Other CFL Teams' Training Camps

[R.J]

Five CFL Training Camp storylines to watch
https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/cf...142810809.html

[jerrym]

Calgary TC Day 2

WHO WASN’T THERE
The Stamps made one roster move Monday, releasing WR Josh Harper and adding defensive end Ja’Gared Davis, a 6-foot-1, 238-pounder out of Southern Methodist University … HB Brandon Smith, who has been away from camp the first two days to attend a wedding, is expected to show up in Calgary on Tuesday … DBs Jamar Wall and Joe Burnett were given Monday afternoon off, handing DB Travis Manning some reps at halfback and Michigan State product Mylan Hicks some time at SAM linebacker … The Stamps are taking it slow with third-year LB Max Caron, who still hasn’t practised through two days due to a leg muscle injury. Caron’s first two CFL seasons have ended in training camp with Achilles tears.
WHO RETURNED
WR Anthony Parker, who missed Sunday’s afternoon session, sat out Monday morning, as well, but returned in the afternoon. ...
PLAY OF THE DAY
With pads on in the afternoon, QB Andrew Buckley threaded the needle to hit Lemar Durant with a seed over the middle that drew a ‘Nice throw, Andrew’ from head coach Dave Dickenson.
PLAYER OF THE DAY
DT Micah Johnson only has one gear — full speed — and that was on display Monday afternoon when he (accidentally) hammered WR Chleb Ravenell in the open field during the team period.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/sport...185/story.html

[jerrym]

In Riderville, Durant is raring to go after having missed so much time the last two seasons.

Durant knows all about comebacks. He went through a similar scenario a year ago after missing the final nine games of the 2014 season (including one playoff contest) with a torn tendon in his right elbow.Durant made it through a mini-camp and training camp in 2015 before rupturing an Achilles tendon against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. That experience inspired Durant in 2016.
“It’s tough initially,” said Durant, 33. “As time passes, you realize that you have to attack the road ahead of you. That was my motivation and just knowing that I was getting another opportunity. I needed to take it upon myself and to make sure that I put myself in the best position possible. It was tough, but it was something that I’ve been through and hopefully I can make it through again.”
On Sunday, Durant didn’t appear to suffer any ill effects from surgery to repair his damaged Achilles. He rolled out with confidence during all the drills and delivered the ball with velocity.
Durant looked and sounded like his old self throughout the morning session. He has made so many strides since the injury that he didn’t think about it Sunday.
“This is a game of reactions and you can’t think about the what-ifs and you have to just react,” Durant said. “Hopefully your body holds up. I did a great job this off-season of putting stress on my legs and things like that to make sure they can hold up in these situations.”
Chris Jones, the Riders’ general manager and head coach, was pleased with what he saw out of Durant.
“When he steps on the field, he makes everyone on this football team play better,” Jones said. “He’s an awful tough competitor and we’ve gone against each before. He’s one of those special guys.”
Receiver Rob Bagg, who is heading into his ninth season with the Riders, was impressed after Durant’s first practice.
“He definitely looks a little bit leaner and more athletic,” Bagg said. “He threw the ball around and maybe missed some throws that he normally hits. I don’t think he’s thrown to a lot of receivers in a while. All things considered, he did very well.”

http://thestarphoenix.com/sports/foo...ad-roughriders

[jerrym]

Calgary is looking at five players in the hopes it can find one to improve its return game.

