Smith's hip injury masks a SAM linebacker platoon, not a downgrade

Jaylen Smith's move to the one-game injured list after a hip injury ends a seven-start run at strong-side linebacker, where he recorded 46 total tackles. But Michael Griffin II isn't a replacement-level fill-in: he already has nine starts at SAM this season, with 39 defensive tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. The Bombers are swapping a rookie second-round pick for a veteran with 51 career CFL games and 139 defensive tackles, so the real story is a pre-existing rotation, not a sudden hole.