March 14, 2018

Checking Down: Toliver, Leggett on the comeback trail

TORONTO —  The comeback trail continues for Maurice Leggett and Terrence Toliver, while CFL Week is less than seven days away.

Plus, the off-season power ranking debate continues as James Cybulski and Davis Sanchez offer their take.

Let’s look at the latest headlines across the league in Checking Down:

Jump to team:

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

BC LIONS

Winston Rose adds another piece to the puzzle in the Lions’ secondary (Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca)

– With Marco Iannuzzi out in BC, 2017 first round pick Danny Vandervoort could be on the verge of a breakout in his sophomore season (Matt Baker, BCLions.com).

– The Lions have added another piece to their defensive puzzle, adding Winston Rose to their secondary along with three others (CFL.ca).

– The BC Lions have added three defensive linemen to the roster, signing Ivan McLennan, Josh Kaddu and Se’Von Pittman.

EDMONTON ESKIMOS

Defensive tackle Mike Moore will be back on the Esks’ D-line after signing an extension (Jason Halstead/CFL.ca)

– Edmonton Eskimos president and CEO Len Rhodes blogs about his his cancer journey, from his prostate cancer diagnosis to his recovery (Esks.com).

– The Eskimos have extended international defensive tackle Mike Moore through 2019, the team has announced (CFL.ca).

– Do the Eskimos have the best running back duo in the CFL? Pat Steinberg weighs in on one of the off-season’s more underrated signings (Pat Steinberg, CFL.ca).

– Former Eskimos first round pick Austin Pasztor is staying with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons after signing a one-year extension (AtlantaFalcons.com).

CALGARY STAMPEDERS

Bo Levi Mitchell and the Stamps have been a hot topic of debate in off-season prognostications (The Canadian Press)

– Is Tunde Adeleke ready to assume the starting safety role in Calgary? Retired Stamps safety Josh Bell will be hovering over his protege all season (George Johnson, Stampeders.com).

– While most off-season power rankings have the Stampeders on top, James Cybulski has them outside of the top-three. How far have they fallen in the latest from The Waggle? (CFL.ca).

– Looking to break out in his sophomore season, Reggie Begelton is working hard during the off-season in Katy, Texas (CFL.ca).

SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS

Willie Jefferson showed a glimpse of his off-season routine in the premier of ‘The Grind’ (David Chidley/CFL.ca)

– Willie Jefferson provides a glimpse of his rigorous off-season workouts in the debut of ‘The Grind’, kicked off by Brodie Lawson in Katy, Texas (CFL.ca).

– Riders running back Marcus Thigpen has received a two-game ban after testing positive for a banned substance (CFL.ca).

– After an impressive rookie season, Tobi Antigha is excited to ‘intern’ behind one of the all-time greats in Charleston Hughes (Ian Hamilton, Riderville.com).

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS

The Bombers believe there’s a good chance Mo Leggett will be back in time for camp (Jason Halstead/CFL.ca)

– The Bombers have reportedly made an ‘attractive offer’ to Henoc Muamba, but will it be enough? (Bob Irving, CJOB).

– According to Mike O’Shea, there’s a good chance Maurice Leggett will be back in time for training camp. The Bombers’ DB is five months removed from tearing his Achilles tendon (3 Down Nation via Bob Irving, CJOB).

– Speaking of Mo Leggett, the Bombers’ versatile defender can’t wait to show off his adopted city when CFL Week comes to Winnipeg (Ted Wyman, Winnipeg Sun).

– The Bombers have announced they’ll hold their annual mini-camp from April 24-26, with all quarterbacks along with new additions Adarius Bowman, Nic Demski and Kienan LaFrance in attendance (BlueBombers.com).

– Matt Nichols’ playing days are far from over, but is the Bombers’ 30-year-old pivot dreaming of a future GM job? (Ted Wyman, Winnipeg Sun).

HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

The comeback trail continues for Terrence Toliver, who’s on his way back from a devastating knee injury (Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca)

– Is a CFL return in the cards for Delvin Breaux? According to a report, the former Ticats DB was not tendered by the Saints and will become a free agent (Nick Underhill, The New Orleans Advocate).

– There’s still plenty of NFL talk surrounding Ticats neg list QB Johnny Manziel, whose future in the three-down game remains entirely up in the air (3 Down Nation).

– Terrence Toliver continues to work his way back into action, posting video of himself cutting for the first time since his season-ending knee injury last year (Twitter).

– Ticats neg list player and defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd has made waves following his pro day, reportedly garnering visits/workouts with 12 NFL teams (Tom Pelissero, NFL Network).

TORONTO ARGONAUTS

Anthony Calvillo would add another dimension to the Argos’ quarterback room (Dominick Gravel/CFL.ca)

– BMO Field is expected to have fresh grass in time for the Argos’ season-opener on June 23, with plans for a new grass surface (Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press).

– What could Anthony Calvillo bring to the Argos’ huddle? The CFL’s all-time leading passer is expected to become the Argos’ quarterback coach, joining Marc Trestman and Ricky Ray in Toronto (Pat Steinberg, CFL.ca).

– Where should the Argos fit in the post-free agency power rankings? James Cybulski and Davis Sanchez can’t agree as they list their top teams in The Waggle (CFL.ca).

OTTAWA REDBLACKS

The REDBLACKS are hoping Noel Thorpe can bring them a dominant defence in 2018 (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)

– What’s the biggest X-factor in what’s shaping up to be a tight-knit East Division? It’s in the nation’s capital, but it may not be what you think (Jeff Krever, CFL.ca).

MONTREAL ALOUETTES

Kavis Reed will lead his second training camp as general manager of the Alouettes (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)

– The Als have announced they’ll hold their 2018 training camp at Olympic Stadium for the first time from May 20 to June 9 (MontrealAlouettes.com).

– The Alouettes have signed four players from their 2017 draft class, with Alex Morrison, Malcolm Carter, Zach Annen and Ty Cranston all coming aboard.