By: Justin Boone
jboone@ticats.ca
We’re into one of the busiest times of the year at 1 Jarvis St. Your e-mails have been pouring in over the last few weeks wanting to know about all things Ticat as training camp takes over the McMaster Campus, so I found some time Tuesday afternoon to sit down and respond as best I can after the first three days of spring practice.
Q: Hey Justin, How’s the O-line looking? I think that’s going to be the key here with this team, in the trenches if they can protect Casey enough to deliver the deep ball. We have guys now who can catch it and on a consistent basis, but the O-line is the key. Even the D-line, keeping the opposing teams offense off the field. Do you think we’ve upgraded in those aspects of the game?
Anthony
Hamilton, ON
One of the unsung parts of a football team, the offensive lineman get little credit for the job they do, and are often the real reason for a notch in the win column. Having said that, the O-line is one of the positions I would worry the least about with the team this season. Last year, the Tabbies run game was solid and helped Jesse Lumsden get off to a great start. If they can find a serviceable right tackle out of Marko Cavka, Charles Thomas, and John Alston, I think they will cut down on the number of sacks they gave up last year and might even be looked at as one of the best units in the league.
Q: I’ve been a Ticats fan for 27 years, and as a Queen’s University alumni, I’m wondering if our former running back Mike Giffin is doing well in camp and if he has a real shot of making the team this year. Thanks.
Shawn L.
Oakville, ON
To look at Mike Giffin off the field you might never guess he’s on the verge of being a professional football player, I sure didn’t when I met him, but despite his everyday man appearance, he is a pretty darn good football player, and a fantastic blocker. Of course, he’s dealt with his fair share of rookie mistakes in the early going, but with the retirement of Julian Radlein, I think he has a strong chance of making the team this season. For you Shawn, I would be more worried about replacing the 1,157 yards that he had last year in Queen’s backfield.
Q: Even though I am a diehard Ticat fan it would be nice to see Ottawa back in the CFL. A few names to maybe throw around could be: The Ottawa Comebacks….The Ottawa Caps…the Ottawa Formers…..the Ottawa Return or the Ottawa Elect. Hope to see them back.
John Blake
Port Colbourne, ON
I agree Ottawa would be a great addition to the league, but I think it would serve the CFL well to bring in another franchise as well rounding it out to 10 teams and sending the Blue Bombers back to the West. As far as names go, I’m not sure any of those will fly, but I can’t knock it since I approached the naming idea from a completely joking standpoint in my article the week the Ottawa franchise was announced.
Q: Who are the leading candidates to start on the defensive line?
Lisa C.
Burlington, ON
Currently the starting unit is a group of veterans Nautyn Mckay-Loescher, Clinton Wayne, Jermaine Reid, and Charlton Keith. You have to think that Nautyn is a safe bet at defensive end, so it really depends on the rest of the Canadian starters. With Ray Mariuz penciled in at starting linebacker, Jesse Lumsden in the backfield, one starting receiver (likely Chris Bauman), and three Canadian O-linemen (Cedric Gagne-Marcoux, Marwan Hage, and either Peter Dyakowski or George Hudson), you would think that the defensive line will feature only one Canadian. Wayne has played well so far and could factor into the front four. Other names to watch at camp are DT Alex Guerrero, and DE Dominic Lewis, two guys with a lot of drive, maybe enough to earn starting roles.
Q: How can the team not bring in another kicker to challenge Nick Setta. I know Setta is an all-star, but if you don’t keep pushing him to get better, he won’t reach his potential. Maybe he could be the greatest kicker ever in the CFL, but if you don’t have someone to compete against, he might not make it there.
G. Caputo
London, ON
I see where you’re coming from here. It’s not often wise to hand someone a position without making them work for it, whether they’re an all-star or a rookie. In Nick’s case, I actually have to disagree though. Anyone who has seen this guy in practice knows that he’s competing all the time, with himself. As a personal trainer, few people are in better shape on the field, something that isn’t normally said about a kicker. When he’s not practicing special teams, you might see him doing crunches or pushups on the sidelines. He’s always working on better his technique and his athleticism. So I wouldn’t worry about Nick needing another player to go head-to-head with, you can expect the same booming punts we saw last year.
Easier Said Than Done
(Quote of the Week)
“There are only two people who love you, your offensive line coach and your mother. Your dad is still (mad) you didn’t become a quarterback.”
Ticats offensive line coach Jeff Bleamer in an interview with the Hamilton Spectator. Bleamer is in his second season with the team and as a former offensive lineman himself, he has established a special bond with his group.
In Case You Blinked
(News from the Week)
The Ticats added a fifth quarterback to the mix on Tuesday by signing former Florida Gators passer Chris Leak. How Leak fits into the Tabbies QB situation will be interesting to follow. He will compete with Quinton Porter and Timmy Chang for the third spot behind last year’s one and two, Casey Printers and Richie Williams.
Send your e-mails, comments, or questions to jboone@ticats.ca