From Larry Taylor to Jock Sanders to Tim Brown and just about everywhere in between.
Finding a capable return man who can stay healthy has been a serious problem for the Calgary Stampeders.
“I think since Larry left it’s always been a position where we’ve tried to identify guys,” Stamps special-teams co-ordinator Mark Kilam said Monday. “It’s a difficult position to find players because you have to get them in the game to truly evaluate them. And then once you get them in the game, they have to stay in the game. That’s another issue with those guys. Because they, sometimes, take some hits, they also wear down.”
Two days and four practices into training camp, the Stamps have been giving at least nine different players the opportunity to catch kicks and punts.
While receivers Anthony Parker, Marquay McDaniel, Greg Wilson, and Lemar Durant have been getting some reps, the answer is likely to come from a five-pack of unprovens. Skye Dawson, who fumbled twice in the return game in last November’s West Final loss in Edmonton, is one of them.
The other four are all running backs — Tory Harrison, Roy Finch, Reggie Whatley and Lache Seastrunk — with varying levels of experience.
Finch, who has a 100-yard kick-return TD on his resume from his days at the University of Oklahoma, and Whatley, who holds the Middle Tennessee State school return for kick-return average, have oodles of it.
Harrison and Seastrunk, meanwhile, may have the skill-set. “I only did it a couple times, but when I started being their guy (in the backfield), they didn’t want me to get hurt so they just took me off of it completely,” Seastrunk said of his return experience at Baylor. “Get the ball in my hands. I’ll make it work.”
Last year, Brown’s 8.7-yard average on punt returns was ninth in the CFL, while his 23.4-yard average on kick returns was third in the league.
Big plays, however, were lacking in both areas. Head coach Dave Dickenson is looking for someone to come up with a big play or two during the upcoming exhibition season and make it easy on the coaching staff.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/sport...119/story.html

[jerrym]

One of the five players being looked at as main returner in Calgary in Roy Finch.

The 5-foot-7, 175-pounder’s expectations are high.
“In the return game, I want to be special,” Finch said Monday morning, following a training camp practice that featured a whole lot of special-teams work, as the Stamps are just beginning the process of sifting through a number of kick-return options.
Since starring in Norman, Okla., for the Sooners (2010-13), Finch almost cracked the New England Patriots roster in 2014, before heading north for a short stint with the Ottawa RedBlacks, which ended after 24 carries for 95 yards and nine receptions in five games.
Finch arrived in Calgary last week with a different perspective on his latest professional opportunity.
“You don’t realize how important something is to you until you lose it,” Finch said, thoughtfully, as a late-May training camp wind howled through McMahon Stadium. “For me to continue to put the work in to gain it back is important to me. That’s how I feel about this opportunity. It’s a golden opportunity to be with a great organization and to be with the best team, in my eyes, in the CFL. They’re always a game away from the championship, and that’s the type of atmosphere and organization you want to be a part of.”

http://www.montrealgazette.com/sport...114/story.html

[jerrym]

Jerome Messam is not simply going to be hand Cornish's job.

For the past two seasons, the running back position has been a weekly guessing game of, ‘Is Jon Cornish going to play?’
The Calgary Stampeders are hoping to slightly alter that question now that No. 9 is comfortably retired.
Instead of wondering if their oft-injured former star tailback is going to be on the field, the Stamps are hoping to pose the question of ‘Who’s going to get the football?’ to opposing defences on a weekly basis.
“We just had our meetings yesterday and Dave (Dickenson) repeated it: ‘Hey, we’re always the leading rushing team in the CFL,’ Stamps quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell said on the second day of training camp Monday at McMahon Stadium. “That’s a big thing. We might not have the leading rusher in the CFL, but we’re going to have guys that add up to it.”
Thanks to the double-whammy of an offensive line devastated by injuries as well as a banged-up ball-carrier once again in Cornish, the Stamps fell to fourth in the CFL in rushing last season, averaging 96.6 yards per game. Following years of going the feature-back route, the Stampeders may become a running-back-by-committee situation. Not because they don’t have a guy capable of carrying the load, either. Jerome Messam, coming off his second career 1,000-yard rushing season, can do that. He just may not be needed to.
Tory Harrison, 28, who caught five touchdown passes in his rookie year last season, is also expected to play a role, while former Baylor University star Lache Seastrunk, 25, lurks and could be the wildcard in the Stampeders’ ground game plans.
“I’m just going to come in and be me,” said Messam, who’ll have a significant role in his first full season in Calgary, after coming over from the Saskatchewan Roughriders at the trade deadline last fall. “Play well and pick up where he left off and be a solid back and one that’s reliable. “I’m really focused. I’m just happy that my body feels great and everything else will fall into place. As long as I’m healthy, I’m not worried about the production.”
While Cornish and Messam were born only five months apart, their respective workloads up to the age of 31 are much different.
Cornish retired with 1,026 carries on his hall-of-fame resume, while Messam has lugged the football only 614 times in his six CFL seasons. With the nagging injuries that plagued the nimble 6-foot-3, 245-pounder now, hopefully, a thing of the past, Messam has a good feeling about 2016.
“I’m just trying to be the best, man, and be great,” Messam said. “I want to make the CFL hall of fame one day. “I’m excited just to be able to be with a team where we have so many weapons and defences can’t really key in on one thing. If everyone stays healthy, the sky’s the limit for this team. Dickie’s offence is very powerful and, when ran correctly, I think, we can put up a lot of numbers.”
Behind a healthy offensive line, the numbers will be there. For somebody. But the feature-back in football is dying a slow death, and after more than a decade of one guy doing most of the heavy lifting in Calgary — before Cornish it was Joffrey Reynolds — the depth chart may dictate otherwise.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/sport...859/story.html

