CFL Combines 2015

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Combine Season: 2015 combine lists revealed

Posted: February 25, 2015 12:58 PM

Updated: February 25, 2015 01:53 PM

CFL.ca Staff

TORONTO – The Canadian Football League announced that the League will once again host three regional combines with the participating players having one final opportunity of earning an invitation to the 2015 National CFL Combine presented by Reebok, which will take place in Toronto, March 27-29.

For the third consecutive year, the CFL will host regional combines, and for the second-straight year, it will host a trio of them beginning in Edmonton on March 23, in Montreal on March 25 and in Toronto on March 26.

“The addition of a regional combine last year helped expand our teams scouting databases and evaluate more players in a combine setting, which netted positive results,” said Kevin McDonald, CFL Vice President of Football Operations. “After adding fourteen players to the national combine last year, with thirteen of them hearing their names called on draft day, it proves that Canada, coast to coast has incredible depth of football players.” McDonald added.

See below for the list of participants for each regional combine:

Edmonton Regional CFL Combine participant list.

Montreal Regional CFL Combine participant list.

Toronto Regional CFL Combine participant list.

Here is the list of players attending this year’s National CFL Combine presented by Reebok:

The CFL, with input from all teams, will then invite additional players from the regional combines to the national Combine in Toronto depending on player performance. Each regional combine will invite approximately 40 to 50 football players.

CFL Round One Mock Draft
Winter Scouting Bureau Top-20
More Prospect Headlines

The top players eligible for the upcoming 2015 CFL Draft, as ranked collectively by the teams and the league office, are invited to attend the National CFL Combine presented by Reebok.

National CFL Combine:

The National CFL Combine presented by Reebok in Toronto will take place downtown at the Park Hyatt Hotel and Varsity Stadium. The players will undergo medical examinations, performance, strength and speed tests, on-field football drills and team interviews over the three day combine in front of general managers, coaches and scouts from all teams.

Regional Combine Players drafted in the 2014 CFL Draft:

Last year’s regional combines accumulated an additional 14 invites to the National Combine, with 13 players getting drafted and others who may have not received an invite getting drafted including:

Tchissakid Player, an offensive lineman from Northwestern State (Toronto Regional Combine) was selected in the second round, 12th overall by the BC Lions in the 2014 CFL Draft.

Scott MacDonell, a wide receiver from Queen’s University (Toronto Regional Combine) was selected in the second round, 13th overall by the Ottawa REDBLACKS in the 2014 CFL Draft.

Aaron Milton, a running back from the University of Toronto (Toronto Regional Combine) was selected in the second round, 15th overall by the Edmonton Eskimos in the 2014 CFL Draft.

Nigel Romick, a defensive lineman from Saint Mary’s University (Montreal Regional Combine) was selected in the third round, 23rd overall by the Ottawa REDBLACKS in the 2014 CFL Draft.
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CFL Regional Combines for Canadian draft-eligible players in Edmonton and Montreal ahead of the main CFL Combine in Toronto on March 28 and 29
http://www.cfl.ca/article/dunk-an-insid ... or-combine
Dunk: An inside look at how CFL teams prep for Combine

Posted: March 09, 2015 12:00 PM

Justin Dunk

Teams around the Canadian Football League are hard at work preparing for the upcoming CFL combines. Typically franchises enter the Combine with hours of assessment, grading and film study already completed.

For the most part, each new draft cycle begins at the CIS East West Bowl every year where scouts get an up-close look at the next crop of talent coming out of Canadian universities. Player evaluators also keep a close eye on NCAA schools for Canuck pro prospects. Throughout the university and college seasons on both sides of the border CFL scouts are visiting campuses, taking in live games and talking to coaches and teammates about potential draftable players.

Each team has a file – varying in size - filled with notes on each player that is eligible for that year’s draft. Using that information personnel staffs whittle the list down to players they actually want to watch on film in the off-season. If scouts believe a player has any chance to play in the CFL they will watch his tape.

Essentially, those athletes have made it through the first step of the grading process. After that, those prospects get studied in-depth, but every front office approaches that process in a unique way.

One CFL team divides up position groups for watching tape. Each evaluator will pull out any play - positive, negative or anywhere in between - that catches their eye that could possibly be made a part of a film cut-up for each player. For this particular team, they put together a final collection of 20 plays that should paint an accurate picture of a given prospect. Then the whole scouting department will get together for a week before the combines to watch all the cut-ups, talk about each player and stack their rankings board.

“Every player is going to have a 20-play cut-up that summarizes the good, bad, ugly or whatever you think of that player,” a CFL general manager said. “We want to have all these cut-ups done before we go to these combines so that we can go into them with a real good idea of each player.”

A different CFL franchise uses cutups as well, but they don’t limit the number of plays added to the reel for any one player. Team personnel evaluators get involved to varying degrees in this front office, some watch the cut-ups made by the main Canadian scouts while others prefer to watch entire games. And the coaching staff watches the cutups to rank players by the way they see them fitting into their schemes.

“This year it’s probably closer to 100 kids that we’re evaluating, that’s a little more than it’s been the past few years,” a scout from this team said. “That’s not to say it’s 100 high-level kids that are all going to be starters one day, but it’s players that could potentially develop and help a team in some way.”

Sometimes there are lots of positive plays in a cut-up while other times it might be filled with negative plays - it’s different for each player. Through this team’s process, evaluators keep going back to the film and adding plays to the cut-up as they work through all the film they need to feel comfortable with their evaluation of a single player.

“From there you can take personnel and coaching grades and come up with our rankings,” a scout said.

Another CFL team attacks the film evaluation in a whole other way: everyone in the personnel department watches as much as possible on every player.

