BC Lions Thread

[jerrym]

The schedule for Travis Lulay's return to the lineup remains uncertain.

Although he continues to progress in his rehab from last September’s torn ACL, the quarterback says his main focus is being cleared to play. If that doesn’t happen at the start of training camp, or even the regular season then so be it. The fact he recently did his first jump squat since the operation and has been taking part in some light on-field workouts with teammates tells you he has turned a significant corner in the long process.”
“I say that cautiously, but yes,” he said.
“There is still a lot of work ahead, and I know that. There is still that little bit of uncertainty on how it will all go on the back end. That being said, I am comfortable where I am at, starting to feel more and more optimistic about the knee coming around. It’s been a steady transition since the New Year. There is a lot of work that goes into it in the first phase. Post-op was hard, but the next phase, I am now closer to 20 weeks post-op, you’re starting to re-introduce some of those athletic movements again.”

https://www.bclions.com/2018/02/12/t...one-goal-mind/

[jerrym]

With Lulay's return timetable in question, it gives Fajardo a shot at being #2 at the start of the season. If that his occurs, his main competition would be Alex Ross.

[jerrym]

Cody Fajardo discusses why he joined the Lions and Ricky Ray.

“It’s a great fit for me and my strengths,” explained Fajardo. I love the way both Jennings and Travis play. I want to learn from them and I think the thing that was most appealing to me was to be able to learn from two guys who have played this game at such a high level. Playing and learning from Ricky Ray last year was incredible and I think to continue my transition in the CFL, learning from both those guys will be even better,” said Fajardo. ...

“Size has always been one of my things to use to my advantage, especially when using my speed on a bigger field,” said the 2011 Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year.“That has really helped me. My first time on a CFL field it was like ‘whoa, I get all of this yardage to run?’ I have fun playing the game when I get to use those strengths to my ability.” ...

It was at the Reno campus where he backed up Colin Kaepernick and eventually succeeded him as the Wolf Pack starter in 2011. In fact, those two are the only quarterbacks in NCAA history to finish their career with over 9,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards.
“It was a lot like being around Ricky and a lot like what I think it will be learning from Travis and Jonathon, being behind a guy that played at such a high level,” said Fajardo of Kaepernick. It made my transition at Nevada very easy because I saw how he did it and I knew that was the way it had to be done because he had so much success. I didn’t try to be someone I’m not, which I learned early. I took tidbits from his game, added them to my strengths and it worked out for the best.” ...

“That’s what I love most about the CFL, just how fluid the league is. Most guys sign one or two-year deals. For me to go from being at the bottom of the spectrum (in 2016) to the best team in the CFL was really cool.”

https://www.bclions.com/2018/02/16/c...coast-flavour/

[jerrym]

Here's BC's list of 10 player's on their negotiation list whose names have been released.

BC LIONS
Greg Ducre DB Washington
Ryan Finley QB NC State
Deondre Francois QB Florida State
Jake Fromm QB Georgia
Gage Gubrud QB Eastern Washington
Lamar Jackson QB Louisville
Najee Murray DB Kent State
Shea Patterson QB Michigan
Brett Rypien QB Boise State
Khalil Tate QB Arizona

https://www.bclions.com/2018/02/20/c...-players-team/

Lamar Jackson is the most prominent name on the list.

Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville, 6-3, 211 pounds
The Heisman winner in 2016, Jackson is more of a long-term wait-and-see neg list stash for the Lions. Jackson’s results while at Louisville are unquestionable. What NFL people wonder is if he can take his athletic game to the next level. The 21-year-old is a bit of a gunslinger and some question his decision-making on the field. Would the mistakes pile up where the game is bigger and faster?
Regardless of the criticism around his game, pundits have him projected as a late first-round or a second-round pick in this year’s NFL draft. There’s been talk of Jackson’s athleticism opening doors for him in the NFL as a receiver or a returner as well, so even if he doesn’t pan out as a quarterback, he may still have options south of the border.

https://www.cfl.ca/2018/02/20/deeper...n-list-reveal/

[jerrym]

A key reason GM Ed Hervey was able to attract so many free agents to the Lions was his ability to convince a number of holdover Lions to take pay cuts rather than enter free agency in order to make the team better.

