Calgary Stampeders quarterback Henry Burris rolls out to throw a pass during a pre-season game against Saskatchewan Roughriders on June 23. Burris, who just signed a four-year contract extension with the CFL club, is the key cog in the Stamps offence. (Troy Fleece/Canadian Press) Calgary Stampeders
2008 record: 13-5 (Won Grey Cup)
Searching for some way to explain the defending Grey Cup champions as they come into the new season, we fall upon Brett Ralph.
The five-foot-10 receiver, who reminds this old guy of Hall of Famer Brian Kelly, caught 49 balls last year for 683 yards — an average of 13.9 a grab. He also contributed five touchdowns in a solid season.
But Ralph is only the fourth best receiver by the numbers on Calgary's roster, behind Ken-Yon Rambo (1,473 — tops in the CFL), Nik Lewis (1,109) and Jeremaine Copeland (784).
Ralph's quarterback is Henry Burris, who had career highs in four key passing stats last year on the way to earning most outstanding player honours in Calgary's Grey Cup win over the Montreal Alouettes.
Calgary has the best running back in Joffrey Reynolds (1,310 yards) and he's scampering behind a solid offensive line whose four backups, for gosh sakes, total 16 years of experience. Injuries, such as those nagging the starters at the moment, shouldn't be a problem.
Kicker Sandro DeAngelis contributed 217 points and missed just eight of 119 field goals and extra points.
On defence, the big news last week was the release of starting linebacker JoJuan Armour for on-field discipline problems. That opened up the middle spot for Lemarcus Rowell, a second-year import who will have to stand for now as Calgary's "weakness" coming into the new season.
This was the best defence in Canada last year, however, so one suspects they'll make do.
Along the defensive line are experienced Canadians Mike Labinjo and Miguel Robeda, along with Juwan Simpson and rookie Justin Brown, who comes in from arena football and replaces NFL-bound Charleston Hughes.
Calgary has one of those classic bendable pass defences that was middle of the pack statistically but allowed the fewest touchdowns through the air and on the ground, and the fewest points. Four of last year's defensive backs are gone, so there will some pressure here to perform.
Perhaps a Grey Cup letdown? Don't count on it. If this group looks like it's dining out on past laurels, head coach John Hufnagel will simply growl and slap them.
Outlook: Week by week, fans in other cities will be crossing their fingers and hoping for lots of Calgary injuries. With this depth, there will have to be a lot to make a dent.
Edmonton Eskimos
2008 record: 10-8 (Lost Eastern final)
It became painfully obvious last year this club could not make the big jump back to the big dance without a big-time running game.
So in the off-season, general manager Danny Maciocia signed a big-time runner who spends more time in pain than anyone else in the league — Jesse Lumsden.
Seeing that name on the back of an Eskimos uniform again is kind of cool, considering Jesse's dad, Neil, was an icon in northern Alberta. But how many games is the easily breakable son going to hang in there before the injury bug bites again?
In Lumsden's career, he's had a strained hip, a hip flexor injury, a separated clavicle, a bad ankle sprain, a banged-up knee and two shoulder problems.
Still, a little optimism here for a club that ranked last in most rushing categories in 2008, because the Eskimos looked good on the ground in the pre-season. Plus they have this guy named Ricky Ray at quarterback who can pull yardage out of his hat.
It was the veteran slinger's ability, combined with good pass catchers in Kamau Peterson (1,317 yards, third in the CFL), Kelly Campbell (fifth overall) and Fred Stamps that allowed the Eskimos to have one of the league's best passing attacks last season.
With Campbell off to the NFL, Maurice Mann will be expected to step up.
Rookie head coach Richie Hall, coming over from eight years as Saskatchewan's defensive coordinator, took one look at his new defence (third worst in the CFL last season) and immediately ordered changes. Eight guys are out.
The list of newcomers is headed by defensive end Kitwana Jones and middle linebacker Maurice Lloyd, both Hall stalwarts in Regina.
It's going to take a while for the defence to learn how to play together, but when it does — not if 'cause we love Hall at this column — the Eskimos could make some noise.
Outlook: If Lumsden can combine with Calvin McCarty and fullback Mathieu Bertrand to give the Green and Gold a real running attack, this club finishes second.
British Columbia Lions
2008 record: 11-7 (Lost Western Final)
Wally Buono is an honest man.
Asked how he saw his team heading for this season, the almost-20-year veteran coach and administrator said, "We're no longer on top of the mountain."
He's right. Calgary is. And with all the changes to the Lions coming into this season, it could be a while before they climb back up.
Let's see: All-everything defensive end Cameron Wake is off to the NFL; top offensive lineman Rob Murphy signed with Toronto; and slotback Jason Clermont was released and resurfaced in Regina.
Linebacker Otis Floyd is in Hamilton and Jamall Johnson signed in the NFL, but he was released this week (has his agent called yet?), and special teams whiz Jason Pottinger was traded to Toronto.
Paraphrasing a line from Apollo 13, "What do we have on the team that's good?"
Quarterbacks Buck Pierce and Jarious Jackson are good. Veteran receivers Geroy Simon (1,418 yards, second in the CFL) and Paris Jackson (1,180 yards) are really, really good. Running back Ian (Stone Hands) Smart was second in combined yards last year and is terrific when he doesn't drop the ball.
Still, that group was very inconsistent in 2008 and it actually punted only slightly less than the Toronto Argonauts, whose offence was the worst in the league.
On the other side, the defensive backfield is excellent, led by safety Barron Miles, Korey Banks and non-import Tad Crawford. And a defensive line that will look something like Brent Johnson, Aaron Hunt, Jeremy Gibbs and Rick Foley, with Nautyn McKay-Loescher in there too, should be fine.
That linebacking corps needs to be rebuilt, however, and the whole team has to play with more urgency. Not starting 4-4 like last year would be nice.
Outlook: Wally might be right about the mountain, but watch for the Lions to be lurking around one of the ledges at the end.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
2008 record: 12-6 (Lost Western semifinal)
Here's something to look for in the early season. Young quarterback Darian Durant fades back, spots receiver Andy Fantuz downfield and overthrows him by a mile.
On the sidelines, head coach Ken Miller tells Steven Jyles to start warming up. At that point, everyone should run for their cars because the nightmare might be starting again.
Last year, the then-defending Grey Cup champs set some kind of modern record by trading Kerry Joseph to Toronto and then blowing through Marcus Crandell, Michael Bishop, Durant, Jyles and then Bishop again on the way to a 6-0 start, a 6-6 finish and a rotten early exit from the playoffs.
This time around Miller says he'll stick with Durant and let him learn. We'll see how long that lasts.
Durant has superb inside receivers to throw to in Jason Clermont (came home from B.C.), Weston Dressler (1,128 yards) and Fantuz. Outside speed is a bit of a mystery because Matt Dominguez and DJ Flick are no longer here.
The QB also has to start the season without superb running back Wes Cates (shoulder) behind him, but he may be back sooner than later. And the offensive line is missing two keys in the injured Wayne Smith, out until Week 10, and Gene Makowsky.
Defensively, there's a problem for a club that was best on the total yards list last year.
With Hall now coaching the Eskimos and taking a trio of starters with him, the Riders have lost two of three linebackers and two of five defensive backs, leaving new defensive co-ordinator Gary Etcheverry with a lot of work to do.
Scott Schultz will be great up on the line and he'll have Luc Mullinder, John Chick and Marcus Adams in some combination there with him. That will help.
Outlook: This club could finish anywhere from right behind the Stampeders to last and out of the playoffs. May start slow and make a strong run at the end, if the roster stays healthy.
