MontrealAlouettes.com
Ticats.ca
Justin Dunk
The Tiger-Cats offensive line is the anchor of the team’s offence, a role that they embrace with pride.
The Black and Gold O-Line allowed a league-low 26 sacks last season and, similar to last year’s group, the 2011 bunch will feature an abundance of returning non-import players.
Centre Marwan Hage leads the group — he makes the line calls in the trenches and was the East Division’s Most Outstanding Linemen last year, while guards Peter Dyakowski, Simeon Rottier and free agent addition Wayne Smith will anchor the interior of the line. The presence of veteran import tackles, Jason Jimenez and Belton Johnson, ensure there is no shortage of experience along the offensive line.
Missing from last year’s group is nine-year veteran left tackle, Alex Gauthier who protected Kevin Glenn’s blind side in 2010. Gauthier is now a Saskatchewan Roughriders after the Cats parted ways with him during the off-season.
Mark Dewit spent last season on the Tiger-Cats practice roster. A four-year CFL veteran, Dewit has some solid CFL experience dressing in all 18 games with the Toronto Argonauts in 2009 and he will be focused on cracking the Ticats dress roster with a strong camp. Cody Husband enters his second CFL training camp after finishing out his university eligibility at UBC. At 6-7, 307 pounds he certainly has the size to play at the pro level.
Oklahoma grad Brian Simmons signed with the Ticats on May 17 and GM Bob O’Billovich believes Simmons has the pass protection skills to compete for a starting spot along the offensive line. American 300-plus pounders, Stefan Rodgers, Jack Julsing and Jason Thomas will also be vying for roster spots up front for the Ticats.
The Ticats selected two future offensive linemen during the 2011 CFL Draft in Moe Petrus and Pascal Baillargeon, but neither will report to training camp in June. Petrus will be returning to the University of Conneticut to play his senior season while Baillargeon is rehabbing from a knee injury that he suffered at the 2011 CFL evaluation camp and will likely miss the entire 2011 CFL season.
Tiger-Cats coaches will be looking for a competitive camp from the big men up front to solidify their starting five for the regular season opener July 1.
