All things Kamloops Training Camp 2012

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David
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We'll keep this as thread to discuss all things pertaining to the club's training camp in Kamloops.

From The Sun's Mike Beamish via Twitter regarding Day 1 of Rookie Camp:
Mike Beamish ‏@sixbeamers
Standouts on 1st day of B.C. Lions rookie camp: RB Nic Grigsby, DE Brandon Jordan, Rs Darnell Jenkins, Courtney Taylor, P Quinn Van Gylswyk.
Interesting about Van Gylswyk. I believe he's a Junior invitee. Must have been booming some punts to get special commendation Day 1. :thup:


DH :cool:
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MexicoLionFan
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Thanks David...it is going to be interesting to see what happens on the Defensive side of the ball...you have 6 top DBs signed to play the 6 spots, so I don't see how Muamba gets on the field as anything but a backup at safety...Reddick is signed long term to START at the Nickel spot...a place he excelled at last year...Byron Parker is signed to be our wide side corner...Ryan Phillips is an All Star who resigned for All Star money, so he is likely going to be our starting wide side HB...Lin J Shell is the CFLs returning leading tackler (Freeman and Sol are in the NFL) an All Star, and signed to some serious money...he and Parker join Marsh and Banks as the hardest hitting DBs in the league...Shell is starting...he isn't sitting on the bench to be a positional player...so an all import secondary means one of 2 things...either we overmatch Yurichuck to be our starting MLB (would be a HUGE mistake), or either Paris Jackson or Marco Iannuzzi start as the wide side WR...this is by far the best option...Kierri Johnson is underwhelming in my opinion, he certainly adds some things to the table, but forcing JY to play MLB so that KJ can start at WR makes ZERO sense to me...Paris and Marco can MORE than adequately serve as the wide side WR...

This is our best roster, IMO...let JY backup McKenzie and Adam Leonard at LB...he can continue to get more and more reps and be ready in 2 years time to replace McKenzie outright...Leonard, if his knee is okay, will make a strong MLB...he is a big hitter, he has a bit of an attitude, plus he has strong instincts as a LB and attacks the LOS...which is important, as 225 pound LBs cannot afford to take on 325 pound pulling guards and centres on every snap...which is JYs biggest liability...his hesitance and indecision at LB, are causing him to get hooked up with Linemen too often, and when JY makes a tackle, it is usually 8/9 yards downfield.

Its going to be an interesting 2 weeks...
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DanoT
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I agree that playing all 7 NI starters on Offence is the way to go and then relief duty for Yarichuk and Mouamba and Westerman on Defence.
TheLionKing
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JohnHenry wrote: Another option would be to upgrade the 3rd import receiver position with a prospect in camp....or sign another team's castoffs, like the Ti-Cats who are loaded with receivers. They've brought in 2 speedsters with 4.2-40 speed to challenge veterans B. Grant, A. Kelly, C. Williams, TJ Harris, A. Fantuz, D. Stala, S. Geguere and others. Hamilton can't keep them all and any one might be an upgrade over Johnson. The Bombers are also stocked with impressive receivers in camp, the Riders too.
If either or both speedsters show well in training camp you can bet that they'll be around come cutdown day. Turf toes and sprain ankles are rampant this time of year.
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It didn't take long for the first cut of rookie camp:
The BC Lions Football Club announced this afternoon that import wide receiver Juan Nunez has been released.

The club also announced the signing of import wide receiver Ernest Jackson.
Jackson came out of the University of Buffalo and played indoor football last year in Erie, Pennsylvania.
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notahomer
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I'm really impressed with the change of culture around the Lions. No question, IMO, it was rooted in the late Bob Ackles. But Buono has obviously been a large part of this. And of course many of the players too. I think the Lions culture is going to impact training camp and therefore the rest of the season. I'm nattering on about this because I heard how the organization included all kinds (Execs, Coaches, Players) in the ChampionShip ring process. And how important it is to get another ASAP. I hope the players have an awesome get2gether tomorrow evening when they get their rings. I think the Lions approach is actually the common one in terms of including the players in the design (I think the Giants did the same for their rings).

What a way to start a training camp. I sure hope this celebratory reason leads into a great camp, strong pre-season and excellent season. IIRC, I was happy with the Lions preseason last year (although the Canucks were a bit distracting too) but it sure didn't lead into a strong start for the year. Hopefully the start will be different but ending similar.....
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CatsEyes
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David wrote:We'll keep this as thread to discuss all things pertaining to the club's training camp in Kamloops.

From The Sun's Mike Beamish via Twitter regarding Day 1 of Rookie Camp:
Mike Beamish ‏@sixbeamers
Standouts on 1st day of B.C. Lions rookie camp: RB Nic Grigsby, DE Brandon Jordan, Rs Darnell Jenkins, Courtney Taylor, P Quinn Van Gylswyk.
Interesting about Van Gylswyk. I believe he's a Junior invitee. Must have been booming some punts to get special commendation Day 1. :thup:


DH :cool:
Neat to see Quinn doing well. He worked for me as a server for a few months-really cool to see a local boy make good so far :)
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MexicoLionFan
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notahomer wrote:I'm really impressed with the change of culture around the Lions. No question, IMO, it was rooted in the late Bob Ackles. But Buono has obviously been a large part of this. And of course many of the players too. I think the Lions culture is going to impact training camp and therefore the rest of the season. I'm nattering on about this because I heard how the organization included all kinds (Execs, Coaches, Players) in the ChampionShip ring process. And how important it is to get another ASAP. I hope the players have an awesome get2gether tomorrow evening when they get their rings. I think the Lions approach is actually the common one in terms of including the players in the design (I think the Giants did the same for their rings).

