CFL Training Camp

[TheLionKing]

CFL.ca Staff

TORONTO -- With every team's rookie camp having officially opened, CFL.ca breaks down some of the biggest news from the nine teams - including an update on the health of Ricky Ray and how the first day of training camp went for Michael Sam.

BC Lions
•The BC Lions now have one less quarterback after Jordan Rodgers told the team he does not plan to play football in 2015. Rogers attended the team's mini-camp last month after being signed to the practice roster but informed the Lions he wouldn't be at training camp.


•Three international defenisve players were signed to deals and will attend rookie camp including defensive back Myron Lewis, who spent three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.



Edmonton Eskimos
•Equipment manager Dwayne Mandrusiak, entering his 45th season with the club, sees the benefit of the Eskimos' hectic schedule early on and believes the team can become closer because of it.


Calgary Stampeders
•Calgary signed its top two draft picks - Karl Lavoie and Lemar Durant - among three others. They join fellow picks Andrew Buckley, Tevaughn Campbell and Dexter Janke as rookie selections signed by the Stamps.


•Head coach and general manager John Hufnagel sees the biggest roster battle at offensive line, specifically at the tackle position.



Saskatchewan Roughriders
•Defensive lineman Brandon Tennant felt like "a hundred bucks" after his first day of rookie camp despite noticing a little bit of nerves.


•Third round pick Rory Connop thinks he has a great opportunity of possibly starting for the Riders as the team may opt to add a National to it's defensive line.



Winnipeg Blue Bombers
•Want to know where players are fitting in? Check out the team's training camp depth chart.


•Jamaal Westerman, a football veteran but a CFL rookie, says he is looking at understanding the defensive system first before taking a leadership role.



Hamilton Tiger-Cats
•The team announced it has signed all six of its 2015 draft picks as well as 2014 first round pick Evan Gill.



Toronto Argonauts
•Ricky Ray attended the first day of rookie camp but was merely a spectator. Ray underwent off-season shoulder surgery and it is unclear how much participation he will have in training camp. The team signed pivot Blake Sims as insurance should Ray be out for an extended period of time.


•New defensive backs coach Jordan Younger got to work right away. He was stressing the importance of footwork to the rookies.



Ottawa REDBLACKS
•Here's the first look at the REDBLACKS rookies who took part in camp at Carleton University.


•Coach Campbell said the team is evaluating the kickers in camp to determine how many the team will carry on the roster. Johnny Mark hopes to win a job.



Montreal Alouettes
•The Alouettes signed three of their draft picks just in time for rookie camp. Montreal announced that they agreed on deals with first-round pick Jacob Ruby as well as Nick Shortill. Defensive end Jesse Joseph, a 2013 selection, was also signed.


•Head coach Tom Higgins said that Michael Sam is no different than any of the other rookies and that everyone there is trying to make the team.


•After the first day of training camp, Sam wishes the team had more time on the field.

http://cfl.ca/article/getting-to-work-a ... s-now-open

[TheLionKing]

Jeff Tedford on 1st day

http://bclions.com/video/index/id/110247

[TheLionKing]

CFL.ca Staff

TORONTO -- With rookie camps coming to a close and veterans set to report this weekend, we are just days away from the official opening of Training Camp on Sunday. After a flurry of activity in the off-season and competitions at numerous positions in each city, CFL.ca takes a look at five storylines that should span the duration of training camp that just can’t be ignored.

1. Ottawa’s receiving corps

One ball, seemingly unlimited options. A young, fast and sizable receiving corps enters Ottawa REDBLACKS training camp looking to form one of the most dominant groups in the CFL. Let’s not get fooled by the depth though, training camp is a competition. And when you factor in half a dozen pass-catchers that were once go-to options on their previous squads, the level of competition is either going to break or bond this group.

Chris Williams, Marcus Henry, Maurice Price, Greg Ellingson, Brad Sinopoli, Ernest Jackson, Khalil Paden, Scott Macdonell and Matt Carter are just some of the already-established names jockeying for spots. With significant salary likely tied up in a good number of those names, don’t be surprised if not all open the season in Ottawa.

