Training camp 2023

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Qman
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Gridiron Ernie wrote:
Thu May 18, 2023 9:32 pm
Oh for sure, Hambone. Agreed on both counts. The smoke problem is not unique for the Leos. (And sadly it could very well become the norm for the West's teams.) And I very much respect and appreciate Matt Baker's media work in general. I was only referring to the recaps with my comment. As you say, his one on one stuff is more his style and priority, and I enjoy all that.
Looks like potential lightning is a bigger risk to fanfest than smoke based on forecast
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B.C.FAN
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New team president Duane Vienneau was in camp for the first time Friday and introduced himself to fans at Hillside Stadium.

On the field, not much changed since the last open practice on Tuesday. The three running backs are still rotating with the first team, although Taquan Mizzell and Antonio Williams have been the most prominent. Keon Hatcher was still a limited participant. American WR Bryson Daughtry took first-team reps in team play.

Once again, Vernon Adams had trouble moving the ball with the first-team offence against the first-team defence. Unofficially, he completed just 4 of 12 passes in team play, with a deep TD to Daughtry behind T.J. Lee and a drop by Daughtry on an intermediate post route. Adams was better in skelly, completing 4 of 5 passes, with a deep knockdown by Garry Peters on a pass intended for Dominique Rhymes.

Dane Evans, who is rotating second-team reps with Dom Davis, completed 5 of 9 passes in team play, with a knockdown by Josh Woods and a drop by Jevoni Robinson, who looks like Jevon Cottoy but without Cottoy's hands.

Davis completed 9 of 10 pass in team play and 4 of 4 in skelly, many of them shorter routes and checkdowns.

Rookie QB Judd Erickson got limited reps and completed 3 of 4 passes in skelly, including a deep corner route to Ron Hunt, who has been one of the most noticeable rookie WRs.

The kicking game was better Friday. Riley Pickett took most reps at long snapper and was decent overall but one punt snap still sailed over the head of Kieran Burnham and one field goal snap skipped on the turf.

A few of the American rookies who seem to be getting regular reps on special teams are linebackers Brooks Parker and D.Q. Thomas and defensive lineman Amir Siddiq. That's usually a sign that they have a good chance of making the roster.

I spent most of practice chatting with Hambone so his observations will be fresher than mine.
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Hambone
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Only thing I can add to BCF's comments is that it seemed like the 1st unit receivers at times struggled to get open against the 1st unit pass coverage. Another play I recall was when one receiver coming towards our side turned his route upfield while the other receiver in the same area broke his route to the sidelines. Adams' throw fell harmlessly to the turf somewhere in between. Clearly miscommunication between QB and receivers but tough to tell who wasn't on the same page with the other(s).
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Clash Dance
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Great news about Pre Season games streaming live on CFL Preason Live. Now, I'm not the most tech savvy guy, but where do you sign up? I see the directions (including providing your email) but I can't find a link to enter. Do you have to wait until the game starts?
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Hambone
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Clash Dance wrote:
Fri May 19, 2023 5:56 pm
Great news about Pre Season games streaming live on CFL Preason Live. Now, I'm not the most tech savvy guy, but where do you sign up? I see the directions (including providing your email) but I can't find a link to enter. Do you have to wait until the game starts?
They just announced it so might have to wait until the first game which is Monday. Then you should be good to go with the rest.

I'm not big on watching preseason games as witnessed by the fact I've had season tickets for 30 of the last 40 years and only used the preseason tickets once, for the first ever Lions game in BC Place back in 1983. The fact I've never lived in the lower mainand is a big factor. I will be iffy to try watching BC's upcoming 2 preseason games.
Last edited by Hambone on Sat May 20, 2023 10:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Qman
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Hambone wrote:
Fri May 19, 2023 6:32 pm
Clash Dance wrote:
Fri May 19, 2023 5:56 pm
Great news about Pre Season games streaming live on CFL Preason Live. Now, I'm not the most tech savvy guy, but where do you sign up? I see the directions (including providing your email) but I can't find a link to enter. Do you have to wait until the game starts?
They just announced it so might have to wait until the first game which I believe is tomorrow. Then you should be good to go with the rest.

I'm not big on watching preseason games as witnessed by the fact I've had season tickets for 30 of the last 40 years and only used the preseason tickets once, for the first ever Lions game in BC Place back in 1983. The fact I've never lived in the lower mainand is a big factor. I will be iffy to try watching BC's upcoming 2 preseason games.
First game is elks and stamps on holiday Monday.
Preseason games suck for watching.

Non TSN games will be jumbotron feed + radio pxp
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Fanfest scrimmage is about to start. Bit of a breeze and some spotty cloud cover. The breeze is welcome. It seems to be coming from downtown so across the field as opposed to from one end to the other.

A quick observation on the subject of longsnappers. Whyte was just practicing some FGs with Riley Pickett and David Menard taking the snaps. I did ask Matt Baker about Doll and if he was doing something outside football. Matt Saud he thought Doll may have signed with Ottawa. Pickett potentially being the longsnapper will give him an edge over Archibald for what could be a battle for a last roster spot.

I did see a Lions staffer in a golf cart with what looked to be a player with crutches and his leg wrapped with a tensor bandage from lower foot to half way up his calf. I thought it may have been Hatcher but he's out on the field in full gear doing the pre-scrimmage stretching etc. Whoever it is has the same sort of beard and hair style as Keon.