“Everybody needs to at least have a peek at every guy. Too many times elsewhere where I’ve been, one guy will watch a player and reject him,” a CFL general manager said. “But other people will have seen that same player in a different game and saw that there was something there.”

After each man has crunched all the film possible on their own, the group sits in a room to watch players in-depth, and not just a select number of clips. This franchise watches at least two or three games together.

CFL reveals 2015 Combine roster

With the CFL regional and national combines under four weeks away, the CFL revealed the list of players attending all three regional combines and the national combine.

Justin Dunk's Version 1 Mock Draft
2015 Scouting Bureau Rankings


“For us it’s really a minimum of three people and for the most part it will end up being four to five people with a grade on the majority of the players, before we sit in there as a group,” the general manager said.

After that meeting, each talent evaluator puts their grade on a player and the board is stacked based on the entire personnel staff agreeing on where each prospect should be ranked.

As one scout said, “It’s a ridiculous amount of time that you spend watching film.” But the eye in the sky is the most important tool used to evaluate and grade prospects. That ensures cowboy remotes will get quite the workout in the time leading up to the combine so teams can zero in on the players they like from the tape.

“You hope the guys you’ve watched on film that you like show up and test like pros,” a general manager explained. “If all the notes are positive and he runs and tests really well, that solidifies that a player can play in the CFL. On the flip side, let’s say you like a player on film and everything is really good about him, but he shows up and doesn’t test well, now he drops down in your eyes. But you still like him on film, so you go back and re-evaluate the player because athletically he’s going to really struggle in the CFL, and you have to weigh that. Then let’s say there is a player who’s film is bad, and you just don’t like him, but at the combine he tests through the roof. Then you go back and say there’s something athletically about this kid, he can play in the CFL, but why is his film not very good? Let’s figure that out.”

In a purrfect world, the prospects that CFL teams like on film will show up and confirm what scouts have seen on tape: that they're ready to make the jump to the CFL

Although, it’s seemingly never quite that easy and that’s why so much rides on the entire performance by an athlete at the National CFL Combine.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
TheLionKing
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There are plenty of Canadian Football League prospects that play at Canadian universities and get quite a bit of coverage throughout their careers, especially leading into the combines and draft. But lots of national players go down south for post-secondary schooling and continue their football careers there.

It feels like once athletes leave the great white north to attend college or university in the United States, they go off the radar. They’re out of sight, out of mind for the most part until returning to the Canadian side of the border at the league’s annual scouting get together in Toronto.

Eight Canadian NCAA athletes have been invited to the National CFL Combine. So let’s get you up to speed on what those athletes accomplished in their final seasons before entering the draft and find out how scouts currently view each prospect.

Jacob Ruby, OL, Richmond

2014 season statistics: 14 starts between left and right tackle.

Scout's take: “A mountain of a man that intimidates with his size. He’s pretty athletic and polished. His strengths are toughness and physicality. Ruby has the demeanor and skillset to play inside, but he might have a chance to be a tackle in our league. Just the way he looks is kind of like Jeff Perrett.”

James Bodanis, OL, Michigan State

Scout's take: “He’s more an athlete than a player right now. He didn’t really play more than 30 or 40 snaps at Michigan State. He’s a hard-working guy. He was a defensive lineman for a couple years, and then an offensive lineman for a couple years, so he’s just trying to find a home. He’s raw, absolutely raw. It’s just a matter of finding a position, getting some coaching and sticking with it.”

Campbell Allison, OL, Eastern Michigan

2014 season statistics: 10 starts and 11 games played.

Scout's take: “He’s a tough farm kid who started a lot of games at Eastern Michigan – played every position on the offensive line for the Eagles. Definitely an interior pro prospect, centre might be his best position in the CFL. He is similar to Justin Sorenson.”

Shaquille Murray-Lawrence, RB, UNLV

2014 season statistics: Nine games played, 117 rushes for 580 yards and nine touchdowns and 16 catches for 156 yards.

Scout's take: “Shaq makes people miss in tight spaces -- elusive and speedy, that’s him. He’s quick, fast and has an impressive burst. He can catch the ball and he’s got the whole package as a little guy. Murray-Lawrence stands out on film.”

Jefferson Court, FB, Utah State

2014 season statistics: 13 games played, six catches for 26 yards and three touchdowns.

Scout's take: “Court is a prototypical CFL fullback. He does what all CFL fullbacks do: waggles across, wham blocks, leaks out into the flats. His film is perfectly suited for what is going to be expected of him up here.”

Andrew Johnson, REC, Fort Lewis College

2014 season statistics: 11 games played, 39 receptions, 458 yards, two touchdowns.

Scout's take: “He has good hands, fearless going over the middle and he’s really good in the open field. You give him the ball and he’s much faster than timed speed. But there are some inconsistencies with him and he’s not super physical on film.”

Maxx Forde, DL, Idaho

2014 season statistics: 10 games played, 28 solo tackles, three assisted tackles, six tackles for loss, one sack, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble.

Scout's take: “He played at a good program and was a starter on the defensive line for three years. He’s got good rush technique, but is a guy that needs some seasoning with pro experience. I would like to see him put on some weight to play on the inside, I don’t think he’s fast enough to play outside.”

Blair Smith, LB, Angelo State

2014 season statistics: 12 games played, 39 solo tackles, 62 assisted tackles, eight tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, one forced fumble

Scout's take: “He has a thick, wide build that reminds me of Frederic Plesius, but he’s not as athletic. Definitely will be able to contribute on special teams right away. Instinctive player that seems to always be around the ball.”

