Lions signings for 2020

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Hambone
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B.C.FAN wrote:
Thu Jan 30, 2020 1:57 pm
The Lions have confirmed the signings of quarterbacks Will Arndt and Vincent Testaverde Jr., both of whom have previously been mentioned in this thread. That gives the Lions six QBs under contract for 2020 plus pending FA Brandon Bridge.

LIONS SIGN QB’S VINCENT TESTAVERDE JR. AND WILLIAM ARNDT
I would expect that list to be fluid. The 6 under contract beyond opening day of free agency are IMO subject to change. Given it's only January 30th I would submit there will be more than a few new faces, QBs and other positions, signed since last season who will be dropped to make room for other new players before rookie camp opens. Outside chance they open rookie camp with 6 QBs on the roster but no way do they start main camp with 6 QBs. Somebody will be dropped before that especially if they still have that CIS QB development thing happening. That would mean one more QB will participate in the first few days of main camp. I would submit that the only names out of the 6 that are locks to be in camp are Reilly and Arndt. The rest are subject to change.
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B.C.FAN
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Hambone wrote:
Thu Jan 30, 2020 2:13 pm
B.C.FAN wrote:
Thu Jan 30, 2020 1:57 pm
The Lions have confirmed the signings of quarterbacks Will Arndt and Vincent Testaverde Jr., both of whom have previously been mentioned in this thread. That gives the Lions six QBs under contract for 2020 plus pending FA Brandon Bridge.

LIONS SIGN QB’S VINCENT TESTAVERDE JR. AND WILLIAM ARNDT
I would expect that list to be fluid. The 6 under contract beyond opening day of free agency are IMO subject to change. Given it's only January 30th I would submit there will be more than a few new faces, QBs and other positions, signed since last season who will be dropped to make room for other new players before rookie camp opens. Outside chance they open rookie camp with 6 QBs on the roster but no way do they start main camp with 6 QBs. Somebody will be dropped before that especially if they still have that CIS QB development thing happening. That would mean one more QB will participate in the first few days of main camp. I would submit that the only names out of the 6 that are locks to be in camp are Reilly and Arndt. The rest are subject to change.
Agreed. The Lions usually open main camp with 5 QBs. The only time in recent years when they had 6 was 2015, when Michael O’Connor of UBC was there to learn the position. He didn’t take live reps in team play.
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Hambone
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B.C.FAN wrote:
Thu Jan 30, 2020 2:27 pm
Agreed. The Lions usually open main camp with 5 QBs. The only time in recent years when they had 6 was 2015, when Michael O’Connor of UBC was there to learn the position. He didn’t take live reps in team play.
Yup. Usually open with 5. 1 is the starter. Another usually has good odds of being the backup hopefully pushed by #3. The other 2 are there to compete for the 4th development spot and/or maybe push #3 aside. Normally they take no more than a week or until the 1st preseason game to knock it down to 4.
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Gridiron Ernie
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Of the signings so far pertaining to our free agent list, I'm delighted, as others have noted both here and elsewhere, that both Aaron Grymes and Hunter Steward are extended. Wonderful! My priority now would be DB Branden Dozier, and DL Shawn Lemon. And I sure hope we pick up some free agents from around the league to bolster our weak LB crew. The likes of young Kevin Haynes (who I have high hopes for) need more help than they currently have.
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B.C.FAN wrote:
Thu Jan 30, 2020 9:31 am
The Lions have reportedly signed former Redblacks QB Will Arndt and former NFL defensive end Cap Capi.

Arndt, 26, who was released by Ottawa last week, announced his signing on Twitter Thursday morning. He is a big QB at 6 ft. 5 and 215 lbs. He took over as Ottawa's starting QB late in the 2019 season. He completed 103 of 165 passes (62.4%) for 940 yards, 3 TDs and 6 INTs. He wouold be the sixth QB on the Lions' roster but that includes Brandon Bridge, who is due to become a free agent in February.

QB Arndt announces he'll sign with Lions

Capi, 27, (6 ft. 3, 249 lbs.) bounced around NFL training camps and practice rosters for four years. He played collegiately at Akron and was first signed by Jacksonville as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He played 8 games in 2017 and had 7 tackles, one sack and a forced fumble, mostly with Buffalo. His signing was listed on the cfl.ca transaction wire.
Coach Campbell would obviously have had a closeup look at Arndt last season so it is a positive that he wants him in camp.

Capi, out of Akron my Alma Mata, :rockin:
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B.C.FAN
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The Lions have brought back linebacker Adrian Clarke, who spent three seasons on B.C. special teams from 2015-17. They've also confirmed the signing of DE Cap Capi, as mentioned previously in this thread, and have added national DB Ben Minaker, an SFU alum who spent 2019 on the school's coaching staff.

LIONS ADD DE NORDLY CAPI, LB ADRIAN CLARKE AND SFU DB BEN MINAKER
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The Lions have also signed a couple of US free agents that haven't yet been announced.

