OttawaREDBLACKS.com
TORONTO — It’s the end of April and mini-camp season has come and gone. What does it all mean?
Aside from June being one month closer, it meant a chance for coaching staffs to assemble; for players to put on the cleats and play football in an organized team environment; and in some cases, for highly-touted signings to slip into new colours for the first time.
Above all, though, coaches and managers got a chance to evaluate some of the rookies they signed this off-season: to see them live and in some cases match up against CFL veterans.
Roster spots going into training camp are valuable; a lot of thought goes into who comes to training camp and who doesn’t make the cut. And by May 1, the decisions have to be made.
With all nine mini-camp/free agent camps in the books, we look at one player from each team that made a positive impression this month:
Ottawa REDBLACKS
Travon Van, RB (Montana)
William Powell appears to have the REDBLACKS’ starting running back job locked down after a strong second half of 2015, but the departure of Jeremiah Johnson (to BC via free agency) has opened the door for another international on the depth chart.
Montana running back Travon Van, 24, stood out in mini-camp this week and has likely earned himself a chance to compete at REDBLACKS’ training camp a month from now. Van, a 5-foot-11, 205-pound back, played briefly for Ottawa last season after signing with the team back in August.
He was signed from the REDBLACKS’ negotiation list last August on the heels of a collegiate career that included a standout 2011, in which he rushed for 551 yards on 143 carries at Montana.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Julian Talley, WR (Massachusetts)
Lost in the hype of two big additions, Weston Dressler and Ryan Smith, to the Bombers’ receiving corps, the team still has a vacancy left by the departure of Clarence Denmark. This week’s mini-camp showed there are a number of viable options for the position, including Massachusetts receiver Julian Talley.
Talley, 26, is coming off a three-year stint with the New York Giants after originally going undrafted and signing to their practice roster in 2012. The 6-foot-1 pass-catcher is known for his athleticism and could also figure in as a kick/punt returner.
All eyes will be on Dressler, Smith and Andrew Harris on the Bombers’ offence this year no doubt, but someone else has a chance to make a major impact in their shadows.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Marquez Clark, WR (Central Oklahoma)
Chris Jones has a strong penchant for discovering young talent south of the border, something he’ll rely on to round out his receiving corps following the sudden retirement of Maurice Price. So after the team’s three-day mini-camp earlier this month, who will have the chance to join Shamawd Chambers, John Chiles, Rob Bagg and Naaman Roosevelt among others?
One player that stood out was Marquez Clark, a 24-year-old receiver out of Central Oklahoma. Coming off a stint with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, the undrafted Clark isn’t a prototypical Jones receiver at under six feet tall but he’s a skill-guy, known for his quickness and burst.
Clark could also figure in on special teams as he has a track record of returning punts and kickoffs.
Montreal Alouettes
Jerry Rice Jr., WR (UCLA)
One might say the Alouettes are stacked at receiver, and all of their top pass-catchers were in Florida this week to flash their skills catching passes from veteran quarterback Kevin Glenn. But one young receiver, a familiar name in football, turned heads this week and showed he could belong in the CFL: Jerry Rice Jr., the son of football’s all-time leading receiver.
Rice Jr. spent 2014 with the NFL’s Washington Redskins before joining the Als’ practice roster in 2015, where he’ll now hope to take the same route Duron Carter took with the Als just a few years ago. He’s not known for his size, standing under six feet tall, but his athleticism stood out this week after making a number of electrifying big plays.
Toronto Argonauts
Devon Wylie, WR (Fresno State)
The Argos totally revamped their receiving corps last year through mini-camp and off-season free agent camps, producing the likes of Tori Gurley, Vidal Hazelton, Diontae Spencer, Kevin Elliott and an under-the-radar player in Phil Bates.
Da’Rick Rogers also turned heads this week at Argos’ mini-camp in Bradenton, Fla., but the receiver that most stood out was 5-foot-9 Devon Wylie, a former fourth-round NFL draft pick the Argos added going into last weekend.
Wylie was picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012 and was described by Head Coach Scott Milanovich as having great speed and great change of direction. It’s early and he still needs to make the roster, but so far the skill-set has drawn comparisons by some to Weston Dressler.
BC Lions
Avius Capers, WR (Johnson C. Smith University)
The Lions added Nick Moore in the off-season but on top of him and Emmanuel Arceneaux could use a little more help in the receiving corps, especially following the recent retirement of Austin Collie. One player who stood out because of his speed in Surrey, B.C. this week was Avius Capers.
Capers was recently let go by the Carolina Panthers and at 23 years still has plenty of upside. He’s on the smaller side at 5-foot-10, 200 pounds but with his quickness and explosiveness he could find himself competing for a roster spot among other young receivers at training camp next month.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Chase Minnifield, DB (Virginia)
The Ticats went into mini-camp with a pretty full depth-chart and not a lot of roster spots up for grabs heading into training camp, but if there’s one place for players to make an impact it’s at defensive back. Chase Minnifield was among eight DBs the Ticats signed just before mini-camp and may have earned himself a chance to compete at training camp next month.
A six-foot tall defender, Minnifield was originally projected to go in the third or fourth round by many but wound up going undrafted. He landed with the Washington Redskins, where he played from 2012 through 2014.
The Ticats managed to re-sign Emmanel Davis this off-season but are down some key defenders, particularly having lost Craig Butler for the season to injury and regulars Brandon Stewart and Ed Gainey to free agency. Could Minnifield be the next key find for Kent Austin in his defensive backfield?
Edmonton Eskimos
James Franklin, QB (Missouri)
James Franklin is unlike most players on this list in that he’s not a rookie and he’s even started two games in the CFL, going 1-1 as a starter last season with the Eskimos. But his performance in mini-camp this month is notable.
Franklin, 24 and one of the top quarterback prospects in the CFL, tweaked his mechanics and delivery this off-season with the focus on a faster release, and so far it appears to have paid off. He’s drawn strong reviews from the Eskimos for his three-day camp, including from first-year head coach Jason Maas.
It could be a while before Franklin gets a chance to play, as Mike Reilly is the Grey Cup MVP and one of the best quarterbacks in the league. But the Missouri grad known for his athleticism — size, a big arm and the ability to run — continues to show growth and a bright future as, one day, a CFL starting quarterback.
Calgary Stampeders
Matthew Norzil, WR (Laval)
Matthew Norzil took part in the Stamps’ free agent camp last week and did himself enough to earn a closer look, as the team announced it had signed him almost immediately after.
A Laval graduate, Norzil has been on the CFL radar before after going in the fourth round by the Toronto Argonauts last year before being released. He was on the Stamps’ practice roster last season but the team wanted him to improve his route-running, work on his hands and add a little thickness to his frame.
According to the Stamps’ director of Canadian scouting Brendan Mahoney, Norzil did all of those things and fit in well at free agent camp against strong competition. He’ll get a chance to show more against Stamps’ veterans at training camp next month now that he’s officially earned a contract.
