June 21, 2017

Landry: Changes in personnel lead to intrigue in East

Matt Smith/CFL.ca

The REDBLACKS adjust to life without Hank. The Ticats can be happy as long as they’re healthy. The Als have an offence reborn. The Argos have many, many questions but do they have answers? It’s the CFL East in 2017.

Ottawa REDBLACKS
2016 Record: 8-9

The defending champions are moving on without their Grey Cup MVP, quarterback Henry Burris, who left the football stage and entered an Ottawa TV studio during the off-season. How well his heir apparent fares is the biggest question the REDBLACKS face in 2017.

Quarterback Trevor Harris has not played in late season, crunch time games and how he fares when the temperatures cool will go a long way in determining Ottawa’s fate. In 2015, Harris faltered in autumn after a standout summer as Ricky Ray’s injury replacement in Toronto. The Argos pressed Ray back into action during the stretch drive, even though he was still hampered by a wonky shoulder. Last season, Harris missed the stretch due to no fault of his own, really. When head coach Rick Campbell decided to have a look at Burris after Harris had one sub-par regular season game, Burris grabbed the reins and galloped all the way to a championship, Harris never getting another shot. Now it is his offence to lead and if the REDBLACKS get to play on home turf at this year’s Grey Cup, it will be at least partly because Harris – known for his intensely dedicated work ethic – has made the most of the spotlight.

While the offence lost a couple of key receiving pieces in Ernest Jackson (Montreal) and Chris Williams (BC), more than capable replacements in Kenny Shaw and Diontae Spencer were added and the twin go-to-guys, Brad Sinopoli and Greg Ellingson, remain.

The defence, which really came into its own during the late stages of 2016, suffered key losses in the backfield over the winter. Forrest Hightower (NFL), Abdul Kanneh (Hamilton), Jeff Richards (NFL) and Mitchell White (NFL) all need to be replaced, constructively. The REDBLACKS did sign free agent corner A.J. Jefferson and they hope he makes more big plays than he gives up. A gambler, Jefferson is known for both. Jerrell Gavins, who was so good at SAM linebacker when he was moved up to that position last season, has returned to the secondary full time and he’s pretty damn good there too. It will be up to second-year man Nick Taylor to step up and perform at SAM. While the REDBLACKS said goodbye to linebacker Damaso Munoz during the off-season, they added a very good replacement in free agency, signing former Winnipeg Blue Bomber Khalil Bass. Bad news for the REDBLACKS; heart and soul defensive lineman Moton Hopkins retired a few weeks ago. Good news for the REDBLACKS; Hopkins has settled in Ottawa and will be around the club on at least an informal basis.

QUESTION: Can the REDBLACKS finally get through a season without a succession of running back injuries?

OUTLOOK: A lot hinges on Harris and how well the champs adjust to big losses on their defence. A contending season is absolutely within reach but not assured.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats
2016 Record: 7-11

They say injuries are no excuse in pro sports but I have always felt that was a bit of a load of bovine by-product. There’s a reason why starters are starters. They’re better than the guys who aren’t.

That was Hamilton’s biggest problem in 2016, especially on offence where they once again were missing quarterback Zach Collaros, sidelined for the first six games while mending an injured knee, and two more in October, with a concussion. You’ve heard this before but that doesn’t mean it ain’t true: If Zach Collaros can play a full season, the Ticats are contenders and he will push for Most Outstanding Player consideration.

He wasn’t the only Ticat of great consequence to miss action last season due to injury. Receiver Luke Tasker was gone for the final six games of the regular season and the playoffs, and outside of Collaros, he is the most important player on that Ticat offence.

The receiving corps will welcome back Tasker and Terrence Toliver but be without Chad Owens (Saskatchewan) and Andy Fantuz (knee injury) in 2017 (note: there is a possibility Fantuz might return later in the season), so Hamilton will look for more from Kevin Elliott and Brian Tyms and they may have a breakthrough receiver in Canadian Mike Jones. The running game is in terrific hands with C.J. Gable in the backfield as one of the best double threats in the CFL.

The Ticat defence suffered its share of injuries in 2016 as well, but beyond that, basically failed to repeat their incredible performance from the year before. With Orlondo Steinauer now gone (Fresno State), Jeff Reinebold steps up as defensive coordinator and he has Grey Cup shoestring tackling hero Abdul Kanneh in the fold, after the Ticats signed him away from Ottawa as a free agent. Key veterans Courtney Stephen and Emanuel Davis are in the secondary and If veteran safety Craig Butler can return to form after missing all of last season with a knee injury, so much the better. Hamilton’s defence will once again be spurred on by a very good defensive line, anchored by tackle Ted Laurent and versatile end Adrian Tracy, as well as the active and chatty Simoni Lawrence at linebacker.

