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John Woods \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Dru Brown has no ill will for the Ottawa Redblacks, but is happy to be back with his old club.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
After receiving the news, the 29-year-old asked for his release, but the Redblacks weren\u2019t about to let him walk for nothing. A resolution finally came last week when Ottawa traded him to the place where his CFL career began \u2014 Winnipeg.<\/p>\n
Dinwiddie recently told reporters in Ottawa that Brown became \u201ca little bit of a distraction\u201d in the nation\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s his opinion, and that\u2019s OK. I\u2019ve never really felt that way about myself, and I don\u2019t think many people would say that,\u201d Brown said. \u201cAny confrontation that was had was in private. I probably was visually upset for a couple days, and they gave me some grace in those couple of days knowing the situation.\u201d<\/p>\n
If Brown harbours any resentment toward his former club, he\u2019s not showing it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a human being, but my happiness for being here outweighs any hate in my heart that I have for anybody,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMe and my family really enjoyed our time in Ottawa. I had a lot of great teammates there, had some coaches that believed in me, and I kind of just take it as it was a lot of fun, and I gave everything I had to the organization for the time that I was there. People make decisions, and then as a player, you have to take it and kinda move on. I don\u2019t stew over it too long. It\u2019s just, \u2018OK, what\u2019s next?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Brown originally joined the Bombers in 2021 and appeared in 38 games over three seasons, completing 102-of-153 passes for 1,484 yards, 14 touchdowns and two interceptions. He started three games during that span, posting a 2-1 record.<\/p>\n
Some have argued the Bombers paid a steep price \u2014 a first-round pick in the 2027 CFL Draft \u2014 considering Brown was clearly on the outs in Ottawa and is entering the final year of his contract.<\/p>\n
Winnipeg also sent a conditional second-round pick in 2028 that will become a first-rounder if Brown re-signs for 2027 and meets a playing-time threshold.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s important that we\u2019ve got the right group of guys in here right now,\u201d Bombers head coach Mike O\u2019Shea said. \u201cThe price became right for the organization to add a very intelligent, competitive veteran quarterback. It was going to be us or somebody else.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for Brown\u2019s arm, O\u2019Shea doesn\u2019t share Dinwiddie\u2019s assessment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he delivers the ball on time to the right person, and when you make good decisions quickly, everything looks good,\u201d O\u2019Shea said. \u201cAnd on top of that, I don\u2019t think he\u2019s lacking arm strength.\u201d<\/p>\n
NEUFELD ON MISSING EDMONTON GAME<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Ruth Bonneville \/ FREE PRESS FILES<\/p>\n Winnipeg Blue Bombers\u2019 Patrick Neufeld (53) had a perfect excuse for being a late scratch for the Bombers last week \u2014 the right guard and his wife, Paula, were welcoming their twin daughter and son at HSC Thursday.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Right guard Patrick Neufeld had two very good reasons for missing last Thursday\u2019s 23-18 home loss to the Edmonton Elks.<\/p>\n He and his wife, Paula, were at HSC Women\u2019s Hospital welcoming twins \u2014 son Eli and daughter Rowan.<\/p>\n It was announced less than an hour before the game that Neufeld was scratched for a personal matter.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was tough. But in my mind, I would never have missed that for the world,\u201d Neufeld told reporters after Tuesday\u2019s practice. \u201cAnything could have happened and I was going to be there with my wife to see my kids being born.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have an older daughter, she\u2019s two and a half, and I think she\u2019s more excited than we are. When she first met them in the hospital, she kind of just sloughed mom and dad off to the side and said, \u2018Where\u2019s my baby brother and sister?\u2019 It was pretty powerful, pretty cool, and I\u2019m extremely proud of my wife and very happy.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n \t\t\tSign up for The Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t Picking up a blitz on game day might feel easy compared to raising newborn twins and a toddler.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going from man coverage to zone coverage so, we\u2019re gonna find out,\u201d he joked. \u201cWe have a tremendous support system. My in-laws are in town staying at our house, and my mom and dad moved to Winnipeg a couple years ago to help out and they\u2019re definitely helping out. We have a full house but it\u2019s pretty awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bombers (1-2) return to action Sunday when they visit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2-1) at Hamilton Stadium (6 p.m. CT kickoff).<\/p>\n INJURY UPDATE<\/p>\n Receiver Ontaria Wilson and defensive lineman Jake Ceresna participated on Tuesday. They did not finish last week\u2019s loss versus Edmonton.<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/taylorallen<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Taylor Allen Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree\/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Taylor produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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