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Re: Official Kamloops Training Camp Thread 2018

Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 9:08 am
by B.C.FAN
QB Club 63 wrote:
Sun Jun 03, 2018 8:53 am
Not a great Sunday morning for nine players who were given the old "here's your apple and a road map":

Sunday, June 3 – Released from roster:
DL Gelen Robinson (I)
DL Quinton Bradley (I)
DL Breion Creer (I)
DB Deion Carter (I)
DB Solomon Means (I)
WR Vernon Johnson (I)
WR Ronnie Holley (I)
OL David Patterson (I)
OL Jac’que Polite (I)
No surprises.

Robinson, Creer and Bradley were competing with Davon Coleman and Claudell Louis for the one international defensive tackle position, and likely one on the practice roster.

Johnson and Holley didn't do anything to stand out in a still-crowded list of international receivers.

Means had his moments in camp, but he's behind Tevin McDonald, Kendall James and Steffon Herd in a battle for one roster position as sixth DB and possibly two more on the practice roster or injured list.

Polite took starting reps in camp when Joel Figueroa was hurt but he seems to have struggled lately in camp and in the preseason game.

Here's the official updated alphabetical position chart:

https://d3ham790trbkqy.cloudfront.net/w ... June-3.pdf

Re: Official Kamloops Training Camp Thread 2018

Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 11:28 pm
by B.C.FAN
It looks like the Lions could have a surplus of healthy quarterbacks for the regular season opener. Travis Lulay dressed for the preseason game in Calgary and, according to LU, has started to take live reps in scrimmages at camp. Cody Fajardo was walking without crutches Sunday and likely will not play Friday but does not appear to be as seriously hurt as some feared.


If Jonathon Jennings and Ricky Lloyd survive this week's preseason finale unscathed, all four QBs could be available for the June 16 regular season opener, with only three spots available.

Re: Official Kamloops Training Camp Thread 2018

Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 11:47 pm
by David
4 good quarterbacks and only 3 positions.

This is how I see it on June 16:

1) Jennings
2) Fajardo
3) Lloyd (depending on how Cody's ankle heels in 2 weeks. It could be reversed).

This is how I see it on June 29 (after the bye week):

1) Jennings
2) Lulay
3) Fajardo

BUT...they will protect Lloyd and bring him along slowly. I can't see any scenario under which they would let him go - even if he serves up a stinker against the Bombers on Friday.

They can't release Fajardo, or he'll just get picked up by Calgary (perhaps even Winnipeg, Montreal, or Ottawa). No way do we want to give quarterbacking depth to our rivals. Plus with Lulay's injury struggles, it makes sense to have a (semi) experienced pivot.

While I expect a bounce-back season from Jennings, how much rope will Wally/Jarious give him if he struggles, with Lulay standing on the sidelines? What if he has three or four 2-and-outs in a row? I don't get the sense that Jarious is as patient as Khari, although ultimately, I suppose it's Wally's call.


DH :cool:

Re: Official Kamloops Training Camp Thread 2018

Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2018 7:16 am
by Blitz
It will be Jennings and Lloyd against the Bombers. Fajardo is out for 2 weeks and Lulay is four weeks away.

Its a real opportunity for Lloyd to show that his play against the Stamps, which was not playing a vanilla defense and and also blitzed, that he can do it again.

I don't believe that Jennings will get a lot of rope this season. Jarious coached Lulay in the past and has confidence in him. Lulay played well last season. Lulay is a very good first read quarterback, a very good play action quarterback, and a very good duel option quaterback. Jackson wants the football out quickly.

Jackson's offence is a better fit for Lulay's quarterback style than Jennings style of play, although Jennings is capable of playing well in Jackson's offence too.

Jarious has said he does not want to see Jennings patting the football in the pocket and scanning the entire field. That was the style of quarterbacking in Buono's old spread offence but its not the style of offence we will play this season.

Jackson's offence appears to be a blend of many types of offences but it certainly has more West Coast in it than we have ever seen in the Buono era here in B.C. There will be a lot more play action, a lot more misdirection and motion, the quarterback will be moving more, and there will be more run/pass option plays.

The closest thing we have seen in the past to the type of offence that Jackson will use this season is our 2011 offence under Chapdelaine, when he used a lot of motion and misdirection and play action but Jackson's offence uses the short passing game more than our 2011 offence did.

Its definitley going to be interesting to watch.

Re: Official Kamloops Training Camp Thread 2018

Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2018 2:27 pm
by Rammer
The new offense is dependant upon early success. How comfortable will Wally be if the O struggles out of the gate? Until the real bullets arrive and the results are positive, I will hold reservation on what will happen. At least there is a change in philosophy and that is the baby step this club desperately needed.

Now I'm hoping one QB can A) stay healthy and B) run with this new look O. The West won't allow any team to falter and expect to make the playoffs. The Lions IMO are on the outside looking in until the O gets traction.

I am however looking more forward to this season over the past several, yet the knawing thing here is Wally's penchant to go back to what he has had success with in the past. And if he suggests that trick plays are used by desperate teams, the Lions better have a ton of trick plays this season.

Re: Official Kamloops Training Camp Thread 2018

Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2018 6:20 pm
by Qman
David wrote:
Sun Jun 03, 2018 11:47 pm
4 good quarterbacks and only 3 positions.

This is how I see it on June 16:

1) Jennings
2) Fajardo
3) Lloyd (depending on how Cody's ankle heels in 2 weeks. It could be reversed).

This is how I see it on June 29 (after the bye week):

1) Jennings
2) Lulay
3) Fajardo

BUT...they will protect Lloyd and bring him along slowly. I can't see any scenario under which they would let him go - even if he serves up a stinker against the Bombers on Friday.

