Thread for the Team that Cannot Be Named

[jerrym]

Drew Edwards discusses what was learned from the Tiger-Cats mini-camp.

1. Of the nearly 50 players on the roster, expect about two dozen or so to be invited back for main camp at the end of May. Vice-president of football operations and head coach Kent Austin gathered everybody at mid-field at the conclusion of the last practice to thank the players for their effort. For some of these players, this will be their last experience in professional football.
2. The seven kickers held one final kicking session on Thursday morning and it’s likely three will be back for main camp: former Winnipeg Blue Bomber Sergio Castillo, ex-Buffalo Bill Jordan Gay and 31-year-old Craig Peterson, who most recently kicked in the Arena League.
3. Receiver Brian Tyms, who played two games with the team at the tail end of last season, had a strong camp and will likely be in contention for a starting job alongside Terrence Tolliver and Luke Tasker. Another pass catcher who stood out was Ed Williams, who made a number of tough catches, including an impressive one-hander over the middle on Thursday. Felix Flaubert-Lussier, who was taken in the fifth round of the 2016 CFL Draft, has cut 15 pounds and looked quicker and more agile than he did at training camp last season.
4. The Ticats need to upgrade their secondary and some strong candidates may have emerged this week, including former New York Giant and Baltimore Raven Will Hill, who has 32 NFL starts to his credit but ran afoul of the league’s substance abuse policy (he’s been suspended four times, reportedly for marijuana use.) Other defensive backs who had a solid week: Cheatham Norrils, Keon Lyn and Cleshawn Page.
5. With the team likely to start two American offensive tackles this season, they’ll need some depth behind (and competition for) veterans Xavier Fulton and Jeremy Lewis. UCLA alum Malcolm Bunche looked solid, as did former Bruin Torian White. Jordan Swindle may have done enough to warrant a longer look as well.
6. New special teams coordinator Dennis McKnight certainly made a sizable first impression. A former NFL offensive lineman and long snapper who spent 12 years in the league, the 57-year-old coaches with an impressive amount of energy and volume.
7. Quarterback Matt Johnson got a number of compliments on his flashy powder blue high top cleats, which he borrowed from a former teammate before a recent workout. But given that they could easily be mistaken for Toronto Argonaut colours, Johnson says he’ll retire them if and when he returns for main camp (and given what he showed the last couple of days, it’s likely he will.)
8. Up next for the Ticats: figure out the ratio or where they want to start their seven national players on offence and defence. The team has plenty of Canadian talent – they could likely start as many as 11 – but it’s spread over a number of positions, which is great for flexibility but makes roster planning more difficult. Once they decide a general direction, they can dial in their draft strategy and fill in the rest of the training camp roster.

http://3downnation.com/2017/04/27/ma...ats-mini-camp/

[jerrym]

The url below has a transcript of Chief Executive Officer, Scott Mitchell, HC Kent Austin and QB Zach Collaros conducting a conference call about how they see the Tiger Cats upcoming season.

http://ticats.ca/transcript-tiger-ca...nference-call/

[jerrym]

Clicking on the Listen Live url http://bit.ly/2g3GKmG will connect you to GM Eric Tillman's comments on the upcoming CFL draft.

#Ticats GM Eric Tillman joins "#Ticats Today" at 3:45pm on @TSN1150 to talk CFL Draft. #TicatsDraft

LISTEN LIVE 🔊 > https://t.co/xVSYKo7idK pic.twitter.com/HnMls2WO3H

— Hamilton Tiger-Cats (@Ticats) May 4, 2017

[jerrym]

GM Eric Tillman and Assistant GM Drew Allemang discuss Tiger Cat preparations for the CFL Draft below.

http://ticats.ca/video/cfldraft-prev...-drew-allemang

[jerrym]

The Tiger Cats have had a workout for Canadian kickers.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats hunt for a kicker is continuing — this time with candidates from north of the border.
Sources says the team worked out several Canadian kickers at Tim Hortons Field Wednesday, including the University of Ottawa’s Lewis Ward, the University of Montreal’s David Deschamps and Carleton’s Mike Domagala.
Ward and Domagala are eligible for the 2017 CFL Draft this Sunday.

http://3downnation.com/2017/05/04/ti...adian-kickers/

[1971GreyCup]

For those hose who haven't heard the story of why Bob Young saved the Ticats for his late brother, you'll enjoy this 5 minute video. Impressive

My story: Caretaker Bob. https://youtu.be/HtdUOfyYk2Q

[OV Argo]

GM Eric Tillman and Assistant GM Drew Allemang discuss Tiger Cat preparations for the CFL Draft below.

http://ticats.ca/video/cfldraft-prev...-drew-allemang

Tillspin & Kenty use their first pick to take DE Connor McGough - very athletic, strong DE; but the Pussycats have 2 good starting import DEs, plus vet NI Capacciotti at DE = where does McGough fit in? - GOB "depth" plus a special teamer ?

[jerrym]

Tiger Cat first round draft choice Connor McGough discusses being drafted early about his skills.