[jerrym]

Former Argo QB Trevor Harris says he's learning the Redblacks' offence quickly in this interview.

http://www.ottawaredblacks.com/2016/...-a-lot-better/

[jerrym]

DBs Antoine Pruneau and Jermaine Robinson, WR Chris Williams and rookie OL Jason Lauzon-Segun give their impressions of Redblack TC so far below.

http://www.ottawaredblacks.com/2016/...y-two-at-tc16/

[jerrym]

Review of Roughrider DBs in TC:

Heading into training camp, there are only a handful of familiar faces, and of those who are returning, it doesn’t add up much experience.
Where it is most evident, is with the defensive backfield. Of the over 15 or so defensive backs in camp, only three (Matt Webster, Dan West and Tyree Hollins) are remaining from the end of the 2015 season. There is a familiar face returning to the Green and White in Graig Newman, a few CFL vets and a whole lot of fresh faces to the Canadian game.
After the first couple of days of practice, one thing is for certain: all of the defensive backs must be able to play multiple positions, sometimes in the same game. For example; Newman has seen time at safety, boundary half and field corner. So, for this story, there will be no assigning of positions.
Here’s how things shake down:
The vets (*Indicates International Player):
*Tyree Hollins (2^nd year SSK/2^nd year CFL)
*Darrius Brooks (1^st year SSK/3^rd year CFL)
Matt Webster (3^rd year SSK/3^rd year CFL)
*Ed Gainey (1^st year SSK/5^th year CFL)
Tevaughn Campbell (1^st year SSK/2^nd year CFL)
*Johnnie Dixon (1^st year SSK/4^th year CFL)
Graig Newman (3^rd year SSK/5^th year CFL)
Dan West (2^nd year SSK/5^th year CFL)

No one has more than five years of CFL experience and Graig Newman is the elder statesman at 30 years old. Darrius Brooks returns from a couple of seasons in the NFL, and will be looked to as the playmaker in the backfield. In his two seasons with the Calgary Stampeders (2012-13), Brooks had five interceptions.
The four Canadians will fight for a regular rotation in the backfield but all will make a difference on special teams. Tyree Hollins, Ed Gainey and Johnnie Dixon will need to step up early to improve a Rider secondary that had only ten total interceptions for the season in 2015.
CFL Rookies:
Troy Adams (Northeastern)
*Johnathan Shuler (Austin Peay)
Joel Brtka (Niagra {Jr})
*Justin Cox (Mississippi State)
*Xavier Walker (Middle Tennessee)
*Rollins Stallworth (Stanford)
Troy Adams, Johnathan Schuler and Justin Cox were all at mini-camp in Florida, Cox and Shuler both spent time in the NFL last season. Rollins Stallworth is a former receiver with the Stanford Cardinals.

http://www.riderville.com/2016/05/30...cks-breakdown/

[jerrym]

In typical Chris Jones fashion, he continues to add and drop players quickly. Post #54 already had numerous additions and deletions from the roster. Day 2's changes were not as great, but still significant.

