Kamloops Training Camp 2017

[B.C.FAN]

Anyone know who snaps the ball if Benson can't? Does Cody Husband at centre perhaps practice the long snaps too? Anyhow -- wishing best of health to all of them.

Nate O'Halloran takes almost as many reps as Benson as long-snapper but he is being pushed as backup fullback by rookie Dakota Brush.

In the past, Adam Bighill was available as an emergency long-snapper. I don't know who would fill that role if O'Halloran isn't on the roster.

[David]

Lions radio show with Scotty, Giulio, and LU coming on TSN1040 now:

http://www.tsn.ca/radio/vancouver-1040- ... isten-live


DH

For those that missed the interview with Wally, a few important notes:

1) Corey Jones, the big training camp name early on has fallen out of favour. He started out well, but plateaued and has clearly slipped down the depth chart. When Wally tells radio listeners this, it does not look too good for the young man. Praised the play of Moore (and Morgan).

2) "Expects" (translation: wants) to see K/P Waters play some on Friday. Thinks the rest they've given him has allowed him sufficient time to recover from the hamstring injury to play a little bit.

3) Clarke has a slight edge a safety right now, according to Wally.

4) You can read between the lines that Wally REALLY wants to win this game at home in front of the home fans and re-establish BC Place as a difficult place for opponents to come away with a "W." Put it this way, if we find ourselves down 28-26 in the final minute Friday night and we're scrimmaging say, from our own 25? I would not be surprised to see Jennings or Lulay and a bunch of starters inserted at that point to try and put a drive together.



DH

[B.C.FAN]

Lions radio show with Scotty, Giulio, and LU coming on TSN1040 now:

http://www.tsn.ca/radio/vancouver-1040- ... isten-live


DH

For those that missed the interview with Wally, a few important notes:

1) Corey Jones, the big training camp name early on has fallen out of favour. He started out well, but plateaued and has clearly slipped down the depth chart. When Wally tells radio listeners this, it does not look too good for the young man. Praised the play of Moore (and Morgan).

2) "Expects" (translation: wants) to see K/P Waters play some on Friday. Thinks the rest they've given him has allowed him sufficient time to recover from the hamstring injury to play a little bit.

3) Clarke has a slight edge a safety right now, according to Wally.

4) You can read between the lines that Wally REALLY wants to win this game at home in front of the home fans and re-establish BC Place as a difficult place for opponents to come away with a "W." Put it this way, if we find ourselves down 28-26 in the final minute Friday night and we're scrimmaging say, from our own 25? I would not be surprised to see Jennings or Lulay and a bunch of starters inserted at that point to try and put a drive together.



DH

Thanks for the summary, David. I appreciate Wally's candid comments.

It's early, but I notice Wally is much more quick to juggle his depth chart this year. Usually, he uses training camp for teaching and doesn't reassess his starters until the fourth or fifth game of the regular season. The Lions rarely demote more than one projected starter before the season begins but we've already seem Cam Ontko cut. Corey Jones, Keynan Parker, Buddy Jackson, Charles Vaillancourt, Antonio Johnson, DeQuin Evans and Stephen Adekolu are others who started training camp with the first-team units and have since been bumped down the depth chart, at least temporarily.

[David]

I don't have a problem with this strategy. Keeps guys on edge, focused, and hungry. And it gives hope to newcomers that they can crack the line-up with superior effort and skill; that an 'entitlement through experience' culture isn't so ingrained here.


DH

[B.C.FAN]

Wednesday is the last day of training camp in Kamloops. With that in mind, Matt Baker of bclions.com has put together an interesting "Baker's dozen" list of 13 newcomers worth watching as camp breaks, plus three most improved returnees. I'm glad that I had a chance to see all of these players in Kamloops. They are all worth watching.

BAKER’S DOZEN | FIRST YEAR STANDOUTS IN KAMLOOPS

[Blitz]

As soon as our Leos moved Awe to outside linebacker, after his first exhibiton game in Calgary, you could potentially see the writing on the wall for Ontco.

Michael Awe has made an impressive debut for our Leos. At the same time, there was a sense that Tony Burnett would stick around too. Now it looks like they will be platooned at the outside linebacker spot. Moving Awe to outside linebacker was good move by our Leos. Awe was the best linebacker in camp, outside of Sol E. so it made no sense to keep Awe behind him at middle linebacker.

