Other CFL Teams' Training Camps

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Stampeders first round pick Alex Singleton discusses his TC experience.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cf...2016-1.3602329

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HC Dave Dickenson reviews Day 2 of rookie TC and discusses National QB Andrew Buckley.

http://www.stampeders.com/2016/05/27...ie-camp-day-2/

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Jason Maas discusses his new role as HC of the Eskimos and TC, as well as Ricky Ray and Henry Burris.

http://www.cfl.ca/2016/05/27/1-on-1-...e-in-edmonton/

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OL Jake Silas is looking to get a starting job at Redblacks TC.

The 6-foot-7, 315-pound Silas, who spent last season on the Redblacks practice roster, has come into training camp with a purpose. With the departure of right tackle Colin Kelly to the NFL, there’s a job up for grabs.
“I’m a lot more comfortable. Having been here a year, you know the lay of the land,” said Silas, 24. “Coming in the first year, you’ve got a lot to learn. There were some adjustments to make. My goal this year is to compete for a starting spot.”

http://ottawacitizen.com/sports/loca...-and-off-field

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Mike Moore, the son of a former Ottawa Rough Rider QB, is trying to make the team at TC as a DL.

Back in 1995, when the Ottawa Rough Riders were wearing gawdawful ugly uniforms, one of their quarterbacks was Shawn Moore.
Twenty-one years later, Moore’s kid Mike is hoping to make the most of his opportunity to wear an Ottawa CFL uniform. The Redblacks signed the 23-year-old defensive lineman on the weekend and he was here for the team’s rookie camp, which wrapped up on Friday.
“I’ve never been to Canada, it’s just another opportunity to play football,” said Moore on Friday. “I talked to (my dad) and he talked about how this was such a great city. He didn’t really tell me any stories, but I’m going to try and get it out of him.”
Ottawa was one of three stops for the elder Moore in 1995 — he also spent time in Winnipeg and Calgary — and with the Rough Riders, he completed 43-of-84 passes for 559 yards and a touchdown. An 11th-round draft choice of the Denver Broncos in 1991, he would go on to coach at Virginia following his playing days.
The younger Moore says he didn’t get any pressure from his dad to play football.
“I started playing in seventh grade,” he said. “I was more of a basketball player. I didn’t grow (as tall) as the basketball players, so football was the sport to go to.
“(My dad) wanted me to make sure I didn’t play because he wanted me to play. He wanted me to play because I wanted to play.”
The Redblacks discovered Moore, while taking a close look at one of his Virginia teammates, Brockville’s Trent Corney, a former Ottawa Sooner. Corney was selected ninth overall in the CFL draft by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

http://ottawacitizen.com/sports/foot...t-on-redblacks

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GM Marcel Desjardins reviews the Redblacks as TC opens Sunday.