ROSTER MOVES
Add:
International defensive lineman Tony Criswell (6’8 – 250 – Missouri)
International running back Johnta Hebert (5’10 – 195 – Prairie View)
International defensive lineman Jonathan Newsome (6’3 – 247 – Ball State)
Did not participate:
Jorgen Hus (suspended – personal)
Spencer Moore (personal)
Eric Norwood (injured)
Xavier Walker (day-to-day)
Released:
National defensive back Kwame Adj.
International running back Malcom Cyrus
OVERVIEW
Day two of training camp was another spirited day as the players put the pads on for the first time. The intensity seemed to rise to another level again. All turn to the trenches as the offensive and defensive lineman engaged in one on one battles.
With the pace of the day high, first year Rider Head Coach Chris Jones was pleased to get through the required reps under the allotted time.
PLAYERS OF THE DAY
First-year receiver Qudarius Ford got a reaction from the morning crowd as he made an impressive diving catch to haul in a 40-yard reception for the would-be touchdown.
The defence answered back as rookie defensive back Marte Sears broke up what appeared to be a sure catch with a flying Superman like leap.

[jerrym]

A look at Bombers' receivers entering TC:

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers said au revoir to two veteran receivers this offseason in Nick Moore and Clarence Denmark and bonjour to two other veteran receivers, both formerly of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, in Weston Dressler and Ryan Smith.
All four put up respectable numbers, especially given the quarterback injuries both here in Winnipeg and west of us in Regina. ...
But as we turn our attention to receivers for the second-last of our positional analysis series leading up to main training camp, the potential impact of the additions of Dressler and Smith to the Bomber receiving corps goes much deeper than just the black and white of their statistics.
The Bombers want to surround Drew Willy and give new/old offensive coordinator Paul LaPolice as many sure things as possible with their attack.
Smith has just 24 CFL games under his belt, but has already proven to be a gritty and reliable target. Dressler, meanwhile, is a future hall of famer who has five 1,000-yard seasons to his credit. Both know how to get open consistently, find the end zone, and serve as security blankets for any quarterback.

The Bombers do return two starters from last year’s squad in Darvin Adams and Rory Kohlert. Adams, scooped up from the Toronto Argonauts in free agency last winter, is morphing into a reliable deep threat, having pulled in 61 passes for 839 yards and five TDs last year, but could also get a look inside in the five-receiver set.
Kohlert, the Canadian starter, finished last year with 32 receptions for 395 yards and a TD – his lowest totals in three years – but is still just 28 and has proven to be a favourite of Willy when the two have been on the field together. He’ll likely begin camp lining up at the wide-side wide receiver position.
Kohlert will get pushed by Addison Richards, the University of Regina product drafted last year who missed much of the season due to injuries. Julian Feoli-Gudino, Kris Bastien, and 2016 draft pick Alex Vitt all figure to be in the mix behind Kohlert on the depth chart.
But it’s what the Bombers do with the other vacant receiver position that may be one of the interesting battles in training camp. Justin Veltung, who doubles as a kick returner, had 17 catches for 189 yards and a pair of TDs last year in seven games, while Kevin Cone made one start. They’ll be pushed by what looks to be a deep crew of new receiver faces in Jace Davis, Julian Talley, Quincy McDuffie, Gerrard Sheppard and Thomas Mayo.

http://www.bluebombers.com/2016/05/2...iew-receivers/

[jerrym]

Chris Getzlaf's move to Edmonton gives the Eskimos a valuable Canadian receiver in TC.

Getzlaf’s career path has headed west to the Edmonton Eskimos, where he’s expected to be a steadying veteran presence among the Canadian-trained receivers.
“I look at it as a great opportunity to get out there and show I’ve still got it,” said Getzlaf. “I’m coming to a great organization with a great history. I’ve got a lot to prove on a team coming off a Grey Cup win.” ...
On the plus side, Getzlaf has landed on his feet in an established program. There’s no major rebuilding project in the works for the Eskimos. Newly-minted head coach Jason Maas has a proven record showing he knows how to direct an effective offence.
“I’m blessed to be able to come to a team that has everything in place to make another run at another Cup,” said Getzlaf.
“It’s been absolutely fortunate on that side of it. I haven’t had to deal with a lot of injuries that have kept me out. Last year was a tough one for me. The year before, I was only out for three games. That’s pretty small on the big scale of things.”
Having appeared in 10 games last season on a team that had also lost quarterback Darian Durant proved to be a less than ideal situation for all concerned.
“It was real draining to say the least,” said Getzlaf. “I hadn’t been used to anything like that. It’s hard to sit back and watch what’s going on like that.”

http://www.cfl.ca/2016/05/30/getzlaf...fferent-green/

[jerrym]

Entering TC, Drew Willy remains the Bombers' key man.

