April 25, 2016

Mini-Camp Primer: 6 storylines to keep an eye on this week

Ottawa REDBLACKS

TORONTO — The surest sign CFL football is coming arrives this week, as six teams hit the field for voluntary mini-camps looking to tune up their rosters ahead of training camp.

With the start of a brand new season less than two months away, the week provides something different for everyone. For some teams, it’s a chance for the veterans to test out injuries and shake off the rust. For others it’s about bringing newer faces together and building chemistry.

For every team it’s about evaluating talent and assembling the roster that’ll report to training camp just over a month from now.

The Riders and Eskimos already held their mini-camps in Florida while the Stampeders held a camp for free agents/negotiation list players earlier in the week, but other than those three teams the race to the 104th Grey Cup truly begins this week.

TEAM START FINISH LOCATION PARTICIPANTS
Ottawa REDBLACKS April 24 April 26 TD Place (Ottawa) All players invited
Toronto Argonauts April 24 April 26 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) Rookies, free agent invites, QB Logan Kilgore
Winnipeg Blue Bombers April 25 April 27 Investors Group Field (Winnipeg) All offensive players
Hamilton Tiger-Cats April 26 April 28 Tim Hortons Field (Hamilton) Rookies, free agent invites
Montreal Alouettes April 27 April 29 Oxbridge Academy (West Palm Beach, Fla.) Most veterans and rookies
BC Lions April 28 April 29 Surrey, B.C. First- and second-year players

 

With that said, we look at one storyline to keep an eye on from each mini-camp as the week progresses:

Competition key as REDBLACKS look to fill holes

After losing part of their defensive core including Keith Shologan, Shawn Lemon, Jovon Johnson, Justin Capicciotti and Brandyn Thompson, Head Coach Rick Campbell and GM Marcel Desjardins have stated that competition will be key to filling open spots on that side of the ball.

Ottawa’s offence can be expected to hit the ground running after ranking number one in the league in 2015, while the addition of Trevor Harris adds an insurance policy as well as a future after Henry Burris at the position. But the real question for 2016 will be whether the REDBLACKS’ number one-ranked defence in 2015 can pick up where it left off, and that starts at this week’s mini-camp.

Kilgore looks to lock down no. 2 for Argos

Some say quarterback is a position of weakness for the Argos, where the concern is depth in the case that anything happens to starter Ricky Ray. The Argos have lost good young quarterbacks in Trevor Harris and Zach Collaros in the last couple of years, with Collaros playing at an MOP level in Hamilton and Harris hoping to do the same eventually in Ottawa.

Is Logan Kilgore the next to develop into a starter behind a future Hall of Famer in Ray? Scott Milanovich and Marcus Brady have a proven track record of developing quarterbacks, and Kilgore with his strong arm and pocket awareness might fit the mold — but first he’ll have to lock down the no. 2 spot on the depth chart.

This week’s mini-camp is a good starting point, where he’ll get plenty of reps and a chance to lead.

RELATED: Wylie, Kilgore stand out
as Argos start mini-camp

Argonauts.ca

 

Bombers’ new-look offence aims to gel

It’s hard to pick a team more in need of a mini-camp than the Bombers, who will take advantage of three days this week to put their new-look offence on the field. Weston Dressler, Andrew Harris, Ryan Smith and a fully-healed Drew Willy are all expected on hand, as they put Paul LaPolice’s newly drawn up offence into practice.

The head start with an offence-only camp is a crucial one for the Bombers, who are all-in after their big free agent acquisitions but will no doubt need some time to gel.

Ticats key in on secondary help

The Ticats’ secondary has been affected this off-season by the departures of Ed Gainey, Mike Edem and Brandon Stewart to free agency and the loss of Craig Butler for the season due to injury. Courtney Stephen’s athleticism and range likely allow him to move over to Butler’s safety spot, but Orlondo Steinauer has some holes to fill.

After recently signing eight defensive backs to go compete in mini-camp, can Steinauer and Head Coach Kent Austin find the pieces they need to round out a defensive backfield that last season ranked third in the league in total passing yards and first in the league in yards per pass?

Glenn looks to get Als’ offence ahead

Continuity is something the Als have been missing since the retirement of Anthony Calvillo, but they may finally have it heading into 2016 with the return of Kevin Glenn among many other familiar faces on offence. Last season the Als ranked dead last in the league with 4,059 passing yards, which is exactly why some have them labeled for the East Division basement.

THE CANADIAN PRESS

Mini-camp for the Als is about getting ahead on the offensive side of the ball, where Glenn will have a chance to throw to the likes of S.J. Green, Duron Carter, Nik Lewis and Kenny Stafford among others. If a rebound season is in store for Montreal, it starts this week in Florida.

Young pivots take centre stage for Lions

Quarterbacks will be the talk of Lions’ training camp this year as Jonathon Jennings and Travis Lulay compete for a chance to start, but the competition doesn’t end there. Neither of them will be at this week’s mini-camp but there’s plenty at stake for the next two young pivots in line, Keith Price and Greg McGhee.

McGhee, 23, and Price, 24, have plenty of upside and could be key contributors down the road for the Lions, yet another team with a proven track record of developing young quarterbacks. One of those two will likely be the team’s third-string quarterback this season while both should be in the team’s future plans.

Just remember, last year at this time 23-year-old Jennings wasn’t on anyone’s radar.