The Saskatchewan Roughriders are going to be very tough to beat this season. This was a fact that was proven in Saskatchewan’s epic 54-51 double overtime victory over the Montreal Alouettes in the CFL’s season opener.

After merely one week of play, Saskatchewan has already proven that they can overcome just about anything that is thrown at them.

The Riders can certainly fight back after a slow start. After all, Montreal cruised to a 33-12 lead over the Green and White early in the third quarter. Making up 21 points against a team of Montreal’s calibre is certainly a daunting task, but the Riders did just that. Not only did Saskatchewan have to put up points in a hurry, but they had to hold off Montreal’s potent offence.

Of course, comebacks were a common trend for the Riders last season. In Week 5 against the Calgary Stampeders, Darian Durant threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Chris Getzlaf late in the fourth quarter to give the Riders the win. There were several times in 2009 when the Riders were down by eight with little time on the clock and they still managed to tie the game up. Even in the Western Final against Calgary, Saskatchewan was down 10 points early.

Not even a cruel twist of fate could stop the Green and White. After losing the Grey Cup to Montreal last season, largely due to a too many men penalty, everyone was wondering if the Riders would get over it this season. Ironically, when it appeared that Saskatchewan had defeated Montreal in the first overtime session, they were flagged for too many men and Montreal went on to send the game into a second overtime session.

The Riders could have faltered here, but they fought through it and managed to win the game. Since they took a too many men penalty and fought through it, the Riders have successfully fought off the 13th man curse.

The Riders have also shown early on that their offence is as good as advertised. Furthermore, the areas of concern some people had for the offence were non apparent in the first game.

When it came to Saskatchewan’s receiving core, people wondered if there would be enough balls to go around. Yes, yes there is. Weston Dressler had 154 yards and one touchdown, Robb Bagg earned 121 yards and one touchdown, Andy Fantuz picked up 77 yards and two touchdowns, Chris Getzlaf accumulated 65 yards and Prechae Rodriguez chipped in with 54 yards and a touchdown. The receiving core appears to be working beautifully together for the Riders. Bagg and Dressler are the deep threats, Fantuz is the sure handed first-down receiver, while Getzlaf, Rodriguez and Clermont are great extra options.

The big question concerning the running game was: can Wes Cates regain his 2008 form? Well, after putting up 112 yards and one touchdown, averaging nearly nine yards a carry, it is pretty clear that he is well on his way.

But of course, the offence relies on Durant. The one criticism about Durant from last year was his high interception total (he threw 21 compared to 24 touchdowns). Not only did Durant not throw any interceptions in Week One, but he posted 478 yards and had five touchdowns.

Now, the Riders still have a lot of work to do. Their pass defence was suspect at times, especially Canadian cornerback Donovan Alexander. Furthermore, the special teams were far from special. Montreal blocked one punt and nearly had another. Tim Maypray returned a missed field goal for a touchdown that almost sealed the deal for Montreal.

Still, in Saskatchewan there is an unrelenting feeling of optimism following the victory over Montreal. If the Riders can fight through such adversity and at times make the defending Grey Cup champions look average, there isn’t a team in the league they won’t be able to at least compete against.

The Riders have sent a message to the league and it isn’t that they can’t count to 13. The message is: Saskatchewan is ready to avenge their Grey Cup loss.

Jon H
"This is our League"

Though the Hamilton Tiger Cats only finished 9-9 last season, fans saw enough positives to make them very optimistic about the upcoming season.

However, if Hamilton hopes to dethrone the Montreal Alouettes, the consummate kings of the East Division, their defence is going to have to make some improvements this season.

It is little secret the Hamilton’s offence is impressive. Last season, led by quarterback Kevin Glenn , running back DeAndra' Cobb and slot back Arland Bruce III, the Tiger Cats averaged 25 points a game, 271 passing yards and 105 rushing yards.

So, why the mediocre record of 9-9 in 2009?

Well, the play of the defence didn’t help. Hamilton’s defence gave up 24 points a game and 119 rushing yards. During the regular season, they allowed over 30 points in six games.

Stats aside, the Tiger Cats’ defence also came up short in big games. Hamilton lost all three games against the Alouettes last season. In week 4, they fell 21-8, in week 13 they fell 42-8 and they lost 41-38 in week 16. Were these losses all the defence’s fault? No, but they certainly didn’t do enough to help their team stay in the game.