Coming off three days of rookie camp and with Day 1 of full training camp Sunday morning at TD Place, here’s what Desjardins has to say about his team, position by position:
OFFENSIVE LINE
“The O-line will be interesting in terms of the bigger picture. Do we go Canadian or American at right tackle, for instance? We have very good options for both. We’ll have to see how not only that position plays out, but how the ratio plays out at other positions. Colin (Kelly, who left for the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers) is a loss, but we signed Tommie Draheim. Also, Jake Silas has come back and he’s been very good, then we have some Canadians who are going to be taking reps there as well.”
QUARTERBACK
The CFL’s most outstanding player, the soon-to-be-41-year-old Henry Burris, is back — joined by a very capable backup, Trevor Harris, who led the Toronto Argos through much of last season. Danny O’Brien and Brock Jensen are waiting in the wings.
“We have two bonafide starters and two very good backups behind those guys. I don’t know if there’s a team in the league that would be in a better place than we are quarterback-wise right now.” But how much time will Harris see? “To be determined. I don’t think it will be any different from what it has been in previous years. Trevor knows that. It’s Henry’s team and we’ll go from there. We haven’t gone through camp yet, so there’s no expectation to have Trevor take X number of snaps per game.”
RUNNING BACK
“We’ve got a guy we didn’t have at this point last year in our incumbent, William Powell, who we’re very happy with. Canadian-wise, we have a couple of good options behind in terms of Kienan Lafrance and even (Brendan) Gillanders can be a tailback, then we have LaVance Taylor here as the only other American. Travon Van is more of a receiver running back, a hybrid. So I count him in with the receivers. At fullback, we’ve got Gillanders and Patrick Lavoie, two very good football players.”
RECEIVERS
“The only opening right now, for lack of a better term, is the position Maurice Price occupied last year. Similar to the offensive line, we have good options, both American and Canadian. How that plays into the ratio will be determined. We’ve got some good American rookies, not that they’ve taken reps at the Z position, but we’ve got Tyler Shoemaker, Juron Criner, John Harris — we have options. We’ve also got Khalil Paden, who hasn’t played much, but who’s a very good football player and will have a chance to be that guy.”
DEFENSIVE LINE
“We lost a few starters, but we feel very good with Zack Evans starting for us. We have Moton Hopkins back, Aston Whiteside’s kind of an unknown right now in terms of how healthy he’s going to be, even though he’s been cleared. The other end spot that was occupied by a Canadian (Capicciotti), do we have to make that a Canadian spot? We don’t know. We’ve got Arnaud Gascon-Nadon, Nigel Romick and we have Andrew Marshall in that mix. For the D-line, receiver and O-line, those are the three positions where we have to figure out how that ratio plays out. Kendall Montgomery, Ladarius Owens and Cory Henry have done well in terms of edge guys. In the interior, Matt Acree, Jake Ceresna — those are potential interior guys. There are options there, for sure.”
LINEBACKER
“(Along with Antoine Pruneau), we have Damaso Munoz, David Hinds and Malik Jackson. They’re going to get pushed — there’s Manny Rodriguez, Burton De Koning, maybe even a couple of the Canadians could push for backup spots. I don’t know how much turnover there will be there. I’m very comfortable with the guys we have.”
DEFENSIVE BACKS
“We lost two of our most-of-the-season starters in Jovon and Brandyn. But Forrest Hightower played a lot for us and we feel he’s going to step in and run with it. We had Brandon Sermons and Jeff Richards last year, so they’ve been around a bit already.”
SPECIAL TEAMS
Neither kicker Chris Milo or punter Ronnie Pfeffer started last season with the Redblacks. But with no competition in camp, it looks like both will have jobs, giving Ottawa a more settled situation.
“The kicking game at this point last year was still a big uncertainty. That’s something that at least as of right now in our minds is a non-issue for us. It’s really our return game that we need to find the right answers to. Obviously the returner is part of that, but the actual blocking and the effort put forth and understanding what we’re trying to accomplish — all those things are a big part of having success with your return game. Our cover teams late last year were certainly a lot better than they were in the early stages of the season. When we drafted this year, whether it’s Kevin Jackson or Mikael Charland or whether it’s Arto Khatchikian — all of those guys will have a chance to be on the roster to contribute with special teams body types — they’re more athletic than some of the D-end body types we’ve had in the past. With (new special teams) coach (Bob) Dyce, there’s a good chance we’ll break a couple (of returns for touchdowns) this year.”

http://ottawacitizen.com/sports/loca...own-the-roster

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Below is Rod Pedersen's review of the Roughriders as they start TC.

http://www.riderville.com/2016/05/26...blog-may-26th/

[AngeloV]

Below is Rod Pedersen's review of the Roughriders as they start TC.

http://www.riderville.com/2016/05/26...blog-may-26th/

Yeah, I read that yesterday. People from other cities get mad at him for being overly bias for the Riders, but at least he admits it. What do we get in Toronto? Guys like Simmons being overly negative.

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The article on the third day of Blue Bomber TC focuses on C J Wilson, an eight finger DB trying to make the team.

http://www.bluebombers.com/2016/05/2...p-day-3-recap/

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Below is Trent Corney's Rookie Camp Journal for Days 1-3.

http://www.bluebombers.com/2016/05/2...journal-day-1/

http://www.bluebombers.com/2016/05/2...journal-day-2/

http://www.bluebombers.com/2016/05/2...journal-day-3/

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The Bombers released their depth chart as regular TC starts.

The Bombers released their depth chart for the opening of camp on Saturday and there were no surprises, just as there were no guarantees the depth chart will look the same once the regular season opens.
For the moment, at least, Sam Hurl is listed as the starting middle linebacker ahead of former NFLer Kyle Knox and veteran Bomber Ian Wild; Matt Bucknor is listed as a starting cornerback ahead of Randle; and Jace Daniels is listed as the starting left guard. All three of those positions are expected to see a fierce battle for the starting job.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/spo...381225461.html

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John White will be fighting for his job in Edmonton at TC after missing last year with an Achilles tendon injury.