They can't release Fajardo, or he'll just get picked up by Calgary (perhaps even Winnipeg, Montreal, or Ottawa). No way do we want to give quarterbacking depth to our rivals. Plus with Lulay's injury struggles, it makes sense to have a (semi) experienced pivot.

While I expect a bounce-back season from Jennings, how much rope will Wally/Jarious give him if he struggles, with Lulay standing on the sidelines? What if he has three or four 2-and-outs in a row? I don't get the sense that Jarious is as patient as Khari, although ultimately, I suppose it's Wally's call.


DH :cool:
Fajardo is run first QB from nevada IIRC (Lefevour/tebow in type/style).
I think he is only here based on his 3rd down skill set, which hasn't been a strength of this team in the past.

Re: Official Kamloops Training Camp Thread 2018

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2018 5:18 am
by Blitz
Rammer wrote:
Mon Jun 04, 2018 2:27 pm
The new offense is dependant upon early success. How comfortable will Wally be if the O struggles out of the gate? Until the real bullets arrive and the results are positive, I will hold reservation on what will happen. At least there is a change in philosophy and that is the baby step this club desperately needed.

Now I'm hoping one QB can A) stay healthy and B) run with this new look O. The West won't allow any team to falter and expect to make the playoffs. The Lions IMO are on the outside looking in until the O gets traction.

I am however looking more forward to this season over the past several, yet the knawing thing here is Wally's penchant to go back to what he has had success with in the past. And if he suggests that trick plays are used by desperate teams, the Lions better have a ton of trick plays this season.
Certainly, whenever an offensive coordinator in the past attempted to deviate the offence, Wally tended to have little patience and eventually demanded the offence be 'simplified'. However, it won't be easy to go back to the 'old Calgary spread offence', after so much time has been spent at training camp installing a new offensive system.

In terms of so called 'trick plays', the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles certainly used them with great success in last year's NFL playoffs. I don't view plays that are unusual as 'trick plays'. The term 'trick play' was introduced by coaches who were burned by unpredictable plays to discredit them. A tailback throw to a receiver, a double reverse, a flea flicker, a throwback to the quarterback streaking down the sideline, a direct snap to the tailback, would all be considered 'trick' plays by Wally.

But then again, Wally likley considers a fly sweep, a throwback screen, and a punt, not run straight up the middle, as a trick play. Keep it simple and execute has been his mantra. That works, sometimes, with very superior talent. But it also has made us very predictable. For example, for years now, we have basically used only one running play - the inside zone read. We have run the play with zone blocking left and zone blocking right for variety. :)


Jackson's offence is designed to get the football out quickly to playmakers, using a lot of motion and misdirection. The quarterback is moving often, after the snap, and the short passing game sets up the deep ball. Calgary runs a similar offence as does Winnipeg.

That is very different from our passing game philosophy in past seasons, where we have focused on the deep intermediate pass to our slotbacks, with the quarterback throwing from the pocket. Most of our pass patterns were very slow developing patterns to our slotbacks, which required our quarterback to hold the football for a longer time in the pocket.

Its going to be an interesting change in offensive philosophy. It will be interesting to see if Wally sticks with it or goes back to the familiar.

Re: Official Kamloops Training Camp Thread 2018

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 3:05 pm
by CardiacKid
Mike Dubuisson and Travon Van are listed as being on the suspended list. I never really grasp what that means in terms of being on the roster/not being on the roster. I guess it's a sort of a football purgatory.....?

Also a nice article by Matt Baker on the team website pertaining to Roger Friesen, sports psychologist, helping out the team at training camp.

https://www.bclions.com/2018/06/04/spor ... -kamloops/

It highlights Ty Long's interaction with Friesen but I bet most fans are wondering about work done with Jennings and any strides he made with the mental aspect of the game.

Re: Official Kamloops Training Camp Thread 2018

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 4:15 pm
by Lions4ever
Qman wrote:
Mon Jun 04, 2018 6:20 pm
I think he is only here based on his 3rd down skill set, which hasn't been a strength of this team in the past.
It's early, I know, but I'm nominating this for Understatement Of The Year already.

Re: Official Kamloops Training Camp Thread 2018

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 11:05 am
by FrankLandy
Just listened to Wally's comments on 1040's 3 Down Radio and a few items that I found interesting:

- Singled out David Mackie's play / versatility and that the Lions are reaping benefits of strong drafting the last couple years...I agree.
- Wally also singled out David Foucault's improved play (commented that he added about 25lbs extra weight!). Wally says the o-line is massive yet very athletic...Great news!
- Wally talked about a kid out of Gannon U signed as a undrafted free agent/non counter who Dan Dorazio compared to a young Angus Reid ( Andrew Peirson #54)...What a bonus this would be if this kid works out!

https://www.tsn.ca/radio/vancouver-1040 ... -1.1104411

Re: Official Kamloops Training Camp Thread 2018

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 12:58 pm
by David
Thanks Frank. Yea, I caught that too. Our success this year will be largely predicated on our Nationals. IMO, import talent is roughly the same from team to team. There are top-echelon athletes on every club. Yes, coaching plays a key role in a club's sucess as does quarterbacking, but you're going NOWHERE without good Nationals.

Last year, we saw Shaq Johnson take that giant step, and Menard the year before. If we can see a couple of more Canadian starters like Foucault and Lokombo or Thompson and Herdman (even on ST or spot duty) take that leap this season, then we'll be in really good shape. :thup:


DH :cool: