Checking Down: Playmakers on the sidelines in Week 8

TORONTO — A number of starting playmakers will miss Week 8 as Brandon Banks, Darvin Adams and James Wilder Jr. have all been ruled out.

There’s a new QB in town as the Argos traded for Zach Collaros.

Plus, some injured players could be close to returning including C.J. Gable, Dominique Davis and Romar Morris.

The latest news and notes from Week 8 in this week’s Checking Down:

Jump to team:

BC LIONS

Lankford scored two touchdowns on special teams for his Lions in Week 7 (Richard Lam/CFL.ca)

– The Lions acquired American offensive lineman Justin Renfrow and a fifth-round selection in the 2020 CFL Draft from the Calgary Stampeders (CFL.ca).

– Two special teams touchdowns earned Ryan Lankford a Shaw Top Performer nod after Week 7 (CFL.ca).

– The BC Lions are on the bye but will there be a shakeup after the team has started the season 1-6? CFL on TSN’s Glen Suitor thinks there could be (Dave Jamieson, TSN1260).

EDMONTON ESKIMOS

WR Greg Ellingson missed practice on Tuesday (The Canadian Press)

– Edmonton signed National defensive back Bryce Bartlett and American linebacker DJ Calhoun to the team’s practice roster on Tuesday (Esks.com).

– WR Greg Ellingson, LS Ryan King, DB Josh Johnson, LB Jonathon Walton and LB Christophe Mulumba-Tshimanga all missed practice on Tuesday (Dave Campbell, 630CHED).

– Those returning to practice on Tuesday included WR DaVaris Daniels, RB C.J. Gable, LB Don Unamba and DB Anthony Orange. Orange and Unamba still have one game left on six-game injured list (Morely Scott, 630CHED).

CALGARY STAMPEDERS

Carey and Brescacin both missed practice this week (Larry MacDougal/CFL.ca)

– Receiver Juwan Brescacin and running back Ka’Deem Carey were both absent from Stampeders practice on Tuesday (CFL.ca).

– Dave Dickenson confirmed that Brescacin will require surgery and will be placed on the six-game injured list (Danny Austin, Calgary Sun).

– Running back Romar Morris may be close to making a return after being sidelined with a torn Achilles tendon since last year’s Western Final. He returned to practice on Tuesday and was splitting first-team reps with Terry Williams (Daniel Austin, Calgary Sun).

– Despite an injury scare last week against the REDBLACKS, offensive lineman Shane Bergman was back to practice this week and appears to be ‘good to go’ (Daniel Austin, Calgary Sun).

– SAM linebacker Jamar Wall returned to practice after missing last week and should be available against Edmonton (Daniel Austin, Calgary Sun).

– Bo Levi Mitchell says he’s planning on starting to throw a football on Friday and is aiming for a return to action on August 17 (Daniel Austin, Calgary Sun).

SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS

– After an eight-year stint in BC came to an end this past off-season, Emmanuel Arceneaux is taking his talent and knowledge and applying it with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (Jim Morris, CFL.ca).

– After back to back wins over BC, do the Riders deserve the contender label in the highly-competitive West Division? The writers weigh in (CFL.ca).

– With two-straight wins under their belts heading into Week 8, Riders head Coach Craig Dickenson says that the matchup with the Ticats will tell him everything he needs to know about the toughness of his club (CFL.ca).

– The Riders completed a trade with the Toronto Argonauts, acquiring a conditional fourth round draft pick in the 2020 CFL Draft in exchange for quarterback Zach Collaros (CFL.ca).

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS

– The success of Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors has given new meaning to the phrase ‘load management’, but for CFL teams, including the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, it’s hardly a new concept (Chris O’Leary, CFL.ca).

– The Bombers stayed East this week to practice at the University of Guelph as head coach Mike O’Shea returned to the very place he played his collegiate career (CFL.ca).

– Winnipeg lost their Week 7 contest but that didn’t change anything in the Nissan Titan Power Rankings (CFL.ca).