2. Veteran QBs on the mend


A battered group of gunslingers all report to their respective camps this week, each in different phases of their recovery. In Saskatchewan, Darian Durant is back under centre but coming off an elbow injury. How much will he be used in camp and will the Riders ease him along in the pre-season?

Similar questions apply to Travis Lulay in BC, who has battled injuries for the better part of one-and-a-half seasons now. Without the ultimate insurance policy in Kevin Glenn, where will Lulay’s health be on opening night?

There are even more questions in Toronto, where Ricky Ray has thrown lightly but his status is uncertain not only for the pre-season but for the Argonauts’ season opener as well. How will Ray progress? Can backup Trevor Harris lead this team for consecutive weeks should Ray not be ready for June?

3. Tedford’s Tone

Any new head coach understands that his first mark on the club he takes over occurs in training camp. Camp sets the tone for the entire season and a new one will be set when the BC Lions open camp on the weekend under the direction of Jeff Tedford. If the Lions are going to restore the roar six months from now come playoff time, they can point to the next month under Tedford at Surrey.

4. How deep are Calgary’s receivers?

There is a real opportunity brewing at Stampeders camp. Gone are Maurice Price, Brad Sinopoli and mainstay Nik Lewis. Outside of slotback Marquay McDaniel, it is open season for pass-catchers for the defending champs. Jeff Fuller and Joe West have shown in spots that they can be relied on when healthy to develop into go-to receivers. Youngsters Eric Rogers and Sedderik Cunningham have speed and hands to potentially fill the gaps but we may see the emergence of a new era in Stampeders football come June.

5. Crompton’s camp

Riding momentum of a turnaround season, Jonathan Crompton now enters his first full training camp in Montreal. With little doubt who the starter is and some runway as it relates to building on his knowledge of the offence, it will be interesting to see what a full camp can do for a player that at one point last year was a depth pickup before becoming the man down the stretch.

[Lions4ever]

Jeff Tedford on 1st day

http://bclions.com/video/index/id/110247

I'm liking the colour-coordinated shades.

[sj-roc]

Jeff Tedford on 1st day

http://bclions.com/video/index/id/110247

I'm liking the colour-coordinated shades.

Given what the weather has been like at camp in some recent years, I'm liking the fact that he needs to wear them.

[TheLionKing]

CFL.ca Staff

TORONTO -- Rookie Camps have come to a close and veterans were expected to report Saturday. Checking down brings you news and notes from around the league as Training Camp sets to open Sunday morning.

BC Lions
•The Lions cleared up some of their depth behind centre, releasing quarterbacks Aaron Wilmer and Grant Hedrick. They also cut linebacker Terrance Bullitt


Edmonton Eskimos
•The Eskimos made arguably the biggest news of the day and it had nothing to do with any of their players. After a successful 2014 campaign on the sidelines, the Eskimos rewarded head coach Chris Jones with a contract extension that will see him through the 2016 season.


Toronto Argonauts
•The Argonauts put the final touches on their training camp roster, adding veteran receiver and former Winnipeg Blue Bomber Aaron Kelly. Kelly arrives in Toronto after spending time with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and most recently the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. In 26 regular season games, he has caught 103 passes for 1,360 yards and six touchdowns. The former Clemson Tiger caught a career-high 43 receptions for 549 receiving yards and three touchdowns with the Bombers last season.


•The club also added international defensive back Brandon Underwood and former BC Lions national offensive lineman Matt McGarva.


Ottawa REDBLACKS
•Ottawa made a few minor moves; adding kicker Anthony Alix who spent the majority of the 2012 campgain on the Argos practice roster. They also released defensive back Korey Lindsay.


Montreal Alouettes
•The Alouettes may have added former Blue Bombers defensive back Jonathan Hefney to their training camp roster. This, according to Winnipeg Sun writer Kirk Penton;s Twitter account. Hefney was a starter in Winnipeg but never quite got his traction again, despite having spent time in Stampeders training camp last year.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers
•The Blue Bombers added veteran national long-snapper Chad Rempel and international receiver Mike Willie. Rempel spent a number of years in Toronto - wining a Grey Cup in 2012 - under the direction of then-special teams coordinator and now-Bombers head coach Mike O'shea.

[TheLionKing]

CFL.ca Staff

WINNIPEG – With training camps set to officially kick off, CFL.ca is taking a look at the buzz surrounding each team entering the 2015 campaign.


Key Roster Changes


Additions:

OL Stanley Bryant
OL Sukh Chungh
OL Marc Dile
LB Samuel Hurl
OL Dominic Picard
DB Garrett Waggoner
DB Jamaal Westerman

Subtractions:

OL Steve Morley
DB Jason Vega
RB Carl Volny
LB Ian Wild





Important Dates



July 30 vs. BC
The Westerman brothers square off against each other in the CFL for the first time.

Sept. 6 at Saskatchewan
Winnipeg faces its heated rival in the Labour Day Classic.

Sept. 12 vs. Saskatchewan
The teams go at it again in a Labour Day rematch, also known as the Banjo Bowl.






Key Statistic



70


The number of sacks which Winnipeg allowed last season, setting a franchise-worst mark.

Winnipeg made its offensive line a main focus in the off-season, drafting Sukh Chungh with the second overall pick and signing Stanley Bryant, Dominic Picard and Marc Dile.


Winnipeg sprung out of the gate by winning four of its first five games last year but struggled after its hot start. The lowlight of the Bombers' year included an eight-game losing streak and the team ended up allowing a franchise-worst 70 sacks. As evident by his contract extension, the Bombers believe that Drew Willy is the answer at quarterback while the rest of the roster picture is beginning to clear up. There appears to be a very solid foundation upon which the Bombers will build in 2015.

3 THINGS TO WATCH

Will Drew Willy prove he is worthy of his contract extension?

The Bombers made an investment in their quarterback by signing him to a deal through the 2017 season. Willy was a starter for the first time last season, his first in Winnipeg. He threw for 3,769 yards and 14 touchdowns but the Bombers only managed a 7-11 record. Willy has shown that he can play in the CFL and should improve in his second year with increased protection from the offensive line.

How much of an impact will Jamaal Westerman have?

The star free agent linebacker was courted by all nine teams when he announced he was coming to the CFL. Winnipeg won his services and the defensive lineman's presence up front will instantly improve the third-worst defence in the league. It may take time for him to adjust to different rules but the fact that Westerman chose Winnipeg when he had the pick of the litter speaks volumes for how the franchise looks to free agents.

What impact will the rookies have?

Winnipeg did a great job of replacing some of the team's weaknesses through the draft. Along with adding Sukh Chungh, the Bombers also selected receiver Addison Richards and brought in defensive back Garrett Waggoner through the Supplemental Draft. Not every rookie on the roster will contribute this season, by design, but the team has to be encouraged by the new young blood it brought in.

POSITION BATTLE

Keep an eye on how the Bombers create their offensive line. There are plenty of new faces at that position and where they will all end up is still to be determined. Winnipeg's O-line woes last season have been well documented, but the team did a good job of trying to rectify the problem. Prized free agent signee Stanley Bryant and second overall pick Chungh are two pieces that should automatically reduce the numbers of sacks allowed.

BULLETIN BOARD

“Just winning and turning this thing around. I just want to be a part of that and make history. I want to do something no team has ever done. I feel like a lot of guys are all playing like we’re not going to be as good just because they added me and some other key guys. But I feel like we’re going to do this thing. We’re going to get the job done and we’re going to get to the Grey Cup."

- Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive lineman Stanley Bryant on leaving the Grey Cup Champion Stampeders for the Bombers this

[TheLionKing]

HAMILTON -- The rain was chilling, the wind was cold and the sun never quite managed to free itself from behind the clouds, but the coaches and players’ spirits were anything but dreary on the first day of Hamilton Tiger Cats training camp.

“That was nice November weather,” joked coach and general manager Kent Austin, after calling off the second of two training camp practices due to the cold temperatures. Austin, who returns for his third year at the helm of the Ticats, was happy with what he saw from the team on their first day of training camp.

“The energy was good. It was good for our mental toughness to open up this way,” explained Coach Austin.

“I thought for the elements we did a pretty good job of communicating”, said quarterback Zach Collaros, who was one of the select few to brave the cold with no sleeves on Monday. “[We] still were able to complete some passes and we competed.”


Ticats have some Rocky Balboa in them

There seems to be a recurring theme in Hamilton: When the Ticats get knocked down, they come back stronger. How will they bounce back from a Grey Cup loss in 2015?

Austin comapres Collaros to Flutie
Training Camp Primer: Hamilton Tiger-Cats


The Ticats roster is dominated with veteran presence, and yet when asked if having so many veterans returning made the selection process easier Coach Austin was quick to point out the fact that everyone is competing for a spot on the team.

“Competition is good, it’s good to have competition at each position and it should make those players in that particular position better football players,” explained Austin.

A tight time-frame further condenses the learning curve, as the Ticats open the preseason in just over a week’s time, but Coach Austin is confident in his fellow coaches’ abilities to pick through the dearth of talent and make those difficult decisions.

“It’s our job, we’re not going to make any excuses about anything and I trust our coaches; they’ll do a good job there,” said Austin.

One of the players who’ll likely play a part in a prominent position battle is second-year running back Nic Grigsby. Grigsby will challenge CJ Gable and Mossis Madu for the starting running back role, although he’s not looking at it as a battle between players.

“The battle was with the weather today,” pointed out Grigsby, “there’s no competition.” We’re here to make each other better and we’re all going to contribute in a way to help our team.”

Grigsby added that having so many veterans returning has made for a cohesive locker room, where nobody is alone and everybody is helping to make each other better, an attitude that linebacker Simoni Lawrence exuded as well.

Lawrence, who was a standout on the Ticats defence last season, has taken on a leadership role with Hamilton’s young linebacking core, starting with putting his position up for grabs in training camp.

The veteran linebacker wants to see the best out of all of his teammates, and he knows that competition is what the league is fuelled on, which is why he’s more than happy to help the young guns take a shot at his job.

“I never come into camp thinking “you know, I’m Simoni Lawrence and I’ve got a guaranteed spot” or anything like that,” said the Ticats 2014 most outstanding defensive player. “I understand that they’re going to try to replace me every year, and that’s how it should be.”

[TheLionKing]

SASKATOON – The story entering Riders training camp was the health of Darian Durant’s elbow.

With good reason. After suffering a season-ending elbow injury, Saskatchewan ended the year on a 2-7 note without their starting quarterback.

Durant says he’s physically healthy and ready to move on from his injury. The key to rehabbing, according to Durant, is to be just as strong mentally as you are physically.

“The physical part will come but it’s all about staying positive and making sure your mind is in the right place,” said Durant.

While Durant says he has felt no ill-effects throwing the ball, he has yet to undergo any physical contact from opposing defences.

“You won’t be able to get over that until you take a hit and it’s something that I won’t do until the preseason game,” said Durant, now in his tenth year with Saskatchewan. “So as of now, it’s just focusing on my throws, learning the system, doing all of the little things that come first and then once you get into the heat of the battle you can’t think about it, you just turn it loose and whatever happens will happen.”

Head coach Corey Chamblin also said that the team will monitor Durant during training camp to ensure he isn’t being worn down before the real games.

One of the aspects that Durant is looking forward to most is working with new offensive coordinator Jacques Chapdelaine, who he says will be able to effectively spread the ball around and make it tougher for defences to stop them. While Durant acknowledges that learning a new system can be a process, the talent on the Riders is making it an exciting development.

“I think the amount of options you have, that adds to it. It’s diverse. We have a lot of guys moving around,” said Durant. “You can’t key on one guy and that’s big. Over the past couple years, it’s ‘where’s (receiver Weston) Dressler?’ and teams would try to let the other guys beat them but now with this system we can spread it around and you have to key in on everyone.”

On the defensive side of the ball, one of the more recognizable new faces is linebacker Shea Emry, who was acquired in an off-season trade with the Argos.

Like Durant, Emry agrees that a lot of the game of football is mental just as much as physical. The exact number that he put on the equation was 95 per cent.