However, Ontco led our Leos in special team tackles last season so I wondered if that would be a factor in Wally retaining him. It obviously didn't.

Jordan Herdman has showed that he can play and there could be a practice roster spot for him, depending on how things shake out. He's outplayed Chagnon so far and Chagnon was considered highly in this year's draft.

This is some of the best new talent our Leos have brought into training camp in a very long time. There is tough competition for most positions.

Our Leos have some good options to replace Alex Bazzie. Both Ken Boatright and Josh Shirley have had excellent camps. Then there is free agent DeQuinn Evans.

I sure hope our Leos choose to go with a starting National tackle. With Luke's talent and Forde's consistent improvement, there is no reason why we shouldnt' go that route.

Should we do that, we could either play an import at field corner or go with a fourth International receiver. With Thompson playing so well, with Kenyan Parker being able to play that position as well and with Bucknor and Hamlin still around, we have plenty of depth in National defensive backs.

Its still a close contest between Clarke and Tevin Macdonald at free safety. We moved Fenner there to have a look at him at that spot and both Thompson and Bucknor can play safety too. Hopefully, we can find a way to keep Macdonald on the roster but that will likely be tough to do,

With that depth in the defensive backfield, we can go with four International receivers. The two inside slot positions are locked up with Many and Burnham. Chris Williams will be brought along slowly. That would mean two International spots would be up for grabs to start this season.

Moore will likely be lining up in Chris Williams outside receiver spot for our season opener. But we could easily go with

But if we go with four Internationals, who will play boundary wide out. Right now that looks like Moore, with Maurice Morgan going on the practice roster. But there is no reason why we couldn't go with Morgan there and shift Moore to outside slot, in competition with McNeil, should we line up four Internationals.

If we don't go with four Internationals, we will go with Iannuzzi at wide slot, backed up by Vandervoot, who will be brought along slowly. I really believe we could be so much more dynamic with an International wide slot back.

A key question to me is who will play the fifth receiver spot if we go with four International receivers. Iannuzzi could be shifted back out to his old position but that would be a shame as Shaq Johnson has shown what he can bring in terms of speed and talent there. Right now it seems that Adekolu, a fave of mine who I have always believed could shine and a receiver than Jennings has confidence in, will likely be cut. It will either be him or Blaszco and Blaszco is younger.

In the backfield, Harris showed last game that he has the ability to back up Johnson and play the occasional game to give Johnson a rest this season.

An intriguing battle is for the backup fullback position behind Lumbala. Right now 'O'Halloran had the edge over Dakota Brush and O'Holloran is our back up long snapper but Brush could do different things for us that "O'Halloran can't (Brush can lline up as a tight end and be a receiver).

Davis brings a talent set as a back, receiver, and returner that makes me think we gotta find a way to hang onto him.

But the most intriguing aspect of this 2017 training camp is the move of Facault to left tackle and the competition for right tackle.

When the Olifioye trade was made there was hype that Facault could become our starting left tackle. I just didnt' see Facault beating out Steward this year. Facualt could be used as a left tackle in place of Steward, if Steward was injured but right now Facault will be protected as a back up left guard/back up left tackle, while mostly giving Vaillencourt competition for his spot and providing depth.

The right tackle position is still up for grabs. We have two right tackles that are undersized. Palmer has the edge right now over Johnson, who mostly played there last year. I would have loved to see Olifioye back at his familiar right tackle position that he played so well at for so many seasons but that scenario was gone a couple of months ago. Here is hoping that whomever win the spot can give us quality line play and protect Jennings,



















 
Tyler Davis- WR/RB/KR
We told you how excited we were about the former German League star back at April mini-camp in Surrey. He hasn’t disappointed against stiffer competition. When it comes to backing up Chris Rainey in the return game, Davis looks to be a viable option. His ability to play receiver, running back and even defensive back could make it worth keeping him around beyond this week.
David Foucualt- OL
Any player who is the centrepiece of a Jovan Olafioye trade will have some extra scrutiny. Foucault handled that very well and looked to get more and more comfortable after two years in the NFL with Carolina. The University of Montreal product appears to be ready to play left guard and form a nice tandem at that position with 2016 first round pick Charles Vaillancourt. Foucault also played at tackle in Carolina and could slide over if need be.

