Season opener - BC @ Calgary

[Hambone]

And for the record I will be attending.

The roster is taking shape. Currently 52 listed as active. We know Hatcher and Rouyer are out. Burnham will be on the 1G because they won't dress 3 kickers. We know who the 3 QBs will be and that DeBaillie will be the Global.

That leaves the 21 NAT and 20 American spots to be selected out or the 23 NAT and 22 Americans remaining. Unless BC opts to dress 7 OL the 2 Americans to develop hangnails will be Norman and Schleuger. They might dress on of them as a precaution should Broxton struggle but I doubt it.

On the NAT side it looks to me like the 2 to sit this one out will come out of the group of Bagayogo, Bemiy, Archibald, Rene and LaFrance (due in part to having 1 or at most 2 practices with his new team).

So without further adieu my prediction:

STARTERS:
QB - Adams
TB - Mizzell
OL - Broxton, KNEVEL (or PEIRSON), COUTURE, CHUNGH, Perkins
WR - Whitehead, Rhymes, COTTOY, MCINNIS, Hollins
DL - BETTS Baron, Banks, Tuehema (or Siddiq)
LB - LOKOMBO, HLADIK, Rugamba
DB - Peters, Lee, Mauger, Sayles, Edwards-Cooper (or Jones)
Specialists - WHYTE, Flintoft, PICKETT T.Williams (won't be surprised to see him get some reps on O especially if an American starter goes down.

Depth/Rotation:
QB - Evans, Davis
FB - MACKIE
WR - PETERMANN
OL - PEIRSON (or KNEVEL)
DL - MENARD, CHERRY, Debaillie, Siddiq (or Tuehema)
LB - Woods, VARGA, MESSAM
DB - GREENE, Jones (or Edwards-Cooper)
MISC - 3 out of ARCHIBALD, RENE, BEMIY, BAGAYOGO and LAFRANCE. I think Archibald and Rene are all but locks due special teams play with LaFrance's readiness or lack thereof opening the door for either Bemiy or Bagayogo.

DIs - Flintoft, T.Williams, Woods, Siddiq (or Tuehema.

[b_man360]

Hey. First time going to McMahon stadium. Where’s a good spot to sit that would potentially have lots of lions fans near by? Thanks!

[B.C.FAN]

Your predictions look pretty solid, Hambone. I think Teuhema did more than Siddiq in preseason to win the final DL spot.

As for national depth spots, I think Archibald is a lock based on special teams play. Bagayogo is not ready for live action. I previously predicted the last national spot will come down to Rene or Messam. I still see that happening, with Rene getting the edge.

We’ll find out when the game roster and depth chart is released Wednesday morning.

[TheLionKing]

Hey. First time going to McMahon stadium. Where’s a good spot to sit that would potentially have lots of lions fans near by? Thanks!

Probably behind the Lions bench

[Hambone]

Hey. First time going to McMahon stadium. Where’s a good spot to sit that would potentially have lots of lions fans near by? Thanks!

I don't know that it matters but the Lions bench will be on the east (parking lot/C-train) side. Whatever Lions contingent is there will be scattered on that side which faces the setting sun. Shades and a ball hat or something with a brim are essential. I'll be there as good buddy Scott Oberg's date. For those who remember Total-CFL regular back in the day he was a regular under the handle of "Sugarfoot". I guess he couldn't talk his wife Melanie into going.

[Hambone]

Your predictions look pretty solid, Hambone. I think Teuhema did more than Siddiq in preseason to win the final DL spot.

As for national depth spots, I think Archibald is a lock based on special teams play. Bagayogo is not ready for live action. I previously predicted the last national spot will come down to Rene or Messam. I still see that happening, with Rene getting the edge.

We’ll find out when the game roster and depth chart is released Wednesday morning.

When Bagayogo was drafted the general consensus was tremendous upside with lots of the physical attributes one wants in a corner but still very raw.