“I think it’s mostly mental,” said Emry, who spent some time in the off-season working out with his new teammates. “Just making sure that I have the new playbook down so I can help everyone around me know what they’re doing and they can help me know what I’m going to be doing. I think that buildup mentally allows us to go fast physically after the fact.

“There’s such a buildup to camp, emotionally and physically. Being able to come out here with the guys and get in the huddle for the first time, it was great.”

From what he’s seen so far, Chamblin has been impressed with Emry’s work.

“So far he’s been good. There hasn’t been enough time for me to really evaluate the ups and downs of his transition but as of right now he’s stoked, he’s ready to go,” said Chamblin. “They all are. But we just have to make sure that he understands how we do things here and he’s a bright young man and I know that he’ll fit in well.”

It is clear that Durant’s health is key for the Riders this season. But if anything, the team is mentally preparing itself for the new year, which is clearly an equally important aspect to them.

[TheLionKing]

WINNIPEG – Training camp is a time for teams to learn.

Learn about each other, learn new plays and systems, and in this year’s camp, learn about new rules.

With the CFL having implemented new rules this off-season to help increase offensive production, the focus of many teams this training camp is adjusting to how to play the game under these different guidelines.

While players on the offensive side of the ball are all for the new rules that are intended to make it easier for them to get downfield, it’s hard not to imagine that some defensive stoppers will be on a bit of a learning curve.

“I have no control of the rules, unfortunately, but it’s just something we’re going to have to adjust to, fine tune and change a technique here and there and that’s something we’ll work on,” said defensive back Matt Bucknor. “I’ve been working a certain technique for so long and now there’s different things I have to alter and change but that’s the game. We have to be able to adjust and work to get better.”

Bucknor worked closely with new defensive backs coach Barron Miles on the opening day of camp. Their relationship this season will be key, especially with what will surely be some initial frustration at having to change old habits.

Meanwhile, slotback Nick Moore was all smiles when talking about how the rule changes will affect his game.

“It makes the game a lot different, them not being able to clutch and grab. It’s going to really show who the true defensive backs are,” said Moore.

While he’s not going to use the new rules as a crutch, Moore still understands his responsibilities with the ball.

“One way or another, you have to go out there and make plays for the team. But with the new rules intact, it does make it a little bit easier not having to fight guys off and things like that.”

Getting to know you

Drew Willy recalls himself starting nine-for-nine on day one of training camp.

Fresh off a contract extension he signed over the winter, Willy will be entering his second season as a full-time starter with the Bombers. Winnipeg is looking to improve on its last place finish in the West, one that saw them end 2014 with a 7-11 record.

One of the main culprits for the team’s poor performance last year was a leaky offensive line. The Bombers allowed a franchise-worst 70 sacks but completely revamped its o-line in the off-season, bringing in veterans Dominic Picard and Stanley Bryant and drafting Sukh Chungh with the second-overall pick in the CFL Draft.

Willy believes that the offensive line is only one of the areas where the team is deeper. Picard alone brings nine years of CFL experience and the centre was showing his leadership even on the first day of training camp.

“He was out here 10 minutes before he needed to be and said ‘why wait 10 minutes for this period to start, let’s get some more reps now,’” said Willy of Picard. “There’s a reason he’s played this long in the league and you’ve got to respect that.”

Picard and Willy are familiar with each other, having spent two seasons together in Saskatchewan before being reunited in the blue and gold.

“Every single day we need to come out here make sure we are getting quality reps. I think that’s something Dom will bring, just the experience he has.”

For head coach Mike O’Shea, it is the experience of longsnapper Chad Rempel that he sees playing an important role in elevating the game of his teammates.

“He’s going to raise the level of all the special teams,” said O’Shea. “He commands excellence and is bringing that attitude there. It’s in a good way too. They’re having fun being excellent and striving for that.”

While O’Shea remains mum on who he may name as captains, Rempel’s 11-year CFL career thus far certainly checks off a lot of the requirements. But O’Shea knows that leaders naturally emerge from the pack when the moment calls.

“Do I see Chad Rempel as a captain and leader in his group? Yeah. But it’s going to take time for him to get to know the guys and he’s going to fit in over time as he sees fit and he’ll take the opportunities to lead when those opportunities present themselves.”