Josh Harris- RB
It remains unclear how many games, if any, Jeremiah Johnson will have off in 2017. Should the Lions choose to start someone else at the tailback position, Harris would be fully equipped to handle the touches. His 38-yard touchdown run in Calgary offered just a small sample size of his explosiveness out of the backfield. He has gradually picked up the offence even more before the end of camp.
 Jordan Herdman- LB
It certainly hasn’t been easy to stand out amongst some of the other linebackers, but Herdman has approached camp with a chip on his shoulder. That would be the result of, by his own admission, less than stellar performances at his SFU Pro Day and the CFL Combine. He is built like a physical linebacker and his football IQ his is strongest trait. Although it may take a year of leaning on the practice roster, his future could be very bright.

 
 Junior Luke- DL
 You knew the seventh overall pick from May’s CFL Draft would be included. After owning the National Combine in Regina, Luke has managed to perform well amongst the excellent crop of defensive linemen in Kamloops. It remains to be seen if a Canadian will start at the position, but you can expect Luke to be a big factor in the interior at some point in 2017.
Tevin McDonald- DB
Speaking of that ratio, a major early change was the desire to start an American at the safety position. Steven Clarke has performed well after his injury rehab, but the explosive McDonald has made things interesting. He showed no signs of slowing down after his impressive mini-camp. The former Oakland Raider could also slide over to halfback.
Read More: McDonald | The Next Generation

Douglas McNeil- WR
We gave him the offensive game ball after the three-day mini-camp to open things up. The lanky receiver showed some of that brilliance with the veterans and made a couple of key plays in Saturday’s live scrimmage. His ability to get vertical allows him to make some plays that other receivers wouldn’t.
Maurice Morgan- WR
 The product of North Carolina State has has used size to his advantage. That ability to stretch the field could go a long way in helping this offence accomplish what they want to in 2017. Morgan has learned the playbook and developed a rapport with the QBs and fellow receivers.

Josh Shirley- DL

Danny Vandervoort- WR
As the club searches for the next great Canadian receiver, Vandervoort won’t be pressured to put up Jason Clermont numbers just yet. His first training camp has been anything but a disappointment. Although he would be the first to tell you he needs to get better in game action, small sample size or not, the McMaster product has shown he has great hands. His big body also allows him to excel catching passes throw underneath and in short yardage situations.
 


Shaq Johnson
It’s easy to see why the coaching staff is high on the wide receiver from London, Ontario. After getting on the active roster toward the end of last season, Johnson has made the most of his second go around at camp and bounced back nicely from a tweaked hamstring suffered in the early stages. His quickness can make life tough on opposing defenders.


Honourable mentions should go out to QB Alex Ross and DL Marquis Jackson. Although quarterback is not the most pressing need on this roster, the product of Coastal Carolina University has earned the number three job behind Jonathon Jennings and Travis Lulay.
His scrambling ability has gotten better throughout camp as well. Jackson picked up the defensive schemes rather quick after leaving camp in the early stages to get married.
I look forward to being back at BC Place on Friday night. It has been a long time coming and you should all be excited to see some of this young talent in person. If you don’t have a ticket yet, what are you waiting for? Stay tuned for our final training camp recap before practices ends at Noon on Wednesday.
Matt Baker: mbaker@bclions.com
 

[BC 1988]

Lions radio show with Scotty, Giulio, and LU coming on TSN1040 now:

http://www.tsn.ca/radio/vancouver-1040- ... isten-live


DH

For those that missed the interview with Wally, a few important notes:

1) Corey Jones, the big training camp name early on has fallen out of favour. He started out well, but plateaued and has clearly slipped down the depth chart. When Wally tells radio listeners this, it does not look too good for the young man. Praised the play of Moore (and Morgan).

2) "Expects" (translation: wants) to see K/P Waters play some on Friday. Thinks the rest they've given him has allowed him sufficient time to recover from the hamstring injury to play a little bit.

3) Clarke has a slight edge a safety right now, according to Wally.