What a way to start a training camp. I sure hope this celebratory reason leads into a great camp, strong pre-season and excellent season. IIRC, I was happy with the Lions preseason last year (although the Canucks were a bit distracting too) but it sure didn't lead into a strong start for the year. Hopefully the start will be different but ending similar.....

I think you are bang on Nota...the Lions (see Wally) realize that they have a "hard to come by" great opportunity to repeat as Cup winners...maybe a three peat...so he has taken the steps necessary to put us in a position of achieving this...the entire team feels and believes this...that the Lions have a tremendous opportunity to not only repeat, but perhaps three peat...

And this is why the start of this season will look different from last year...going into last season this entire team was looking for a reason to trust, to believe that they could do...it took bottoming out for them to come together and believe in one another...this year, the Lions know that all they have to do is their own best, and never worry about the opposition...it creates a culture of confidence and trust, and these intangibles translate into wins...

And remember, great QBs and Defences win championships...just look at ours...
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Lions4ever
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CatsEyes wrote:Neat to see Quinn doing well. He worked for me as a server for a few months-really cool to see a local boy make good so far :)
Wait, you had your own server for a few months? Nice!
TheLionKing
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CatsEyes wrote:
Neat to see Quinn doing well. He worked for me as a server for a few months-really cool to see a local boy make good so far :)
Might be serving the coaching staff and vets on Rookie night
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CatsEyes
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Lions4ever wrote:
CatsEyes wrote:Neat to see Quinn doing well. He worked for me as a server for a few months-really cool to see a local boy make good so far :)
Wait, you had your own server for a few months? Nice!
LOL I wish ;)
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David
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Wow, I know speed's not everything, and I realize he's inexperienced but a DE (Brandon Jordan) who's 255 lbs and was timed at 4.53 in the 40? :shock:

From Mike Beamish's article in today's Vancouver Sun:
article here
KAMLOOPS — What’s that smell?

No, it’s not coming from the pulp mill. It’s the whiff of football in the air.

With the B.C. Lions 2012 training camp set to open in earnest on Sunday, let the competition for positions begin.

In reality, there are very few holes or jobs available on the roster of the Grey Cup champions. But here’s a look at some intriguing candidates from a three-day rookie camp who might overachieve and pick off returnees who regress.


• Courtney Taylor, receiver:

A former Seattle Seahawk draft pick (sixth round, 2007), Taylor has been the standout performer in rookie camp. That’s to be expected. He spent six weeks on the Lions’ expanded practice roster in 2011. While he didn’t see any game action then, Taylor, 28, looks as if he could this year, and not just in pre-season. “I had the privilege to watch Geroy [Simon], I had the privilege to watch Arland [Bruce], I had the privilege to watch some of the [CFL] greats, and how they do it,” Taylor explained. “I know how to execute after watching those older guys.”


• Nic Grigsby, running back:

The former Arizona Wildcat drove from his home in Tucson to Vancouver and almost became MIA, when the “low fuel” warning sounded in his car, 200 clicks from service, in a desert area without cell reception. “I was fortunate to coax it home,” Grigsby said. “Otherwise, I’d still be walking.” His brother, Marcellus, was a teammate of Lions’ Tim Brown at Temple, and Brown is Nic’s chief impediment to a running back/returner roster spot with the Lions. “He’s shown tremendous potential. I look forward to seeing him in the next phase,” said OC Jacques Chapdelaine.


• Maurice Evans, defensive lineman:

The Lions had some pretty good success before with another former D-lineman from Penn State — Cameron Wake, now with the Dolphins. “Cam was a once-in-a-lifetime player. You don’t find many like that,” said Lions D-coordinator Rich Stubler. Still, Evans had 12.5 sacks with the Nittany Lions in ’07, when he was a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award, and he possesses considerable savvy and NFL experience — Giants, Bucs, Panthers and Bears. Remarkably, he’s still only 23. “He’s explosive, and he has great athletic ability,” said Lions defensive line coach Carl Hairston.


• Brandon Jordan, defensive end:

Jordan, 23, played as a 325-pound offensive lineman at Illinois before dropping out of school in his sophomore year. He’s flown under the radar the past two years, playing indoor football in Chicago and Wichita, where he dropped 60 to 80 pounds and reverted to the defensive line. When the Lions tested him at a free-agent camp in Dallas, his 40 time was shocking — 4.53. “That’s almost running back speed,” Stubler said. “I know it’s true because I timed him. We’re looking for a rush end. You don’t often find people who are that big [6-5, 255] and that fast. “We still have to find out if he has the savvy.”


• Josh Bell, defensive back:

The ex-Baylor Bear started five games for the Broncos in ’09 as a replacement for injured corner Champ Bailey and later became something of a cause celebre in Green Bay, where he was denied a Super Bowl ring (after sustaining a broken foot in a Packers scrimmage and spending the 2010 season on injured reserve). No question about Bell’s mobility now. “Good feet, good mental aspect, asks good questions,” Stubler said. “We’re deep in the secondary, but we’re arguably the oldest secondary in the league. We need to start finding new people. He’s looked good against rookies. But when Geroy gets here, we’ll see how good he is.”


mbeamish@vancouversun.com

DH :cool:
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B.C.FAN
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If the Lions are concerned about getting younger at defensive end, Brandon Jordan at 23, Rajon Henley at 24 or Jeremy Geathers at 26 would be attractive options over Khreem Smith, who turns 33 in July.
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CatsEyes wrote:Neat to see Quinn doing well. He worked for me as a server for a few months-really cool to see a local boy make good so far :)
He might want his old job back. He didn't make it to main camp.
Mike Beamish ‏@sixbeamers
B.C. Lions will have one deletion prior to the start of training camp: junior punter Quinn Van Gylswyk going home after 3-day rookie camp.
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