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WestCoastJoe
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http://www.cfl.ca/video/index/id/108779

Video of the guys getting ready for the Combine.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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Combine: Regionals set to kick off in Edmonton

Posted: March 22, 2015 12:00 PM

CFL.ca Staff

EDMONTON – A busy week of three regional combines kicks off Monday in Edmonton, as 28 draft-eligible prospects vie for an invitation to the 2015 CFL National Combine on March 27-29 in Toronto.

For the third year in a row since the regional combine was inaugurated, Edmonton will host a series of tests, measurements and one-on-one drills, as some of the country’s top CFL hopefuls look to boost their stock ahead of the 2015 CFL Draft.

The best performers on Monday are invited to the National Combine, where the spotlight is bigger and the chances of being drafted improve.

In 2014, five Edmonton regional combine participants were added to the National Roster, with all five being drafted and one, linebacker Thomas Miles, going in the fourth round. Tore Corrado, Michael Dadzie, Kyle Paterson and Dylan Roper were the others – selections less likely without the regional combine.

Monday’s regional combine may also include national free agents and international free agents who play in the CIS – none of whom will be eligible for the draft and therefore cannot receive an invitation to the National Combine.

As part of our ongoing coverage leading into the 2015 CFL Combine, CFL.ca is your stop for up-to-the-minute stats, news, analysis, videos and more from the Alberta capital.

By the Numbers:

- Of the 43 currently on the Edmonton regional combine roster, 28 are draft eligible.

- Defensive back, linebacker and wide receiver are the positions best represented, with all nine DBs eligible for the draft, seven of nine WR eligible and eight of nine LB eligible.

- B.C.’s Simon Fraser University (SFU) and the University of Manitoba will each have six prospects in attendance, while the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary combine for seven.

Edmonton Regional Combine schedule:

*All times listed in Eastern Standard Time

10:00am – Registration

10:30am – Height and weight, hand and arm measurements; video shot; vertical jump; broad jump; bench press (225 lbs)

12:30pm – 40-yard dash; short shuttle; three-cone drill

3:00pm – Positional drills and one-on-ones:

3:00pm – OL/DL drills
3:15pm – OL/DL one-on-ones
3:30pm – RB/LB drills
3:45pm – RB/LB one-on-ones (pass protection and routes)
4:05pm – Special teams gunner drill (RBs, LBs and DEs)
4:15pm – WR/DB drills
4:35pm – WR/DB one-on-ones
4:55pm – Special teams gunner drill (WRs and DBs)
5:05pm – Long snappers/punters/kickers

5:20pm – Announcement of players invited to Toronto
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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EDMONTON – The Canadian Football League held its first of three regional combines today in Edmonton, resulting in four players being invited to the CFL National Combine presented by Reebok in Toronto this coming weekend.

Kahlen Branning, Dexter Janke, Auston Johnson, and Quinn Lawlor were extended an invitation to display their athletic abilities once again in front of CFL scouts, coaches, and management at the National Combine in Toronto, March 27-29.

Branning a native of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and a defensive back for the Regina Rams, ran the fastest 40-yard dash with a time of 4.55 seconds and the second highest vertical jump of 38”.

Janke played football this season with the Okanagan Sun of the Canadian Junior Football League. A native of Edmonton, Alberta, the defensive back finished with the second fastest 40-yard dash with a time of 4.57 seconds. He also finished with the second fastest three-cone drill time amongst defensive backs with a time of 7.13 seconds.

Johnson showed off this strength by recording 29 bench reps of 225 pounds, the most recorded at the 2015 Edmonton Regional Combine. Johnson played for University of South Dakota in the NCAA. He also finished second fastest 40-yard dash time amongst linebackers with a time of 4.82 seconds.

Offensive lineman, Quinn Lawlor from Brigham Young University recorded the best vertical among lineman with 31.5” as well as 24 bench reps, good enough for second among offensive and defensive lineman.


Edmonton Regional Combine Results


Bench

40-Yard

Vertical

1. Auston Johnson -- 29 reps 1. Kahlen Branning -- 4.55 1. Errol Brooks -- 38.50"
2. Tom Tsoumpas -- 28 reps 2. Dexter Janke -- 4.56 T2. Kahlen Branning -- 38.00"
T3. Connor Ralph -- 27 reps 3. Errol Brooks -- 4.57 T2. Tremaine Apperley -- 38.00"
T3. Aaron Picton -- 27 reps 4. Jordan Reaves -- 4.69 T4. Kyle Kawamoto -- 37.50"
5. Jake Schiffner -- 26 reps 5. Bobby Pospischil -- 4.70 T4. Liam Howe -- 37.50"

Shuttle

3-Cone

Broad

1. Dexter Janke -- 4.20 1. Bobby Pospischil -- 7.03 1. Marshall Cook -- 10'4.00"
2. Kyle Kawamoto -- 4.27 2. Bibake Uppal -- 7.04 2. Nehemie Kankolongo -- 10'1.00"
3. Kahlen Branning -- 4.29 T3. Connor Ralph -- 7.06 3. Jordan Reaves -- 10'0.50"
4. Matt Sawyer -- 4.35 T3. Jordan Reaves -- 7.06 T4. Geoff Hughes -- 10'0.00"
5. Jordan Linnen -- 4.37 5. Kyle Kawamoto -- 7.07 T4. Yembeh Moiba -- 10'0.00"
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Congratulations to those who made it. I was hoping for better results from many of the participants, including onetime Lions' training camp invitee Jordan Linnen, but his numbers were terrible.
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http://www.cfl.ca/page/2015-edmonton-re ... sults-2015

Numbers from the Edmonton combine.

Obviously size, speed, strength and athleticism matter. But they don't make the player.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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Day 1 results of the CFL Combines


TORONTO -- Byron Archambault (17) was a topic of discussion entering the 2015 National Combine, and on Saturday he justified the hype.

