Ticats.ca
EDMONTON — Kicking their season off against Calgary, the Tiger-Cats elected to stay out west as they continue their Albertan road trip, practising in Calgary for three days before heading to Edmonton for final preparations ahead of their Friday night outing against the Eskimos.
The signing of Delvin Breaux was officially announced by the team on Tuesday and it couldn’t come at a better and more opportune time.
Hamilton’s defence showed signs of both brilliance and bust in their loss to the Stampeders in Week 1. Nonetheless, adding a decorated defensive back like Breaux, who spent three seasons in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints, drastically bolsters a secondary unit that’s in need of an identity.
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“I can help the younger guys out, and as well as them helping me with the defence and get rolling,” Breaux said following his first practice back with the Ticats.
Ticats’ head coach June Jones revealed the club had been talking to Breaux for approximately two weeks prior to officially announcing his signing.
“He’s a bump and run guy,” said Jones on Tuesday after the Ticats wrapped up their second day of practice at Calgary’s Shouldice Athletic Park. “He’s definitely an all-star type player.“
Jones went on to say that further evaluation regarding Breaux’s shape and performance will be done throughout the week before making a decision on whether the 28-year-old will be ready to suit up against Edmonton or not.
Regardless of whether he plays on Friday against Edmonton, the excitement is evident in the tone Breaux addressed the media with after his first practice back with the Ticats.
“I actually felt great. I felt like I hadn’t missed a beat,” said Breaux. “I felt in with the team. I felt like I’ve been there since training camp.”
Hamilton’s coaching staff had communicated to Breaux to ease himself back into the system and get back to playing the Canadian game of football. As Breaux pointed out, there’s been a number of rule changes since his departure for the NFL three seasons ago, impacting him as a defensive back. More specifically, the rules surrounding pass interference and illegal contact on receivers.
The excitement of the signing goes beyond that of Breaux, himself. Teammates from his first stint in Tiger Town are eager for him to be back out on the field with them.
“Delvin is one of those players where if you’re on the side with him, you don’t have to worry about anything else,” Simoni Lawrence said following practice on Tuesday. “He’s a superstar player, and when you have superstar players like that it just makes your level of play pick up higher.”
In his two seasons in Hamilton from 2013 to 2014, Breaux tallied 60 total tackles in 25 games, going along with a sack, an interception, three forced fumbles and a touchdown.
His two seasons in New Orleans, the former LSU Tiger had a combined 66 tackles in 22 games, 20 pass knockdowns and three interceptions.
“He took a lot of snaps [in practice]. He runs well still,” said June Jones on Wednesday.
One of the most important questions, however, is whether Ticats fans can be expecting to see him in Friday’s game.
“We’re going to make that decision after we watch the film. But it looks like he can play,” said Jones.
With files from Ticats.ca
