Training camp 2024

[Toppy Vann]

Will BC keep all 4 QBs as last year?
I'd assume Dolegala and Prukop are locks on spots.

Will BC with 3 QBs have Prokup do short yardage as he did with the Bombers.

Not aware of Chase Brice much as IIRC he didn't play in a game last year so is he under a sophomore challenge of show progress or be released?
IF yes, how is he doing this camp?

When you think back WPG Blue Bombers OC Buck Pierce coming to BC is his rise even pssible these days?

He showed great in a Regina pre-season win from behind after Jarius J hurt his thumb on the first play from scrimmage and also with injuries to both Dave D. and Casey P. over the year got a chance to show his skills and become a fan favourite. That pre-season game no doubt got him out of any thought of cutting him.
Is that stuff even possible in this CFL?

[B.C.FAN]

Will BC keep all 4 QBs as last year?
I'd assume Dolegala and Prukop are locks on spots.

Will BC with 3 QBs have Prokup do short yardage as he did with the Bombers.

Not aware of Chase Brice much as IIRC he didn't play in a game last year so is he under a sophomore challenge of show progress or be released?
IF yes, how is he doing this camp?

When you think back WPG Blue Bombers OC Buck Pierce coming to BC is his rise even pssible these days?

He showed great in a Regina pre-season win from behind after Jarius J hurt his thumb on the first play from scrimmage and also with injuries to both Dave D. and Casey P. over the year got a chance to show his skills and become a fan favourite. That pre-season game no doubt got him out of any thought of cutting him.
Is that stuff even possible in this CFL?

The QB pecking order is clearly Adams, Dolegala, Prukop and Brice. Brice has taken some third-team reps in place of Prukop. In some sessions, he doesn't get any reps in team play. I expect Prukop to get all short-yardage work and perhaps some run-option type plays, but none of that has been practised. The Lions have only installed their base offence so far. I don't know if they plan to keep a fourth QB on the practice roster if everyone else is healthy.

[Hambone]

Will BC keep all 4 QBs as last year?
I'd assume Dolegala and Prukop are locks on spots.

Will BC with 3 QBs have Prokup do short yardage as he did with the Bombers.

Not aware of Chase Brice much as IIRC he didn't play in a game last year so is he under a sophomore challenge of show progress or be released?
IF yes, how is he doing this camp?

When you think back WPG Blue Bombers OC Buck Pierce coming to BC is his rise even pssible these days?

He showed great in a Regina pre-season win from behind after Jarius J hurt his thumb on the first play from scrimmage and also with injuries to both Dave D. and Casey P. over the year got a chance to show his skills and become a fan favourite. That pre-season game no doubt got him out of any thought of cutting him.
Is that stuff even possible in this CFL?

It's going to depend on whether they think Brice has shown significant progress. Remember that he didn't join BC until after training camp ended last year. This is his first CFL camp. For the life of me I don't recall if they had a 4th thru camp last year or just went with Adams, Evans and Davis. What could happen if BC isn't really high on Brice's progress is they let him go in final cuts and bring in another youngster, but not necessarily right away. There looks to be a ton of talent in camp for a variety of positions to the point they might rather use the spot on another position.

[David]

I know it's very early, but any first or second year Leos standing out to you and Hambone, B.C.FAN?

From the sounds of it, the following are getting noticed:

Travis Fulgham
Ayden Eberhardt
Ronald Kent Jr.
Dakota Prukop
Charlie Ringland

Cristophe Beaulieu?
Carl Meyer?

Of course, it's harder to assess defensive linemen unless they're shedding blocks rather easily, so I can't wait to hear about the scrimmage tomorrow.



DH

[Hambone]

I know it's very early, but any first or second year Leos standing out to you and Hambone, B.C.FAN?

From the sounds of it, the following are getting noticed:

Travis Fulgham
Ayden Eberhardt
Ronald Kent Jr.
Dakota Prukop
Charlie Ringland

Cristophe Beaulieu?
Carl Meyer?

Of course, it's harder to assess defensive linemen unless they're shedding blocks rather easily, so I can't wait to hear about the scrimmage tomorrow.