– Defensive end Jonathan Kongbo (one of Winnipeg’s two first-round draft picks this year) will make his CFL debut against the Argos after undergoing off-season knee surgery (Ed Tait, BlueBombers.com).

– Defensive back Anthony Gaitor and receiver Drew Wolitarsky will be good to go against the Argos (Ed Tait, Blue Bombers.com).

– Receiver Darvin Adams and defensive back Brandon Alexander will not play in Toronto on Thursday (BlueBombers.com).

HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

– Hamilton suffered a major blow to their offence after Jeremiah Masoli suffered a season-ending torn ACL last week against the Bombers (CFL.ca).

– Football harshest reality came to life as the Ticats lost their starter and they now have to move forward without him (Chris O’Leary, CFL.ca).

– With Masoli out for the season, backup QB Dane Evans will take over the starting role moving forward (CFL.ca).

– The Ticats added another QB to the mix, signing former Roughrider David Watford on Monday (CFL.ca).

– Ticats receiver Brandon Banks was absent from practice on Monday and Tuesday (Kyle Melo, TSN1150).

– Along with Banks, defensive end Adrian Tracy and offensive lineman Darius Ciraco did not practice Tuesday (Kyle Melo, TSN 1150).

– Banks, Tracy, Ciraco and defensive back Will Likely will not play on Thursday (CFL.ca).

– Already boasting one of the best offences in the CFL, the Tiger-Cats are starting to click at the right time on the defensive side of the ball as well (Don Landry, CFL.ca).

TORONTO ARGONAUTS

– The Argos completed a trade with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, acquiring quarterback Zach Collaros (CFL.ca).

– James Wilder Jr. will miss a second-straight game on Thursday as the Argos host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL.ca).

– Despite using both McLeod Bethel-Thompson and Dakota Prukop last week, Bethel-Thompson is expected to start under centre against Winnipeg this week (CFL.ca).

– Things haven’t gone the Argos’ way so far this season, but as Matthew Cauz writes, there’s still plenty of reason to tune in and watch (Matthew Cauz, CFL.ca).

– The Argos added veteran linebacker Bear Woods to the team’s practice roster on Monday (CFL.ca).

OTTAWA REDBLACKS

QB Dominique Davis may be close to returning this week (Patrick Doyle/CFL.ca)

– His team may not have won their contest against the Stampeders last week but quarterback Jonathon Jennings was on target as one of the most accurate passers in Week 7 (Marshall Ferguson, CFL.ca).

– With the East seemingly up for grabs, the Ottawa REDBLACKS have to find a way to bounce back from a tough Week 7 outing (Chris O’Leary, CFL.ca).

– After missing the last two contests, QB Dominique Davis is ‘very hopeful’ to return this week against the Montreal Alouettes (CFL.ca).

– R.J. Harris was practicing on Tuesday and could be close to returning while Antoine Pruneau isn’t ready to play but ‘will be back sooner rather than later’ (Tim Baines, Ottawa Sun).

– The REDBLACKS added American linebacker Shaheed Salmon to the team’s practice roster on Tuesday (OttawaREDBLACKS.com).

– In other roster news, Ottawa released DL/LB Jonathan Newsome on Sunday (OttawaREDBLACKS.com).

MONTREAL ALOUETTES

The Alouettes released National QB Brandon Bridge (David Chidley/CFL.ca)

– The Alouettes have released Canadian QB Brandon Bridge, the team announced on Wednesday (CFL.ca).

– Montreal also announced that pivot Antonio Pipkin has been activated, adding him to the active roster on Wednesday (CFL.ca).

– Starting right tackle Tyler Johnstone (knee) has been placed on the six-game injured list. Spencer Wilson will slot in as his replacement (Didier Ormejuste, RDS).

– After missing last week, receiver B.J. Cunningham was back at practice on Monday wearing a knee brace (Didier Ormejuste, RDS).