Lions mini-camp April 28-29

[B.C.FAN]

The Lions have taken a different approach this year with their mini-camp, scheduled for April 28 and 29 at their Surrey practice facility.

“Usually this camp has featured veteran players with select rookies,” says director of player personnel Neil McEvoy. “This year it’s the opposite; rookies featured along with select veterans.”

Players from last year’s roster that will attend include quarterback Greg McGhee as well as T-Dre Player, Hunter Steward and Jas Dhillon.

McGhee will be joined by fellow pivot and former Washington Huskies standout Keith Price, whom the Lions agreed to terms with in March.

“The goal with these QBs is to just give them the right start that they need and get them all the tools so they can run the offence,” says offensive coordinator Khari Jones. “The more these guys are able to hear what you’re trying to do with the offence the more they can absorb things first hand and not just be at home but be around the other coaches and at the facility. It’s a real bonus.”

Jones is also excited to evaluate the crop of first-year receivers the club was able to recruit throughout the off-season. Those include Kendrick Ings, Uzoma Nwachuku, and Colin Lockett, all of whom have NFL experience.

“You hear a lot about guys and their accolades and what they’ve done in the past, but nothing takes the place of your own eyes and seeing first hand how big they are, how truly fast they are and how they catch the ball. All of those things come into effect,” the former quarterback says.

The format of mini-camp differs slightly from main camp itself and regular practices. The players will perform some on-field drills without pads or contact. A large portion of the event also includes film study and classroom sessions. The idea is to have every player involved get a feel for being around the club before reporting to training camp at the end of May. The expectation is for every guy attending to also move on to Kamloops.

Altogether, less than two dozen players are invited to the mini-camp. The full list can be found here.

[Qman]

based on wally has said in the past, he thinks mini-camps are a waste of time.

looks like Calgary and Saskatchewan basically view mini-camps (both in florida) to make their first cuts and take the best to TC

[Hambone]

based on wally has said in the past, he thinks mini-camps are a waste of time.

looks like Calgary and Saskatchewan basically view mini-camps (both in florida) to make their first cuts and take the best to TC

Saskatchewan's camp seems to be more tryout camp than mini-training camp. When the UFL folded they made an open offer to any of the UFL players to show up the day before the mini-camp to tryout for the an invite to return the next day.

Some numbers:
Rider roster when mini-camp was held - 82 (don't know how many of the 82 are non-counters but technically they have up to 7 names over the off-season limit)
Mini-camp roster - 108 players
Number of players on the mini-camp roster who were under contract per their Riderville roster - 35 ( 32.4%)
Number of players on the mini-camp roster who were not under contract per their Riderville roster - 73 (67.6%)
NATs attending the mini-camp - 18 (16.67%) including 3 kickers. 12 of the 18 are not under contract.
INTs attending the mini-camp - 90; (83.33%) 29 under contract, 61 competing to push a player under contract off the roster
QBs attending the mini-camp - 10 (including the 3 under contract; Darian Durant, Brett Smith and BJ Coleman. Dan Lefevour was also in attendance)

A few former Lions showed up on the Rider mini-camp roster:
DL Caesar Rayford - also under contract
P Steve Shott
TE A.C. Leonard - Riders were working him out as a DL

I guess in a way they could be using the camp to make first cuts but then again nearly 70% of the attendees aren't even on the team to begin with. To top it all off as of Friday they still had 6 more tryout camps to run.

[SammyGreene]

Significantly different a year ago when Tedford invited basically everyone to work with the new coaching staff. Looks like Wally wants an early look at the battle for #3 QB between McGhee and Price. Steward getting through a 2 day camp without getting hurt would actually be an achievement.
Wonder what the club envisions for T-Dre Player long term having twice come out of training camp as a starter only to be demoted during the season. He is still only 24.

[Hambone]

Significantly different a year ago when Tedford invited basically everyone to work with the new coaching staff. Looks like Wally wants an early look at the battle for #3 QB between McGhee and Price. Steward getting through a 2 day camp without getting hurt would actually be an achievement.
Wonder what the club envisions for T-Dre Player long term having twice come out of training camp as a starter only to be demoted during the season. He is still only 24.

I don't think there's a one size fits all approach to mini-camps. I think it depends on where the team is in terms of coaching staffs, player turnover etc. In the one or two years prior to Tedford the Lions ran it as an offensive camp or throwing camp. Last year it made sense to have more players involved given a new HC, OC, OLC and other changes. This year there's a certain amount of same old, same old with the coaching staff as well as key pieces of the offence in Jennings, Lulay and the receivers. In that regard perhaps it makes more sense to have a selected smaller group of young guys as we see this year.

If you add the Riders mini-camp roster to the number of players under contract but not attending you get 155 to assess to find out which 80+ won't be at training camp. Given how restrictive the OTAs are in terms of length of sessions and the fact they are non-contact helmets and sweats only I'm not sure how much value a team can get out of bringing 108 in. Most of the activities are drills. With that many players once you get to reps for things like one on one drills they get spread out pretty thin.

Of course Rider fans were eating up any reports of how well a prospect hopeful looked working against the blocking sled. Caesar Rayford was looking pretty darned good putting a swim move on one of the tackling dummies. He may have locked up a starting spot.

[DanoT]

Significantly different a year ago when Tedford invited basically everyone to work with the new coaching staff. Looks like Wally wants an early look at the battle for #3 QB between McGhee and Price. Steward getting through a 2 day camp without getting hurt would actually be an achievement.
Wonder what the club envisions for T-Dre Player long term having twice come out of training camp as a starter only to be demoted during the season. He is still only 24.

I don't think there's a one size fits all approach to mini-camps. I think it depends on where the team is in terms of coaching staffs, player turnover etc. In the one or two years prior to Tedford the Lions ran it as an offensive camp or throwing camp. Last year it made sense to have more players involved given a new HC, OC, OLC and other changes. This year there's a certain amount of same old, same old with the coaching staff as well as key pieces of the offence in Jennings, Lulay and the receivers. In that regard perhaps it makes more sense to have a selected smaller group of young guys as we see this year.

If you add the Riders mini-camp roster to the number of players under contract but not attending you get 155 to assess to find out which 80+ won't be at training camp. Given how restrictive the OTAs are in terms of length of sessions and the fact they are non-contact helmets and sweats only I'm not sure how much value a team can get out of bringing 108 in. Most of the activities are drills. With that many players once you get to reps for things like one on one drills they get spread out pretty thin.

Of course Rider fans were eating up any reports of how well a prospect hopeful looked working against the blocking sled. Caesar Rayford was looking pretty darned good putting a swim move on one of the tackling dummies. He may have locked up a starting spot.

It seems to me that the not so mini mini-camp that the Riders are holding is a case of Jones, the rookie GM, wanting to get as thick a file of player prospects as he can get and then have smaller camps with greater scrutiny down the road.

OTOH the Lions, although a young team, have pretty much a set roster and greater familiarity among players and coaches. So they don't need to cast as wide a net. I just hope Oline coach Dorazio doesn't get his young Oline tangled up in too complex of a blocking scheme. K.I.S.S.