Last year, John White came into Edmonton Eskimos training camp as the man. The coaching staff and management put so much faith in him that he was the only veteran American running back on the roster. That’s how confident they were in his ability to pick up right where he left off a sophomore CFL season that saw him earn 6.9 yards per carry in 2014. What they couldn’t foresee was an injury that ended his 2015 season before it could even begin, announcing White ruptured his left Achilles tendon early on in training camp. ...
This time around, White will have his work cut out for him in a training camp packed full of competition looking to establish themselves in the backfield, including: Shakir Bell, who took over running back duties in White’s absence as a rookie last year; Akeem Shavers, who started at running back in the Grey Cup; and former New York Jets running back Joe McKnight.
“We’ve got some great backs coming in to compete, it should be a fun camp,” White said. “You’ve got to take it with a grain of salt, it’s just competing.
“It doesn’t come any harder than that and at the end of the day, we’re a team and we’re going to push each other.”
If you’re wondering if the Eskimos brass still has confidence in White’s ability, you only have to look to the contract extension he signed 10 days ahead of free agency back in February.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports/...148/story.html

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Below is a tale of two players - one who had to send messages every week last year to get an invite to Redblacks TC and one who the Redblacks would love to have in TC because of his NFL experience, if he can pass a medical.

Two F-words —family and football — mean everything to Tyler Shoemaker, who wouldn’t take no for an answer from the Ottawa Redblacks.
To keep his football dream alive, Shoemaker sent weekly messages to Redblacks GM Marcel Desjardins through the 2015 CFL season. It paid off. The 27-year-old receiver out of Boise State is in Ottawa’s rookie camp at TD Place this week, though he’s been slowed through the first two days by blisters on his foot, plus calf cramps.
“(In 2014), I was coming out of Kansas City (Chiefs camp) and I talked to Marcel. I was waiting on some NFL opportunities. After being out of football and working (doing transportation logistic sales in Idaho), I found my passion for football again.
“I was in contact every week last year during the season.' ... “As soon as the season was over, I was bugging Marcel every chance I got. When’s the next workout, when’s the next tryout?’ ”
Finally, the RedBlacks agreed to sign Shoemaker and bring him to camp. ...

The Redblacks are still waiting for a medical report on DL Amobi Okoye, who will not play here unless he gets clearance from doctors. Okoye, who will turn 29 in early June, was taken 10th overall by the Houston Texans in the 2007 NFL draft. He played four seasons in Houston and two with the Chicago Bears before being stricken with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, an autoimmune syndrome that caused severe convulsions. He was placed in medically induced coma for three months before being released in August 2013.
“There’s nothing new at this point,” said Desjardins on Thursday. “We’re just waiting for medical records and trying to do our due diligence. Every day that goes by where he’s not here doesn’t help his situation. I would say we’d hope to know by early next week at the latest. We want to review all the medical records first, then if it’s deemed there’s either no risk or minimal risk, we’d fly him up here (to check him out).”

http://ottawacitizen.com/sports/foot...iver-shoemaker

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The Roughriders are adding and dropping quite a few bodies at TC.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have made the following transactions:
Add to the Roster
National offensive lineman Kadeem Adams (6.04 – 290 – Western)
National defensive back Troy Adams (5.10 – 175 – Northeastern)
National defensive back Joel Brtka (5.11 – 175 – Burlington Jr.)
International wide receiver Marquez Clark (5.11 – 190 – Central Oklahoma)
International wide receiver Ricky Collins (6.00 – 198 – Texas A&M-Commerce)
International offensive lineman Will Corbin (6.06 – 305 – Appalachian State)
International defensive back Justin Cox (6.00 – 187 – Mississippi State)
International defensive back Johnnie Dixon (5.11 – 194 – Pearl River)
International offensive lineman Kennedy Estelle (6.06 – 290 – West Alabama)
International defensive back Kentrell Everett (6.02 – 190 – Western New Mexico)