Furthermore, in the East semi-final crossover game against the B.C. Lions, the defence allowed Casey Printers and company to stroll in to town and put up 34 points in a 34-27 loss.

Hamilton’s defence let them down last season.

Heading into this season, there has not been much change over on the defensive or the offensive side of the ball. Simply put, the offence should continue to put up points and Hamilton’s defence will likely continue its mediocre play.

Their defensive front seven is viewed as an intimidating force, led by defensive end Khari Long and Jamall Johnson, Markeith Knowlton and Otis Floyd. However, this group also allowed well over 100 yards rushing per game last season. In the defensive secondary, there are no players that really stand out.

Montreal’s defence, which doesn’t have as much star power as Hamilton’s, still was one of the most dominant forces in the league last season. Even when they weren’t shutting down opposing offences completely, they gave Montreal a chance every game.

As the saying goes “defence wins championships”. If this is the case, the Tiger Cats are in tough this season.

A good as Hamilton’s offence is, they are still developing. Will the defence be able to help them through their growing pains? Will the star players on the Tiger Cats’ defence step up and play better team defence? Will Hamilton’s defence step up in big games against Montreal or the powerful teams of the West?

Unless the answers to those questions are yes, the Tiger Cats will have to settle for second place in the East this season.

Jon H
"This is our League"

Have coaches in the CFL been able to make their ‘pivotal’ decisions after the first week of pre-season?

In Riderville, where the backup quarterback situation has been foggy at best lately, the picture has suddenly become clearer after Saskatchewan’s 19-17 pre-season loss to the B.C. Lions on Sunday.

Entering the game, fans were wondering where Ryan Dinwiddie or Cole Bergquist would grab the reigns of the backup job. Also, fans were interested in seeing how southpaw Kent Smith would play, especially since he was kept while the much-hyped Todd Reesing was released.

Dinwiddie got the first chance and looked exceptional. He led the Riders to touchdowns on two of his three drives. On the third drive, he drove Saskatchewan into B.C. territory, but threw an errant pass and was intercepted by Tad Crawford. He was 13/19 for 141 with two touchdowns and one interception on the day.

Berquist played not to poorly himself after taking over from Dinwiddie. He went 7/9 for 102 yards and helped set up a Rider field goal. Berquist, however, seemed a bit more rusty and jittery than Dinwiddie. Of Course, Dinwiddie’s performance was no easy act to follow.

As for Smith, he played, well, awful. Just look at the stat line: 2/12 for 32 yards. Furthermore, his failure to get the Riders in field goal range lost them the game. Smith seemed to step back each play and throw the ball as hard as he could. The ball didn’t often find anyone wearing Green. Smith has been released from the team.

So, the quarterback situation is pretty clear in Saskatchewan. Darian Durant is the starter, despite a few people who think their may be controversy between Dinwiddie and Durant, Dinwiddie will be the backup and Berquist will be the third stringer. The Riders don’t necessarily need to bring in another quarterback at the moment.

In Toronto and Winnipeg, the search for a starting quarterback was more of a hot topic.

The Argonauts were auditioning four quarterbacks in their preseason game against Hamilton on Sunday: Cleo Lemon, Dalton Bell, Ken Dorsey and Canadian Danny Brannagan. The results were mixed. Lemon started the game and went only 3/10 for 41 yards. Brannagan stepped in and did, well, not much better. He was 3/11 for 31 yards and an interception.

The quarterback play did improve after that. Bell came in for the second half and guided Toronto to field goal drives of 55 and 58 yards. Bell finished the game 7/10 for 94 yards. Dorsey helped complete the comeback for Toronto – who was down 10-1 at the half before eventually winning 13-10. He went 8/17 for 96 yards and an interception. He helped guide Toronto on its game winning drive.

After the game, the quarterback situation is far from settled. Toronto appears to have been high on Lemon during training camp, but his performance certainly wasn’t promising. If Brannagan was ever seriously being considered for the starting role, he likely isn’t now. The job then comes down to Bell and Dorsey. Bell was certainly the more consistent of the two in the pre-season game and does have CFL experience. Dorsey, however, has five-years of NFL experience under his belt.

The battle in Toronto may have to go to another round, or in this case, the next pre-season game.