The fastest DL at the combine, @C_McGough35, takes some time to talk #CFLDraft with #TicatsTV. 🏃 pic.twitter.com/vilDbD8XLO

— Hamilton Tiger-Cats (@Ticats) May 11, 2017

[jerrym]

The video below shows second round Tiger Cat draft choice OL Braden Schram.

The second of our Dino's pair, 6' 5", 290lb Braden Schram was an absolute wall on Calgary's offensive line. pic.twitter.com/a22zI2qVYZ

— Hamilton Tiger-Cats (@Ticats) May 11, 2017

[jerrym]

Assistant GM and Director of Football Operations Shawn Burke analyzes the Tiger Cat draft below.

Join #Ticats Assistant General Manager & Director of Football Operations, @ticatsguy, for an inside analysis of our 2017 #CFLDraft class. 🏈 pic.twitter.com/ExIUr1io6k

— Hamilton Tiger-Cats (@Ticats) May 12, 2017

[jerrym]

Fifth round Tiger Cat pick DL Justin Vaughn from Fordham University is featured in this game action video.

Dominant D-lineman @jv_xci returns to Hamilton from @FordhamNYC.

Our 4th pick in the #CFLDraft will be right at home in black & gold. pic.twitter.com/cQAL09YBsr

— Hamilton Tiger-Cats (@Ticats) May 12, 2017

[jerrym]

Hamilton has extended International DE John Chick through 2018.

“John’s performance last season proved that he is still an elite and impactful player in this league,” said Tiger-Cats Vice-President of Football Operations and Head Coach Kent Austin. “His professionalism, intensity level and the way he prepares himself on a daily basis both mentally and physically is infectious to our locker room. We’re very excited to have a player of his calibre locked up through 2018.”
Chick, 34, started all 18 regular season games and the Eastern Semi-Final for the Tiger-Cats in 2016, and was named a CFL All-Star and Hamilton’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player in his first year with the team. The 6-4, 253-pound product of Utah State finished the season tied for second in CFL sacks (14) and tied for third in forced fumbles (4), while adding 40 defensive tackles, four tackles for a loss, two fumble recoveries and five pass knock downs.
In seven CFL seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (2007-09, 2013-15) and Tiger-Cats (2016), Chick has registered 210 defensive tackles, 67 quarterback sacks, 24 tackles for loss, one interception, 14 forced fumbles and eight fumble recoveries in 109 career games. The native of Gillette, Wyoming, is a three-time CFL All-Star, previously earning the honours with the Roughriders in 2009 and 2014. He is also a two-time Grey Cup Champion (2007, 2013) and was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2009.

http://ticats.ca/three-time-cfl-all-...th-tiger-cats/

[jerrym]

The Tiger Cats have released several players.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats made half-a-dozen cuts on Tuesday morning as the team tinkers with its roster ahead of Rookie Camps next week. Among those released were defensive back Cassius Vaughn and receiver Spencer Watt.
Vaughn, who signed an extension with the club in January, originally signed with the Tiger-Cats on August 17, 2016 and started the final nine regular season games at defensive back in his rookie CFL season. He recorded 26 defensive tackles, one special teams tackle and five pass knock downs, while adding 130 yards on five kickoff returns.
Watt joined the Ticats in 2015 as a free agent after spending five years with the Toronto Argonauts. He missed the entire ’15 season with an injury and despite playing in all 18 games last year, was used sparingly. He finished 2016 with 21 receptions for 211 yards.
The team also parted ways with DL Delano Johnson, DB Travis Lee, DE Mike McAdoo and WR Franky Okafor.

https://www.cfl.ca/2017/05/16/cassiu...ger-cats-cuts/

[jerrym]

Here's a highlight video for Tiger Cat first round draft choice DL Connor McGough from the University of Calgary.

Two-time @CanadaWest All-Star, @C_McGough35 was our first pick in Sunday's #CFLDraft.

After watching the tape, it's not hard to see why. pic.twitter.com/ovxBYok31r

— Hamilton Tiger-Cats (@Ticats) May 10, 2017

[jerrym]

Below are the video highlights for Hamilton's third round draft choice DL Kay Okafor of St. Francis Xavier.

In the 3rd round of the #CFLDraft, our focus remained on the trenches.#Ticats fans, say 👋 to Nigerian born, St F.X. product, @KayFame1. pic.twitter.com/WazJRgXWkt

— Hamilton Tiger-Cats (@Ticats) May 11, 2017

[jerrym]

Drew Edwards looks at the latest Tiger Cat cuts below.

The Ticats released six players on Tuesday and there were a few mild surprises among them.
American defensive backs Cassius Vaughn and Travis Lee as well as defensive tackle Delano Johnson were all players with at least some degree of CFL experience and were thought to be candidates for starting spots going into training camp. ...


So what changed? A few things, actually.