International defensive back Qudarius Ford (5.08 – 170 – South Alabama)
National fullback Marvin Golding (6.01 – 235 – Saint Mary’s)
National linebacker Dillon Grondin (6.00 – 230 – Windsor Jr.)
International quarterback Jacob Huesman (6’2 – 228 – Tennessee-Chattanooga)
National wide receiver Kyle Kawamoto (6.00 – 180 – Okanagan Jr.)
National defensive lineman Kalonji Kashama (6.04 – 259 – Eastern Michigan)
International defensive lineman A.C. Leonard (6.02 – 250 – Tennessee State)
National wide receiver Randy Roseway (6.00 – 180 – St. Francis Xavier)
International defensive back Rollins Stallworth (6.04 – 210 – Stanford)
International defensive lineman Ino Vitale (6.05 – 305 – Southwest Baptist)
International defensive back Xavier Walker (6.03 – 208 – Middle Tennessee)

Delete from Roster
International wide receiver Etauj Allen
International linebacker Curtis Brown
International defensive back Victor Dean Jr.
International offensive lineman Kamalie Matthews
International wide receiver Devrin Young

Move to Retired List
International defensive back David Barks
National defensive lineman Rory Connop
International wide receiver Armanti Edwards

International offensive lineman Darryl Johnson

http://www.riderville.com/2016/05/29...tion-may-29th/

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Here's a preview of Roughrider's TC.

http://globalnews.ca/news/2725960/sa...special-teams/

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The following article discusses who is likely to be the key playmaker for the Riders out of TC. It mentions two former Argos, as well as others. Curtis Steele is not likely to be the key playmaker in the writer's opinion, but he foresees John Chiles becoming Durant's prime target.

Tailback Jerome Messam was the Roughriders’ best offensive player in 2015, even though he finished the season with the Calgary Stampeders after a trade-deadline deal. Messam, a national player, ended up rushing for 1,006 yards.
Are any of the Roughriders’ new ball-carriers capable of reaching the 1,000-yard milestone? That is debatable.
Curtis Steele, a veteran CFLer, will be first on the depth chart when the Chris Jones-coached Roughriders begin their training camp Sunday in Saskatoon. But, at 29, Steele has yet to establish that he can be a go-to ball-carrier.
If Steele does not deliver, perhaps one of the other prospective tailbacks will prove to be a revelation. Remember that Kory Sheets arrived at training camp in 2012 with absolutely no fanfare. He proceeded to light it up for two seasons, concluding his time with Saskatchewan by being named the most valuable player in the 2013 Grey Cup game.
As for the current receiving corps, there are some questions following three departures of note.
Weston Dressler and Chris Getzlaf both had multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons in green and white. Ryan Smith finished nine yards shy of four figures during his breakout season of 2015, in which he was a rare bright light for a 3-15 team.
Smith and Dressler are now employed by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Getzlaf is a member of the Edmonton Eskimos. ...
Naaman Roosevelt sparkled for the 2015 Roughriders once the belated decision was made to actually play him. It will be interesting to see if he can excel over a long and gruelling 18-game season.
Rob Bagg is back and you know that he will be reliable — in addition to being the only familiar target for quarterback Darian Durant, who has missed the better part of the past season and a half due to injuries. For all Bagg offers, on and off the field, he is not a game-breaker.
Free-agent signee Shamawd Chambers, formerly of Edmonton, is blessed with size, skill and a Canadian passport. But he has not yet had a season that reminds anyone of, say, Getzlaf. Nonetheless, the Roughriders will look to Chambers and 2015 first-round draftee Nic Demski to provide Canadian content and timely plays.
Clarence Denmark was a perennially productive receiver with the Blue Bombers, who nonetheless released him during the off-season. At 30, he should be a contributor, but is he still of 1,000-yard calibre?
The most intriguing new arrivals, at least in this appraisal, are Kendial Lawrence and John Chiles. Lawrence is a superb all-around performer who can influence a game as a rusher, receiver and kick returner. It would not be surprising if he evoked memories of the versatile Corey Holmes, who was phenomenally popular in Riderville.
Chiles could very well be the key to the aerial attack if he can reprise his 2013 form. Three years ago with the Toronto Argonauts, Chiles registered nine touchdown receptions in only 11 games. He quickly became Ricky Ray’s preferred six-point source and demonstrated sure hands and an ability to finish a play. ...
Rest assured that the dutiful Durant has seen the film. He will likely ensure that Chiles sees the football. The gut feeling here, emanating from a not-inconsiderable midsection, is that Durant and Chiles will provide a season’s worth of smiles.

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Here's a report on Calgary's Day 2 of TC.

At the end of two days of rookie camp, Stampeders head coach Dave Dickenson had a two-word assessment: Mission accomplished.
No jobs were won or lost on Thursday or Friday as 32 players, many of them spending their first few hours in Canada, were given the opportunity to get used to the spacious dimensions of the CFL field, the rule variances from the U.S. game and Calgary’s Rocky-Mountain altitude (and comparatively thin air).
“The guys are getting more comfortable, getting more communication and fewer mental errors,” said Dickenson. “So far, we’ve had exactly what I want. We’ve got a clean bill of health, guys are getting better, they’re getting a good foundation of knowledge.
“They’re competing yes, but I’m more concerned with them feeling comfortable and healthy when they get to go against the vets.”

http://www.stampeders.com/2016/05/27...p-day-2-recap/

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Ridge Wilson, who was at Argo's TC last year, is now in Calgary's TC.

After his college playing days were over, Wilson signed with the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs in 2013 as an undrafted free agent. Waived by the club in May of the following year, the Louisville, Ky., native then joined the Toronto Argonauts but failed to crack their opening-day roster.
“I have a little bit of experience being in the mini-camp I had with them so I’m kind of used to the one yard off the ball,” remarked Wilson on his familiarity with the CFL game after his brief stint with the Double Blue. “But I ain’t gonna lie – it kind of changes up my rushes and my moves that I try to do. In the States, you usually make a move off your second step, but up here it’s gotta be on your third or fourth (step). So I’m still trying to get used to that and still go 110 percent.”
A first-team all-conference selection and the Gulf South Conference’s defensive player of the year following his senior campaign, the 25-year-old is feeling confident about his ability to return to top form. ...
“Camp has been good,” expressed Wilson, who signed with the Stamps on May 6. “I’m just trying to get my legs back under me. I haven’t been on a field for training camp since 2014, so I’m just trying to get back as close as I can to that.”

http://www.stampeders.com/2016/05/29...t-of-the-game/

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As Rider TC starts, Regina Leader Post writer Murray McCormick foresees Chris Jones as building around Durant (surprise!) with former Argo Brett Smith as #2 QB.

Chris Jones has devoted countless hours and scouted hundreds of players in preparation for the opening of the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ training camp.
The Riders’ general manager, head coach and vice-president of football operations will take another step toward rebuilding the CFL team when training camp begins Sunday, 9 a.m., at the University of Saskatchewan’s Griffiths Stadium.
And what does he want to see when the new-look Roughriders hit the field?
“We’re looking for buy-in,” Jones said earlier this week. “We sell the fact that we have fun every day when we come here. We are going to work and it’s how we make our living, but we make it fun. It’s all about football.”
With that in mind, here are five things to watch during training camp:
THE ANNUAL DARIAN DURANT WATCH
Saskatchewan’s franchise quarterback eased some concerns about his health with a strong showing at the team’s mini-camp in Vero Beach, Fla., in early April. Durant remains a key to the Riders’ season because, when healthy, he’s among the league’s top quarterbacks. What bears watching is how Durant adjusts to another new system, this time with Stephen McAdoo as the offensive co-ordinator. McAdoo favours a ball-control offence, which may suit Durant. Jones has also brought in Jarious Jackson as the quarterbacks coach, which should prove to be an inspired decision. The veteran quarterback has enjoyed his best seasons when the team has employed an assistant coach whose primary responsibility is the quarterbacks.
WHO WILL CARRY THE CLIPBOARD?
Brett Smith, who had a 1-7 record while filling in for Durant in 2015, appears to have the inside track on being the No. 2 quarterback. The Riders like the fact that Smith gained experience last year and felt during the off-season that he was a better option than many of the free-agent backup quarterbacks who were available. Smith needs to work on staying in the pocket and establishing drives, but he can keep plays alive with his mobility. B.J. Coleman emerged from a group of 10 quarterbacks at the Riders’ mini-camp while exhibiting a strong arm and catching on to the nuances of the Canadian game. Coleman should continue to push Smith for the backup role in training camp.

http://leaderpost.com/sports/footbal...-training-camp

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The Stampeders are likely to start changing their defensive approach in TC to be more aggressive in order to match their new Defensive Coordinator's persona.

http://www.canada.com/sports/footbal...137/story.html