CFL Staff (CFL.ca) – It happens every glorious Spring.
You dig the lawn mower out of the back of the shed, maybe throw the golf clubs in the trunk, and feel the sun on your face.
And all of a sudden, you’re thinking football. Our football. In our league.
Will our quarterback step up? Will the new kid step in? Has the GM uncovered the next Buck Pierce or Zeke Moreno at that free agent camp down south?
With rookie camps convening at the end of this month, and full training camps set to get underway by June 1, it’s time for a sneak peak at the questions fans from coast to coast are bound to be pondering.
Toronto Argonauts
Can the CFL’s resident defensive genius, Rich Stubler, be just as effective a head coach as he was a defensive coordinator? Will Kerry Joseph look as outstanding in double blue as he did in Rider green, and is he the tonic to cure the boatmen’s offensive woes? Can Mike O’Shea continue to dispatch Father Time with the same sort of disdain he shows running backs? And can that defense continue to dominate, without Jordan Younger, who just might be the best cornerback in the league?
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Is there real reason for hope in the Hammer this year? Can Casey Printers, with a full camp under his belt, return to his old MOP form? Does Jesse Lumsden bounce back from shoulder surgery to exhibit the combination of power and speed that could make him the most exciting Canadian born back in history? Has Bob O’Billovich found the interior lineman, breakout receiver, and defensive backs that this team has been seeking all off season. And how long will it take for what some consider to be the best Hamilton draft ever, in addition to an existing contingent of young Canadian talent, to translate into wins?
Montreal Alouettes
Can a new head coach that has never coached in a CFL game lead the Als back to their accustomed spot, at the top of the CFL East? Als fans are hoping Marc Trestman can, especially with Montreal hosting the Grey Cup this November. Can Anthony Cavillo, who did the right thing last year by taking time off to be with his family as his wife battled illness, return to the form that has made him a lock for the Canadian Football Hall of Fame? Has Jim Popp, who no longer has to multi-task as coach as well as GM, been able to work his magic to recruit some young new talent to play alongside the veterans who have carried the Als in the past?
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
With their fans believing they were only a healthy Kevin Glenn away from winning the Grey Cup last November, do the Bombers live up to expectations by dominating the East. Can Milt Stegall continue to display the ageless talent that made his touchdown quest one of the most compelling stories of the 2007 regular season? While GM Brendan Taman has done a brilliant job of resigning his veterans, and managing the cap, has he also managed to find some new young talent?
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The marquee still reads Defending Grey Cup Champions, but the other names getting top billing in Regina aren’t quite as familiar. Can new head coach Ken Miller successfully follow Kent Austin’s Coach-of-the-Year performance? Who emerges as the leader on offence, after Kerry Joseph took his Most Oustanding Player honour with him to the Argos? Does Marcus Crandell own the starter’s role or do one of young guns emerge? And who sets the tone on defense, after Fred Perry was traded to Edmonton?
Calgary Stampeders
John Hufnagel is the first to admit the Canadian game has changed a lot since his last sojourn in Calgary. Will he succeed as the new head coach? While average fans sometimes like to focus on Henry Burris’ incredible ups and disappointing downs, more sophisticated observers point to an offensive line that is need of reconstruction. How soon can Dimitri Tsoumpas and Jesse Newman, the second and third picks in the Canadian draft, respectively, step into starting roles on that front line? Finally, the defence is undergoing a makeover: Is JoJuan Armour the catalyst it needs?
Edmonton Eskimos
Can the Eskimos return to the playoffs for the first time since their 2005 Grey Cup season? Can they recapture the glory by reuniting one of their most effective quarterbacking tandems since Wilkinson and Moon, namely starter Ricky Ray and closer Jason Maas? On defence, can Fred Perry anchor a revamped defense that allows the Eskies to compete in the tough CFL West?
British Columbia Lions
When it comes to riding veterans and introducing young talent at the same time, no one does it better than Coach and GM Wally Buono, which might explain this organization’s consistency. Lions fans, however, are still trying to explain what they see as a disappointing loss in last year’s Western Final. Does Wally get this team to the Grey Cup in Montreal’s Olympic Stadium, where he was such a star as a player? With Dave Dickenson off to Calgary, does Jarious Jackson establish himself as the undisputed starting quarterback? Can Joe Smith win back to back CFL rushing titles, and will Rolly Lumbala, considered the best running back in the Canadian draft, emerge as his backfield mate? Does this team, which Riders GM Eric Tillman describes as the most talented in the league, emerge as the best in the CFL?