[Hambone]

One thing I didn't factor in is the new naturalized Canadian or American or whatever they call it. BC has a very short list who qualify. I believe that group consists of Lee, Peters, Rhymes and Norman. One of the first 3 would likely draw the 8th starter role while Norman due to his ability to fill in at all 5 OL spots would provide the most value as a backup. That could be what gets him onto the game roster at the expense of another American.

[Qman]

Hey. First time going to McMahon stadium. Where’s a good spot to sit that would potentially have lots of lions fans near by? Thanks!

Don’t sit in the the pinks, just benches. Pay up for an actually seat. Blue and reds between goalines.
I prefer the shade side. Lions bench is on sun side

[B.C.FAN]

Several of us have commented on the Lions keeping 52 players on their active roster after CFL cutdown day, all under full contract and counting toward the salary cap unless they're placed on the 6-game injured list. According to the weekly CFL Game Notes, the Lions have the smallest active roster in the league. Hamilton and Montreal have 59 players on their active rosters as of June 6:

HAM 59
MON 59
OTT 58
CGY 56
TOR 56
EDM 55
SSK 54
WPG 53
BCL 52

[B.C.FAN]

The Lions' depth chart is up. Huge surprise: Terry Williams starts ahead of Dominique Rhymes, who led the Lions with 1,401 receiving yards and 11 TDs last year. Rhymes is listed as a nationalized American under the CFL's new ratio rules. (Someone else will have to explain how it works.) Justin McInnis starts at boundary slotback for the injured Keon Hatcher. Andrew Peirson starts ahead of David Knevel at left guard.

On defence, Tibo Debaillie starts at DT ahead of Woody Baron. Mathieu Betts and Sione Teuhema start at DE, with a 9-man rotation that includes rookie Amir Siddiq. Quincy Mauger and Jalon Edward-Cooper hold their starting positions in the secondary. Adrian Greene and Patrice Rene back up the secondary.

Keon Hatcher starts on the 6-game injured list. Players on the 1-game list are rookie draft picks Siriman Bagayogo and Francis Bemiy, kicker Kieran Burnham, DB Mike Jones, LB Maxime Rouyer and OLs Chris Schleuger and Phil Norman.

Lions' Week 1 roster and depth chart

[Toppy Vann]

LaFrance might not play this week but Riders GM explains why he's gone and what he brings to a team although the stats don't fly off the charts.

Saskatchewan only plans to dress three Canadian running backs and fullbacks this season ....

“Kienan’s been a good player for us and just an outstanding guy, great in the locker room. He’s a glue guy and those are really tough decisions when you have to make those decisions,” said O’Day.

“The decision just came down to ...we were going to go a little bit younger there.”

Also, they aren't cutting any of their 4 QBs and none of them are injured.

https://3downnation.com/2023/06/07/ride ... ar-season/


https://www.cfl.ca/players/kienan-lafrance/161517/

Preparing for a life after football in financial advising it seems:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kienan-lafr ... bdomain=ca

[Hambone]

I'm thinking Debaillie starting May reflect an expectation Calgary will run a lot and the coaches thimk he's better defending the run than Baron. Williams over Rhymes is interesting. Rhymes showed in camp and preseason that another huge season lies ahead for him. Williams also had a great camp getting offensive reps.buy also took most of them at WR. Wondering if Rhymes is being nagged by something that isn't serious enough to keep him out but had them wanting to manage his reps.

[B.C.FAN]

Dave Naylor has posted an explanation of the new Designated Nationalized American and Designated National Starter positions. Rhymes and Baron appear to be listed as backups primarily to satisfy the new rule. They can replace a designated national starter for up to 23 plays per game, and can also replace any American. They just can't be on the field for the first play of the game. All clear?

[Hambone]

Ah. Thanks BCF. That explains things.

[B.C.FAN]

The Stamps have listed RB Ka'Deem Carey and S Branden Dozier as their Designated Nationalized Americans. Both will likely play the majority of snaps with the starters but they have to be on the bench for the first play of the game.

John Hodge of 3downnation.com uses the Calgary and B.C. examples to call out the lunacy of the new rule, which was part of the collective bargaining agreement negotiated with the CFL Players Association last year. I can't disagree with him.

Opinion: new CFL roster rules make mockery of the game