It’s always wild out West in the Canadian Football League. Though the talent disparity between it and the East was overblown in the early weeks of the 2014 season, there are certainly no easy wins within the five-team division.
Major changes took place throughout the off-season, so let’s get you up to speed on which faces are in new places and who could make noise in 2015.
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
2014 season: 7-11 regular-season record; failed to make the playoffs
Off-season recap: The Bombers focused on fortifying the offensive line—a unit that gave up a league-high 71 sacks in 2014—in front of young franchise quarterback Drew Willy. Winnipeg signed two-time CFL All-Star left tackle Stanley Bryant away from Calgary, inked veteran Canadian centre Dominic Picard and selected Sukh Chungh, who is as tough as they come, No. 2 overall in the CFL Draft.
Meanwhile, Richie Hall begins his first season as Bombers defensive coordinator, a role left vacant after Gary Etcheverry was fired. Hall has been given the task of improving a defence that allowed 26.7 points per game last season, most in the CFL.
Winnipeg will have to find a new anchor on defence after losing middle linebacker Ian Wild to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Canadian Sam Hurl could be that man. That said, the Bombers were also able to land potential ratio-breaking nationals in defensive end Jamaal Westerman and versatile linebacker/defensive back Garrett Waggoner.
2015 outlook: Winnipeg plays host to the 103rd Grey Cup in November and the Bombers appear to be going all out to play for a championship in front of their hometown fans. Anything less than 10 wins would be a disappointment in the ’Peg, and that will likely be the minimum amount required to qualify for the playoffs in the rough-and-tumble West.
BC LIONS
2014 season: 9-9 regular-season record; lost 50–17 to Montreal in Eastern Semi-Final
Off-season recap: A new head coach was the focus out on the Left Coast as GM Wally Buono lured Jeff Tedford back north of the border. Tedford is best known as the former head coach of the California Golden Bears and spent last year with the Tampa Bay Bucs. But he served six seasons as a quarterback in the CFL before earning his first full-time coaching job with the Stampeders in 1989, so he knows all about the three-down game.
In BC, Tedford’s acute attention to detail and up-tempo practices have stood out during training camp. He wants the Lions to play with intense focus and at a fast pace, and the veterans seem to be buying into the new approach.
Soon after Tedford landed in BC, he was able to help get Canadian-born receiver Austin Collie to sign with the Lions. (Tedford played in the CFL with Collie’s dad, Scott.) If Collie can stay healthy—he’s had a well-documented history of concussions in the NFL—it would provide a big-time non-import talent infusion that the Lions sorely need.
2015 outlook: Travis Lulay and his right shoulder will likely tell the tale of BC’s season. The 2011 Grey Cup MVP has sustained multiple injuries to it and he must stay healthy for the Lions to have a chance at playing post-season football.
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRDERS
2014 season: 10-8 regular-season record; lost 18–10 to Edmonton in Western Semi-Final
Off-season recap: Saskatchewan dealt defensive end Ricky Foley, the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian in 2009, to Toronto for linebacker Shea Emry in a big trade involving Canadians. Emry, who has been injury prone, will be expected to man the middle for the Riders’ defence.
Saskatchewan lost standout Canadian offensive lineman, Ben Heenan, to the Indianapolis Colts. Heenan started at right tackle throughout 2014 for the Riders, a spot not often played by a national, so the Riders must now find a new Canadian starter somewhere in the line-up.
Perhaps that comes on offence with Jerome Messam—2011 CFL Most Outstanding Canadian—carrying the load at running back, or maybe the team employs a Canuck cover man. Expect 2015 first-round pick, offensive weapon Nic Demski, to be used in a variety of ways as well.
The signing of pass rusher Alex Hall went somewhat under the radar, but he terrorizes quarterbacks. Hall had 15 sacks in 2013 before trying out down south in 2014.
Veteran pivot Kevin Glenn was signed to back up Darian Durant, addressing a huge team need exposed in 2014. Durant is coming off surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right (throwing) elbow, and when he missed time with the injury last season Saskatchewan struggled immensely in the passing game. Glenn will ensure the offence will keep ridin’ if Durant misses time.
2015 outlook: Head coach Corey Chamblin also has two new coordinators in place—Jacques Chapdelaine on offence and Greg Quick on defence. For that reason expect a rough start for the Riders.
EDMONTON ESKIMOS
2014 season: 12-6 regular-season record; lost 43–18 to Calgary in Western Final
Off-season recap: It was a shock to see the Esks deal away receiver Fred Stamps—who had amassed 496 receptions, 7,932 yards and 49 touchdowns in eight CFL seasons all with Edmonton—to the Alouettes. Though it did seem Stamps had fallen out of favour and wasn’t being featured as much in the offence in 2014 with the emergence of Adarius Bowman. He caught just 33 balls for 545 yards and two touchdowns after a string of five-straight 1,000-yard seasons.
Edmonton also lost starting Canadian offensive lineman Matt O’Donnell to the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals, so general manager Ed Hervey went out and signed national free agents Greg Wojt and Alexander Krausnick to keep the offensive front strong in front of franchise quarterback Mike Reilly. And Hervey took a pair of hogs with the team’s top two picks in the 2015 CFL Draft, Danny Groulx and David Beard, ensuring solid depth along the line.
Emerging running back John White—No. 30 rushed for 852 yards in 11 games in 2014—ruptured his left Achilles early in training camp. Chad Simpson, who has two years of CFL experience including a 1,000-yard season back in 2012 with Winnipeg, was signed to help handle the rushing load along with versatile Kendial Lawrence and rookie Shakir Bell.
2015 outlook: A large portion of the Eskimos team that went 12-6 last season is back, but for Edmonton to improve upon their finish from a year ago they must beat their Alberta rival, Calgary. The green and gold went 0-4 against the Stampeders in 2014, the last loss coming by a large 43–18 margin in the Western Final.
CALGARY STAMPEDERS
2014 season: CFL-best 15-3 regular-season record; won 102nd Grey Cup Championship game 20–16 over Hamilton
Off-season recap: The Stamps saw a fair amount of talent depart after their title run. Offensive linemen Stanley Bryant (Bombers) and Brett Jones (Giants), receiver Brad Sinopoli (Redblacks) and defensive end Shawn Lemon (Steelers) all signed elsewhere, and pass catcher Maurice Price was traded to Ottawa for linebacker Jasper Simmons.
Calgary’s front office already had pieces in place to fill many of those holes. Pierre Lavertu and Edwin Harrison should step into starting roles on the offensive front; late-season sensation Eric Rogers, Jeff Fuller and Anthony Parker will see more targets at receiver; and Freddie Bishop is the favourite to earn the first chance to start in Lemon’s old spot. Meanwhile, Calgary signed dynamic return man and running back Tim Brown after he was released by BC. Brown averaged more yards per kick and punt return than even Brandon Banks in 2014.
Running back and 2013 CFL MOP Jon Cornish comes into the 2015 season fully healthy and seemingly more confident than ever, believing 2,000 yards rushing—accomplished once ever in CFL history by Alouettes great Mike Pringle—is ‘doable.’ If Cornish plays all 18 regular-season games it’s certainly possible, that’s how dominant he and the Stamps’ offensive line can be.
2015 outlook: Calgary looks to win back-to-back Grey Cups for the first time in team history. With Bo Levi Mitchell ascending to elite quarterback status, young playmakers surrounding him, a fresh Cornish and a stout defence, the Stampeders are the favourites to hoist the big silver trophy.