Rob Simmons is a 6'6" linebacker that I am sure they will be converting to DE as he played a hybrid position at Purdue, similar to Craig Roh at Michigan.

Kurron Ramsay is a 6'3" Safety from Alabama State who looks quite physical. Hard to say if we signed him with the intention of looking at him for the safety position or as a corner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj7Rkx-Q-DY


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Gridiron Ernie
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Well, the IMO least impressive guy in the Lions organization, Director of Player Personnel Korey Hunter, has at least offered some small indication he's awake and at work: I see they've brought in a couple young American RBs (B. Radcliff and R. Fulse) to keep things interesting in the training-camp backfield and give the aging vets (White/Rutley/Rainey) some competition perhaps. A sensible move, given the vets are all getting to or already at or over age 30. I like what we have well enough for the time being, and White had a strong season last year, but it's good to think ahead. https://www.bclions.com/2020/02/27/lion ... yan-fulse/
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B.C.FAN
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The Lions have signed American kicker Jimmy Camacho from Fresno State.

Camacho is just the second kicker on the offseason roster, joining national Gregory Hutchins, a UBC alum who spent time on Edmonton's practice roster last year before being picked up by the Lions. The Lions also list American punter Stefan Flintoft from UCLA on the offseason roster.

LIONS ADD KICKER JIMMY CAMACHO TO ROSTER
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B.C.FAN wrote:
Wed Mar 04, 2020 8:04 am
The Lions have signed American kicker Jimmy Camacho from Fresno State.

Camacho is just the second kicker on the offseason roster, joining national Gregory Hutchins, a UBC alum who spent time on Edmonton's practice roster last year before being picked up by the Lions. The Lions also list American punter Stefan Flintoft from UCLA on the offseason roster.

LIONS ADD KICKER JIMMY CAMACHO TO ROSTER
Seems a bit strange. He's a placekicker who never punted in college yet his favourite athlete was a punter. Then again kickers do beat to a different drummer. :wink:

The mix seems off a bit though. So far 1 NAT PK, 1 AMER PK and 1 AMER punter. I wonder if they worked Camacho out punting to see what he can do? Can't see them going with 2 AMER kickers. Hutchins also punted at UBC but his averages haven't exactly been stellar. 37.57 in 2016, 36.4 in 2017 and 36.9 in 2018.
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David
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Another US street free agent signed for 2020. This young guy seems really happy to be here!

https://www.timesonline.com/sports/2020 ... ons-of-cfl


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B.C.FAN
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David wrote:
Mon Mar 23, 2020 9:47 pm
Another US street free agent signed for 2020. This young guy seems really happy to be here!

https://www.timesonline.com/sports/2020 ... ons-of-cfl


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From David's link:
Lafayette shut down the campus and moved to online classes, so Marotti is back home in Ambridge working on his schoolwork and training as much as he can.

With no weight room or gyms available, he hasn’t been able to do as much weightlifting, but he’s been doing band work, stretching, YouTube yoga workouts, and drills he learned from Lafayette strength coach Brad Potts – a Beaver native – and position-specific drills sent by the Lions.

“Luckily I live on a hill, so I can do hill sprints fairly easily,” Marotti said. “Literally anything you can think of I can just try to do it.”
I wonder how many players are going to show up to camp in worse shape than usual because they haven't had access to a gym and trainers. The Lions' training facility, which is used by a lot of in-town players, is shut down, along with team facilities across the league.
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B.C.FAN wrote:
Mon Mar 23, 2020 10:05 pm

I wonder how many players are going to show up to camp in worse shape than usual because they haven't had access to a gym and trainers. The Lions' training facility, which is used by a lot of in-town players, is shut down, along with team facilities across the league.
Old time football like the good old days! Show up fat and out of shape and use camp to get back into shape. Lol. Of course in those days training camp was a lot longer with two-a-days in full pads almost every day. Today's camps are shorter in duration much less full contact. If the season gets delayed at all camps will likely also be shorter than normal. The CFL might try to work with the CFLPA to get more in each day be it more time for meetings or slightly longer sessions.
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I'm thinking more and more we aren't likely to have a season at all and even if we wanted to, what is the policy going to be for bringing players in from the US? I suspect they are going to have a longer go of the problem than us just based on increased numbers and density and it is at least a possibility that those players may not be allowed to come, period. I don't think it is much of a stretch to say that there will be no possibility of a season if Americans can't come across the border. I guess it will depend on how long the borders are actually closed to non essential traffic.
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I had to chuckle over this -- newly signed CB Sean Harper Jr. (Washington State) nicely photo-shopped into a Lions uni. (I suspect Chris Rainey has dibbs on jersey #2 though!) Harper's confidently tweeted this, and here's the 3DownN link, however I've not seen a mention officially from the Lions. https://3downnation.com/2020/04/02/form ... b-c-lions/ I know these things need to be done, i.e. signing for the future. But in this state of uncertainty it all sort of rings hollow. But another DB for our secondary is always welcome, whenever things eventually move forward. Realistically I'm really not thinking in terms of 2020. I'm hopefully looking ahead to 2021.
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