1. The Ticats held their mini-camp at the end of April and have a better sense of the talent they’ll be able to bring to training camp. Defensive tackles Davon Coleman and Claudell Louis, for example, could be candidates at the defensive tackle spot.
2. NFL rosters are starting to take shape which means there will be neg list players and free agents coming to the realization that the invite they hoped was coming from the four-down folks may not materialize. All of a sudden, the CFL option looks a whole lot more appealing. I would expect the team to announce a number of signings before training camp begins.
3. The ratio is a factor. With five Canadian defensive tackles on the roster – including two new draft picks – the team may be seriously considering starting two Canucks in the middle, with Ted Laurent and Mike Atkinson being the likely candidates.
4. They have a new defensive coordinator. While Jeff Reinebold has been here all four seasons under head coach Kent Austin and former DC Orlondo Steinauer, he’ll have more influence over player personnel decisions now that he’s running the defence. Steinauer often preferred veteran players, sometimes to the detriment of allowing new talent to develop and Reinebold may be more willing to try new guys, especially early in the season.

http://3downnation.com/2017/05/16/ma...d-ticats-cuts/

[jerrym]

Here's the highlights of Hamilton's sixth round draft choice WR Jacob Scarfone from Guelph.

The 5th Tiger-Cat pick in the #CFLDraft, explosive REC Jacob Scarfone, is bringing his @GryphonFootball skills to Hamilton! 🏃💨 pic.twitter.com/6CnLTaDG43

— Hamilton Tiger-Cats (@Ticats) May 14, 2017

[jerrym]

OC Stef Ptaszek expects to have a larger role in Hamilton this year.

Ptaszek held the title last year but it would be a stretch to say that he fulfilled the duties in the traditional sense. Hired on May 5 after the sudden departure of Tommy Condell, just weeks before the opening of training camp, Ptaszek faced a learning curve that resembled the Chedoke stairs – steep, unrelenting and precarious.
“It was almost an impossible job last year for him,” acknowledged head coach Kent Austin. “He’s come a long way in his understanding,”
After 13 seasons coaching at the Canadian university level, including the last 10 as the head coach at McMaster, Ptaszek had to learn an entirely new offensive system – the one designed by Austin – as well as the nuances of the professional game. The challenges were big – scouting reports on defensive players and schemes for the other eight teams – and small: the names of 100 or so Ticats players, coaches and staff.
“I’ve always been good with not having all the answers and the amount of things I was able to absorb was outstanding,” Ptaszek said. “I was proud of the role I was able to play but that role needs to expand in order to help us going forward. I’m looking forward to doing that.”
Last season, Austin handled much of the game planning, the scripting for practice – what plays the offence will run – and called plays from his headset on the sideline. This year, Ptaszek expects the offensive staff to take over the first two, which should – in theory – allow for the third to follow.
“I think coach Austin knew he had a burden to support us on a regular basis throughout last year,” Ptaszek said. “But we’ve got to be more independent and allow coach to cherry pick when he can step in and feel completely confident when he needs to step out. And that’s different from last year.”

http://3downnation.com/2017/05/12/ti...r-role-season/

[jerrym]

This video shows highlights of Hamilton's seventh round draft pick OL Brett Golding from Wilfred Laurier.

Brett Golding locked down our 6th pick in the #CFLDraft, he formerly locked down @LaurierFootball's O-line. 🔒 pic.twitter.com/o2YO7LmUKe

— Hamilton Tiger-Cats (@Ticats) May 15, 2017

[jerrym]

Andy Fantuz is taking on a new role with the Tiger Cats: Player Development Coordinator while he recuperates from a torn ACL received in an October 28th game last season.

Fantuz was the East Division’s Most Outstanding Canadian in 2016 after posting 101 receptions for 1,059 yards and five touchdowns in 17 games with the Tiger-Cats. The 6-foot-4, 218-pound receiver became the first player in Tiger-Cats franchise history to record 100 receptions in a single season, surpassing that mark on October 21 at Ottawa.
He finished the season ranked fifth in CFL receptions (101) and receiving targets (128) despite missing the final regular season game and playoffs with a torn ACL.
The Chatham, Ont. native has appeared in 145 CFL games with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (2006-11) and Tiger-Cats (2012-16), recording 631 receptions for 8,308 yards and 44 touchdowns. He attended training camp with the NFL’s Chicago Bears in 2011 before returning to the CFL. In 2010, Fantuz was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian, and a CFL and West Division All-Star after catching 87 passes for 1,380 yards and six touchdowns. He has also played in five Grey Cup games, winning one (2007) and being named the game’s Most Outstanding Canadian twice (2007, 2014).
Fantuz was selected by the Riders with the third overall pick in the 2006 CFL Draft after a record-setting CIS career at Western. During his four years with the Mustangs, Fantuz set new CIS and OUA marks for career receiving yards (4,123), single-season receiving yards (1300 in 2002), career receptions (189) and career touchdown receptions (41). He was the recipient of the Hec Crighton award as the top player in CIS football in 2005.

https://www.cfl.ca/2017/05/18/fantuz...elopment-role/