While Willy’s name is written in ink atop the Bomber depth chart – he is a lock as the No. 1 pivot – he is also coming off an injury-shortened season that was shut down early last August. He declared himself 100 per cent healthy as far back as January, but as the curtain rises on another campaign, the focus won’t just be on Willy – as it always is on quarterbacks across the CFL – but also keeping him upright and healthy.

And here’s why: over the last two years, the Bombers have gone 12-24 overall, but are just 2-10 in games in which Willy doesn’t start. A year ago the club was 3-4 and still very much in the playoff picture when he was injured and went 2-11 after his exit. More numbers just to hammer home Willy’s importance: he was No. 2 in the league with a 106.6 passer rating (Toronto’s Trevor Harris was at 115.4) when he was injured, a figure that still ranked second best when the year ended.

After trotting out Brian Brohm and Robert Marve for two starts each after Willy’s injury – all of them losses – the Bombers traded a seventh-round draft pick to the Edmonton Eskimos for veteran Matt Nichols. And after the former Eastern Washington star went 2-5 under some trying circumstances after being parachuted into Winnipeg, GM Kyle Walters locked him up after the season before he could hit the free agent market. That leaves the Bombers with a solid one-two at the top of the QB depth chart and without the uncertainty they brought into the 2015 season at the position.
Two other additions from last year round out the Bomber QB spot and will be scrapping for the third spot on the roster. Dominique Davis was scooped up by the Bombers following his release from the Calgary Stampeders last summer and started in the club’s regular season finale, a loss in Toronto. And while Davis’ numbers weren’t jaw dropping – 16 of 25 for 169 yards with no TDs and no interceptions – there were some flashes. The fourth QB in camp is Bryan Bennett, who began his college career at Oregon before transferring to Southeast Louisiana as he was behind future Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota on the Ducks’ depth chart.

http://www.bluebombers.com/2016/05/2...-quarterbacks/

[jerrym]

Day 1 in 60 seconds. 🕖 #RidersTC #CFLTChttps://t.co/FDyZfsD5Jn

— Sask. Roughriders (@sskroughriders) May 30, 2016

[ArgoGabe22]

Corby just announced his retirement. Perhaps this was why he fell into the 6th round. He may have had something else planned.

[R.J]

Corby just announced his retirement. Perhaps this was why he fell into the 6th round. He may have had something else planned.

That sucks; I felt he was a good player with a lot of potential.

[R.J]

Nine questions from CFL training Camps
http://www.tsn.ca/talent/nine-questi...camps-1.498704

Riders adjusting to new mood, new coaching staff
http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/video/riders-a...g-staff~881416

LaBatte on intensity of first full practice under Chris Jones
http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/video/labatte-...s-jones~881632

Buono happy with productive camp so far
http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/video/buono-ha...-so-far~881431

Ferguson: Masoli's starting to separate himself a little bit"
http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/video/ferguson...tle-bit~881480

[hugoagogo]

[jerrym]

#Bombers sign 6-foot-3 receiver Lestar Jean. Defensive lineman Cameron Henderson has retired.

— Kirk Penton (@PentonKirk) May 30, 2016

[jerrym]

Calgary TC Day 3

WHO WASN’T THERE
Starting centre Pierre Lavertu was a spectator, but Dickenson says it’s nothing to worry about … RB Tory Harrison missed his second straight practice with an illness … HB Brandon Smith is expected to show up in Calgary on Tuesday and should be back at practice at some point Wednesday.
WHO RETURNED
DBs Jamar Wall and Joe Burnett both returned after sitting out Monday’s late session for maintenance purposes. ...
PLAY OF THE DAY
The lone session provided a pair of plays to highlight and both were authored by the defence. First, LB Glenn Love picked off Drew Tate in the first team period, and then rookie CB Tommie Campbell intercepted Bo Levi Mitchell.
PLAYER OF THE DAY
At the age of 28 with 37 games of NFL experience under his belt, Campbell is putting that to good use early in camp, and does not look out of place. Overall, the defensive backfield group has been really good and that might make for some tough decisions later on down the line.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/sport...606/story.html