DH

Eberhardt and Fulgham definitely. I was saying to BCF today I don't think the receiving corps will miss a beat. And there seems to be a lot of really good prospects amongst the next tier who can be the next Hatcher, Hollins or Eberhardt; good enough to contribute right away but needing someone to get hurt first.

Meyer certainly had a strong leg and is proving accuracy is no issue. I made comment to BCF today how gridiron FGs must look easy for him given all are kicked almost straight on compared to rugby where he'd often be asked to thread the needle on some crazy angles. Mind you in rugby they don't deal with the pressure of guys trying to block.

Kent has looked great. Can't say as I noticed Ringland much but really haven't been looking for him.

Stanback seemed to he getting the day off today. I wonder if that was to give the other 3, Mizzell, Agyei-Obese and newcomer Terrell big chunks of reps. For only arriving yesterday Terrell (5'10 210) did not look at all out of place.

Overall there just seems to be talent, depth and roster/ratio options everywhere. There's going to be some excellent players they simply won't have room for.

[B.C.FAN]

I know it's very early, but any first or second year Leos standing out to you and Hambone, B.C.FAN?

From the sounds of it, the following are getting noticed:

Travis Fulgham
Ayden Eberhardt
Ronald Kent Jr.
Dakota Prukop
Charlie Ringland

Cristophe Beaulieu?
Carl Meyer?

Of course, it's harder to assess defensive linemen unless they're shedding blocks rather easily, so I can't wait to hear about the scrimmage tomorrow.



DH

Eberhardt and Fulgham definitely. I was saying to BCF today I don't think the receiving corps will miss a beat. And there seems to be a lot of really good prospects amongst the next tier who can be the next Hatcher, Hollins or Eberhardt; good enough to contribute right away but needing someone to get hurt first.

Meyer certainly had a strong leg and is proving accuracy is no issue. I made comment to BCF today how gridiron FGs must look easy for him given all are kicked almost straight on compared to rugby where he'd often be asked to thread the needle on some crazy angles. Mind you in rugby they don't deal with the pressure of guys trying to block.

Kent has looked great. Can't say as I noticed Ringland much but really haven't been looking for him.

Stanback seemed to he getting the day off today. I wonder if that was to give the other 3, Mizzell, Agyei-Obese and newcomer Terrell big chunks of reps. For only arriving yesterday Terrell (5'10 210) did not look at all out of place.

Overall there just seems to be talent, depth and roster/ratio options everywhere. There's going to be some excellent players they simply won't have room for.

Eberhardt and Fulgham have been on the first-team offence all week, and they've shown no sign of leaving. Along with Alex Hollins and Justin McInnis, they're the focus of the Lions' passing game. The next tier of rookies, all of whom can get open and catch the ball, includes Jalon Sample, Jeff Cotton and WR/KR Stanley Berryhill, and there are others who have been making plays on the third team. National receivers Kieran Poissant and Ezechial Tieide are taking second and third-team reps behind Jevon Cottoy. Unfortunately, like Cottoy, they have been largely ignored in the offence. Tieide is getting regular work on special teams, which is often an indication of which rookies the coaches are planning to keep on the active roster.

As Hambone mentioned, RB Jordan Terrell looked impressive today in just his second day in camp, but he was taking third-team reps against the third-team defence

Rookies are getting lots of opportunities to make their mark in the secondary with the absence of T.J. Lee, Marcus Sayles and Patrice Rene. Americans Ronald Kent and Tyon Davis are taking first-team reps. Kent has made some impressive plays. Nationals Charlie Ringland and Christophe Beaulieu have also made plays, but returning nationals Adrian Greene, Rene and Siriman Bagayogo are ahead of them. If they are to make the roster, it will have to be on special teams.

Global kicker Carl Meyer has a powerful leg and can be the successor to Sean Whyte if Whyte ever goes anywhere. His best chance to make the roster would be in place of American Stefan Flintoft as punter and kickoff specialist, but Flintoft has shown no sign of relinquishing those roles.

[B.C.FAN]

Matt Baker’s video recap of Friday practice focuses on Travis Fulgham, the depth at linebacker and the kickers, particularly Sean Whyte.

