Smith injury forces Bombers into ratio patch job with rookie Novak

Jaylen Smith, a 24-year-old Canadian second-round pick, had 46 tackles in seven starts at SAM before a hip injury suffered vs Calgary. Replacing him with Michael Griffin II (39 defensive tackles, one sack, one forced fumble in nine starts) likely shifts the ratio, forcing Winnipeg to promote Canadian LB Lane Novak—four special-teams tackles in 10 games—from the practice roster. That’s a hidden cost: a fifth-round rookie occupies a roster spot for ratio compliance, not defensive production.