The challenge for the Lions’ first-year general manager, therefore, was twofold: One, he had to sell the many players he’d targeted on joining the Leos and, two, convince a slew of Lions veterans the necessity of restructuring their contracts so Hervey could bring his vision to reality. The Lions now have 12 new players in their fold who seemingly address their most pressing needs. ...
“I told (the Lions’ vets), we want to be active in free-agency and that’s going to take a certain amount of money,” Hervey said Tuesday, as offensive tackle Joel Figueroa, his prize catch, was introduced to the media. “We spent a lot of time talking to players about the vision. It wasn’t a forced negotiation. It was a conversation about choosing to be a part of it nor not. ...

So how many are we talking about here? It’s well-known quarterback Jonathon Jennings had his contract restructured. Were there a couple of others? “Probably more than a dozen,” Hervey said. ...
He now says those weren’t easy conversations even if the end result wasn’t a massive pay cut, but rather a tweaking of their existing deals. Still, Hervey can now go back to foundational players like Solomon Elimimian, Manny Arceneaux and Bryan Burnham and say, ‘See, I told you I’d change things.’

http://theprovince.com/sports/footba...building-lions

[jerrym]

Rolly Lumbala has agreed to a contract extension through the 2019 season.

Lumbala (6’2”, 245) is the Lions’ longest serving player currently on the roster and enters his 11th season of action in 2018. Originally coming to the Leos as the club’s second-round selection in the 2008 CFL Draft, he has appeared in 171 regular season games including a seven-year, 135 consecutive-game run without missing a start.
“Rolly is not only an incredibly durable and valuable part of our club, he’s one of the most respected players in our league,” said head coach Wally Buono. “From the day he joined our organization more than 10 years ago, right up to today as he makes one of his countless school appearances, Rolly exemplifies everything we ask of our players both on the field and in the community.”
The University of Idaho product is one of the CFL’s premier blocking backs and special teams aces.

https://www.bclions.com/2018/02/21/l...xtension-2019/

[jerrym]

Mike Lionello, the Lions' RB/Quality Control coach discusses his role in both areas during the offseason.

Mike Lionello sits at his computer and carefully dissects a loss to the Edmonton Eskimos last October at BC Place. ...
“You want to start scouting the teams you’ll be playing early in the season and also do a little self-scout,” explained the Lions’ running backs coach. What did we do well last year and what didn’t we do well last year. The same with other teams in our league and in the NFL. How did they have success?” ...
A big part of the winter film study also includes evaluating the analytical breakdown of your own team. Digging deep into some of those key numbers will help the offensive coaching staff decide what plays they still want to incorporate into their scheme and others they can most likely scrap from the playbook altogether.
“You want to look at efficiency. A big column we use is gain/loss, “ said the former SFU clan coach.
“What did a certain play gain? Over the course of a season, what are the average yards gained per each play we called? If you look at a run play that gained an average of fewer than five yards, your question becomes do we continue to use that play? For any run play, you want to gain more than five yards on first down. If that play is gaining less than five yards, do we still need to run it? On the other side, if there is a play that is gaining an average of eight or nine yards, we have to figure out how we can run it more or disguise it. Those are the biggest things.” ...


Lionello pointed out his backs also combined for over 1,000 receiving yards, 542 coming from Johnson. But there is more to the position than racking up important yardage on the ground and celebrating in the end zone. As the film shows, they did a solid job in other key areas.
“As a group, we were solid in our protection and we hung on to the football. Our fumbles went from eight in 2016 to three last season. That’s more than a 50 percent drop, which is very good,” explained Lionello.
“Protecting the quarterback and protecting the football are two important things.”

