Rouge, White & Blue
By Jack B. Bedell,
CFL.ca
Finally, the long six-month wait is over, and we can get down to some football! Training camps are opening all over the league, so the buzzword for the next few weeks will be “competition.”
With teams bringing 68 players to camp and rosters limits for 2006 set at 42, there are sure to be some fierce battles around the league for roster spots. And that’s not just among the bottom 26 players on each squad. Several high-profile players will be fighting for playing time.
Here are four heavyweight bouts I’ll be keeping my eye on as we head into pre-season:
THE ESKS O-LINE
With the retirements of Chris Morris, Bruce Beaton, and Kevin Lefsrud, Edmonton’s offensive line will most certainly have a different look this season from the one that kept Ricky Ray upright long enough to win a Grey Cup in 2005. Dan Comiskey, Joe McGrath, and Patrick Kabongo are expected to anchor the line, but the rest of the starting spots are up for grabs.
Tim Bakker, who came over in the Maas trade, should have a good shot at cracking the lineup, as will recent veteran acquisition Dwayne Morgan, who has a decade of CFL/NFL experience and some familiarity with coach Maciocia from his days in Montreal. I’m also interested in how Rhett McLane and Glen Carson will factor into the rotation.
With Maas in Hamilton, keeping Ricky Ray’s jersey clean has to be priority No. 1 for the Esks. It’s going to be a long season if the line doesn’t sort itself out in camp, so stay tuned.
BOMBERS’ TOP PIVOT
Two months ago, I would have said it’s a foregone conclusion Kevin Glenn will start in Winnipeg this season. Even with a raise and contract extension pending for Glenn, however, that fact doesn’t seem so certain nowadays.
Coach Berry has been significantly non-committal in his off-season support of Glenn, and has definitely stopped short of anointing Glenn as the man to beat in camp. Everything out of the coach has been “We’ll wait and see.”
Ex-NFL backup Mike Quinn drew praise for his accuracy and arm strength during the first day of Winnipeg’s rookie practices, incumbent backup Russ Michna caught compliments just after Berry took the job, and newcomer Brad Banks was called “a quality player” when he was snatched off Ottawa’s roster during the dispersal draft. Glenn, though, was labeled “adequate” by the coach.
Maybe all this understatement was dished out to motivate Kevin Glenn heading into the pre-season, to fire him up, to make him earn the team. New coach, new offence, new challenges. I’m definitely eager to see how it washes out.
THE ARGOS’ RUN D
Cursed with a porous rush defence last season, the Argos could not have been overjoyed with the defection of LB Ray Maruiz and the sudden retirement of NT Noah Cantor this off-season. Both loosened the gut of an already sagging unit.
GM Adam Rita and coach Clemons have great confidence that converted offensive lineman Jeff Keeping can replace Cantor. While Keeping is a gifted athlete with much quicker feet than Cantor, it remains to be seen how the transition will go. Clemons, though, believes Keeping will be an all-star in the near future.
The team has also signed some serious talent at end and linebacker in Erik Flowers and Lee Woodall. While Flowers was best known for his pass rush in the NFL, he will be a more than capable run defender if he cracks the lineup. Woodall should be a run stuffer.
Ray Fontaine, Nygel Rogers, and Jeff Kelly should be interesting additions as well. All three add size and speed to the linebacking corps and should help shut down rushing lanes.
In an East Division featuring more than its share of quality running backs, Toronto’s ability to stay in the playoff mix will be due in large part to how well their run defence rebounds in 2006. There is definitely talent on the Argos’ roster. I just wonder what the depth chart will look like in three weeks.
ALS’ QB STOCKPILE
Barring injury, Anthony Calvillo is entrenched as Montreal’s starting pivot, but how in the world are they going to sort out the five guys vying behind him for roster spots? And that could have been six if Ell Roberson hadn’t agreed to a last second switch to WR.
CFL vets Nealon Greene and Marcus Brady figure to have the inside track over ex-NFL starter Quincy Carter and rookies Ryan Dinwiddie and Scott McBrien because of their experience in the league, but game performance during pre-season could change that drastically. While Greene and Brady certainly have coach Matthews’ confidence, a few well-placed long balls by Carter and Dinwiddie could shake things up nicely.
Matthews is on record as saying he’s going to have patience with Carter as the pivot catches on to the nuances of the CFL, but I have to believe his familiarity with Greene and Brady give them an edge. And I really have a hard time believing Carter has much interest in sticking around to be a third-stringer.
One thing is for certain, however, Montreal can’t keep everyone. Even if the Als go with four pivots on the active roster, they will still have a tough choice over which rookie to keep on the practice roster, McBrien or Dinwiddie.
With all these arms to test, I have to wonder if Montreal’s run game will get any work at all this pre-season.
QUICK HITS
The Stamps’ recent signing of David Allen adds some spice to their return game. With Terrance Wilkins, Scotty Anderson, and Markus Howell already in-house, Calgary should have no trouble finding somebody fast to receive the ball on kicks.
Behind Jason Armstead and Matt Dominguez, the Riders have quietly added a few playmakers at wideout heading into camp. Keep an eye on Kareem Kelly, Devin Lewis, and my homeboy Hutch Gonzales this pre-season. While the final roster probably can’t accommodate all three, these guys can ball.
NEXT UP
Check back in a few days for more camp news and some thoughts about defences around the league. Until then, be safe and enjoy all the camp action.
Jack B. Bedell is a Professor of English at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana and has followed the CFL for nearly three decades.