For the Blue Bombers, the candidate list was narrower. Buck Pierce and Steven Jyles were the main quarterbacks fans and coaches were keeping an eye on in Winnipeg’s 34-10 pre-season victory over the Montreal Alouettes on Sunday.

Pierce certainly looked dazzlingly. In his playing time, he engineered two touchdown drives, one that was 11 plays and 104 yards long. Pierce’s stat line was also impressive: 6/10 for 105 yards and a touchdown.

Jyles did lead the Bombers to one touchdown, but was far less impressive. He went 2/8 for 42 yards and an interception. Reportedly, there were some drop balls that affected his stats slightly.

Still, the quarterback situation appears to have been settled.

Pierce, whose health has been a repeated topic of discussion throughout his career, appears to have the starting job in line if he stays healthy. Jyles will likely have to settle for the backup job, which has to be a disappointment to him.

Those are certainly the teams with the most questions surrounding the quarterback position, but other teams learned things as well.

The Lions witnessed solid play from projected starter Casey Printers. Printers was his usual elusive self, avoiding sure tacklers to buy his receivers time. He finished the game 6/12 with 82 yards and a touchdown on a scramble play. Travis Lulay also impressed, going 13/24 for 142 yards. With Jarious Jackson fighting through an injury, B.C. at least learned they have a solid quarterback in Lulay to backup Printers.

In Calgary, the Stampeders are set with Henry Burris as a starter, but face questions about their backup quarterback. Drew Tate saw the most action in Calgary’s 23-21 victory over Calgary on Sunday, going 18/29 for 249 yards. So is Tate the backup? Well, Calgary does have Zac Champion and have recently signed free agent quarterback Cody Pickett.

Edmonton, on the other hand, didn’t really learn much. Ricky Ray is obviously the starter. Jason Maas, who was 7/9 for 52 yards with a touchdown and an interception, will probably serve as the backup. Jared Zabransky, who was 5/11 for 51 yards a touchdown and an interception, could rise up in the future.

In Hamilton, despite false rumours that backup quarterback Quinton Porter had been released, it appears he will serve as a backup to Kevin Glenn. In Montreal, despite the fact that Chris Leak had an impressive pre-season game going 21/32 for 181 yards and a touchdown, Adrian McPherson should be the backup for now behind Anthony Calvillo.

Jon H
"This is our League"

Dear Wally Buono,

I write to you suggesting, nay imploring, that you avoid any potential quarterback controversy amongst your B.C. Lions squad this season by releasing either Jarious Jackson or Casey Printers before the season starts.

Now, it may not be my place to give you advice. You are, as you so often remind everyone, the CFL’s all-time winningest coach. However, you have not dealt with quarterback controversies perfectly, especially in your time with the Lions.

Quarterback controversies like the one between Printers and Dave Dickenson, or between Jackson and Buck Pierce have been detrimental to your team for the most part.

In 2004, your second season in B.C., the Lions boasted a record of 13-5. This was easily enough to clinch the West division title. Furthermore, you had a solid team led by Printers, the most outstanding player in the league, and slotback Jason Clermont, the most outstanding Canadian. After narrowly defeating the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the West final, you advance to the Grey Cup against the Toronto Argonauts.

Going into the game, Buono, you made a surprising decision when you announced Dickenson would be the starting quarterback. Ever since Dickenson had gone down to injury earlier in the season, Printers had been amazing as the starter. While Printers had been forced to leave the West final due to injury, he was ready to go for the game. Your loyalty to Dickenson forced you to make an unwise decision.

In the game, Dickenson made 18 of 27 pass attempts for 201 yards and a touchdown as the Lions fell 27-19. The result could have been much different if Printers had gotten the nod, Wally. This quarterback controversy forced you to make an unwise decision.

Next season, the controversy between Printers and Dickenson continued. This seemed to affect your team negatively because it was never dealt with. Despite their 11-0 start, they ended up being ousted in the West final by the Edmonton Eskimos.

For the next couple of seasons, it was anyone’s guess who would be the starting quarterback in B.C.: Jackson, Pierce or Dickenson? In fairness, injuries didn’t help. Still, you’re Lions never really found continuity at the quarterback position, largely because you never named a permanent starter.

But, enough living in the past. You have a chance to avoid this reoccurring quarterback controversy this season by naming Jackson or Printers the starter and releasing the other.

