Training camps opened across the league yesterday, which means football is officially back. Writing this column during the off-season is a lot of fun because we get to tell some stories and do some things that wouldn’t make as much sense in the heat of the regular season. But I think we can all agree, it’s not the same without the pads crashing for real.

Counting ‘em down

Last week, CFL.ca compiled a great rundown of pertinent storylines and position battles to keep your eye on for all nine teams. It’s a great primer to get you set for the 2017 pre-season, which starts a week from tomorrow. Yes, that’s right, we’ll have plays being called for real in eight days.

So, with camps underway, this week’s MMQB is counting down our top stories to watch heading into the regular season.

5. Toronto’s new regime

I thought the Argos hit it out of the park when they hired Jim Popp and Marc Trestman to fill their vacant spots at general manager and head coach, respectively. After a nightmare finish to last season, Toronto was in desperate need of direction. Well, in Popp and Trestman, we’re talking about two guys with a pretty nice track record of getting teams on track.

What I’m most curious about, though, is how long it takes for this duo to affect the change the Argos are hoping for. Because of their relatively late hiring, neither Popp nor Trestman were in place for the start of free agency. With the number of high impact players there were on the market this year, that timing wasn’t ideal.

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In saying that, though, I do think there’s a chance for noticeable improvement right off the bat. Trestman’s track record with Anthony Calvillo was stellar in Montreal and now he’s working with another veteran, superstar quarterback in Ricky Ray. Trestman is an offensive wizard and that’s the area I’m expecting to see the most change in in the early stages of the 2017 season.

4. Montreal’s revamped attack

New general manger Kavis Reed has been busy since taking over from the aforementioned Popp in December. Thanks to a rotating crew at quarterback and a few injuries in 2016, the Alouettes struggled on the offensive side of the ball. With the moves Reed has made in his six months on the job, I’ll be shocked if that’s the case this year.

Of course, Reed’s first order of business was to address the quarterback position. Well, he did that in a big way by acquiring Darian Durant from Saskatchewan about a month after taking over. At 34, I believe Durant is still a very good pivot in this league and stabilizes a position that has been in turmoil ever since Calvillo retired.

But it doesn’t end there for Montreal. The Alouettes signed reigning East Division Most Outstanding Player Ernest Jackson to join Nik Lewis for a potent 1-2 punch at receiver. Finally, the Als acquired six-time CFL All-Star left tackle Jovan Olafioye from BC in late March to give Durant the best blindside protection you can have. If Montreal doesn’t have one of the most high-powered offences in the East this season, I’ll be a little surprised.

3. Saskatchewan’s quarterback question

The Riders have some questions to answer at quarterback and, of course, lots of eyes will be on them as they come up with the answers. But because two-time Pro Bowler Vince Young is in the fold, those eyeballs will be even more plentiful as camp, and the season, plays out.

It’s a fairly good bet we’ll see Kevin Glenn start the season at quarterback for Saskatchewan. The soon-to-be 38-year-old is a nice guy to have in the fold for a team going through transition, both at quarterback and overall. The Riders signed Glenn to his third stint with the team so they’d have proven experience at the most important position. But what happens as the season grows older is where things could get potentially more interesting.

I have no idea how Young will fare in the CFL after having not played a regular season game since 2011. But if he has a nice camp and progresses in practice, who knows what the conversation will be six or eight weeks into the season. Don’t forget, Canadian Brandon Bridge is in the fold too, so quarterback could be a fluid position in Regina this season.

2. Washing out that bitter taste

Since Bo Levi Mitchell’s final pass of the season fell incomplete at the 104th Grey Cup, the Calgary Stampeders have been trying to get rid of the bitter taste of defeat. 2016 saw the Stamps put together one of the most comprehensively dominant regular seasons in CFL history but fell short when it mattered the most. How do they respond to that one year later?

If you look back to Calgary’s last title in 2014, they were playing under somewhat similar circumstances. The year prior saw the 14-4 Stampeders fall in convincing fashion to Saskatchewan in the West Division Final. That loss was used as fuel and motivation a year later en route to a 15-3 finish and a triumph over Hamilton in the 102nd Grey Cup. In talking to and hearing from current members of the Stamps, it seems like last November’s loss will be treated in a similar fashion.

From a football perspective, Calgary looks to be in solid shape. Led by Dave Dickenson, their entire coaching staff is coming back, while they brought back most of their key pending free agents. But the biggest question for me is if the Stamps put 2016’s bitter final moment behind them, or if they use it as added juice.

1. Ottawa’s repeat performance

If the Grey Cup runner-up is our number two story to watch, well, the triumphant team has to top our list. What will the Ottawa REDBLACKS have in store for us as a follow-up? While it’s hard to repeat in this league, I’ll give the REDBLACKS credit: after getting whooped in the 2015 title game, they found their way back a year later and got over the hump. At the very least, Ottawa is used to having a target on its back.

But defending their 2016 title will have some interesting challenges for the REDBLACKS. First off, they’ll be without Henry Burris for the first time in their history. After being acquired prior to their inaugural season in 2014, Burrris has moved on from his playing career leaving the reins to Trevor Harris, a capable and successful quarterback himself. I’m not worried about how Harris will handle the load at all, because I think the guy is legit. However, there’s no question Burris will leave a void on that team.

Through the Lens: Day 1 of CFL training camp

Elsewhere, Ottawa lost Grey Cup hero Jackson to the Alouettes and fellow receiver Chris Williams is now a member of the BC Lions. In their wake, though, the REDBLACKS signed Kenny Shaw and Diontae Spencer in free agency. Both receivers are 25 and both are coming off impressive seasons with the Argos.

I love a good title defence story because it has proven increasingly difficult to repeat in this league. In the last 19 years, we’ve seen repeat champions only once, thanks to Montreal’s wins in 2009 and 2010. Ottawa has been in the dance two years in a row, so it won’t be a total shock if they’re in a similar position in about six months.

Backfield coup

When the Edmonton Eskimos selected Michigan State defensive back Arjen Colquhoun late in the second round of the 2016 draft, they were taking a bit of a gamble. But, just a year after signing as a priority free agent with the Dallas Cowboys, Colquhoun is CFL bound after signing a contract with Edmonton last week. In many ways, it’s a bit of a coup for the Eskimos.

In a lot of cases, players who sign as priority free agents in the NFL stick south of the border for a little while before coming to the CFL, if they come at all. As such, drafting these players carries with it some inherent and understood risk. It happens every year, of course, with Eli Ankou (Ottawa), Geoff Gray (Winnipeg), and Antony Auclair (Saskatchewan) falling into that category in 2017. For the Eskimos, though, their gamble last year looks like it’s about to pay off in a big, big way.

Colquhoun was 2016’s top ranked DB by a fairly wide margin and would have easily been a high first round pick on merit. Now he’s in the fold for the Eskimos just a year after drafting him, and with a year of NFL experience under his belt. To get a player of Colquhoun’s calibre with a second round pick after only a year is bordering on robbery.

Of course, there are no guarantees and we have no idea how Colquhoun is going to translate to the CFL. But, we do know he was a highly ranked prospect who seemed very pro ready at the time of the 2016 draft. You can understand why Edmonton would be pretty happy to bring a Canadian player like that officially into the fold.