General Manager Bob O’Billovich continued to alter the Tiger-Cats roster this week with a trio of transactions that saw changes to the kicking game, the offensive line and the receiving corps.
O’Billovich made arguably his biggest move of the off-season on Monday by inking the most accurate kicker in the history of the Canadian Football League, Sandro DeAngelis. DeAngelis joins the Ticats after spending the last five years in Calgary, where he captured a Grey Cup in 2008 (and was named the game’s Most Outstanding Canadian). The Niagara Falls native has connected on 218 of his 260 (83.8%) career field goal attempts and split the uprights on 42 of 49 (85.7%) attempts in 2009. While this move will allow him to be closer to his hometown, DeAngelis stated in numerous interviews throughout the week that his main motivation for signing with the Ticats was to be a part of a good football situation.
The following day, the Black and Gold made a pair of moves on the offensive line. Jason Jimenez joined the Cats offensive line while the team released veteran Dan Goodspeed. Jimenez was released by the B.C. Lions on January 29 after a four-year stint as the Leos starting right tackle. The former CFL and West Division All-Star helped B.C. win a Grey Cup in 2006, his inaugural CFL season.
O’Billovich made his his third move of the week on Wednesday by making a deal with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Ticats received Canadian receiver Adam Nicolson, a third round pick in next year’s CFL Draft and the rights to a player off of the Riders’ negotiation list. Wide receiver Prechae Rodriguez was shipped to the prairies. Nicolson, a 2007 first-round pick of the B.C. Lions, has played primarily on special teams over the course of his three year career, but O’Billovich, who was the Lions Director of Player Personnel when they drafted him, believes he can contribute on offence as well if given the chance.
Rodriguez enjoyed a breakout season in 2008 but was a lesser part of the Ticats attack last season because of the additions of veteran pass-catchers Arland Bruce III and Dave Stala as well as the emergence of rookie receivers Marquay McDaniel and Drisan James. Last week’s acquisition of CFLPA All-Star Maurice Mann helped pave the way for this deal to take place.
What may be the most intriguing aspect of the swap is the negotiation list player the Ticats acquired. In an interview with Ticats TV, O’Billovich would only identify the player as a wide receiver/kick returner who is “explosive” and can “bring a lot of excitement to the stadium” if he’s able to the team out of training camp.
To cap off the week, the Ticats held their first free agent camp of the off-season on Friday. Approximately 27 players in various positions took part in the camp, which saw participants take part in various speed and agility tests as well as positional drills. Both Head Coach Marcel Bellefeuille and General Manager Bob O’Billovich were impressed by the speed shown by the group, as three players ran the 40-yard dash in under 4.4 seconds. Ticats TV will have a video report from the free agent camp available online early next week.