After expressing desire to break the all-time record of 47 entering the week, the Montreal Carabins linebacker put up 41 reps on the bench press, setting an all-time record among linebackers and putting him second all-time to offensive lineman Michael Knill (2011).

His efforts captured the excitement of a busy Day 2 of the CFL National Combine in Toronto, one that kicked off a series of tests including the bench press, broad jump and vertical jump.

“I’m happy considering you’re under the spotlight to perform, so I think I showed the coaches that I’m able to perform under the spotlight," said Archambault. "Personally this isn’t my personal best, so for me I was disappointed I wasn’t able to put up 45 reps."

"Overall it’s a good start for the weekend.”

While Archambault swept headlines early, defensive backs Chris Ackie and Tevaughn Campbell raised a storm in the afternoon, finishing one and two respectively in both the broad and vertical jumps.



Ackie's 40-inch vertical cleared the competition with relative ease, while he also had the furthest broad jump by nearly two inches with a 10'11.50" leap. Equally touted as an athlete, Campbell placed second with a 38.5" vertical and a 10'9.75" broad jump.

CFL Combine Insider Justin Dunk says all three improved their stock on Saturday, but scouts and GMs will still want to see more.

“For Ackie, you knew the guy was athletic but you wanted to see him come out and do it," says Dunk. "Jumping 40 inches, you see that explosiveness."

"In the broad jump this guy is CFL-ready," he continues. "Some teams are looking at him as a linebacker and some as a DB – maybe he can play both in the CFL and be kind of a tweener guy.

"Ackie’s no doubt a great athlete.”

While Ackie projects as either a defensive back or linebacker, Campbell's versatility also puts his position up in the air. Campbell was one of Dunk's top picks for this weekend's 'testing monsters', and the combine analyst expects a big Sunday from the Regina alum.

"Tevaughn Campbell, I knew he was going to be a freak," says Dunk. "I have him in my testing monsters, and he’s going to go out and run fast tomorrow and it just looks like he has such an easy athleticism."

"Translating that to the CFL, teams aren’t sure what Tevaughn is. Can he come in to play corner? Does he need to get a little bigger? Or does he have the football sense to play safety?" asks Dunk.

"That will be determined on Sunday.”


Bench Press

The morning kicked off bright and early with the bench press, starting with the big guys on the offensive and defensive line.

The Calgary O-line duo of Sukh Chung (7) and Sean McEwen (6) set the early tone, putting up 26 and 27 reps respectively to lead all offensive linemen.

Ettore Lattanzio (20) of Ottawa shattered the early competition and wound up leading all linemen, however, putting up an impressive 32 reps. That put him in the top-15 all-time in the bench press.

From there, though, it was the linebackers and running backs impressing most. Michigan State running back Matt Rea, a regional combine invite, put up 31 reps just two days after putting up 29 in Toronto, temporarily moving him into second and finishing third on the day.

Laval running back Cristophe Normand added to a strong day for the running backs, finishing with 29 reps.

But the player everyone lined up to see most didn't go until later. Montreal linebacker Byron Archambault stepped up to the bar in front of several fellow Montreal Carabins, and did his best to seize the spotlight on the way to 41 reps.

His effort was the most dominant of the day, catapulting him to second all-time in the bench press and a record among linebackers.


Receivers and defensive backs capped off the morning's action, with Simon Fraser's Lemar Durant also turning heads with 26 reps. Durant declared later and wasn't included in the most recent Scouting Bureau ranking, but the stock of this powerful and speedy pass-catcher appears to be quickly rising.


Bench Press


RANK

Name

Pos

School

Reps

1 Byron Archambault (17) LB Montreal 41
2 Ettore Lattanzio (20) DL Ottawa 32
3 Matt Rea RB Michigan State 31
4 Christophe Normand RB Laval 29
5 Sean McEwen (6) OL Calgary 27
T6 Auston Johnson LB South Dakota 26
T6 Lemar Durant WR SFU 26
T8 Sukh Chung (7) OL Calgary 25
T9 Quinn Lawlor OL BYU 24
T9 James Bodanis OL Michigan State 24


Justin Dunk said prospects didn't do a lot to either hurt or help themselves with the bench press, but Archambault's dominant performance should improve his outlook in the eyes of CFL teams.

“A player comes in with a goal and he gets pretty close to it," says Dunk. "He gets 41, most ever by a linebacker by far. He says his personal best is 45. He had an idea that he would come close to that record, and to go out and perform on the stage like that has to be impressive to teams.”


Vertical Jump

After the day's top billing, athletes lined up for height and weight measurements before getting set for the vertical and broad jumps. Who can jump highest is always an intriguing feat, especially for the defensive backs, receivers, linebackers and defensive linemen.

While Ackie and Campbell led the pack going one-two respectively on Saturday in each jump, others did plenty to improve their stock.

Regina defensive back Kahlen Branning rounded out the top three in the vertical (all defensive backs) with a 37-inch leap. Receiver Lamar Durant and running back Kienan LaFrance rounded out the leaderboard with 36-inch jumps, as the athletic Durant continued his strong day while LaFrance put his name on the leaderboard as the only running back in the top five.


Vertical Jump


Rank

Name

Pos

School

Height

Vertical

1 Chris Ackie DB Wilfrid Laurier 6.00 40.0"
2 Tevaughn Campbell DB Regina 5.10 38.5"
3 Kahlen Branning DB Regina 6.00 37.0"
4 Lemar Durant WR Simon Fraser 6.02 36.0"
5
Kienan LaFrance RB Manitoba 5.09 36.0"
Full Results >



Broad Jump

Concluding the day's events was the broad jump, where instead of trying to jump high, prospects looked to jump furthest. While Ackie and Campbell again dominated in the broad jump, three others managed to improve their stock with some strong results.