Another late note: looks like Tuehema won't be participating. He's wandering around in his jersey and sweatpants. No sign of him favouring.anything
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Hambone
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Lol. Rookie initiation. They had all the rookies line up on the field facing the stands and the veterans. Then the rookies sang Oh Canada. They did quite well.
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Hambone
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Amar Siddiq getting 2nd unit DE reps in place of Tuehema.

VA hit Rhymes on a deep sideline route with Bagayogo CB and States-McClain DB covering that side.

VA just hit Lucky for a TD back if the end zone in behind Bagayogo.
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Marcus Sayles just pick 6'd Judd Erickson in Red Zone play on 2nd and goal from the 1. Erickson tried to go across the field to the far sideline. Sayles stepped in front of the intended target and was gone.
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B.C.FAN
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Fans of all ages were at Hillside Stadium in Kamloops for Fan Feat 2023. As already mentioned, the rookies led the singing of O Canada in what is becoming a Fan Fest camp tradition.

I counted 84 players dressed. Keon Hatcher, who has been limited in camp with a foot injury described as plantar fasciitis, sat out the scrimmage, as did DE Sione Teuhema and rookie DB Xavior Williams.

In a change from normal practice routine, the first, second and third team offences didn't always line up against their counterparts, resulting in some rare matchups.

Unofficially, Vernon Adams completed 10 of 16 passes in the padded, controlled scrimmage, including a touchdown to Lucky Whitehead behind second round draft pick Siriman Bagayogo at the back of end zone, another TD to Dominique Rhymes on a corner route behind Adrian Greene, and a deep completion to Rhymes on a corner route behind sixth round draft pick Jassin States-McClean. Adams also took apparent sacks by DB Christian Uphoff on a blitz and DT Woody Baron. Colby Williams and Garry Peters knocked down passes from Adams. Peters, who led the Lions with 5 interceptions last year, should have snagged this one.

Dominique Davis, who has been alternating second-team reps with Dane Evans, took his turn Saturday and unofficially completed 8 of 14 passes, with one of the incompletions being a late drop by Rhymes.

Evans led the third team and went 5 of 6, including a huge clutch catch by Terry Williams down the sideline on 3rd and 10 to set up a field goal. Williams, who is having an outstanding camp, also made a clutch catch against Peters in red-zone offence.

Rookie Judd Erickson took fourth team reps and went 3 for 10, with a long pick-6 by Marcus Sayles in the red zone. T.J. Lee also knocked down an Erickson pass that should have been an interception.

For the second straight day, rookie WR Bryson Daughtry replaced Hatcher in Bryan Burnham's old slot position on the first-team offence. Daughtry made the best of the opportunity with several clutch catches, including one to extend a potential game-winning drive that ended with the rare drop by Rhymes.

Another rookie WR, Ayden Eberhart, who has been noticeable on the second-team offence, had 5 catches, including a TD.

The three running backs in camp alternated with the first team as usual but didn't have a lot of success. Rookie linebacker Brooks Parker, who is contending for at least a rotational and special teams job, had a tackle for a loss on a swing pass to Antonio Williams. David Menard was one of several other players who had tackles for losses on running backs.

Kickers Sean Whyte and Kieran Burnham showed strong legs, as did punter and kickoff specialist Stefan Flintoft, but Whyte and Burnham each missed a field goal attempt in the scrimmage. In Whyte's case, the miss can be attributed to a low snap from Riley Pickett, who took all live reps as long snapper. As Hambone mentioned, Menard took some reps as long snapper in warmups, and skipped a couple of balls on the turf. Whyte picked up one of the errant snaps and calmly nailed a 46-yard drop kick.
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Moj had the "gotcha" moment of the day when he dropped the "news" that the Lions had just announced 20 minutes earlier the musical act for the home opener June 17th. Needless to say there was a noticeable reaction emanating from the crowd that it would be U2. He quickly followed that with a "just kidding" and said they expected the announcement would be made in the next few days.
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David
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Hey guys. Thanks for the great reports. Much appreciated!

It should be noted that Global's Jay Janower has been at camp and filing reports. Today he was in a cold tub with Garry Peters. Kudos to Jay!

Whom do you think will be our starting safety? Quincy Mauger? Also, I haven't heard much about Buddy Howell, whom I thought would have the inside track at starting tailback due to his NFL pedigree. Seems like right now it's a 2-horse race between Williams and Mizzell. Any thoughts?


DH :cool:
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B.C.FAN
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David wrote:
Sat May 20, 2023 9:39 pm
Hey guys. Thanks for the great reports. Much appreciated!

It should be noted that Global's Jay Janower has been at camp and filing reports. Today he was in a cold tub with Garry Peters. Kudos to Jay!

Whom do you think will be our starting safety? Quincy Mauger? Also, I haven't heard much about Buddy Howell, whom I thought would have the inside track at starting tailback due to his NFL pedigree. Any thoughts?


DH :cool:
Mauger has taken all first-team reps at safety. He hasn’t been prominent like last year when he had several interceptions, but neither has anyone else at that position.

Howell had perhaps the best day of any of the three backs today. He had been quiet to this point in camp while Taquan Mizzell and Antonio Williams made plays. It’s still an open competition. I expect the Lions to keep two of the three backs in some capacity.
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Jonathan Kongbo signed ? Quite the collection of Canadian DEs; but Kongbo, like Menard, has the ability to, and has played some inside at DT with the Bombers.
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