Checking Down: #CFLKickoff arrives!

CFL.ca Staff
#CFLKickoff

TORONTO — After an off-season filled with roster moves and rampant speculation, it’s finally time for CFL teams to put their clubs to the ultimate test. Every game in the CFL regular season counts and starting this Thursday, teams officially embark on their path to the 103rd Grey Cup Championship in Winnipeg. With the rosters set and the matchups drawn, we check in around the league ahead of this weekend’s #CFLKickoff.

BC Lions

• Lions first-year head coach Jeff Tedford says his team must cut down on the penalties, after BC and Edmonton combined for 362 yards on 39 penalties in their pre-season finale last weekend — the majority of which coming in the first half.

• Can Jeff Tedford help the Lions return to their status as a perennial CFL contender? As The 55 Yard Line‘s Andrew Bucholtz, that’ll depend a lot on whether new stars can emerge on a Lions’ offence with many new faces.

Edmonton Eskimos

• Outside of Adarius Bowman, it’s hard to pick who else in the Esks’ offence may get the bulk of the looks at receiver this season. As the Edmonton Sun‘s Gerry Moddejonge writes, athletic pass-catcher Kenny Stafford (acquired in the Fred Stamps trade) could be the guy.

Calgary Stampeders

• After sitting out training camp and both of his team’s pre-season tune-up games, receiver Jeff Fuller appears ready to play in his team’s season opener, a Grey Cup rematch against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The Calgary Sun‘s Scott Mitchell has more as the 6-foot-4, 217-pound receiver could add a lot to the Stamps’ passing game.
• The Stampeders named their four team captains ahead of this weekend’s season opener as Rob Maver, Juwan Simpson, Bo Levi Mitchell and Rob Cote will take on extended leadership roles with the team this season.
• Taking on a leadership role and being a go-to receiver is hardly new for Stamps pass-catcher Marquay McDaniel. The Calgary Herald‘s Rita Mingo explains just why McDaniel is one of the league’s most consistent veteran receivers.

Saskatchewan Roughriders

• The Calgary Stampeders may be the consensus Grey Cup favourite entering this season, but the Regina Leader-Post‘s Mike Abou-Mechrek suggests the Riders have one of the strongest-built rosters in the league entering the 2015 season.
• Paul Woldu and Hugh O’Neill were among difficult cuts the Riders had to make before Saturday’s cut-down deadline. Riders GM Brendan Taman explains some of the difficult decisions the team had to make.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

• National quarterback Jordan Yantz expressed frustration after his release by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. As the Winnipeg Free Press‘s Scott Billeck writes, Yantz feels he was never given a fair shake.
• Are the Winnipeg Blue Bombers copying their closest rival’s blueprint for success? Doug Brown of the Winnipeg Free Press says with the Bombers and Roughriders matchup up in this week’s season opener, the similarities are striking, starting with the Bombers’ attempts to re-construct their O-line this off-season.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

• The ‘next man up’ phrase is so overused in football it’s cliche, but as TSN‘s Marshall Ferguson writes, Ticats head coach and GM Kent Austin takes that mantra to a different level. How is Austin keeping his team positive despite so many devastating injuries this training camp?
• Hamilton’s injury woes continues this training camp as the team has placed talented defensive end Eric Norwood on the six-game injured list. It’s bad news for Norwood and the Ticats, but it does open the door for Sam Scott, ready to start for the Ticats on opening night after recently being cut. The Hamilton Spectator‘s Drew Edwards has the story on how Scott was ready to head back to Delaware before receiving a call from the Ticats.
• The most frequently asked question this CFL off-season may have been who will replace Delvin Breaux. The Toronto Sun‘s Mike Ganter has more on how Ed Gainey will likely be the guy after winning the battle in training camp.

Toronto Argonauts

• The Argos have not yet announced a starting running back for Saturday’s season opener against the Eskimos in Fort McMurray. Brandon Whitaker, listed as inactive, remains an option as he can be activated as late as Friday. Josey Henry and Chad Kackert are the other internationals on the roster while Curtis Steele is on the six-game injured list.

• After making a big move by extending the contracts of Scott Milanovich and Jim Barker, the Toronto Sun‘s Frank Zicarelli writes that the Boatmen have locked up two members of their ‘big three’. The one that remains is star pivot Ricky Ray, whose future with Toronto remains in the air.
• Looking to improve their defence in 2015, the Argos have bolstered their already-strong defensive line ahead of their season opener vs. Edmonton this weekend, signing veteran defensive end Jason Vega.

Ottawa REDBLACKS

• The Ottawa REDBLACKS would love to get Brad Sinopoli into their lineup in time for their season opener vs. Montreal, but first he’ll have to come off the team’s disabled list. The Ottawa Sun‘s Tim Baines updates Sinopoli’s status.
• Ottawa’s secondary consists of mostly unknown parts and that could spell trouble as the REDBLACKS get set to go up against S.J. Green, Fred Stamps and Nik Lewis among others in their season opener on Thursday. Yet as Baines writes, that unit could surprise this season.

Montreal Alouettes

• Could Boris Bede have a leg up on the Als’ starting kicking job? Both made the team’s roster out of training camp, but the Montreal Gazette‘s Herb Zurkowsky says he wouldn’t be shocked to see Bede handle kicking duties in the team’s home opener vs. Ottawa on Thursday.
• After being a star running back in college then being relegated to the bench in the NFL, Tyrell Sutton is finally getting his chance to ‘be the guy’ again. Can he become an elite starting CFL tailback? Zurkowsky has more on the career of the Als’ new starting running back following the release of Brandon Whitaker.