Calgary wide receiver Jake Harty reached 10'7.25 in the broad jump for third overall and the best jump among receivers, while Sant Mary's receiver and regional invite Melvin Abankwah finished fourth with a 10'7.25" jump.

Rounding out the top five in the broad jump was Bishop's Adrian Clarke, the top linebacker in the broad jump and the only to reach the top-five.


Broad Jump


Rank

Name

Pos

School

Distance

1
Chris Ackie DB Wilfrid Laurier 10'11.5"
2 Tevaugh Campbell DB Regina 10'9.75"
3 Jake Harty WR Calgary 10'7.25"
4 Melvin Abankwah WR Saint Mary's 10'4.00"
5
Adrian Clarke LB Bishop's 10'2.75"
Full Results >



Dunk's Take

No major stock changes on Combine Saturday

After a long day of testing and some impressive athletic feats, CFL Insider Justin Dunk says most prospects performed as expected. That was particularly the case with the bench press, where he says offensive linemen are expected to reach around 20 and there's typically more for players to lose with a bad result than there is to gain with a good one.

"I think overall the bench was about as expected," says Dunk after all is said and done. "Nobody’s stock really went up or down with the bench.”

“What teams are looking for is they’ll look back on the 2014 East-West Bowl numbers for guys that were at that event, and see how hard these guys work in the year and where they got to," he continues. "If they’re lower, you go back and you ask the guy ‘have you been working’."

"They check that in the interviews.”

Linebackers could be on the rise

The linebackers weren't leading the charts in today's three testing events, but Dunk says they could be on the rise.

“I think it’s gotta be that linebacker group," says Dunk, asked about his biggest takeaway from Saturday. "There are some players in there, and there was a scout that told me before this combine that there could be a linebacker getting into the first round."

"We have all the big offensive linemen that everyone’s talked about, but after today with what the linebackers did with Chris Ackie, Blair Smith, Adam Konar and Adrian Clarke, those linebackers showed that this is a strong group and I think we could see one of them get into the first round.”


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B.C.FAN
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Five of the top seven performances in the bench press were by running backs and linebackers. If I were a lineman, I'd be embarrassed. Strength is supposed to be their biggest advantage.
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WestCoastJoe
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http://www.tsn.ca/forde-intriguing-prospects-1.242410
CFL

Duane Forde

CFL Combine

Forde: Intriguing prospects

TSN.ca Staff

Chris Ackie tackles Melvin Abankwah


Chris Ackie tackles Melvin Abankwah, The Canadian Press


They’re not necessarily regarded as the top prospects, but each of these CFL Combine participants (listed alphabetically) is intriguing in his own way.

Chris Ackie (DB, Wilfrid Laurier, 6’0”, 215 lbs.): This 2014 First Team All-Canadian is one of the elite defensive prospects in the class and the Golden Hawks' best defender since current Hamilton Tiger-Cat Courtney Stephen. Blessed with great instincts and more explosiveness than flat-out speed, the only question is whether he’s best suited to play safety or linebacker at the CFL level.

James Bodanis (OL, Michigan State, 6’5”, 300 lbs.): He may have the biggest upside of any player in the class, as he has played in a total of just 19 football games...in his life. In fact, five years ago, he was playing junior hockey and had only a single game of high school football on his résumé. He was recruited to play football at the University of Toronto because their coaches were intrigued by his combination of size and athleticism. After three seasons as a defensive lineman with the Varsity Blues, including a redshirt year, that same combination of size and athleticism caught the attention of MSU recruiters. With the Spartans, he redshirted in 2013 and played only four games in 2014 after switching to offence, but he still has that size and athleticism that will turn some heads.

Adrian Clarke (LB, Bishop’s, 6’3”, 235 lbs.): Fellow linebackers Nick Shortill (McMaster), Adam Konar (Calgary) and Byron Archambault (Montreal) have deservedly seen their names on All-Canadian teams and in the Canadian Scouting Bureau’s prospect rankings, while Ron Omara (St. Francis Xavier) has earned an invitation to the NFL’s Super Regional Combine. However, Clarke, a standout at the 2013 East West Bowl, is probably the most athletic member of this year’s very deep LB class.

Jefferson Court (FB/TE, Utah State, 6’3”, 238 lbs.): He is one of five players at the CFL Combine who didn’t qualify as Nationals until a rule change about nine months ago, but what’s most interesting about him is his skill set. The converted linebacker is a physical run blocker, but also a capable receiver, particularly in the red zone. He headlines a solid 2015 fullback class.

Jake Harty (SB, Calgary, 6’2”, 210 lbs.): He doesn’t have as high a ceiling as some of the more athletic receivers in attendance, but this four-year starter is one of the more CFL-ready prospects in this draft class. Harty played in a very balanced offence, averaging 29 receptions a year, but he easily could’ve been a dominant player, as evidenced by his school-record 15-catch performance in the 2012 Hardy Cup game.

Matt Isherwood (DB, Simon Fraser, 6’1”, 195): He is one of seven CFL Combine participants who were reclassified from the Class of 2014 due to changes to the draft eligibility rules. In his case, he gained a year after missing the entire 2013 season with a broken ankle. A season earlier, he had finished sixth on the Clan in tackles, behind only five current CFLers. The versatile Abbotsford, B.C. native showed no lingering effects of the injury upon his return last fall, as he finished third on the team in tackles and also chipped in with three interceptions and two forced fumbles.

