Who will win the Grey Cup? Which CFL stars will shine brightest this season? Look no further.
With the Canadian Football League season kicking off Thursday, here is the Fearless Forecast on everything from the winner of the Grey Cup, the East and West Division winners and to the winners for the various awards handed out at the end of the season.
Grey Cup Winner: B.C.
It all begins with the quarterback and Travis Lulay is into his third year and knows the team, the league and what it takes to win. He is capable of potentially throwing for more than 4,700 yards and running for at least 500 or more - as long as he slides and takes care of his body.
Frankly, he takes far too many chances. Jarious Jackson is finally healthy and is a serviceable backup. One of the keys to the Lions' success will be the offensive line, which has been a huge concern since allowing Rob Murphy to leave via free agency three seasons ago. Signing free agent Ben Archibald was a huge move by the Lions. They knew they had to upgrade the offensive line and he'll be invaluable at left tackle and allow second-year tackle Jovan Olafioye to move to right tackle.
Look for the Lions to ground and pound a lot more with running back Jamal Robertson. Too often they abandoned this last year. The team will miss receiver Manny Arceneaux, but in the short term I think they'll overcome it by relying more on veteran Geroy Simon and a decent supporting cast that includes highly-touted rookie Dobson Collins. They have some interesting young Canadian receivers in Shawn Gore and Marco Iannuzzi. Paris Jackson is the X factor. If he ever finds his old form following numerous injuries, it will elevate the entire Lions' offence. Defensively, the Lions have the best, young middle linebacker in the league in Solomon Elimimian. The defence will feature variations of a 3-4, 4-3 front, and when tackle Aaron Hunt is on his game, he's among the best at his position. If kicker Paul McCallum has another year like the last, it's added value for field position and points. The Lions will miss the versatility of all-purpose player Yonus Davis, but newcomer Tim Brown may prove to be a quality replacement.
East Division winner: Montreal
The Als will miss several key offensive weapons, notably Ben Cahoon, who retired, and receiver Kerry Watkins, whose status is uncertain to start the season because of a sinus operation. Additionally, Cahoon's likely replacement still has yet to be clearly identified. A new running back will also take time to be fully established, although Brandon Whitaker has been with the team and knows the offence. Hamilton and Toronto did well last year, but how much will they improve? Quarterbacking is still a question mark for Toronto. For Hamilton, it's Canadian content. They gave up a lot and are still trying to find replacements, notably in the interior. I think 11-7 is the magic number for first. Winnipeg should do better, but it's hard to gauge their record because of the uncertainty of Buck Pierce's health.
West Division: B.C.
I've already discussed my thoughts on B.C. Calgary is considered the wise-guy selection, but the Stamps are starting the season minus some key players from last year, a total of six by my count, and that includes guard Dimitri Tsoumpas, who is sidelined with a wonky hammy. When healthy, he is among the best offensive linemen in the league. The biggest loss will be defensive back Brandon Browner, who was assigned to shut down the opposition's key receiver. Saskatchewan will miss some key players on offence, notably receivers Andy Fantuz and Rob Bagg, which has already forced the team to realign its ratio of Canadian starting receivers. The retirement of centre Jeremy O'Day is significant. Edmonton should improve after finishing strongly last year, but they've overhauled a significant part of the roster. The key question is whether quarterback Ricky Ray will be the Ricky Ray of old or just an older Ricky Ray? He's had more new offences thrown at him than any other elite quarterback in the league and this year is no different. He'll need protection from the offensive line, which has been rebuilt again.
Most valuable player: Cory Boyd, Toronto
If healthy, he has the potential to the league in rushing. There is no player harder to stop one-on-one than Boyd. Hamilton's Kevin Glenn was a finalist in 2007 and had a great year last year with a personal-best 33 touchdown passes. With highly-touted free-agent signing Avon Cobourne in the backfield, this may lessen some of Glenn's passing stats. In the West, I think it will be Lulay, followed by Henry Burris. I also wouldn't be surprised if receiver Ken-Yon Rambo factors in the final voting. He may be headed for his best season.
Top offensive lineman: Rob Murphy, Toronto
He bombed in his first year with the Argos, but had a solid season last year keeping his temper - and his penalties - under control. If Murphy is on his game, it will help open up holes for Boyd. In the West, the finalist will be Ben Archibald of B.C. He won the award last year with Calgary. No reason to feel he won't be as effective with the Lions. Tsoumpas merits strong consideration, too.
Top rookie: To be eligible for this award, a player cannot have any prior time spent on a pro roster. The pick is Hamilton receiver Aaron Kelly. He's 6-foot-5, 195 pounds and is slated to play wideout on the short side. He's reminiscent of Prechae Rodriguez with his size and reach. The other choice in the East is Winnipeg receiver Kito Poblah, who cost the Bombers a first-round pick next year. In the West, Calgary's Anthony Parker gets the nod. He should fit into the Stamps' high-powered passing game. Other possibilities are Edmonton receiver Nathan Coehoorn and defensive tackle Ted Laurent.
Most outstanding player: B.C.'s Solomon Elimimian, voted last year's top rookie, is the undisputed choice in this category. He's like a Willie Pless or Barrin Simpson type of player with unlimited upside. He had 77 tackles last year and five sacks, but could easily hit the century mark in tackles. In the East, the pick is Hamilton middle linebacker Rey Williams. He was just coming into his own with Saskatchewan, and now has gotten the NFL out of his system after a failed attempt last year. Hamilton did well to sign him to replace Otis Floyd. The Cats have the reigning defensive player of the year in linebacker Markeith Knowlton, who is versatile in many ways.
Most outstanding Canadian: Hamilton's Dave Stala. He's into his third year with Ticats and became the go-to guy on second-down situations last year. He has become like former Als' teammate Ben Cahoon with his ability to make the tough catches. He had a career high with 85 catches and should match or better that this year and total at least 1,100 receiving yards. In the West, Calgary's Jon Cornish gets the pick. He could be an every-down player with any other team. Cornish totaled 618 rushing yards last year and an average of 7.3 per carry. If I thought Edmonton's Calvin McCarty would play every game and stay healthy, he'd be the guy. He can run and catch the ball, but injuries have limited McCarty's potential to this point. Additionally, American tailbacks Daniel Porter and Arkee Whitlock (when he's healthy) are potential starters. It all depends on the ratio. Calgary's Rob Maver also deserves strong consideration.
Most outstanding special teams player: Hamilton's Marcus Thigpen: He's already shown in pre-season that he's in mid-season form. As long as the Ticats keep him fresh and don't try to tire him out on offence, he's got some special talents. Out West, it's Maver.
Coach of the year: Wally Buono. He did some interesting things in training camp by limiting the physicality of his players. It just proves that even veteran coaches are still learning. He didn't become the top-winning coach of the all time without paying attention to details. He made a mistake with his quarterbacking last year, but has learned from it.
