Dave Dickenson no longer has the Casey
Printers rivalry to worry about, but health questions linger.
(CP File Photo)
2005 RECORD: 12-6, first in
the West. Lost to Edmonton Eskimos 28-23 in the West final.
ARRIVALS: DB Korey Banks, FB Alexis Bwenge, K Paul
McCallum, FB Mark Nohra, LB Jason Pottinger, RB Joe Smith and G
Dean Valli
DEPARTURES: S Jason Crumb, OL Moe Elewonibi, OL
Cory Mantyka, K Duncan O'Mahony, QB Casey Printers and LB Barrin
Simpson
OFFENCE: The quarterback controversy is now history,
but a question mark still hovers over the B.C. attack heading into
the 2006 campaign: can Dave Dickenson stay healthy for an entire
season?
The veteran quarterback is the irrefutable No. 1 pivot this year after Casey Printers, the CFL's 2004 outstanding player, bolted to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs.
Dickenson, 33, was effective in guiding the Lions to first place in the West, passing for 3,339 yards and 21 touchdowns against only five interceptions.
Dickenson, however, battled injury for a third straight season, so his ability to stay in the lineup will be vital.
Unproven youngsters Buck Pierce and Jarious Jackson are next on the depth chart. Pierce was solid in a spot start last year when both Dickenson and Printers were hurt.
Slotback Geroy Simon anchors one of the league's top receiving corps, which also boasts Ryan Thelwell, Jason Clermont and Paris Jackson. Each member of that trio racked up more than 1,000 yards last season.
Star running back Antonio Warren rushed for 983 yards and hauled in 68 catches for 718 yards last year. His 16 touchdowns were second only Milt Stegall of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The Lions hope to shore up the offensive line, which allowed a league-high 74 sacks.
DEFENCE: The Lions were among the best in the CFL
at pressuring opposing quarterbacks last season, with end Brent
Johnson leading the way with a league-high 17 sacks.
This year, B.C. will be without one of the league's top tacklers in Barrin Simpson. The veteran linebacker left the club via free agency to sign with the Blue Bombers.
Javier Glatt and Jamal Johnson are in a battle to take over the vacancy left by Simpson's departure.
The Ottawa Renegades' demise bolstered the B.C. defence with the acquisition of defensive back Korey Banks via the dispersal draft. Banks led the CFL with 10 interceptions in 2005, including two that he ran back for touchdowns.
SPECIAL TEAMS: The Lions hope to bring stability
to their kicking game with the signing of free-agent veteran Paul
McCallum and the departure of oft-criticized Duncan O'Mahony.
McCallum, who spent the past 11 seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, returns to the club with which he played his first two CFL campaigns. The Vancouver native has scored more than 100 points in each of the past nine seasons as the primary man in Regina.
The 36-year-old Vancouver native was 31-for-42 (73.8 per cent) on field goal attempts last season and his season-best was a 53-yarder.
McCallum's arrival puts an end to O'Mahony's shaky two-year tenure with the Lions. O'Mahony became a fan target for his inconsistent play and inability to convert from long range.
COACHING: The Lions have one of the most experienced
and decorated head coaches in CFL history in Wally Buono.
Buono has won multiple coach of the year honours, Grey Cup titles, and sits second only to Montreal Alouettes coach Don Matthews on the CFL all-time wins list.
Veteran Dave Ritchie, who guided B.C. to a Grey Cup title as head coach in 1994, returns for his second season as defensive co-ordinator, while Jacques Chapdelaine is back for a second season to run the offence.
GAME BREAKER: ANTONIO WARREN
B.C.'s talented receiving corps earns a lot of the ink, but Warren is one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the CFL. The star running back came just 17 yards short of the 1,000-yard rushing plateau last year and also is a solid pass-catcher.
EXPERT OPINION: "I think you're going to see Dave
Dickenson be a little more settled and secure now that Casey Printers
is gone," said CFL on CBC analyst Sean Millington.
"I am also confident that neither backup, Jarious Jackson or Buck Pierce, is going to step up to Dave's level if he goes down with an injury, so they'll need him to win the West Division.
"In pre-season, the offensive line [that allowed a league-high 74 quarterback sacks in 2005] was pretty solid but no one was throwing anything interesting at them [to test their mettle]. They'll look to centre Angus Reid, who will be responsible for making reads on the defence.
"I think they have a pretty good shot to win the West. They came out 11-0 last year and no one is expecting that. But there's no good reason why they can't be as strong or stronger this year."
