Steinberg’s MMQB: Familiar faces, new places in 2016

Some of the biggest additions for the 2016 CFL season come in the form of very familiar faces. We’re going to highlight two of those additions this week, one of them on the field and the other off of it, because both individuals are poised to make a massive impact. We’ll also finish choosing our MMQB fantasy football team as we present our final column before the start of the preseason.

Welcome back

No team has overhauled its group this off-season more than the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and yet it’s perhaps their most recognizable face that could serve as their biggest addition in 2016. No offence to Chris Jones, John Murphy, Justin Capicciotti, or any of Saskatchewan’s other high profile new faces, but it’s the return of Darian Durant serving as the team’s most significant addition.

After attempting just 18 passes and missing virtually the entire 2015 with a ruptured Achilles, Durant’s return at quarterback can’t be overstated. The last two seasons have been rather disappointing ones for the Riders, and it’s no coincidence Durant played just 11 games combined in 2014 and 2015. A healthy Durant makes an enormous difference.

RELATED: 5 takeaways from the first week of camp

Solomon Elimimian’s return was a can’t-miss storyline of week one of camp (BCLions.com)

Prior to Durant’s last two injury-plagued campaigns, he had put together his two best seasons of his career. 2012 saw Durant post a career best 20-12 touchdown to interception ratio before smashing that with a 31-12 mark in Saskatchewan’s Grey Cup year of 2013. He had gone from being a decent starter to being one of the league’s elite quarterbacks. Then the injuries hit; first a season-ending elbow injury in 2014 followed by last season’s Achilles injury.

So why should the Riders be confident Durant is set to return to form? Well, first off, it’s not like he stumbled upon his 2012 and 2013 seasons by accident. Durant has worked extremely hard on his decision-making and accuracy and you don’t just forget things like that.

There’s one other thing that plays in his favour: motivation. A week into training camp, Durant is as fired up for the 2016 season as he’s ever been.

“It’s the most fun I’ve ever had, and I think it’s mainly because the game has been taken away from me,” Durant said earlier this week.

“Of course as the off-season progresses you say you look forward to training camp, and then once you get into training camp it’s like ‘man, another day of two-a-days, here we go again.

“But now I take every single day as if it’s my last.”

You can’t blame Durant for being fired up after missing so much time the last two seasons. It plays well into Saskatchewan’s hands, too. Prior to his injuries, Durant had solidified himself as one of the league’s high-end passers and has a good chance of picking up where he left off. For a Riders team looking to erase a miserable 2015 campaign, Durant’s added drive is just more needed fuel to the fire.

Welcome back…again

Argos defensive coordinator Rich Stubler with Ricky Foley (Argonauts.ca)

While getting Durant back under centre this season will be huge for the Riders, you can argue he’s not a true “addition” because he was still a member of the team last season. Rich Stubler certainly fits the definition in his return to the Toronto Argonauts, even if he’s anything but an unfamiliar face.

2016 will mark Stubler’s third stint as Toronto’s defensive coordinator, having previously held the position in 1990 and between 2003 and 2007. Just because he’s a known commodity doesn’t lessen his impact on the field, though. Stubler’s track record is well-established; he wins and he puts together league-leading defences. If he stays true to form, Stubler stands to be an extremely important addition.

While his departure caught the Calgary Stampeders off guard, Stubler’s arrival in Toronto should pay immediate dividends. The Argos finished near the bottom in far too many defensive categories in 2015 for a variety of reasons.

Last season doesn’t all fall on outgoing DC Casey Creehan, because inexperience and a lack of stability also played major roles. Bringing Stubler into the fold is aimed at rectifying those issues and his track record suggests a good chance at success.

On the stability front, well, Stubler will add more than the Argos have gotten in recent memory by just returning for the 2017 season. Stubler is Toronto’s fourth defensive coordinator in as many years and turnover like that makes it tough for sustained success. The team is talking about Stubler as a long-term fit, which is exactly what this team needs.

As for inexperience, well, that could still be an issue in 2016. However, Stubler has shown numerous times his ability to get the most out of underestimated defensive groups. His 2015 Stampeders group was a good example. Hammered with injuries last season, Calgary still finished top three in numerous defensive categories including net yards.

Stubler has done two things in his numerous prior CFL stops: win and elevate. The stats back that up fairly nicely, but not quite as nicely as his five Grey Cup rings do. It’s tough to argue Stubler isn’t Toronto’s biggest addition for 2016.

Fantasy football (Part five)

We’re finishing up our MMQB fantasy draft this week with three huge positions still to go. Those who have played fantasy football know the importance of their receivers and kicker. So who makes the grade here?

Steinberg’s 2016 All-Fantasy Roster

Adarius Bowman, REC
Edmonton Eskimos

Adarius Bowman as emerged as CFL Fantasy’s most dependable receiver (Esks.com)

There was no chance Bowman wasn’t going to get one of my selections at receiver, because right now, he’s at the top of the CFL class. With two straight 1,300-plus yard seasons under his belt, Bowman enters the 2016 season as the league’s incumbent most dominant receiver. With Eric Rogers heading south, it becomes even easier to make that declaration.

Bowman brings a devastating combination to the table. Part one of that combo is his speed all over the field. Not only is Bowman fast in a straight line, but he also has outstanding open field acceleration, which allows him to separate nicely from defenders.

Part two is strength, as Bowman is able to play one of the most physical brands of any receiver in the league. He can power through press coverage, he can win battles downfield, and he can rack up YAC numbers. An all-fantasy team wouldn’t be complete without Bowman at receiver.

Emmanuel Arceneaux, REC
BC Lions

Emmanuel Arceneaux’s speed/size combo makes him an elite pass-catcher (BCLions.com)

Since returning to the CFL in 2013, all Arceneaux has done is get better. That improvement culminated in his most dominant season to date in 2015. Arceneaux was outstanding as his 1,151 yards placed him fourth in the league while his nine touchdowns had him tied for third. At 28, continued improvement from Arceneaux is still very much in the cards.

Much like Bowman, Arceneaux has that rather deadly combination of speed and strength, but it’s his upward trend that gave him the nod over other solid choices like Chris Williams, Brad Sinopoli, and S.J. Green.

Arceneaux’s 2015 season was no fluke and was important for one key reason: not only did Arceneaux put up gaudy numbers last year, but he also did it with nothing but attention paid to him. Opposing teams game planned specifically for him and he still was able to dominate the way he did. That tells you something about him going forward.

Justin Medlock, K
Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Our MMQB has Justin Medlock providing a major boost for the Bombers in 2016 (BlueBombers.com)

If you’ve been reading this column over the off-season, this would have been an automatic because Medlock is the rare kicker who can significantly alter a team. There’s a reason we named him Winnipeg’s biggest off-season addition despite the acquisitions of players like Andrew Harris and Ryan Smith. He’s just that good.

Medlock has combined laser accuracy with impressive range to cement himself as the league’s unquestioned best kicker over the last couple of seasons. As such, Medlock will provide the Bombers with options they haven’t had under Head Coach Mike O’Shea; the same options Hamilton’s Kent Austin had at his disposal.

Medlock’s range allows a second and long play call in enemy territory to set up a field goal as opposed to a punt. His automatic accuracy makes it far easier to kick a 41-yard three pointer as opposed to going for it on third and two. No kicker impacts an offensive game plan like Medlock does, and for that reason, he was an easy choice to be on this team.