March 29, 2017

Checking Down: Harris sees his future in Ottawa

Adam Gagnon/CFL.ca

TORONTO — The CFL Combine presented by adidas has come and gone. What’s next?

In the latest off-season news, S.J. Green and Chris Williams are on the mend while the contract status of Trevor Harris is becoming a topic of interest.

We have the latest in Checking Down:

Jump to team:

BC | Calgary | Edmonton | Saskatchewan | Winnipeg | Hamilton | Toronto | Ottawa | Montreal

BC LIONS

BCLions.com

Chris Williams, who signed with the Lions this off-season, plans on being ready for camp (BCLions.com)

– Following his season-ending injury last autumn, Chris Williams says he hasn’t had any setbacks and thinks he’ll be ready for training camp (The Canadian Press).

– Lions GM Wally Buono says he fully expects recent addition David Foucault to be at training camp this spring (Matt Baker, BCLions.com).

– Don’t pencil in Foucault as a tackle just yet. Dan Dorazio says Foucault has the flexibility to play guard, while Hunter Steward could shift over to left tackle, his more natural position (Mike Beamish, The Vancouver Province).

EDMONTON ESKIMOS

CFL.ca

The city of Edmonton appear to be in the running to host its first Grey Cup since 2010 (CFL.ca)

– Eskimos president and CEO Len Rhodes is stressing the importance of ‘getting checked out’ as he battles Stage 1 prostate cancer (Gerry Moddejonge, Edmonton Journal).

CALGARY STAMPEDERS

Pat-DelMonaco-Dave-Dickenson-Kyle-Carson-Marc-Mueller-2017-CFL-Combine

The Stampeders’ staff, led by Dave Dickenson, was busy at the CFL Combine in Regina (Stampeders.com)

– A memorial for legendary Stampeders running back Ezzrett Sugarfoot Anderson was held Tuesday at McMahon Stadium (Melissa Gilligan, Global News).

– With the eighth overall pick in the CFL Draft, the Stampeders had a close eye on some of the top amateur prospects at last week’s CFL Combine (Stampeders.com).

SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS

THE CANADIAN PRESS

Willie Jefferson will be a big part of the Riders’ new-look, new attitude defence in 2017 (The Canadian Press)

– Expect a new look and new attitude for the Riders’ defence in 2017, including plenty of noise and trash talking (Murray McCormick, Regina Leader-Post).

– Former Rider Ray Elgaard says Vince Young has the skills to be a high-end CFL quarterback — and he’s young enough too (Rod Pedersen, CKRM).

– After inaugural success, should CFL Week return to Regina in 2017? Rob Vanstone says yes, at least for one more year in 2018 (Rob Vanstone, Regina Leader-Post).

– Derek Dennis is known as the Bonecrusher after breaking someone’s bone back in his first high school game. That mentality, he says, is what he always takes on the field (Murray McCormick, Regina Leader-Post).

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS

2017_HOF_Class

Current Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea has left a strong legacy as a CFL linebacker (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)

– Mike O’Shea has left a Hall of Fame legacy as a player, but the former linebacker says that’s not what he played the game for (TSN 1290).

– Is Junior Luke a candidate to go first overall? One mock draft has the Montreal defensive lineman going to the Bombers (John Hodge, 3 Down Nation).

– The CFL Combine can be informative for scouts and GMs. But for Bombers GM Kyle Walters, who holds the first overall pick, last weekend muddied the waters (Ed Tait, BlueBombers.com).

– Offensive lineman and potential first overall pick Mason Woods says O-line would be a great place for the Bombers to start in the draft (Ted Wyman, Winnipeg Sun).

HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

Arthur Ward/CFL.ca

McMaster alum Danny Vandervoort breaks away during one-on-ones in Regina (Arthur Ward/CFL.ca)

– In the days following the CFL Combine, Ticats GM Eric Tillman says football evaluation is still more important than combine numbers (TSN 1150).

– The Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Tim Hortons Field will host the annual Canadian Football Hall of Fame Game on Sept. 15 (Ticats.ca).

TORONTO ARGONAUTS

Tyron_Brackenridge_2015_1

Not long after his retirement from football, Tyron Brackenridge returns as a coach with the Argos (The Canadian Press)

– Three former Argos are looking to increase football development in the GTA through the International Development Fast Football League (Tagwa Moyo, TSN.ca).

– After venturing into finance, Tyron Brackenridge’s time away from football was short-lived. So how did he end up joining the Argos’ coaching staff? (Rod Pedersen, CKRM).

OTTAWA REDBLACKS

Johany Jutras/CFL.ca

Contract negotiations could be a topic for Trevor Harris as he enters a contract year (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)

– The Ottawa REDBLACKS have locked up a new French-language radio deal with Marc Legault doing play by play and Denis Piche as colour commentator (Tim Baines, Ottawa Citizen).

– As contract talks become a topic surrounding Trevor Harris, the REDBLACKS’ pivot says he has no plan to leave any time soon (Tim Baines, Ottawa Citizen).

– Panda Game hero and Carleton Raven Nate Behar says being drafted by the REDBLACKS would be a scenario made for Hollywood (Chris O’Leary, CFL.ca).

MONTREAL ALOUETTES

Montreal Alouettes

S.J. Green was told last season he may never play football again (MontrealAlouettes.com)

– With the plan to play two international tackles, David Foucault didn’t fit in the Alouettes’ plans while trading for Jovan Olafioye made perfect sense (Herb Zurkowsky, Montreal Gazette).

– Meanwhile, a restructured contract could be in the works for Olafioye soon (Farhan Lalji, TSN).

– After doctors told S.J. Green he may never play football again, the Als’ star receiver is on the right path back from a torn ACL last season (Tim Baines, Ottawa Citizen).