Mini Camp

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TheLionKing
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Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2005 10:13 pm
Location: Vancouver

Lions are holding theirs at the end of this month. Meanwhile the Riders are already holding theirs in Florida

http://cfl.ca/article/chamblin-impresse ... -mini-camp


BRADENTON, FL – With the cold climate still in control throughout Saskatchewan, the Roughriders have been seeking refuge in the northern Florida city of Bradenton, where they’ve been hosting their annual spring mini-camp.

In total, 57 players were invited by the Riders to the camp; the group of invitees ranging from players who were with the team last season, to those who are currently on the franchise’s negotiation list.

While it’s difficult to immediately identify any future CFL stars based on camp performances alone, both head coach Corey Chamblin and General Manager Brendan Taman were keeping their eyes peeled for key indicators.

“Yeah I think the guys did an excellent job, they were all competitive. They were all in pretty good shape and doing good things,” said Chamblin.

“They were professionals and I think we have some professional ball players there and even the young guys showed they can be professionals,” he added.

Adding even more importance to the Florida business trip is the fact that the Riders have lost some top-notch talent throughout the off-season.

Gone are the likes of Kory Sheets (Oakland, NFL), Weston Dressler (Kansas City, NFL) and Craig Butler (Hamilton), who each played massive roles in securing the Riders’ historic Grey Cup championship last November.

Interestingly enough, Sheets first caught the attention of the Riders brass at a free agent camp as well, which is why no stone will be left unturned by Chamblin and Taman.

“That’s partly it, we still need to go do what we need to do and evaluate ourselves,” said Taman.

“It’s a work in progress, it’s always something that you need to keep in mind and guys go up and down by the hour, so it’s a constant evaluation, but it’s been a good camp,” he added.

One player that impressed both Taman and Chamblin was Chaz Schilens, a 28-year-old receiver out of San Diego, who has been wearing Geroy Simon’s #81 throughout the camp.

Schilens, who last saw action in 2012 with the NFL’s New York Jets, says he’ll contribute any way he can if given the opportunity.

“You guys (Riders fans) already have a high quality championship team and anything I can help to continue that championship attitude and excellence I’d be glad,” he said.

“Other than that I want to be a tough, durable and dependable receiver.”

While Schilens will certainly be given the chance to show that he deserves a roster spot, another battle on the offensive side of the ball has garnered some attention from Chamblin’s staff.

With incumbent pivot Darian Durant sitting out the workouts with an illness, backups Tino Sunseri and Seth Doege have been receiving a sufficient amount of reps thus far.

And according to Chamblin, so far, so good.

“They did a pretty good job, those guys probably haven’t thrown many balls in a while, so some of their arms were tired and different things like that,” he said.

“Some spent some time with their mechanics and getting used to how George coaches and different things. I thought they did an okay job at this point. No one is a starter today, but they did a good job.”
TheLionKing
Hall of Famer
Posts: 25103
Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2005 10:13 pm
Location: Vancouver

RICHMOND, VA -- The Ottawa REDBLACKS concluded their inaugural three day mini-camp on Thursday at the Washington Redskins Bon Secours Training Centre and positive reviews were given from the team’s quarterback, Henry Burris.

“It went great - I mean we got a lot of things accomplished here in a couple of days, said Burris. He went on to mention, “this (camp) is a vital part for us preparing for that time (training camp).”

For a typical CFL veteran it may feel like going through the motions, but not for the REDBLACKS pivot. Entering his 16th season and on a new expansion team, he knows how important it is to be ahead of the learning curve with a new playbook on his hands and new teammates.

“To stay ahead of that learning curve is very important especially for a quarterback, who of anybody needs to be able to communicate that as far as the offence to the rest of the guys (teammates) especially when you step into the huddle,” said the 2013 CFL passing yards leader.

The mini-camp in Virginia was more than just getting back into football shape and learning the nuances to the new systems, it was a chance for Burris and his teammates to get to know each other and build relationships.

“I mean we had good time getting to know about all the new guys that are coming in, and also the guys we played against across the league the number of years I’ve been in,” Burris said.

“Of course not many have been playing as long as I have, but I’m thankful to be playing,” he added.

The buzz and excitement is starting to build, especially during the mini-camp. Having the coaching staff, as well as the players all together at once can only mean training camp isn’t too far around the corner.

With first impressions always important in any person’s life, when Burris was asked what impressed him the most he pointed out team speed and his teammates.

“I’ll tell you, it’s the talent we have. I mean the team speed, but also on top of that just great guys,” Burris said.

“It didn’t’ seem like we had a lot of egos on this team and that’s something you look for, you hope everybody has that winning attitude and they’re ready to have a good time doing it, as far as working our tails off and that’s what I saw across the board,” he added.

After 15 seasons of playing professional football and the toll it takes on any players body, let alone a quarterbacks body, Burris will be finding time between the end of mini-camp and the start of training camp to prep his body and mind for another CFL season.

“That’s what I’m excited about and also preparing the body physically, mentally and getting ready for training camp,” Burris said.

Burris can definitely feel the excitement and believes it’ll grow once he transitions his life to Ottawa and sees firsthand the REDBLACKS fan base.

“I’m excited to get out there (Ottawa) with the fans and starting to get to know the people of the city and each and every community and building the excitement and helping out as far as getting ready for the season to come, said a smiling Burris.
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