Calgary Stampeder Thread

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The Stampeders have signed three more international players: DL Folarin Orimolade, who attended LA Rams TC; RB Don Jackson, who played 3 games for the Packers; and RB Romar Morris, who attended the NY Jets TC. Their profiles are below.

https://www.stampeders.com/2018/05/1...e-camp-roster/

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The entire Calgary 2018 draft class has signed with the team. A review of these players is included below.

https://www.stampeders.com/2018/05/1...lass-contract/

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Boston Rowe was Calgary's final pick. Like many such picks he was selected for his flexibility. He started out as a QB in college, but switched to LB. The Stampeders are looking at him as a FB/ST player.

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In the following eight minute video, HC Dave Dickenson discusses the Stampeder's pre-rookie TC that starts on Thursday, including why Calgary has a rookie TC when many teams do not, team leadership changes due to personnel changes, the QB situation with the retirement of Andrew Buckley, the Stamps' mock game, the RB situation after the loss of Messam and Cote, and whether he willl talk about the 2017 Grey Cup loss in TC.

Stamps TV: With training camp around the corner, get caught up on everything with an update from head coach Dave Dickenson! pic.twitter.com/faxMJV39U5

— Calgary Stampeders (@calstampeders) May 16, 2018

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With the retirements of OL Dan Federkeil, Pierre LaVertu, and Roman Grozman, and the loss of Cam Thorn through free agency, there will be major changes in Calgary's offensive line. Here's a look at who is left and the newcomers to the OL.

https://www.stampeders.com/2018/05/1...-wilson-story/

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The Stampeders have signed four International players as TC opens: QB Nick Arbuckle, who was on the Calgary PR in 2016 and attended the 2017 TC; RB/KR Rushel Shell III, who attended Pittsburgh Steelers 2017 TC; WR/KR Tylen Towner from University of Western Kentucky; and DL Brandon Banks, who was on Washington Redskins 2017 PR and got into one game with them.

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Calgary has added another QB, Tyler Rogers, in the search for a backup QB following the retirement of National AB Andrew Buckley.

Rogers played four seasons at New Mexico State, starting 38 of the 39 games he played with the Aggies. He earned third-team all-Sun Belt Conference as a redshirt senior in 2017 after throwing for 4,016 yards and 27 touchdowns. He also rushed for 566 yards and seven scores. Rogers was all-Sun Belt honourable mention in 2016. He threw for a total of 10,372 yards and 69 touchdowns – placing second in school history in both categories – during his career at New Mexico State and added 619 rushing yards and 14 majors on the ground. He transferred to New Mexico State after one season at Arizona Western.

https://www.stampeders.com/2018/05/1...quarterback-2/

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The Stampeders as they head to TC face many challenges. There are many questions because of: a first string QB, Mitchell whose sore shoulder limited his performance last year; a backup QB, Andrew Buckley, who unexpectedly retired at 24, creating a scramble for a capable backup; the loss of the 2016 league leading rusher Jerome Messam in free agency; the trade of 2017 league leader in sacks, Charleston Hughes; the departure of Most Outstanding ST player, Roy Finch, to criminal charges; the retirement of several OL in Dan Federkeil, Pierre Lavertu, and Roman Grozman, and those of former All-Stars DB Josh Bell and LB Deron Mayo, as well as that of veteran RB Rob Cote. However, the Stamps seem to adapt well to changing rosters every year in order to remain at or near the top of the league.

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International WR Marquay McDaniel has decided to retire and become a guest coach at the Stampeder TC.

He made national headlines with his comments about Kamar Jorden’s fumble after last year’s Grey Cup, but that one incident was out-of-character for a guy whose calling card throughout six seasons with the Calgary Stampeders had always been showing up, putting in the work and getting the job done.
It should be no surprise, then, that when McDaniel decided it was time to walk away from playing professional football, he didn’t raise a fuss. There was no press conference. No formal announcement. McDaniel simply showed up at McMahon Stadium on Monday as one of the Stampeders’ guest coaches for training camp and answered plainly when he was asked by Postmedia if his playing days were done. ...

“I went to spring practices and once I got out there, that excitement was there and I knew … I have no desire to train or come back or anything.” ...