O’Shea spent the off-season reviewing and analyzing game film from last season. While he doesn’t acknowledge this year as a clean slate for him personally, he realizes the optimism that training camp brings.

“We’ve done a lot of good things this off-season. It’s going to breed a lot of competition and with that comes a lot of pride in winning your job. Guys are out there and going to battle. I thought today was a very good first day.”

[TheLionKing]

Rod Pedersen
CFL.ca


Two quotes. That’s all you need. Just two simple quotes.

As we embark on a brand new football season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and finally put 2014 in the past, there are only two people we need to hear from.

The first comes from quarterback Darian Durant who was leading the Riders to a nearly franchise-best 8-2 start last year when he suffered a season-ending elbow injury in early September which sent the club into a tailspin. They went 2-7 the rest of the way including a distasteful first round playoff exit in Edmonton.

With nine months to recover, which included a strong showing in the team’s minicamp in Florida in April, Durant is now feeling 100%. He took to social media on the morning of Day 1 of 2015 Roughrider training camp in Saskatoon to reassure the antsy Rider Nation.


That’s music to our ears and Durant got the bulk of the work with the first team offence Sunday as he continues to test out his arm and get acclimated to new offensive coordinator Jacques Chapdelaine. He passed both with flying colours.

The other guy you need to hear from is head coach Corey Chamblin who enters his fourth season in charge on the Rider sidelines. Along with General Manager Brendan Taman, Chamblin was tireless in building a roster which he believes will be in the 2015 Grey Cup in Winnipeg in November.

“I think it’s different,” Chamblin said, referring to his roster makeup from one year ago. “I think in some areas we’re a little bit better and that’s just a part of coaching and personnel and different things. When we looked at it, we addressed different issues. Sometimes it’s not what we didn’t find, it was what was available. I think this year there was a different set of guys available to us.”

Chamblin’s talking about the pool of available free agents and veterans on the trade market which he carefully selected for his locker room. Grey Cup champions like receiver Jamel Richardson, middle linebacker Shea Emry, defensive end Alex Hall and defensive back Keenan McDougall were all added to bolster the lineup and provide the unteachable intangible of “knowing how to win”.


The club enters the 2015 CFL campaign with only one glaring question mark and it’s along the invaluable offensive line where games are often won and lost. Veteran centre Dominic Picard was cut loose this winter and star right tackle Ben Heenan was lost to the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts. Those are two important holes which the club is hoping to fill by unproven younger players.

However the backbone of the team starts with the head coach and ends with the quarterback. If you have two cornerstones in place in those spots, you’re in good shape. Down south, New England has the trusted tandem of Bellichick and Brady while Seattle has the solid pair of Carroll and Wilson. The good teams all do. Chamblin and Durant have the same credentials with championship rings along with Coach of the Year and MVP awards on their resumes.

The core is strong. Who knows how the 2014 season would have ended up had Durant stayed healthy? We’ll never know the answer to that and perhaps we can finally stop thinking about it.

No, the time for optimism is now. Here in early June everyone is tied for first-place and every team feels good about the club they’ve assembled.

Pretty soon we’ll board the always-entertaining roller coaster that is Roughrider season and I hope you’ll be along to follow the club’s fortunes every step of the way.

[TheLionKing]

CFL.ca Staff

TORONTO – A cold, rain-soaked first practice could not wake up Argo newcomers anymore, especially if you ask head coach Scott Milanovich.

The Toronto Argonauts opened training camp Sunday and the conditions were less than ideal but Milanovich said nothing could help stress the importance of winning the turnover battle than adverse conditions.

“I told them before practice, ‘If you can’t play in the elements, you can’t play in the CFL’,” Milanovich told reporters Sunday. “Our number one emphasis is the turnover margin. We were dead last (last) year. So we are working harder at stripping balls in practice and clearly our offence didn’t protect it as well as they need to.”

Milanovich says the offence didn’t perform well but veteran slotback Chad Owens was a bit more direct.

“Defence did really well today; they whopped our butts so we have to come back stronger tomorrow,” he said. “(That said) it is the start of something new so the quicker we can do that and come together, the better we will be.

