Rouge, White & Blue
By Jack B. Bedell,
CFL.ca
With all the attention that’s being paid this week to players who
haven’t even signed CFL contracts yet (read Ricky Williams), I thought
I’d spend a little time talking about a half dozen who have.
Somewhere in between the free agency frenzy back in February and this
past week’s flurry of camp signings, several quality players have
joined new clubs. Here are six relatively quiet additions I think will
have shots at making much louder splashes once the season gets underway.
Lee Woodall, LB (Toronto)
A former Pro Bowl linebacker with the San Francisco 49ers, Woodall has
been out of football since being released by the Denver Broncos after
the 2001 season. By all accounts, Woodall has maintained excellent
conditioning, however. While he may no longer be able to play 60
minutes of football, Woodall has more than enough athletic ability and
experience to be a tackling machine for 25-30 plays. In an East
Division now sporting the likes of Charles Roberts, Robert Edwards,
Josh Ranek, Corey Holmes, and John Avery, Woodall’s skills could be an
invaluable asset to the Argos’ run D.
Saladin McCullough, RB (Toronto)
A solid back at Oregon, McCullough really came into his own carrying
the ball for the XFL’s Los Angeles Xtreme in 2001. Aside from his 2003
season with the Stamps when he finished as the club’s leading rusher,
however, he hasn’t seen the field very much. In fact, a string of
injuries and sub-par tryouts have kept him from sticking with any team.
At his best McCullough is a powerful slasher capable of ripping off
over five yards per carry consistently. If his head’s on straight and
he’s finally healthy, he could make a nice complement to scatback John
Avery.
Scotty Anderson, WR (Calgary)
Already blessed with arguably the deepest receiving corps in the CFL,
the Calgary Stampeders signed Anderson earlier this month to add a
legitimate deep threat to their attack. While Nik Lewis and Jeremaine
Copeland can definitely both take it to the house on any completion,
Anderson brings serious sprinter’s speed to the equation. He’s capable
of putting pressure on any zone defence with his legs, and will open
space and lanes for the other receivers to work underneath and outside.
Bobby Brooks, LB (Hamilton)
A former Oakland Raider and Jacksonville Jaguar, Brooks excelled as a
run-stuffing linebacker both in the NFL and NFL Europe. Blessed with
size at 240 pounds and good lateral speed, he has more range than most
inside linebackers and should be a force on kick coverage for the
Ticats. As I said above, you just can’t have enough tough run stoppers
like Brooks in the revamped East.
Jerome Haywood, DT (Montreal)
Strangely ignored the first two months of free agency, Haywood finally
landed with the Als last month. For a 300-pound defensive tackle with
17 sacks and 146 tackles since 2002, his signing made very little noise
around the league. A space-eater who lines up every down, pass or run,
with a high motor, Haywood should be a monster on the Als’ line, more
than making up for the loss of Robert Brown in the trade with Edmonton
for Davis Sanchez.
Kareem Kelly, WR (Saskatchewan)
When Corey Holmes left for Hamilton, he took a ton of offensive and
return yardage with him. The signing of former New Orleans Saints and
Chicago Bears wideout Kareem Kelly might just help put some of them
back. A record-breaking receiver at USC, Kelly has experience as a kick
returner as well. Coming off a season as an offensive specialist for
the Arena League’s Los Angeles Avengers, he should be in prime shape
for camp. He’s exceptionally quick and has good hands. That should bode
well for ↆRiders fans.
UP NEXT
Training camps start in less than one week, and they just can’t get
here soon enough for my tastes. Check back in a few days to see what I
think will be some of the more interesting camp battles around the
league. Until then, take care.