Adam Konar (LB, Calgary, 6’2”, 220 lbs.): The son of longtime B.C. Lions linebacker Kevin Konar has had a rather circuitous route to the CFL Combine. After bursting on to the CIS scene in 2011 by leading the UBC Thunderbirds in tackles, he elected to play junior football for the Langley Rams the next season. In 2013, he planned to return to the university ranks with the Dinos, but a preseason knee injury knocked him out for the year. He showed no signs of rust this season, though, as he led U of C in tackles and caught the attention of CFL scouts.

Ettore Lattanzio (DT, Ottawa, 6’0”, 260 lbs.): The 2014 Metras Trophy winner as the nation’s best lineman has averaged over one sack and 1.5 tackles for loss per game over the course of his four-year CIS career, thanks to his cat-like quickness, sneaky strength and relentless motor. If he were 6’4”, 290 lbs., he’d be a consensus first-round pick, but, at 6’0”, 260 lbs., he’s a tweener...but he’s a tweener who will be hard to ignore.

Shaquille Murray-Lawrence (RB, Nevada-Las Vegas, 5’8”, 200 lbs.): Arguably the fastest player in the class, he averaged 10 yards per carry (21 carries) in junior college in 2012 and followed it up with 8.9 yards per carry (47 carries) in his first year with the Rebels. His numbers leveled out to 4.9 yards per carry as more of an every down back as a senior, but regardless, his speed gives him big play potential.

Christophe Normand (FB, Laval, 6’2”, 240 lbs.): The Rouge et Or program has churned out a lot of running backs over the years, but this former rugby player is different. He has recorded only 52 carries in his four years at Laval, but has averaged over nine yards a pop. At last spring’s East West Bowl, he ran the second fastest 40-yard dash among running backs...just one-one hundredth of a second behind the nation’s runaway rushing leader, Dillon Campbell (Wilfrid Laurier), who is about 40 lbs. lighter than Normand. I’m not sure if that was before or after he hoisted 30 reps on the bench.
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http://www.tsn.ca/forde-who-to-watch-at ... e-1.242001
Forde: Who to watch at National Combine

TSN.ca Staff

Sean McEwen, University of Calgary


"Offensive linemen are to our draft what quarterbacks are to the NFL Draft." Former B.C. Lions coach Mike Benevides, who joins TSN's combine coverage this weekend, gave me that analogy several years ago and it has held true.

Historically, one of the best indicators of the relative strength of a CFL draft class has always been the depth and quality of available offensive linemen. For example, the best class in recent memory was 2008, where the first round of the draft produced three rookie O-Line starters and seven of the first twelve picks were offensive linemen.

This year, two top O-Line prospects, Alex Mateas (Connecticut) and Brett Boyko (Nevada-Las Vegas), will bypass the CFL Combine but here's a brief look at a few of the other prospects (listed alphabetically) who are causing scouts to call the Class of 2015 the best since 2008.

Sukh Chung (OG, Calgary, 6'3", 290 lbs.): Originally a member of the Class of 2014, he was among those CIS players reclassified to 2015 when the CFL adjusted its draft eligibility rules last year. After having to bide his time behind a deep group of veterans on the Dinos offensive line early in his career, he has developed into a two-time All-Canadian. Strong, aggressive, and tough, he plays with a definite edge and a desire to physically dominate his opponents.

Danny Groulx (OL, Laval, 6'7", 335 lbs.): His size is his most obvious asset but not by a long shot is it his only one. He moves surprisingly well for his size and also demonstrates the strength (29 bench press reps at the 2014 East West Bowl) to go along with his mass. He could garner NFL free agent interest.

Karl Lavoie (OL, Laval, 6'4", 285 lbs.): Manning the left tackle position for the Rouge et Or, he has been selected as an All-Canadian twice and an RSEQ All-Star three times. He possesses good footwork and is technically sound but will need to add weight to play at the next level.

Sean McEwen (OC, Calgary, 6'3, 300 lbs.): This two-time All-Canadian ranks as one of the most CFL-ready prospects in this class. While his outstanding technique and high football IQ are perhaps his greatest strengths, he is also physically impressive in terms of both strength and quickness.

Jacob Ruby (OT, Richmond, 6'7", 315 lbs.): This former tight end had originally committed to UConn before signing with the Spiders. He emerged as a four-year starter, primarily at left tackle, earning various All-Conference accolades over the last three seasons.

Unlike 2008, where current CFL starters Jon Gott and Luc Brodeur-Jourdain were drafted in later rounds, the 2015 O-Line class appears to be a little top heavy. The CFL Combine will present an opportunity for three NCAA Division 1 products, Campbell Allison (Eastern Michigan), and possibly James Bodanis (Michigan State) and Quinn Lawlor (Brigham Young) to prove themselves worthy of filling that void behind the top prospects.

David Beard (Alberta) would have also fallen into that category this weekend but the Second Team All-Canadian had to decline his combine invitation due to an injured wrist that required surgery.

As an aside, Dillon Guy (Buffalo), who had appeared among the Canadian Scouting Bureau's Top 15 prospects in both their September and December rankings, has been reclassified to 2016 after missing the entire season due to injury and taking a medical redshirt.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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Shaquille Murray-Lawrence

Little Shaq.

YouTube. 73 yard TD run. He is a blazer.

5'8" 200

At the Combine

4.412 in the 40.

http://www.cfl.ca/video/index/id/109065/autostart/true
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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Combine Sunday: Recapping day two of testing


Posted: March 29, 2015 05:00 PM


TORONTO -- If the first day of testing at the National Combine is about strength, the second is all about speed.

Sunday at the 2015 CFL National Combine had no shortage of speed, highlighted by the same electronic 40-Yard-Dash record being twice broken on the same afternoon.

After UNLV running back Shaquille Murray-Lawrence set an electronic 40 record-breaking time of 4.41 earlier in the day, Regina defensive back Tevaughn Campbell answered shortly after, re-setting the record with an electrifying run of 4.36.

