Bert Faibish
Ticats.ca
Training Camp Primer 2010: Receivers
At a position brimming with talent, the Ticats have good reason for optimism when discussing the receiver position.
Arland Bruce III is entering his first full season with the team after being traded from Toronto during last season. Bruce’s arrival added a new dimension to the Black and Gold’s offence, as the eight-year veteran caught 74 balls for 1,043 yards in 14 games with his new squad. He would go on to earn the team’s Most Outstanding Player nomination as well as spots on the East Division, CFL and CFLPA All-Star teams. With a full season to become acclimated to his surroundings, a firm grasp of the playbook and increased chemistry with the quarterbacks, the sky is the limit for Bruce in 2010.
The Ticats boast a solid array of Canadian content in their receiving corps, with veterans Dave Stala, Chris Bauman, Corey Grant and off-season addition Adam Nicolson joining young pass catchers Matt Carter and Scott Valberg.
Stala re-established himself as one of the league’s top Canuck receivers last season, hauling in 67 passes for 751 yards. He will once again be looked upon as a reliable target this season.
After being selected with the first overall pick in the 2007 CFL Draft, Bauman has accumulated 1,213 receiving yards over three seasons with the Ticats. He will be looking to surpass the 588 yards he posted in 2008.
Nicolson should benefit from a change of scenery after spending the past four seasons between the B.C. Lions and Saskatchewan Roughriders, while Matt Carter will enter his first training camp in Hamilton after being selected by the Lions in the first round of last year’s draft.
The off-season addition of Maurice Mann will provide Offensive Coordinator Mike Gibson with another lethal weapon capable of burning the opposition. Mann, who arrived from Edmonton in exchange for DB Chris Thompson, finished the 2009 season with 917 yards and six touchdowns and led the league in recceiving yardage until he was slowed by injury. He was recognized by his peers as a CFLPA All-Star at the end of the season.
Sophomore receivers Drisan James and Marquay McDaniel will look to pick up where they left off after strong rookie campaigns which saw McDaniel lead the league with 2,535 combined yards (including 688 receiving yards) and James lead the team with nine receptions 120 yards in the Ticats East Semi-Final loss. McDaniel will have a familiar face on the field, as his younger brother Damon signed with the team last week.
Also vying for roster spots will be Scott Mayle, Willie Thornton, and Rodgeriqus Smith, who spent some time on the Ticats practice roster in 2009. A couple more receivers may be added before rookie camp kicks off as well.
For Your Information:
- Damon McDaniel is four years younger than Marquay.
- The Ticats boast four former first round picks from the CFL draft in their receiving corps; Chris Bauman, Matt Carter, Corey Grant and Adam Nicholson.
- Dave Stala set a new single-game high in receiving yards last season after catching nine balls for 126 yards on Halloween against Saskatchewan.