4) You can read between the lines that Wally REALLY wants to win this game at home in front of the home fans and re-establish BC Place as a difficult place for opponents to come away with a "W." Put it this way, if we find ourselves down 28-26 in the final minute Friday night and we're scrimmaging say, from our own 25? I would not be surprised to see Jennings or Lulay and a bunch of starters inserted at that point to try and put a drive together.



DH

Thanks for the synopsis. I wasn't near a radio to catch that. You're right "expects" in Wally-speak equals "wants".

If Wally described Water's injury as "hamstring" that's at odds with what Matt Baker said:

"A close eye continues to be on kicker Swayze Waters. The free agent addition continues to deal with a quad issue after not getting any work in at Calgary last week. No official word yet on his status for Friday night. It could mean Ty Long gets another chance to showcase himself."

In a way I'd be more inclined not to try rush Waters back (even if Wally is getting impatient). That's a good way to reaggravate the injury. Wally's "be a man" credo isn't necessarily the best strategy every time.

[David]

Sorry, I thought it was a hammy, but go by what Matt Baker reports if he said it's a quad. I took a little transistor radio out yesterday evening with earbuds and was listening to the show while I went for a run, so completely wrote that report from memory. Here it is if you want to listen: http://ckstam.streamon.fm/listen-pl-644?smc=10

Yes, I am well versed in Wally speak. When Wally minimizes an injury, like a player is "a little nicked up but he should be in the lineup soon" means he better heal in a hurry or someone will take his roster spot. Permanently.

And when he says they're "waiting for (an injury) to settle to determine the extent of it," this is bad news. He's probably done for at least 4-6 weeks, possibly the season.


DH

[DanoT]

"WallySpeak", you know, it could have its own thread.

[Hambone]

If Wally described Water's injury as "hamstring" that's at odds with what Matt Baker said:

"A close eye continues to be on kicker Swayze Waters. The free agent addition continues to deal with a quad issue after not getting any work in at Calgary last week. No official word yet on his status for Friday night. It could mean Ty Long gets another chance to showcase himself."

In a way I'd be more inclined not to try rush Waters back (even if Wally is getting impatient). That's a good way to reaggravate the injury. Wally's "be a man" credo isn't necessarily the best strategy every time.

Wally's account wasn't at odds with Baker's. It was the same, but more in layman's terms. He described it as a "bit of a knot or a little tenderness in the thigh area". There was no mention of hamstring. He said the doctors have been cautious with it and thought it was something that just needed a bit of time which obviously he's been given. He said they are hoping Waters can get in to do some kicking come Friday and that the doctors seemed comfortable that "if things settle down" he should be able to get some kicks in Friday. There was nothing in the tone of his voice that indicated impatience or that they'd rush him in before the doctors said it was OK. If Wally has any urgency I think it's just so he can have the peace of mind of seeing his main kicker get some kicks in during real game conditions before the real bullets start flying. Given their druthers every HC wants to see his kicker get some kicks in under real game conditions before the season starts, more so when the kicker has never worked with the long-snapper and holder before.

Waters conversation starts around the 27:00 mark.
http://www.tsn.ca/radio/vancouver-1040- ... h-1.778498

[BC 1988]

Wally's account wasn't at odds with Baker's. It was the same, but more in layman's terms. He described it as a "bit of a knot or a little tenderness in the thigh area". There was no mention of hamstring. He said the doctors have been cautious with it and thought it was something that just needed a bit of time which obviously he's been given. He said they are hoping Waters can get in to do some kicking come Friday and that the doctors seemed comfortable that "if things settle down" he should be able to get some kicks in Friday. There was nothing in the tone of his voice that indicated impatience or that they'd rush him in before the doctors said it was OK. If Wally has any urgency I think it's just so he can have the peace of mind of seeing his main kicker get some kicks in during real game conditions before the real bullets start flying. Given their druthers every HC wants to see his kicker get some kicks in under real game conditions before the season starts, more so when the kicker has never worked with the long-snapper and holder before.

Waters conversation starts around the 27:00 mark.
http://www.tsn.ca/radio/vancouver-1040- ... h-1.778498

Yes, I finally caught the 3 down radio segment, and that was how Wally described it. Just to make things a bit more interesting, LU was just on with Sekeres, and he described Waters' injury as "tendonitis" . The segment started about 1/2 way through hour 1.