As any coach will tell you, a guy of Johnson’s calibre makes them better at what they do. The former Oregon Ducks’ standout is also just as valuable off the field.
“He is the consummate professional, a great leader and a great teammate,” stated Lionello. Last year when he had to sit out that Winnipeg game he was out there coaching the heck out of Tyler Davis, who hadn’t really played much running back before. Jeremiah helps out with everything. If I am running the scout team, he is out there coaching them up. It was terrific to see and it is great that he is here for at least another year. It is also great to have Rolly Lumbala signed for two more years. Like Jeremiah, he is almost like having another coach out there”

https://www.bclions.com/2018/02/22/r...-plenty-build/

[jerrym]

While NFL teams want QB Lamar Jackson, who is on the Lions negotiation list and won the 2016 Heisman Trophy, to try out for for receiver, he will be at the NFL Combine as a QB this weekend. If things don't work out in the NFL because teams there do not perceive him as a QB or because he can't adapt to being a receiver, the Lions could end up with a dynamic QB.

The six-foot-two was one of the most explosive football players in America and the Lions added him to their negotiation list on Jan. 4, 2016. That move came after Jackson put up 453 total yards and four touchdowns in Louisville’s 27-21 Music Bowl victory on Dec. 31, 2015.
“He’s dynamic and definitely has the arm strength to be a quarterback in the pros,” a CFL scout says. “Mike Vick is an easy comparison because no one has been that dynamic since Vick.”

The dual-threat QB threw for 3,543 yards, 30 touchdowns and nine interceptions while rushing for 1,571 yards and 21 more scores in 13 games for the University of Louisville in 2016. Those numbers earned Jackson the Heisman Trophy as he became just the third quarterback in FBS history to throw for 30 and rush for 20 touchdowns in a single season (Tim Tebow in 2007 and Cam Newton in 2010 were the others.) All three won the Heisman.
Jackson threw for 3,660 yards, 27 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing 59.1 per cent of his passes and rushed for 1,601 yards and 18 touchdowns named a Heisman finalist as a junior. Then he declared for the 2018 NFL Draft.

http://3downnation.com/2018/03/02/nf...as-a-receiver/

[jerrym]

Lamar Jackson said he would not switch from QB to receiver even if asked. However, although not having a real strong arm, he showed enough at the NFL Combine that he likely stay at QB.

Widely considered the best running quarterback since Michael Vick but a thrower who still needs polish, Jackson shook off some apparent jitters to show off a good enough passing prowess to justify his reticence to switch to wide receiver.
"No sir," he said, "I'm a quarterback."
And he said he's not interested in just running wildcat plays, where he'd take the direct snap and zip around the tackle, either.
"No wildcat," Jackson said. "This is not the Dolphins with Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. No sir."

https://www.tsn.ca/louisville-s-jack...t-qb-1.1016759

[jerrym]

Marcus Howell who switched from the Riders to the Lions in the offseason talks about his new job as BC's receivers' and passing game coordinator coach below.

“We were able to lead the league in passing with two quarterbacks, Brandon Bridge and the old guy Kevin Glenn,” laughed Howell. So we’re excited about what we can do here with this group.”
Count Jarious Jackson as one of Howell’s bigger influences in his coaching career. While on the Blue Bombers’ staff, Howell watched Jackson turn an underachieving Eskimos squad into Grey Cup Champions in 2015. When Jackson and a few other Edmonton coaches made the jump to Saskatchewan after that victory, Howell joined him for that rebuilding project. ...


“We struggled in 2016, but in 2017 we kind of turned a corner. When he got the job here he expressed that he wanted me to join him. It is an opportunity I can’t turn down,” explained Howell. ...
“There is a core nucleus of guys in the receiving corps that is fantastic,” said the 2008 Grey Cup Champion with Calgary. When you put them in with the quarterbacks and running backs we’ve got, and the O-line is revamped, it could be an explosive offence and that’s what we’re looking for.”


“Our job is to give them a system they can rely on. They are super explosive and dynamic athletes,” added Howell of his new squad. There are) guys like Rainey who can stick his foot in the ground and flip the field in a heartbeat. Our job is to give them a system they can buy into and love and just let athletes be athletes.”

https://www.bclions.com/2018/03/05/h...g-bounce-back/

[jerrym]

Danny Vandervoort, who had 1 reception for 25 yards in his 2017 rookie season, has been training alongside former Argo Chad Owens and Darian Durant in the hopes that he can play a bigger role in the Lions offence this year.

