Late April mini-camps spark the beginning of organized on-field activities for the majority of teams across the CFL, and for a consecutive year the Winnipeg Blue Bombers wrapped three days of workouts down in Bradenton, Florida on Tuesday.

Last year's camp proved extremely beneficial to the club, producing a handful of 2014 starters and heavy contributors. Safety Maurice Leggett, tailbacks Paris Cotton and Nic Grigsby, halfback Bruce Johnson, defensive end Kashawn Fraser, linebacker and special teams ace Don Unamba, and quarterback Robert Marve all came out of the Bombers' inaugural Florida camp.

In addition to the four quarterbacks the club finished 2014 with — Drew Willy, Brian Brohm, Marve, and Josh Portis — about 20-25 of the roughly 50 players invited to Florida will receive invites to their main training camp beginning in late May.

2015 is a big year for the Blue Bombers. With the Grey Cup being held in Winnipeg and the team looking to build on a 7-11 finish in 2014, let's take a look at the five main story lines coming out of Bradenton.

Where are the Linebackers?

With the departure of middle linebacker Ian Wild to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and free agent Johnny Sears still holding out for an NFL opportunity as well, linebacker and depth in the defensive backfield remain two areas of need for Winnipeg heading into 2015.

Asked if anyone had caught his eye after Day 1 of mini-camp, head coach Mike O'Shea mentioned two attendees — TraShaun Nixon, a 6-foot, 233-pound linebacker out of New Mexico State, and 5-foot-10, 185-pound Michigan State product Johnny Adams, who ran around swiping reps from other defensive backs while snatching a couple INTs.

"(Adams) showed up at corner and then two plays later… he's at halfback stealing reps from someone else," said O'Shea with a snicker. "He's just out there making plays, and he's making the most of his opportunity."

"I like Nixon. He seemed to move real well. He's the first (linebacker) that sort of stood out in terms of his movement. But we're only two practices in, so it's not fair to say that's the guy we're bringing to (training) camp. We need to certainly exhaust all opportunities… I've still got to go watch film."

Following Day 2, with four practices in the books, O'Shea appeared much more confident in finding potential candidates for a depleted linebacking corps.

"I think we've identified more than two guys we like. That's always pleasing to know out of the group of six or so we can certainly fill out our roster for (training) camp… There are some guys who look like middle linebackers."

A couple names to look out for: 6-foot, 234-pound Alonzo Highsmith out of Arkansas who started mini-camp on the D-line before moving over to the linebacker group as camp progressed, and 6-foot-3, 221-pound Maryland product Kenny Tate, who was in Winnipeg's main camp in 2014 but didn't fit into former defensive coordinator Gary Etcheverry's system that utilized smaller, speedier 'backers.

A New Look D with New DC Richie Hall

Etcheverry lasted but a year in Winnipeg as the defensive coordinator, taking heavy criticism for his unorthodox scheme that struggled severely against the run, particularly in the latter part of the season.

Enter Richie Hall, following four years in charge of Saskatchewan's defence, and the task of finding players that fit his new and more traditional system.

"What I'll confidently say is we have a better idea of what the defensive staff is looking for this year," said general manager Kyle Walters, entering his second full cycle as the man in charge of the Bombers roster. "That was one of the bigger frustrations last year. We had a hard time — the scouting department and the defensive staff had a difficult time getting in sync with exactly what the expectations were, or what each group expected from the other. I can confidently say we're on the same page with what they're looking for."

Walters and Hall sound like two football minds that have melded on the details of working in tandem to build a successful defence.

"I think you have a philosophy that you want to hang your hat on, but you also want to be able to be flexible where you can adapt to your personnel," said Hall, in what will be his only media availability of the season. "We have a philosophy that we want to introduce, and then we're going to massage it to fit what we currently have in-house."

What is that philosophy, Coach Hall?

"The thing that we want to instill in the players is that we want to be tough, we want to be stingy, and we want to be opportunistic. Tough. Stingy. Opportunistic. T.S.O. That's going to be our motto this year."

Building Up Bellefeuille's Offence

While Drew Willy and the Bombers offence opened eyes early in 2014 with some late-game heroics and an effective two-minute drill, the unit lacked overall consistency, struggled to keep Willy upright and healthy, and run the ball effectively.

Marcel Bellefeuille, entering his second season as full-time offensive coordinator, sees two areas where improvements need to be made.

"We've tweaked a little bit system-wise. We've made some great acquisitions in the offseason on the offensive line," said Bellefeuille. "If you want to say a 1-A and 1-B — protecting (Willy) better, and being more efficient running the football. We were fourth in attempts on first down, tied with Edmonton, but overall we were eighth in yards and we were last in yards per carry. Our yards per carry has to get up, and then we have to be able to convert on the ground, our second-and-threes, at a higher proficiency to stay on the field.”

As far as what Bellefeuille is searching for among the free agents in Florida, it comes down to the one attribute you can't coach or teach.

"We're looking for more speed. We didn't have a run over 40 yards last year, so we want some more speed at the running back position… and at the receiver position as well, more speed down the field. And there are some players here that bring that."

Some names that may be in main camp: 6-foot-1, 192-pound Ja-Mes Logan out of Ole Miss; 5-foot-10, 195-pound former Roughrider Dan DePalma; 6-foot-3, 210-pound Morehouse College product Derrick Hector; and Justin Wilson, a 5-foot-11, 179-pound receiver out of Delaware State who played one game with Winnipeg in 2014.

TSN 1290 Radio can confirm 5-foot-6, 189-pound running back Bradley Randle out of UNLV, who spent a brief stint with Winnipeg in 2013, has earned a spot in Blue Bombers training camp after displaying some speed and hands in Bradenton.

The Canadian Contingent

While mini-camp is primarily a chance to look first-hand at new International talent before bringing bodies up to Winnipeg, the Bombers used the Florida workouts to get a look at some of their National players as well.

Boding well for a team needing to improve their receiving corps as well as overall Canadian depth, a pair of National receivers — Kris Bastien, acquired in the trade that sent Cory Watson to the Roughriders, and Ezra Millington, who has bounced around the CFL for three years due to injury issues — both showed well through the five practices and are already under contract. It is likely the two will join the Bombers back in Winnipeg for rookie camp in late May.

Willy's New Deal?

Willy, entering his sophomore season as a No. 1 pro pivot, seems unfazed by any potential ramifications of playing through the 2015 season with his current two-year pact set to expire this coming winter.

"It won't bother me," said Willy, who spent time in the National Football League prior to beginning his Canadian career three years ago. "I've been in way worse situations in my life contract-wise being cut and released from NFL teams, so I'm not too worried about it."

"Every contract is pretty much a one-year deal in pro football. NFL. CFL."

The general manager, however, didn't want to discuss the status of any negotiations.

"I don't want to get into it. Now is not the time," said Walters when questioned of potential contract talks with his No. 1 QB. "We won't discuss it publicly so I don't want to talk about contracts with anybody."

Asked if waiting out the final year of Willy's deal is a possibility, Walters expanded.

"If there's going to be a contract extension for Drew Willy it will be done before the season or after the season. It won't happen during the season for the purpose of what you said — we don't want to distract anybody."

"Drew is a professional and he's under contract to play for a fair value and that's what he'll focus on. Maybe for (the media) it'll be a distraction, but internally not at all."

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The Blue Bombers open rookie camp in Winnipeg on May 27, with main training camp beginning May 31.