“It is a part of the elements and we are going to be outdoors so we got to learn how to play in it. You want to say on Day 1 of training camp that everything is purrfect but it is a game of adversity and what a better way to start then to have a bit of adverse weather.”

Andre Durie’s battle with the injury bug is well-documented but little could have prepared him for a 2014 campaign where he was sidelined not once, but twice with a broken collar bone.

Sunday marked his first appearance in full gear with his team since mid-last season and so far, he is feeling no ill-effects.

“I felt great,” he said when reflecting on his first practice back. “Strength feels good so I am just looking forward to trying to stay healthy for the rest of the season.”

Durie’s frustrations grew ever stronger as the Argos were pushed out of the playoff picture in the CFL’s final week. Being sidelined did little for the nine-year-veteran’s psyche.

“It was mentally tough. It is something that as a football player, you wish you could always turn off the injuries but you cant and that’s part of the game unfortunately. It was tough to sit on the sidelines and watch the team and not be out there with them to help them win games.”

Milanovich believes that losing Durie for significant time last year not only took a weapon out of the offence but changed the way the entire unit ran given the versatility that the York grad brings.

“He's a great leader for us but the versatility Andre brings with being able to run the football from the backfield, run deep routes, run short routes and block, all those things really makes it difficult for a defence to get a grasp on what we're trying to do,''Milanovich said. “He's essentially an extra tailback and a receiver so we have two personnel groups in there at the same time and that can be difficult to match up with.

[TheLionKing]

EDMONTON – Sometimes change can be a bad thing.

When it comes to creating on-field success, continuity in personnel only breeds chemistry and familiarity.

That’s one of the reasons why Edmonton signed head coach Chris Jones to a contract extension days before training camp was scheduled to open. The new deal will keep him in the green and gold for at least another season. The reigning CFL Coach of the Year took over the helm last year and comes to camp with largely the same group as before.

If the real coaches are on the sidelines, then the veterans act as them on the field. Jones is leaning on his more experienced players to help lead some of the younger guys.

“I thought the entire group, the veterans, certainly did a great job of leading our team today and they played with tremendous effort,” said Jones. “The new guys we signed this year, I thought a few of them did some really good things.”

Leadership and character often go hand-in-hand. With as many personalities as there are to handle on a football team, sometimes on-field performance isn’t all that matters.

"They better stand out and they better do things the right way and they better be a great person. Those are the things that we are looking for,” said Jones.

Following the Eskimos loss to the rival Stampeders in the Western finals it was revealed that quarterback Mike Reilly had been playing with a broken bone in his foot.

Being able to take time during the off-season to heal was key for Reilly, who enters training camp with his starting gig secure after leading the team to a 12-3 record (backup Matt Nichols went 0-3 in his starts). Reilly believes that carrying over the systems on both sides of the ball reduces the amount of errors that players make.

“What's a little different this year is there weren't as many mistakes,” said the 30-year-old comparing this training camp to last season's. “I think that comes with having the same playbook, same coaching staff and guys knowing what to do and veteran guys being able to lead by example."

Like the head coach, Reilly agrees that the younger guys, often with the most pressure on them, are going to make mistakes. He says it is up to those players to take the time to study the playbook and show the results on the field.

“The young guys are going to mess things up. They’ve never ran this stuff before. Half of them have never seen a CFL game,” said Reilly. “They don’t know what a waggle motion looks like. That being said, I thought they did a pretty good job but it only gets harder from here because they already start to feel overloaded with the mental part, and then they get double the amount of plays to learn tonight and then again tomorrow.”

Reilly was relieved to not have any setbacks on his foot once he started to take snaps in practice. By adding an actual defence in drills, he was left scrambling at times to get off a pass. It was the first time this year that he had a good simulation of what a real game would feel like.

“My foot’s been feeling great for a while. But to finally get out and be able to run a play and have to run away from a few of the d-linemen, things like that, and really put it to the test was nice to see that I made it through the day without really anything. I was confident that would happen but until you go out and do it you’re really not sure.”