Personally, I would suggest keeping Printers. You know there is great potential in the former most outstanding player, while your Lions squad has been average at best under Jackson. Now, don’t get me wrong, if Jackson out performs Printers in camp, keep him and give Printers the heave-ho.

Both Printers and Jackson want to start, and even if you name one the starter and keep the other, there will be talks of quarterback controversy the second the starting quarterback falters. This kind of talk can be bad for team morale, as you have seen in the past.

With Travis Lulay, Wally, you already have a promising backup you can turn to if your starting quarterback really struggles. Yet with Lulay, there will be little talk of controversy unless things get really bad.

You don’t need both Jackson and Printers. It is time to put your confidence into one quarterback heading into the season. Though you have often said you don’t like a quarterback to get too comfortable, which is why you often have a solid quarterback waiting in the wings, perhaps it is time to try a new tactic.

The rest of your offence looks pretty solid. All that is missing is a permanent starting quarterback to lead your team.

Look, Wally, I am not a fan of the Lions and I am certainly not rooting for you this season. However, your team’s constant quarterback controversies that always take up a lot of the media’s time are boring.

You’ve already fought high cholesterol, Wally, and now its time to fight your apparent urge to create quarterback controversies.

Yours truly,
Jonathan Hamelin

"This is our League"

In the CFL, the quarterback is often the most heavily discussed position. This should continue to be the case this week, as rookie camps and training camps open up across the league.

The Toronto Argonauts and Winnipeg Blue Bombers, two teams who missed the playoffs last season, both are not sure who their starting quarterback will be heading into the season.

Toronto will have Dalton Bell, Danny Brannagan, Ken Dorsey, Gibran Hamdan and Cleo Lemon. None of these quarterbacks have any real CFL experience. The main battle here should be between Dorsey (who has NFL experience), Bell (who has the most CFL experience) and Lemon (who has NFL experience and had a successful college career). It is really any one’s position to win.

Winnipeg certainly has more experienced quarterbacks in camp. Buck Pierce, Steven Jyles, Adam DiMichele Alex Brink will all be competing for the starting quarterback job, but the main battle will be between Jyles and Pierce. Pierce has more experience than Jyles, entering his eighth year in the league and having started more games than Jyles, but Pierce also has suffered through injuries. Jyles is desperate to finally be a starting quarterback, and unless Pierce stays healthy, he may get his wish in Winnipeg.

Winnipeg and Toronto are not the only teams dealing with questions concerning the quarterback position.

In Saskatchewan, fans are wondering who the backup quarterback will be this season. While Darian Durant is the clear-cut starter, Ryan Dinwiddie, Cole Bergguist, Todd Reesing and Kent Smith will be battling it out for the backup position. Dinwiddie is the “veteran” among the group, but both Reesing and Bergguist have great potential. The backup quarterback position is up in the air, but Bergguist could have the upper hand because he spent all last season with the organization.

The competition between Casey Printers and Jarious Jackson should make the B.C. Lions training camp interesting. Jackson saw more time than Printers last season, throwing for 1,252 yards and 12 touchdowns, but Printers was the starter from week 17 on. In the East semi-final that saw B.C. crossover to play Hamilton, Printers helped the Lions upset Hamilton 34-27. With Printers, a former most outstanding player in the league, the Lions know they have a potentially dangerous quarterback. With Jackson, the Lions know they have a quarterback who has never really lived up to his potential. The job, therefore, should be Printers to lose.

There are other battles to keep an eye on during training camps, largely thanks to the number of quality players that went to the NFL in the off-season.

Toronto has plenty of position battles to watch, mainly on the offensive side of the ball. With Jamal Robertson gone, Toronto’s leading rusher from last season, the Argonauts will be looking for a replacement. Jeff Johnson, Bryan Crawford and Andre Durie will be the main players to focus on. In the receiving core, Jermaine Copeland and Chad Lucas will be starters, leaving players like Mike Bradwell, Jason Carter, Obed Cétoute and Chad Rempel to battle it out for the other spots. Also, while Toronto didn’t bring in lots of competition for kicker Robbie Dehaze, it will be interesting to see how he performs in training camp.