[SammyGreene]

Fantastic stuff BC FAN and Hambone.
Sounds like Moj and Gulio will be doing nightly shows starting next week and leading into the first pre-season game in Calgary next Saturday. The Lions and the CFL season is going to quietly sneak up on the casual sports fan with the Canucks making their first serious playoff noise in over a decade.
I wonder if they were holding off on the season opener concert announcement in anticipation of having more of the sports spotlight on them but not with the Canucks now a win away from the conference final.

Stanback seemed to he getting the day off today. I wonder if that was to give the other 3, Mizzell, Agyei-Obese and newcomer Terrell big chunks of reps. For only arriving yesterday Terrell (5'10 210) did not look at all out of place.

They must really like Terrell to sign him with camp already underway. Wonder if they will move on completely from Mizzell?

Suprised to read Cottoy seeing few balls thrown his way on a daily basis. Wonder why VA's and others reads are ignoring him so much?They are certainly paying him to have an even bigger role this coming season.

[B.C.FAN]

Suprised to read Cottoy seeing few balls thrown his way on a daily basis. Wonder why VA's and others reads are ignoring him so much?They are certainly paying him to have an even bigger role this coming season.

This is not unusual for training camp and the early season. The Lions, so far at least, seem to be running the same offence as in the past few years. VA's main targets have been Fulgham, McInnis and Hollins. Cottoy is usually a checkdown option over the middle or in the flat. He is usually open but is seldom the primary target. VA ihasn't needed to check down. Last year Cottoy piled up the bulk of his 807 yards in the second half of the season when defences focused on shutting down VA's first reads. Cottoy had 276 yards in the first 9 games and 531 yards in the second half. On the season, he ranked fourth in the league with 417 yards after the catch, more than half of his total yards. I'd love to see him featured more in the offence because he is a load to bring down when he gets moving, but he seldom gets to run a vertical route.

[Hambone]

They must really like Terrell to sign him with camp already underway. Wonder if they will move on completely from Mizzell?

Suprised to read Cottoy seeing few balls thrown his way on a daily basis. Wonder why VA's and others reads are ignoring him so much?They are certainly paying him to have an even bigger role this coming season.

I think in the past it hasn't been unusual to see them cut a RB part way thru camp and immediately backfill with a new one.

As for Cottoy with it still being early in camp I think they are working on installing their base offense where his role is really unchanged from the 3rd SB of last year. McInnis and Fulgham have been taking the places of Rhymes and Hatcher in the 2023 offense with Hollins and Eberhardt handling the WR spots. With that he's been doing the usual things like sometimes rolling out in motion/waggle, sometimes lining up in the TE position for running plays. I saw at times him and Mackie lined up in a double TE set for a running play with Fulgham sitting out that rep.

Barring him taking on the slot positions currently going to McInnis and Fulgham I think the sorts of changes to the scheme that would get him more involved won't be worked on until the second half of camp. I assume building the offensive or for that matter the defensive schemes requires a layered approach; get the foundation or base built first then start adding the new wrinkles and twists. The latter is not something that stops in camp. Teams will continue doing that throughout the season.

[David]

They must really like Terrell to sign him with camp already underway. Wonder if they will move on completely from Mizzell?

I wondered the same thing, Sammy.

I think the Terrell signing is more to do with the realization that Stanback is 29 with a lot of miles (remember the serious ankle injury in 2022). As excited as I am to see the big man, I'm sure how many good years he has left. The club likely wants to groom an eventual replacement. Some really good highlights of Terrell's speed and shiftiness here.

I do recall hearing in the off-season the club liking what they saw last year with Smoke and expecting bigger things in 2024 as he adapts to the CFL game. The preseason should be interesting. I don't expect to see a whole lot of Stanback, at least in the first game. If the club decides to move on from Flintoft (not sure they will but could), they would have the luxury of dressing a second import RB like the Stampeders have done with and Carey and Logan.



DH

[B.C.FAN]

Terrell was brought in after another RB who was supposed to be Stanback’s roommate unexpectedly left town during mini-camp. Mizzell is still clearly number 2 but the four RBs in camp
all bring different qualities. Stanback, the heaviest at 233 lbs., is a versatile mix of power and speed, Mizzell is a small jitterbug who runs to daylight. Percy Agyei-Obese is smaller than Stanback but can still plow for some tough yards. Terrell appears to be a slasher who can hit the hole quickly and bounce the outside. His three big runs on Friday were all off tackle, similar to those in the video that David posted. Mizzell looked good behind the first-team offensive line on Friday but I would prefer to have someone with more size and power back up Stanback.