In nine years as a CFL receiver – the first three with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the last six with the Stamps – McDaniel caught 554 passes for 7,301 yards and 37 touchdowns.
At 5-foot-10, McDaniel was never the biggest receiver on the field, but he made the slot receiver position his own for the Stampeders and became Bo Levi Mitchell’s favourite target over the past couple seasons. In 2017, he caught 65 passes for 860 yards and four touchdowns, while going off for 1,074 yards and four TDs the year before. McDaniel also won a Grey Cup with the Stamps in 2014.

At 34-years-old, though, the Virginia Beach native decided it was time to pursue coaching, something he’s always dreamed of doing once his days on the field were done.

http://calgarysun.com/sports/footbal...-days-are-done

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Ryan Ballantyne reviews the Calgary defence, that gave up the fewest points last years, but has lost Tommie Campbell, Shaquille Richardson, Deron Mayo, Charleston Hughes, and Joshua Bell.

http://3downnation.com/2018/05/22/ve...amps-strength/

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One question mark for the Stampeders after eight years of being in the top two in rushing thanks to Canadian RBs Jon Cornish and Jerome Messam, is who will be the #1 RB and how will he do?

“I’m confident we’re going to get it done,” Dickenson said. “We’ve brought in a lot of different body types, quickness, strength. The tough part is the Canadian game is foreign to a lot these guys. There’s a lot going on. A lot of moving parts.
“We will have a 1,000-yard rusher if a certain running back, whoever wins it, stays healthy. We are a running team. They’ll get touches and we’ve got some good athletes.”

Of the backs in camp, Terry Williams is the most experienced in the Canadian game. The 26-year-old from Morristown, N.J., impressed in his lone start last season in Week 15 against the Montreal Alouettes. Williams was named the CFL’s player of the week after rushing for 156 yards and three touchdowns in a 59-11 win. At five foot nine and 204 pounds, he doesn’t generate the power of the six-foot-three, 255-pound Messam, but Williams is fleet of foot. ...


His competition is Don Jackson, Romar Morris, Rushel Shell and Regina’s Atlee Simon.
“We’ve got some good talent back there. It’s definitely different,” quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell. “It might not be the household name everybody is used to. It might be by committee, it might be game-plan wise and what you want that game, power runner, speed runner.”
The Stampeders signed running back Dominique Williams, who spent part of last season in Calgary, the day training camp opened Sunday. But he injured his knee Monday and Dickenson said a subsequent MRI was not promising.

http://3downnation.com/2018/05/24/ra...training-camp/

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Calgary has released International RB/ST Dominique Williams, the last player mentioned in the previous post on RBs competing for a spot, today. He played in one game last year where he gained 14 yards in 3 rushes, caught one pass for 8 yards and 4 KRs for 71 yards.

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Emanuel Davis has quite a life story: from an angry Black youth from a broken home taken in by a white volunteer football coach, R. V. Owens, and his family in the US South to a Ticat Eastern All-Star DB to signing with the Stampeders as a free agent.

“It took him a long time to call us ‘mom’ and ‘dad’,’’ admits Julia Owens, from the homestead in Manteo, N.C. “He needed time to trust us, to realize we weren’t in this for any other reason than to help him, to be there for him.
“At first he’d stay out nights, sneak away and stay with a friend. Gradually, he began to feel more and more at ease with us. And then one night I heard the hammering. I snuck down there and he was hanging pictures in his room. I was like: ‘Yes! We’re making progress.’
“Later on, a few months later, he and I sat here in the kitchen, ’til 2 or 3 in the morning, and just talked. About … everything. He told me about that first day here, with us, and how he had no intention of staying. His hopes, his fears.
“That night was a real breakthrough.”
Following graduation from Manteo High, the school football star presented the lady who’d become, in every meaningful sense, his mother with a rose given to graduating students and told her: “I couldn’t have done this without you guys.” ..,

His is the remarkable story of a high school volunteer football coach and family accepting a 17-year-old inner-city black youth into their lives to raise as their own.