The Ticats do have uncertainty with their kicking, after missing out on re-signing free agent Brett Maher, who opted instead for Ottawa.

QUESTION: The last two seasons have been injury-riddled ones for the ‘Cats and that has led the team to take it easier on its players on off-days and in practice sessions. Will the new regimen pay off?

OUTLOOK: They’ll be favoured in the East, but by no means are the Ticats set to cruise to the division title.

Montreal Alouettes
2016 Record: 7-11

The Alouettes stumbled offensively over the last few seasons, never finding a consistent quarterback to move their offence up and down the
field. That’s over now, with the off-season acquisition of Darian Durant, the veteran pivot who joins the Als after an eleven-year run in
Saskatchewan.

Durant’s resumé is undisputed and even if he is no longer quite at the same level as the elite three or four quarterbacks in the league, he is
right on their tails. His acquisition must have put a smile on the face of veteran Nik Lewis, the hall of fame bound receiver who comes into his fourteenth season just 52 catches way from the all-time record of 1,029 (Geroy Simon). With 2016 East Division Most Outstanding Player Ernest Jackson signing as a free agent, Montreal’s receiving corps is bolstered with a pair of the surest hands in the entire league. With the balance that running back Tyrell Sutton provides out of the backfield and a possible breakout season from receiver B.J. Cunningham, the Als offence looks ready to tick, with head coach Jacques Chapdelaine coordinating, while Anthony Calvillo tutors Durant and his understudies.

Funny thing, then, that the bigger concern might be their defence, the dominating unit that kept the Alouettes in games despite anemic offences over the post-Calvillo playing years. In a big, early, training camp surprise, Montreal released last season’s East Division Most Outstanding Defensive Player, linebacker Bear Woods, who subsequently signed with Toronto. The Alouettes also lost linebacker Winston Venable (signed with Toronto then retired) and are in need of a youngster to step up to play with veterans Chip Cox and Kyries Hebert. Anthony Sarao was thought to be next in line, however another rookie, Dominique Tovell, may have won the job in the middle. Defensive back Jovon Johnson was a final cut, but there is veteran presence in the Montreal secondary including Ryan Phillips, a free agent signing after twelve terrific years in British Columbia. And remember this: Noel Thorpe is one of the best in the biz when it comes to coordinating defences.

QUESTION: Did the Als make a costly mistake by tearing out the middle of their defence when they released Woods?

OUTLOOK: The Alouettes should finally be able to move the ball with consistency and bring back some offensive flash and dash. If their
defence remains up to the task despite some core aging and roster changes, they’ll contend for a playoff spot.

Toronto Argonauts
2016 Record: 5-13

This is the most intriguing team in the East, simply because it is so hard to know what it will be in 2017. Even new head coach Marc Trestman thinks the Argonauts will be in a fluid situation, trying to nail down an identity and some consistency along the way.

2016 was a terrible season for Toronto, a promising start vanishing in disarray and disappointment and leading to the exits of general manager Jim Barker and head coach Scott Milanovich. Enter Trestman and new general manager Jim Popp, who have had a lot of catching up to do and they will lean on some proven vets to help piece things together as soon as possible.

On offence, veteran quarterback Ricky Ray hopes to put the misery of the last four, injury-troubled seasons behind him. If he’s to do that, he
will need good offensive line play and there are solid veterans in that unit. They have early season uncertainty at left tackle, where second
year Canadian Jamal Campbell is in the mix along with imports William Campbell and Brandon Washington. The receiving corps is almost
completely remade compared to the group that was in place a year ago. A big question for the Argos is how good S.J. Green can be, after missing most of last season with devastating knee ligament damage. Former Stampeder and Roughrider Jeff Fuller is aboard, hoping to stay healthy. Armanti Edwards was plucked via trade from receiver-laden Saskatchewan and with Andre Durie no longer on the team, the Argos must have a step-up season from Anthony Coombs.

On defence, there’s a ton of change as you would expect from a team that was down near the bottom in so many categories a year ago. New defensive coordinator Corey Chamblin has a clutch of veterans to work with, including Bear Woods. Another linebacker, Marcus Ball – a terror in his first tour of duty with the Argos in 2012 and 2013 – is back after three seasons in the NFL. Back, too, is Cleyon Laing, one of the best interior defensive linemen in the league when he played with Toronto from 2013-15. Former Ticat Rico Murray is now in double blue, with the ability to play defensive back or SAM linebacker, and another former Ticat, Johnny Sears, has arrived to add veteran presence. Along with rush end Shawn Lemon, the Toronto D has the pedigree, but it’s a group that faces a large degree of unfamiliarity.

QUESTION: You know what the question is. Can Ricky Ray have a healthy season?

OUTLOOK: The Argos are a mystery. If they answer most of their questions in positive fashion they’ll be better, more quickly, than anticipated. If not, year one of the Popp/Trestman show will be all about renovation.