[Qman]

They must really like Terrell to sign him with camp already underway. Wonder if they will move on completely from Mizzell?

I wondered the same thing, Sammy.

I think the Terrell signing is more to do with the realization that Stanback is 29 with a lot of miles (remember the serious ankle injury in 2022). As excited as I am to see the big man, I'm sure how many good years he has left. The club likely wants to groom an eventual replacement. Some really good highlights of Terrell's speed and shiftiness here.

I do recall hearing in the off-season the club liking what they saw last year with Smoke and expecting bigger things in 2024 as he adapts to the CFL game. The preseason should be interesting. I don't expect to see a whole lot of Stanback, at least in the first game. If the club decides to move on from Flintoft (not sure they will but could), they would have the luxury of dressing a second import RB like the Stampeders have done with and Carey and Logan.



DH

Yeah, Campbell usually sends no 1s to preseason game. Wonder if fulgham will go given it’s his first year. We will get a good look at 2s and 3s in real conditions Saturday in Calgary. They dress their 1s for a half.

Note Logan is a returner, that key reason they dress two. We did the same in rainey era. Campbell would probably dress 6th rush end as extra DI given his history.

[Hambone]

They must really like Terrell to sign him with camp already underway. Wonder if they will move on completely from Mizzell?

I wondered the same thing, Sammy.

I think the Terrell signing is more to do with the realization that Stanback is 29 with a lot of miles (remember the serious ankle injury in 2022). As excited as I am to see the big man, I'm sure how many good years he has left. The club likely wants to groom an eventual replacement. Some really good highlights of Terrell's speed and shiftiness here.

I do recall hearing in the off-season the club liking what they saw last year with Smoke and expecting bigger things in 2024 as he adapts to the CFL game. The preseason should be interesting. I don't expect to see a whole lot of Stanback, at least in the first game. If the club decides to move on from Flintoft (not sure they will but could), they would have the luxury of dressing a second import RB like the Stampeders have done with and Carey and Logan.



DH

I always like having a home game for the 2nd preseason game as it allows getting a good look at newcomers in the road game while getting the bulk of the projected starter reps in during the second game in front of the home crowd.

The Calgary situation was a bit different than where BC is now. They did dress Carey and Logan at the same time but that was because Logan was their return specialist. Similar to what BC did with Rainey, Brown and Smart Logan might pick up a few change of pace reps on O or to replace Carey mid-game if he went down due to injury. If Carey couldn't go the next game Mills drew in with Logan again being relegated to returner/depth TB duties. I looked at their deployment around free agency time and don't believe Calgary ever dressed both Carey and Mills for the same game. It was always one or the other. Only times they dress 2 American TBs for run duties was when Bellamy suited up because either Carey or Mills and Logan were out and WR Tommylee Lewis handled return duties.

It's looking like BC will continue as they did last year. Williams is the KR. Looks like KR depth will be provided by another receiver like Berryhill or Lee who are taking KR reps. One of them is likely to earn a PR spot as Williams' backup while also being a backup WR. Stanback will be the only TB who suits up with Mackie providing in game insurance depth. They will activate a TB from the PR if Stanback can't go or they feel he should rest for a game. That will leave them able to use the DA spots left after Flintoft and Williams on the defensive side of the ball.

[South Pender]

Stanback seemed to he getting the day off today. I wonder if that was to give the other 3, Mizzell, Agyei-Obese and newcomer Terrell big chunks of reps. For only arriving yesterday Terrell (5'10 210) did not look at all out of place.

They must really like Terrell to sign him with camp already underway. Wonder if they will move on completely from Mizzell?

Terrell is an interesting acquisition. His 40 speed at his pro day was a ho-hum 4.61, but at 5-8, 213 lbs. (what he's listed at on the "Draft Scout Player Profile" site), he is compact and looks to be very strong. Below is a very brief account I ran across in a piece on small-college prospects (and Terrell's Barton College in North Carolina is about as small as it gets, with only 1150 undergraduate students!). Terrell is the 3rd player profiled. His strength is pretty obvious:
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/new ... ial-teams/