B.C.'s Brent Johnson led the league in sacks, again, and was the leader of the Lions' defensive unit through 2006. Good enough to earn the defensive lineman all-star spot on our 2006 roster. (CP photo)

QUARTERBACK

Dave Dickenson – B.C. Lions
It wasn't a banner season for many quarterbacks, but the oft-injured Dickenson shone when he was available. Hampered by an ankle injury and post-concussion syndrome for part of the season, Dickenson completed 70.4 per cent of his pass attempts. Only teammate Buck Pierce (73.7) was more efficient. Dickenson also threw 22 touchdown passes, one shy of league leader Henry Burris, despite appearing in just 13 of 18 games. On July 14, he became the 27th passer in league history to surpass the 20,000-yard mark with a 339-yard, two-touchdown performance against Saskatchewan.

Honourable mentions
Anthony Calvillo – Montreal Alouettes; Ricky Ray – Edmonton Eskimos

RUNNING BACK

Charles Roberts – Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The six-year veteran rushed for 49 yards in the regular-season finale against B.C. to best Calgary's Joffrey Reynolds by 68 yards to win his third CFL rushing crown in the past four years. Roberts ran for 1,609 yards - 16 shy of his career best – in 18 games and was tops in combined yards (2,020) and yards from scrimmage. The 27-year-old also excelled as a receiver, catching 42 passes for 411 yards, and is the East Division nominee for most outstanding player honours.

Honourable mentions
Robert Edwards – Montreal Alouettes; Joffrey Reynolds – Calgary Stampeders

RECEIVERS

Geroy Simon – B.C. Lions
Simon led all CFL receivers with 105 receptions for a club-record 1,856 yards and 15 touchdowns, while eluding double and triple coverage most of the time. The reliable slotback fell 180 yards short of Allen Pitts's single-season record of 2,036 receiving yards and is the favourite to be named the CFL’s most outstanding player. The reliable Simon earned his third West Division all-star selection with 11 games of at least 100 yards receiving and moved into second spot behind Jim Young on the Lions' all-time list for reception yardage (7,551).

Arland Bruce – Toronto Argonauts
It could be argued the 5-foot-11, 197-pounder was the most valuable player of an underachieving Argonauts offence this season. Bruce, 28, proved consistent and healthy, finishing second in CFL receiving to B.C.’s Geroy Simon with 77 catches for 1,370 yards while scoring 11 touchdowns in 18 games. The East all-star averaged 17.8 yards per catch to place Bruce second in the league to Calgary's Jeremaine Copeland (18.1). Bruce also stood out on special teams in his third season with the Argos, returning six kickoffs for 154 yards and five punts for 64 yards.

Honourable mentions
Milt Stegall – Winnipeg Blue Bombers; Jason Tucker – Edmonton Eskimos

OFFENSIVE LINEMAN

Ibrahim "Obby" Khan – Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The six-foot-three, 304-pound centre quickly became the anchor of the offensive line after he was taken second overall at the Ottawa Renegades dispersal draft in April. An Ottawa native, Khan was the only member of the Bombers offensive line to start all 18 games this season and received his first nomination as the CFL's top offensive lineman. He and the rest of the Bombers O-line helped pave the way for running back Charles Roberts to lead the CFL in rushing by allowing the second fewest quarterback sacks in the league (35).

Honourable mentions
Scott Flory – Montreal Alouettes; Jay McNeil – Calgary Stampeders

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN

Brent Johnson – B.C. Lions
The bruising defensive end enjoyed another stellar season, leading the league in quarterback sacks (16) for a second consecutive year. Johnson also dominated the Lions defensive unit with 19 defensive tackles, three fumble recoveries and chalked-up two receiving touchdowns. The 2005 CFL Outstanding Canadian is up for the same award this year and is the West nominee for defensive player of the year. Johnson twice was named the CFL lineman of the week and secured a spot on the West all-star squad for the third year in a row.

Honourable mention
Robert Brown – Edmonton Eskimos; Fred Perry – Saskatchewan Roughriders

LINEBACKERS

Barrin Simpson – Winnipeg Blue Bombers
One of the most coveted free agents last winter, Simpson delivered in his first season as a Blue Bomber. His 110 tackles were the most since his rookie year in 2001 (115) and 27 better than the next guy, Saskatchewan's Reggie Hunt. Simpson, 29, also posted three quarterback sacks, eight special teams tackles and two pass knockdowns for a Winnipeg defence that finished third in yards allowed (306 per game) after averaging a league-record 458 yards against in 2005. He is the West nominee for defensive player of the year.

Javier Glatt –B.C. Lions
Glatt, 25, stepped in for the departed Barrin Simpson and solidified his spot in the Lions' new-look linebacking corps. In his third CFL season, the six-foot-one, 225-pounder finished with 82 defensive tackles, nine special team tackles, six sacks and four interceptions. In a July 29 contest in Toronto, Glatt displayed his speed and range by intercepting Argos quarterback Damon Allen twice while adding a quarterback sack and a pass knockdown.

Honourable mentions
Kevin Eiben – Toronto Argonauts; Reggie Hunt – Saskatchewan Roughriders

SECONDARY

Byron Parker – Toronto Argonauts
Was there a more opportunistic cornerback in the league this season? The acrobatic Parker needed just 10 games to set a CFL record with 348 interception return yards. He finished his second year in Toronto with eight pickoffs, returning four for touchdowns, one short of the league's single-season mark. His 75-yard interception return for a major on Oct. 14 assured the Edmonton Eskimos of missing the playoffs for the first time in 35 years. Parker was Toronto's third leading scorer and earned his first East all-star nomination.

Honourable mentions
Korey Banks – B.C. Lions; Barron Miles – B.C. Lions

* SPECIAL TEAMS

KICK RETURNER

Albert Johnson III – Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Johnson, 28, returned to the CFL following a five-year absence and gained a league-leading 810 yards on 85 punt returns. His closest competitor was Saskatchewan’s Dominique Dorsey, who finished with 591 yards. The speedy Johnson also caught six passes for 51 yards and finished 43 yards shy of teammate Charles Roberts with 1,977 combined yards.

Honourable mention
Dorsey – Saskatchewan Roughriders; J.R. Ruffin – Calgary Stampeders

KICKER/PUNTER

Damon Duval – Montreal Alouettes
The second-year Alouette gets the nod since he performs both roles, while Calgary standout Sandro DeAngelis gives way to Burke Dales in punting situations. It could be argued the most consistent part of Montreal's game this season was the performance Duval, who improved his field-goal success rate to a league-leading 86.4 per cent from 73 per cent in 2005. The Los Angeles native also finished second in kicking points (201) punting average (45.4 yards) and kickoff average (61.1 yards).

Honourable mentions
Luca Congi – Saskatchewan Roughriders; DeAngelis – Calgary Stampeders