While the 40 is Sunday's equivalent of the bench press, that wasn't the only exciting aspect of the final day of the combine.

Once again turning heads was the explosive Montreal linebacker Byron Archambeaux, who logged the number one shuttle time with a mark of 4.18 while placing fourth in the three-cone with a run of 7.16 -- this just a day after setting a linebacker record with 41 reps on the bench press.

High-ranked Manitoba receiver Nic Demski took home the three-cone crown, topping all participants with a time of 6.91, the only time below seven seconds on the day.

While the nation's top football prospects got to put their talents on paper on Sunday through three remaining combine tests, the day also provided an opportunity to shine in a greater football environment with positional drills and one-on-ones.

In one aspect of the combine that's unique to Canadian Football, players strap on the pads and helmets and go at it in contact drills, watched by the eyes of nearly every scout, coach and general manager across the league.

Sunday is, in all reality, one last chance for prospects to put their work in front of the eyes of all nine CFL teams -- and on this day in late march, that was clearly an emphasis among participants.

Who helped themselves the most?


Leaderboard


Drill

Leader

Result

Bench Press
Byron Archambault (17) 41 reps
40-Yard Dash
Tevaughn Campbell 4.355
Vertical Jump
Chris Ackie 40.0"
Broad Jump
Chris Ackie 10'11.50"
Shuttle Byron Archambault 4.18
3-Cone Nic Demski 6.91



40-Yard Dash

Shaquille Lawrence-Murray and Tevaughn Campbell share the day's biggest headline, each having consecutively broken the electronic record for fastest time in the bench press.

While Steven Turner holds the record for fastest all-around 40 at 4.31, his time was hand-timed in 2010, the year before the CFL started using electronic measurements in testing the 40.

CFL.ca Combine Insider Justin Dunk says Sunday's historic feats will long be remembered, after only an hour separated a pair of record-breaking performances.

“You come here every year and you think the athletes are better, bigger, stronger and faster," says Dunk. "But to see the electronic 40 record broken twice in one day was just an awesome display."

"I think it shows that you don’t need to look at a player based on his passport – that these Canadian kids are legitimate football players, it doesn’t matter what side of the border they were born on.”

Receivers Nic Demski and Lemar Durant also helped their draft stock with better-than-expected 40 times, while Regina defensive back Kahlen Lanning, an Edmonton Regional selection, did more to impress scouts by placing third in the 40 with a 4.53. Lanning, at this point, appears likely to grow the list of regional combine participants getting invited to the National Combine and then getting drafted.


40-Yard Dash


RANK

Name

Pos

School

Time (s)

1 Tevaughn Campbell DB Regina 4.36
2 Shaquille Murray-Lawrence RB UNLV 4.41
3 Kahlen Branning DB Regina 4.53
4 Lemar Durant WR Simon Fraser 4.55
5 Nic Demski WR Manitoba 4.56
T6 Brendan Morgan DB Queen's 4.57
T6 Dillon Campbell RB Wilfrid Laurier 4.57
8 Mikhail Davidson WR Montreal 4.60
9 Melvin Abankwah WR Saint Mary's 4.61
10 Dexter Janke DB Okanagan 4.62



Despite not finishing in the top 10, Chris Ackie also turned heads with a 4.67 40 time just one day after winning the vertical jump while setting a broad jump record with a leap of 10'11.50".

Ackie is listed as a defensive back but took on drills as a linebacker on Sunday, showing the versatility needed to fit in on a CFL defence.

"He ran a 4.66 and he ran a 4.9 at the 2014 East-West bowl, so you know he’s been putting in the time and he’s faster," says Dunk on how Ackie's improved his draft stock. "I had an idea he’d be good in the jumps and show that athleticism, but you wanted to see the speed."

"I think he’s solidified himself as one of the premier guys in the draft in terms of defensive players.”

“He showed he can rush the passer from the linebacker spot," Dunk continues. "He’s built big enough to be stout against the run, and at the back end he can play safety for you or corner – he has the range to move around back there.”

While a number of top players at least maintained their draft value with a strong 40, at the end of the day Sunday's special moment has to go to both of the record-breakers.

Both known for their ability to run track, there was an expectation for these two burners to come in and torch the 40 - and neither disappointed, not to the surprise of our combine analyst.

“I knew that Shaq Murray-Lawrence ran track back in high school, so that’s a good foundation for him, and I heard he had been timed in the 4.4’s at his pro day, so I had an idea he could go pretty fast," says Dunk, who highlighted both players as contenders for the 40 title in his 'testing monsters' pre-combine predictions.

"Tevaughn Campbell, that track background and he was also coming off his track season at the University of Regina -- he goes right from football to track," Dunk continues. "He had won a CIS silver medal a couple of weeks ago so that gave me a little bit of an idea."

"But never in my wildest dreams did I think both of them would break the record."



Shuttle and 3-Cone

While the 40 may be the day's big ticket event, shuttle and three-cone are important tests that measure agility, acceleration and control rather than breakaway speed -- valuable for the nine CFL teams looking on.

Byron Archambault took the shuttle title by running it in 4.18, just edging second-place Nic Demski (4.19) and third-place defensive back and regional combine invite Dexter Janke (4.25). Most impressive, however, was the way Archameault blew away the competition at his linebacker position.

The next best linebacker was Ron Omara, posting a 4.32 -- also an impressive mark for a linebacker. Meanwhile, five of eight linebackers posted a number higher than 4.50, putting well into perspective just how dominant Archambault's run really was.

That agility combined with his strength (41 on the bench, good for second all-time) bodes well for the Montreal Carabin's status as the upcoming draft's most hyped linebacker.

