-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
We last met with Oliveira before Christmas, not long after he had signed a new contract which will keep him in Blue Bombers colours through 2028. The club has been busy since then, adding Condell to the coaching staff and three new starters on offence in White, Broxton and Nield, as he mentioned above. On top of that three veterans were added on defence in defensive lineman Jake Ceresna, cornerback Jonathan Moxey and linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox.<\/p>\n
That led us to ask Oliveira on Thursday if the transactions since he made his own commitment to return having him feeling more content with his decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had total trust and confidence in this organization,\u201d he said. \u201cI mean, the organization is clearly doing something right with the success and the track record we\u2019ve had in the last number of years. We fell extremely short of what we set out to do last season, and I just had trust in the management that they weren\u2019t going to let this happen again.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve proved to everyone that last year wasn\u2019t good enough and there were some changes that needed to be made. They made those changes; they brought in some additions that I truly believe are going to help us put the best roster out there in Week 1 and give us a chance to compete in a Grey Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n
A couple of other snippets from Thursday\u2019s media session with Oliveira \u2014 who was paired with Edmonton Elks running back Justin Rankin for the interview \u2014 in this week\u2019s edition of 1st & 10\u2026<\/p>\n
Good question from CJOB\u2019s Derek Taylor\u2026 to both running backs, asking each what aspect from the other\u2019s game they\u2019d like to steal and add to their own. Oliveira praised Rankin for his speed and game-breaking abilities. Rankin, meanwhile, positively gushed about Winnipeg\u2019s star tailback.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis IQ is so crazy,\u201d said Rankin of Oliveira. \u201cMy first year we had a coach that had a whole section of clips that were just labelled, \u2018Brady.\u2019 It was all the things that he did right from his patience to trusting the hole, trusting the scheme, getting the nitty-gritty yards. Sometimes I fall victim where I want to score every play and it causes me to not be as patient as I should be and I might miss that little five-six-yard run that is necessary throughout the game.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CP173209810-1600x1140.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Justin Rankin in action against Winnipeg in 2024; photo by John Woods, Canadian Press<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m telling you, man, we used to watch Brady all season long. Any time we would start to get too fast and not as patient, our coach would have us go in there and we wouldn\u2019t even watch film with the team, we would just watch Brady\u2019s clips. We just watched Brady\u2019s clips at how he\u2019s so patient and he would just hit every hole exactly where it was supposed to be, every play where it was exactly where it was supposed to be. Over the course of a game after awhile they just start breaking. It\u2019s five (yards), five, five, then 20, 30 because nobody wants to tackle this man and after a while they get tired. They get tired because he\u2019s hitting it where he\u2019s supposed to hit it every single play.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen his pass pro (pass protection). His pass pro speaks for itself. I want to pass pro like that. I\u2019ve got to get my pass protection like Brady.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Oliveira and Rankin\u2026 have similar characteristics, including their toughness. And the pair scoffed at suggestion of occasionally preserving their bodies by stepping out of bounds on a play.<\/p>\n
Said Oliveira:<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no running out of bounds, ever. I don\u2019t care if it\u2019s the fourth quarter and we\u2019re up by 20. It\u2019s just not something that is in my DNA to do. It\u2019s like Justin said, I\u2019m going to make you feel this every single play. I run violent. I run with intent and you\u2019re going to feel it every single play because I know by me running like that by the time the fourth quarter comes around\u2026 yes, you\u2019re going to stand in front of me because this is your job, but I promise I know they are not coming with the same intent they were in the first quarter because of the way I\u2019m running. Again, it\u2019s about setting that tone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen there is a way to run out of bounds and there\u2019s a defender there and you lay it on him, well, that sets a tone not just for showing them what you\u2019re bringing for the game, but it also brings that energy for your team as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Oliveira hasn\u2019t been in Winnipeg for most of the winter\u2026 as he returned to Bali again with his partner Alex Blumberg to train, help with dog rescues there and recharge for the upcoming CFL season. Their new show \u2018Must Love Dogs\u2019 will debut on CBC and CBC Gem later this month and red-carpet premiere of the event in Winnipeg has already sold out, with the proceeds going to K-9 Advocacy, Winnipeg Pet Rescue and Manitoba Animal Alliance.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like my life is on \u2018Go\u2019 mode constantly,\u201d said Oliveira with a grin, \u201cbut I wouldn\u2019t want it any other way.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tommy_Condell_2019-800x451-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n