Training alongside veteran fellow receiver Chad Owens will definitely have that effect on most youngsters. Owens and Darian Durant have been leading daily sessions with a handful of players in Mississauga, Ontario and the Lions’ third overall pick from last year maintains it has been a big boost in his preparation for year two as a pro.
“The knowledge he has is second to none. Even during receiver drills he always corrects you and never lets you get away with not perfecting your routes,” Vandervoort said about the 35-year old affectionately known as the Flyin’ Hawaiian.

“Chad gets on you. All of his knowledge and little tricks have been awesome. He is like a little father figure to all of the young guys. Besides Chad Owens and Darian Durant, the rest of us are all pretty young. I try to soak it all in.”
The young group also includes quarterback Brandon Bridge and receiver Devon Bailey of Saskatchewan, Stampeders’ receiver Juwan Brescacin and Blue Bombers’ fullback John Rush.

https://www.bclions.com/2018/03/07/v...wins-year-two/

[jerrym]

Former RedBlacks International DB Winston Rose, who had been on the Argos PR in 2016, has signed with BC after being cut by Ottawa.

[jerrym]

The Lions have signed three more International DBs: Michael Lee, Bryce Cheek, and Ronald Tyler.

Tyler (6’0”, 180) attended Nicholls State University and was originally signed by the Montreal Alouettes last May. He attended training camp with the club and was waived as part of the team’s final roster cut down.
Lee (6’0”, 175) enjoyed two standout seasons at Fort Valley State before joining the Atlanta Falcons in 2015 as an undrafted free agent and eventually ended up with the Philadelphia Eagles. He spent the 2016 season on the practice roster of the Los Angeles Chargers before inking with the Leos.
Cheek (6’0”, 195) was a four-year contributor at the University of Akron who had signed a free agent deal with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2016 and also attended training camp with the club seeing action in three games.

https://www.bclions.com/2018/03/12/l...als-secondary/

[Argo57]

Ricky Foley released, probably the end of a very good CFL career.

https://www.cfl.ca/2018/03/14/lions-release-foley-gale/

[jerrym]

It was a pleasure watching Foley play in both BC and Toronto. His talent during his best years and his passion for the game will be missed. HIs 2009 Most Outstanding Canadian award was well deserved, as was his Most Valuable Canadian award in the Argos 2012 Grey Cup victory.

On the other hand, the release of former Argo QB Mitchell Gale at the same time as Foley is hardly surprising as Gale did not get to throw a pass or even make a QB sneak despite dressing for seven games for the Lions in 2017. In three years with the Argos he never threw more than 11 passes and never completed more than 5 in any season. Only in 2016 when he was with the Riders, did he get any significant action, passing for 950 yards. His pro career might be over at 28, although even poor veteran QBs often hang on as emergency backups.

[jerrym]

BC has signed three International DL: Ivan McLennan, Josh Kaddu, and Se'Von Pittman.

McLennan (6’3”, 240) appeared in 11 games for the Montreal Alouettes last year notching 17 defensive stops, a sack and three special teams tackles. The California native who attended Washington State was an undrafted free agent signing of the Atlanta Falcons in 2016 before joining the Als.

Kaddu (6’3”, 245) was a fifth-round selection of Miami Dolphins in the 2012 NFL Draft and dressed in five games over a pair of seasons. After attending training camp with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2014, the University of Oregon standout saw action in one more regular season game with the Minnesota Vikings before being waived the following year.


Pittman (6’3”, 270) joins the Leos after signing as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2017. The four-year starter from the University of Akron piled-up 49 solo stops and four sacks during his time with the Zips.

https://www.bclions.com/2018/03/13/l...efensive-line/

[jerrym]

Jonathan Jennings talks about new GM Ed Hervey, new coach Marcus Howell and his shoulder injury that limited his performance for most of last season below.

Jennings has had a few lengthy conversations with GM Ed Hervey and has liked what the new boss has been preaching.
“I like the way he’s doing things. He’s a real straightforward guy who is going to tell you how he feels,” said Jennings. “He has a vision of us being successful, doing things the right way and building our core group of guys. He’s doing his best to put the pieces in place and I’m excited about that. He’s really confident in me, he’s confident in our team and what we can do and I’m excited to work with him.”
The change that will impact him the most on a day-to-day basis are the additions of new offensive coordinator Jarious Jackson and receivers coach/pass game coordinator Markus Howell. Under their guidance, the Saskatchewan Roughriders led the CFL in passing last season. Jennings can’t wait to team up with the ‘other’ JJ. ...