[TheLionKing]

HAMILTON -- The Tiger Cats offence is looking to replicate the success of Marvel with their Avengers movie series.

After a successful season in 2014, which featured solid performances from a star-studded cast, the team is hoping that the return of those stars, along with the addition of a few new weapons, is the recipe for even greater success.

The offence all flows through Zach Collaros, who returns for his second season as the Ticats’ pivot; and after a 2014 breakout season, Collaros expects to be even better in 2015. “For me, it’s just being here, the experience,” said Collaros, “understanding the offence more and being able to make quicker decisions…understanding what patterns beat which coverages, and where the defence is exposed.”

Collaros, whose 65.8% completion percentage was the third-highest mark in the CFL last season, should benefit from a roster full of receiving weapons in the upcoming campaign.

“We have the guys to do it, we know we do,” said receiver Andy Fantuz, who was the team’s second-leading receiver in 2014. “If everyone buys in, I expect big things.”

Fantuz is the veteran leader of a receiving group that features three of the league’s top 15 receivers from 2014, including Luke Tasker, Bakari Grant and Fantuz. All three receivers have returned to the Ticats in 2015, as has speedy Brandon Banks, and they’ll be joined by two new faces that have been taking camp by storm.

International receivers Tiquan Underwood and Terrence Toliver have each spent time at the NFL level, but it’s been their dedication to learning the CFL game that has allowed them to have success this spring, says offensive coordinator Tommy Condell.

“They’re pros, veterans; this may be their first year in the CFL, but it’s definitely not their first year playing professional football,” said Condell. Both Underwood and Toliver have been rolling with the first-team offence in practice, and both have meshed with their quarterback, providing him with two more quality targets in the passing game.

“From my perspective, I think they’re doing a good job and we keep improving every day,” said Collaros.

Along with a strong group of veteran receivers, the Ticats boast an abundance of depth at the running back position, starting with a healthy C.J. Gable.

Gable, who missed a significant portion of last season and all of the playoffs with foot and shoulder injuries, has returned to camp healthy and as confident as ever. When asked what fans can expect from him in 2015, Gable’s response was quick and to the point.

“You can expect the same thing you saw my first year, and even more,” said 2013’s Most Outstanding Rookie runner-up.

Nic Grigsby and Mossis Madu headline a group of talented backs behind Gable on the depth chart, but the competition for playing time is wide open says coach Condell.

“They’re all doing a great job in that regard,” said the second-year offensive coordinator, “but the biggest thing for me is to protect the passer, and be able to run the football effectively and play physical.”

[TheLionKing]

Calgary -- Defensive tackle Eric Taylor signed with the Stamps in early March and the seven-year veteran had his first opportunity to take the field with his new teammates on Sunday morning as training camp officially opened on the McMahon Stadium turf.

After a long off-season, the former Eskimo, Argonaut and Lion was anxious to finally get the 2015 campaign under way on a beautiful day for football.

“It was good to get out there with the guys after meeting them a couple days ago,” said the former Pittsburgh Steelers draft pick. “Everybody was flying around having fun with a family atmosphere and that’s all you can ask for.”

In order to prepare for the upcoming season, the Memphis alum followed a rigorous workout plan in hopes of cracking the roster and earning a spot along Calgary’s ferocious defensive line.

“I trained hard every day, every week,” the Tennessee native explained. “I just wanted to come in (to training camp) in the best shape I could and help this team win football games. I did a lot of core work and quickness drills and went a little light on the weights this year. I feel the lightest I’ve been in four or five years.”

Taylor spent the three previous seasons in BC, where current Stampeder defensive coordinator Rich Stubler held the same title in 2012 and 2013.

A Grey Cup champion in 2011, Taylor has a total of eight playoff contests under his belt and knows what it takes to win in post-season play. He relished the opportunity to join the Red and White and is excited to assist in the effort to repeat as CFL champs as the Stamps begin the quest for their eighth league title in franchise history.

“It’s something to look forward to because they have a winning pedigree,” commented Taylor on the upcoming season. “Anytime you go to a team that works hard, has a winning tradition and takes pride in the task at hand, it’s always good to come in and try to help that team win another championship.”