2016 Training Camp Thread

[squishy35]

The rookie camp starts tomorrow. I will try to put some time in each day to post on some observations

[Dusty]

Fantastic. Looking forward to your reports....I'm getting pumped that the long off-season is nearing an end.... Thanks!

[B.C.FAN]

The rookie camp starts tomorrow. I will try to put some time in each day to post on some observations

I look forward to it. I'll probably just spend a couple of days at main camp next Friday and Saturday (FanFest).

Here's a rookie camp depth chart for diehards.

Here are a few players to watch:
1. First-round draft pick Charles Vaillancourt is at RG, the weakest position on the line last year.
2. Heralded NCAA draft pick Dillon Guy is oddly listed second on the depth chart at centre behind unheralded 27-year-old free agent Jas Dhillon from UBC, a 2014 Argo draft pick.
3. Third-round draft pick Brett Blaszko from Calgary, who has good size at 6-4, 205 lbs., is atop the depth chart at one SB position.
4. Second-round draft pick Anthony Thompson is listed at field corner and should have a good chance to compete for a roster spot, provided he gets to Kamloops on time.

[B.C.FAN]

Here's Matt Baker's report on bclions.com from Day 3 of minicamp, which featured a rookie scrimmage. Thanks for the good work, Matt.

TRAINING CAMP REPORT: MINI-CAMP DAY 3

There should be a few cuts to come, followed on Sunday morning by the most important document of main camp, the Day 1 depth chart. We'll see for the first time exactly how the coaches see the roster.

[B.C.FAN]

Here it is, your 2016 B.C. Lions training camp depth chart, with all of the offseason changes that have been discussed, and a few surprises.

Centre: Cody Husband. Who saw that coming? Tim O'Neill is listed as backup LG. All O-line starters are at new positions except Levy Adcock, who played RT last year in Saskatchewan.
Defensive line: Jabar Westerman and Michael Brooks start inside and Craig Roh and Alex Bazzie outside.
Safety: Mike Edem.
Nickel: Steven Clarke. Brandon Steward plays Clarke's old position of field corner, as discussed in recent days.

It looks like no one was released after rookie camp. There are 83 players on the TC roster, including eight 2016 draft picks and four other non-counters.

[Hambone]

Who all is going to Kamloops and when? I plan on getting down there in time for the Thursday afternoon session on thru the Saturday night Fan Day practice. Fan Day though might be up in the air. With a long 10 hour drive back to Fort St. John on Sunday it may not be worth it to hang around all day Saturday for only the one practice.

[B.C.FAN]

Who all is going to Kamloops and when? I plan on getting down there in time for the Thursday afternoon session on thru the Saturday night Fan Day practice. Fan Day though might be up in the air. With a long 10 hour drive back to Fort St. John on Sunday it may not be worth it to hang around all day Saturday for only the one practice.

I can't get there until Friday. I hope Friday afternoon's practice is padded. I'll take that in, then FanFest on Saturday night. I'll head home early Sunday. There's no practice that day.

[The_Pauser]

Weird weird weird offensive line. I don't like it. I really hope this is just a case of whoever printed it not knowing where everyone fits and not the result of Dorazio saying "hmm let's try this."

I'll be up in Kamloops next weekend. Taking the 6pm Greyhound out of Vancouver Friday night. Sadly no morning practice on the Saturday so the only thing I'll get to see is the Fanfest.

[WestCoastJoe]

"I was working in the lab late one night." Ha ha

A little of this. A little of that. Breaks up the monotony.



Any more ways we can mix this up? We don't want you guys to get comfortable.

[WestCoastJoe]

Depth chart

Some of this reminds me of: Andrew Harris, we want to make you a DB. Jason Arakgi, we want to make you a wide receiver. DL, we want to make you a Guard. Et cetera. Tinkering.

[DanoT]

I would be concerned if this was the depth chart on the last day of TC instead of the first. But I do note that the mad scientist Dan Dorazzio has his Oline guys switched around the most.

[TheLionKing]

If you're going to experiment, training camp is the time and place to do. I'm not too concerned with the depth chart at this point. It changes from one practice to another.

[B.C.FAN]

Lowell Ullrich weighs in from Kamloops on the depth chart surpise, with an explanation from Wally:

The only early surprise on offence had Tim O’Neill, obtained from Hamilton to change the ratio, lined up with the second unit behind Hunter Steward at left guard, with Cody Husband, a day removed from being grand marshal at the Hyack Festival parade in his native New Westminster, starting at centre. Buono said the move was experimental as the Lions will need their non-import offensive line starters to play at more than one position. Late last week, the Lions cut centre/guard candidate Cam Thorn, which can only be good news for rookie draft pick Dillon Guy.

Lions vets have Buono’s back

[WestCoastJoe]

http://3downnation.com/2016/05/29/lions ... onos-back/

From Lowell Ullrich ...

As advertised, Jon Jennings got first-team quarterback reps ahead of Travis Lulay for starters with nearly an even split.

Buono said the move was experimental as the Lions will need their non-import offensive line starters to play at more than one position.

Experimental. At this time, if we don't know into what position to put O Line starters, that is scary (or if we are actually going to make OL starters play different positions.) One can see drilling them for different assignments, and the like, but moving them to differerent positions, and putting it on the depth chart? One hopes that it is a short lived "experiment."

Some coaches approach it differently. Give the players one position and make them master it.

To this fan, it seems pretty easy to overwhelm athletes. The coach is then certainly in charge, but the athletes lose confidence, and can become confused. We have seen that in years past, it seems to me.

If any group had reason to be wary about the return of a coach who hadn’t been on the sidelines for four seasons it would be the veterans on the CFL club, who know full well what a dominating presence he commanded with the Lions, even when Mike Benevides or Jeff Tedford was in charge.

Dominating presence even when Benny or Teddy was in charge.

Yup. One did get that impression.

“He’s not vocal. He’s about business,” said tackle Jovan Olafioye, the lone offensive line holdover from Buono’s last year of coaching in 2011, who has repackaged his 325 pounds quite effectively in the off-season so as to play the left side of the formation this year.

“There’s no favorites on this team. When he was here we were successful. That’s why I know we’re going to win the Grey Cup.” Nothing like a bit of bravado on the first day of training camp.

“I don’t want to say guys played in fear (of Buono), but some guys take an opportunity for granted. That’s been a missing piece sometimes,” said Ryan Phillips, who started his 12th year with the Lions. “He’s made mental notes on how the game has changed and how the guys have learned.”

Wally has had success. We will see how it plays in 2016.

Our talent looks very good. To this fan, it seems the results will still depend, to a great degree, on how the conservative approach works out this year. One cannot see any way that our philosophy will change from conservative to attack orientation.
.............

Just IMO ...

[green road kill]

Why is any one so jacked about a day one depth chart, so there moving some guys
around so what. In a league where Oline injuries are a real possibility, being able to
shift guys around,seems like a good idea to me.Like putting your best O lineman on the QBs blind side ( how novel can you get).If Jovan a'nt worried about it, why is any one.