“We’ve had some conversations and it’s all been positive,” explained Jennings.
“I’ve heard a lot about him through Travis and other guys who have played for him. He has talked about structure and how he wants to build things up. Change sometimes is a good thing. Sometimes you need a clean slate. I’m excited to get into the film room with Jarious and get to work.”
Now healed, the injured shoulder Jennings suffered in a memorable week three victory in Hamilton last season played a big role in what transpired the rest of the way. It was not the end result many had envisioned after everything seemed to go right in Jennings’ first full season as a starter where he joined Doug Flutie, Casey Printers and Dave Dickenson as the only quarterbacks in franchise history to pass for over 5,000 yards in a single season.
Players approach these setbacks in different ways. Jennings is of the mind you can’t simply just forget it. "You use it as motivation. There was one other time in my football career when I was on a sub .500 team and that next year we came out with a bang because we felt we had to turn it around. I'm doing everything in my power to flip that around and I'm sure most of my teammates are doing the same. It's not fun to lose and we obviously don't want that. It's about getting back to the football we know we can play: winning football."

https://www.bclions.com/2018/03/22/j...eared-up-2018/

[jerrym]

Former BC Lions National DE Brent Johnson (2001-2010, who led the league in sacks in 2005 and 2006 and was a five time West All Star, and International cornerback/safety Barron Miles (1998-2009 for the Lions and Als), who won Rookie of the Year in 1998, Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2002, and was a six time CFL All Star, discuss their selection to the Hall of Fame below.

The one-time youth hockey star freely admits he never saw the call to the hall coming.
“It was never even on my radar until I started playing football more seriously. It was later on in life, sixteen years old when I started playing,” recalled the pride of Kingston, Ontario.
“And then through university and finally the pro ranks. When you start any sort of journey you don’t necessarily assume that the accolades are going to be bestowed upon you as much as you want to go out and just do a good job. I wanted to win games with my teammates. You don’t really have an idea of where this all leads too and that’s a good thing because it leads to a lot of surprises. ...


“I think more in the terms of people that gave me an opportunity,” explained the former Buckeye. “That chance to go perform and what I did with that was kind of up to me. I’m very grateful for guys like Wally that came in and gave me the opportunity to go perform. It was then up to me to go perform.” ...


“When you’re playing you’re thinking about winning championships, and the type of team you have each year,” stated Johnson. “Each year is a different campaign. That era and that part of my life (football) are drastically different than what my mindset is now. When you’re retired you’ve removed yourself from that part of your earlier life. It’s very nostalgic when you look back at your body of work and all of the people that helped you along the way to succeed. That, I think for me, is where my head is at.” ...



Despite Johnson’s presence, there was a sense the BC Lions’ defence needed one more key piece to reach the ultimate goal of winning a Grey Cup in the middle of the previous decade. The addition of Miles in 2005 gave the ‘Lockdown U’ secondary some more veteran experience and swagger. Never at a loss for words, Miles spoke on Wednesday night from Winnipeg and says going in with Johnson indeed makes the call more special.
“He has a special place in my heart because he’s a d-lineman, ” said Miles to a group of reporters. “I love d-linemen. Those guys put in work and put pressure on the quarterback to allow me to be able to do my job. To be able to play with him for five years was awesome. It’s the best of both worlds: Montreal and BC. Who can ask for more?”

https://www.bclions.com/2018/03/21/h...pts-call-hall/

[jerrym]

Director of Canadian Scouting Geroy Simon sees this year's draft class as very deep in strong OL candidates, which makes him very happy, as the Lions want to focus on strengthening their talent at these positions. Having the #3 overall draft choice should help in this regard.

[jerrym]

This is likely the winningest coach in CFL history final season. Wally has made the playoffs in 22 of 24 seasons which tells one how consistent he has been, even if the Lions missed the playoffs last year.