The move to Canada, says R.V., has been a perfect fit for Davis
“I told (TiCats) owner Bob Young and (former Hamilton defensive co-ordinator) Orlando Steinhauer this, and I meant it: I want to thank you for taking a boy and making him a man.
“If he’d gone to the NFL and made a bunch of money, who knows what would’ve happened. But the people in Canada are so welcoming. They don’t see colour, they don’t see socio-economic issues.
“There’s such diversity. It warms your heart. Friends of mine here ask me: ‘Why do you go to Toronto? Why do you go to Hamilton? Why do you go to Montreal?’
“And I say: ‘Dude, because the people are so friendly, so considerate.’ Man, it’s unbelievable.
“It’s a long flight but we can’t wait to come out and see Calgary, too.
“I think Canada has helped round Emanuel out as a man. Sounds corny but it really isn’t. I could probably do any Infomercial for you if you want.”

https://www.stampeders.com/2018/05/2...ateful-family/

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Second year International DB Patrick Levels, who got into 12 games last year including two as a starter, gives his impressions of Calgary's camp in his TC diary.

https://www.stampeders.com/players/p...levels/163353/

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One player who stood out during Calgary's mock game was was former Calgary Colt National WR Richard Sindani, who made two big catches by breaking off routes to help QB Ricky Stanzi who was under pressure.

The mock game was not only valuable for practice, but an important time to show coaches what you’re made of – Sindani did just that, making two big catches.
“Ricky Stanzi escaped the pocket, and it’s stuff that you work on when you’re younger – just going around and improvising when things go south in the pocket,” said Sindani. “He (Stanzi) made a good read and there was a short defender on me so it was pretty routine.”
Sindani also made another big catch just after the second half began and he says it’s all scramble rules: making adjustments and going off-script when needed.
“(I was) just trying to be as friendly as I can for the quarterback so they can make their throws and they have a reliable target when things go south in the pocket.”

https://www.stampeders.com/2018/05/2...lls-mock-game/

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There is strong competition for DL positions thanks to the return of Cordero Law, the signing of free agent National Ese Mrabure who played 16 games for the Riders last year and the return of Canadian Derek Wiggan, who played 17 games last year, including 11 starts.

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While nobody is going to replace the traded Charleston Hughes, who has led the league in sacks three of the last five years, the Stampeders are expecting Ja'Gared Davis to play a major role in their DL's QB rush. He was third in sacks in 2017 and injuries may have kept him from leading the league last year.

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Drew Tate, who played for eight years with the Stampeders before joining the RedBlacks in 2017, has announced his retirement at age 33 in order to take a coaching job with Coastal Carolina of the NCAA. I wonder whether his strong intensity as a player will work for him or against him as a coach.

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Below Danny Austin discusses his observations of Calgary's performance against BC including: RB Terry Williams; other RB options; rookie DB Tre Robertson; how the backup QBs performed; and the QB pressure exerted by DL Mike Ross.

http://calgarysun.com/sports/footbal...ss-to-the-lion

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The retirements of OL Dan Federkeil, Pierre LaVertu, and Roman Grozman, and the loss of Cam Thorn through free agency means one of the major tasks of OL coach Pat DelMonaco is building a cohesive OL unit. He has given an update on where that process is at now.

The off-season saw a lot of turnover so there’s plenty of new faces at McMahon right now.
“All five of them have to be on the same page,” said offensive line coach Pat DelMonaco. “They’ve been growing together and they’ve been learning how to play with one another.” ...


And it’s not just the newbies settling in but some familiar faces, as well. Derek Dennis has returned to the Red &White this campaign, after leaving Calgary for a one-season stint with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2017.
“He’s re-learning what he knew and had to forget when he left,” DelMonaco explained. “It’s been a process for him to get back, and he’s starting to get to the point where he’s comfortable.” ...


“It’s good to have (five year Calgary veteran Shane) Bergman back, Dennis is progressing in the right direction,” said DelMonaco.
“Ucambre Williams, Brad Erdos and Spencer Wilson are all going the right way. I’m also really happy with the progression from the young guys.
“There’s depth right now at every spot which is good – guys have stayed healthy. There are guys in some new spots, and guys that were with us last year that are pushing. There’s also new guys that are pushing, too.”

https://www.stampeders.com/2018/06/05/working-together/