Rounding out the top-five in the shuttle were two more Montreal Carabins, Mikhail Davidson with a 4.28 and Anthony Coady with a 4.31, as the University of Montreal continued to impress on the national stage during Sunday's showcase.


Shuttle


Rank

Name

Pos

School

Time

1 Byron Archambault LB Montreal 4.18
2 Nic Demski WR Manitoba 4.19
3 Dexter Janke DB Okanagan Sun 4.25
4 Mikhail Davidson WR Montreal 4.28
5 Anthony Coady DB Montreal 4.31
Full Results >


Continuing his dominant testing day in the three-cone was Manitoba receiver Demski, the highest-ranked receiver in the most recent scouting bureau rankings. Demski complemented a fifth-place finish in the 40 and a second-place finish in the shuttle with a first-place finish in the three-cone, finishing with a time of 6.91.

It's impressive because it was miles ahead of the next-best finisher, Phillip Enchill at 7.06, and the only time on the day below seven seconds.

Behind Demski and Enchill was the equally impressive Chris Ackie, continuing his strong day with a time of 7.09. Archambault placed fourth with a run of 7.16 (tops among linebackers again) while Anthony Coady rounded out the top-five with a 7.22.

If you're looking for clear-cut winners from today's shuttle and three-cone drills, look no further than Archambault, Demski and Coady -- the three guys able to land in the top-five for each event.


3-Cone Drill


Rank

Name

Pos

School

Time

1 Nic Demski WR Manitoba 6.91
2 Phillip Enchill WR Montreal 7.06
3 Chris Ackie DB Wilfrid Laurier 7.09
4 Byron Archambault LB Montreal 7.16
5 Anthony Coady DB Montreal 7.22
Full Results >



One-on-Ones

While Sunday's three testing events are an important part of the weekend, some prospects and evaluators take just as much or more out of the one-on-ones -- the one chance of the weekend to excel in a football environment.

That's especially the case for the offensive and defensive linemen, who may not shine as much in the 40 but truly enjoy the spotlight of the one-on-ones, where everyone watches each defensive lineman try to beat the man lining up across the line of scrimmage.

On the offensive side of the ball, Calgary's Sukh Chungh and Sean McEwen were ones to watch, along with Michigan State's James Bodanis and Laval's Danny Groulx. That's not to say the other offensive linemen weren't impactful on this day, either.

“The guys that stuck out were Danny Groulx – his footwork was so smooth in there," starts Justin Dunk in his offensive line analysis. "Sukh Chungh showed how tough he is in there and didn’t really get beat. Sean McEwen at centre snapping the ball, very stout on the inside."

"James Bodanis didn’t have a lot of reps at Michigan State, so these were big reps for him and I think he did well on the offensive side of the ball as well.”



McEwen and Chungh are ranked sixth and seventh respectively in the Scouting Bureau rankings and are expected to be first round picks. Sunday's performance in one-on-ones didn't do anything to dispell that, as both stood mightily against some of the country's top competition.

“Really happy with the way the one-on-ones went," says Chungh. "I felt like I showed my aggression and my talent as an offensive lineman."

"The running didn’t go as well as I thought, but the one-on-ones went great and I thought I showed what I’m made of.”

And that, both McEwen and Chungh agree, is what the one-on-ones are all about -- a chance to show your true football ability in an intense game situation.

"It’s a great environment out there," adds McEwen. "Really intense. I love the coaches and I love that intensity. It was fun.”

McEwen centred a high-powered offensive line that boasted some of the nation's top talent, and against a high-powered interior pass rush he rose to the task. The result has him leaving Toronto head held high.

"I think the testing’s one thing, but what it comes down to is can you play football," McEwen says. "I think I showed that to a certain degree today and I was fairly happy.”

“I think some stuff that you just can’t necessarily see on game film, like toughness and my aggression, wish I would’ve done a little bit better of a job with that," he continues. "But just the finishing the drill aspect of it was something I wanted to show and I think I did.”

Western teammates Daryl Waud and Ryan Connop along with Ottawa's high-motored Ettore Lattanzio were among those who stuck out to Dunk on the defensive line, despite an overall strong day for the offensive linemen. Ricky Osei-Kusi and linebacker Ron Omara, who tested and did drills with the linemen, also impressed with flashes of speed and all-around quickness.


I think the testing's one thing, but what it comes down to is can you play football. I think I showed that to a certain degree today and I was fairly happy.


- Sean McEwen


While one-on-ones are big for the offensive linemen (who probably couldn't care less about the 40-yard dash), receivers have a lot to gain from drills and one-on-ones as well.

Melvin Abankwah may have done the most to raise his stock, as the dual-threat receiver and running back prospect ran both RB and REC drills. He said he was disappointed with his 40-time, but Dunk argues that he more than made up for it with his ability to separate against defensive backs in one-on-ones.

“I think talking to a couple of scouts afterwards asking ‘how do you use Abankwah if you’re going to draft him’, and it looks to be at the slot position," says Dunk.

While Abankwah's versatility should give him bonus points for scouts (he played both running back and slot receiver during his season at Saint Mary's), Dunk says he profiles as a slot receiver as opposed to a running back in the pros. And on Sunday he showed why he should be coveted on draft day.

"He’s uncoverable. He might not have liked his 40 time, but I think that guy has game speed," explains Dunk. "The wiggle he showed and the burst to be able to get in and out of his breaks, and he was open on every single rep."

"Abankwah I certainly think helped himself.”

http://cfl.ca/article/combine-sunday-re ... of-testing
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B.C.FAN
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This draft class seems to be loaded with talented athletes at almost all the skill positions. The first couple of rounds could see more running backs, receivers, defensive backs and linebackers selected than linemen. Aside from Daryl Waud, defensive line talent seems particularly thin.
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