The Roughriders lost starting defensive end’s John Chick (32 tackles and 11 sacks in 2009) and Stevie Baggs (55 tackles and 12 sacks) in the off-season. There are a number of players fighting for their jobs, including first overall draft pick Shomari Williams, Brent Hawkins, Ikenna Ike, Kitwana Jones, Joe Sykes and Michael Stadnyk. While any  of these players could earn the starting role, it appears that Hawkins is one of the front runners, with 23 career tackles and 5.5 sacks in the NFL. Williams could be another front runner for the position, though he is a rookie. For the second defensive end spot, Saskatchewan may in fact rotate players in during the season.

Edmonton, who traded away wide receiver Maurice Mann in the off-season, certainly are facing some questions in the receiving core. Kevin Challenger, Rudy Burgess, Skyler Green, Efrem Hill, Andrew Nowacki and Kevin Wuthrich are competing. With over 400 yards and one touchdown last season, Nowacki has got to be the favourite for one spot, while Challenger, Green and Hill should be the main contenders for the other.

The Calgary Stampeders have a few questions at well. With last year’s middle linebacker Tim Johnson gone, the team will be looking for a new middle linebacker. But, the main concern for Calgary is the offensive line. Veteran’s Jeff Pilon and John Comiskey retired this off-season and Dimitri Tsoumpas went to the NFL. Ben Archibald, Randy Chevrier, Dan Comiskey, Rob Lazeo, Jesse Newman, Tim O’Neill and Matt Sheridan will be some of the offensive lineman to watch at training camp.

The Hamilton Tiger Cats and Montreal Alouettes both don’t have many questions heading into training camp. However, since both teams should be very competitive this season, they will definitely want to have a solid training camp and come together as a team.

Cleary, there should be plenty of battle to keep your eyes on as training camps get underway across the CFL. And of course, with training camps opening, it means the season is that much closer. Preseason action starts on Sunday, June 13 and the regular season begins on Thursday, July 1 with an exciting doubleheader.

Let the games begin!

Jon H
"This is our League"

Joffrey Reynolds is a veteran running back with and a three-time CFL all-star. Rob Maver is a rookie kicker who had a successful university career. Though they are hardly similar, the success of both players will be pivotal for the Calgary Stampeders this season.
 
In the 2009 campaign, in which Calgary hosted the 97th Grey Cup, Calgary finished second in the West with a record 10-7-1. After a narrow 24-21 victory over the Edmonton Eskimos in the West semi-final, the Stampeders fell 27-17 to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the West final, ending their Grey Cup hopes. If they want to get back to the Grey Cup this season, Maver and Reynolds will have to be on the top of their game.

When Calgary’s former star kicker Sandro DeAngelis signed with the Hamilton Tiger Cats via free agency, it was one of the most shocking moves of this off-season. DeAngelis has made 83.8% of his field goals during his five year career in the CFL with Calgary. It was no secret that DeAngelis had NFL aspirations, but to see him leave for another CFL team was shocking.

This brings us to Maver.

Maver, a placekicker/punter for the University of Guelph, was selected by the Stampeders in the first round of the 2010 CFL Draft with their fifth pick. Last season, the 22-year-old led the CIS in punting with a 46.12 yard average and also connected on 78.26 percent of his field goals. Still, unless Warren Kean somehow beats out Maver for the starting job, there will be a lot of pressure on Maver to replace DeAngelis.

Last season DeAngelis had the second most points of all kickers, behind only Damon Duval of the Montreal Alouettes, accounting for nearly 35 percent of Calgary’s scoring. Maver will need to be able to match this success this season. When the Stampeders offence fails to put up touchdowns, they will look to Maver to put points on the board.

During his time in Calgary, DeAngelis also won many games for the Stampeders thanks to his game winning kicks. When the game is on the line, will the young Maver be able to buckle down and make a big kick?

A kicker may not be the most important part of a team, but consider this. A couple of missed kicks in a game could mean a loss, a missed kick in the playoffs could mean the end of a season. Clearly, a lot rides on Maver this season.

As for Reynolds, he will need to step up and lead Calgary’s offence this season.

At 34 years old, quarterback Henry Burris isn’t getting any younger and there are serious questions about the passing game. Calgary traded away their leading receiver last season in Jermaine Copeland (1,235 yards, 12 touchdowns), meaning they will have a less talented receiving core. Reynolds could help open up the passing game for Calgary, while taking some pressure off of the team’s new look offensive line.

Fortunately for Calgary, Reynolds is the right man for the job. Even though he is over 30, Reynolds has seen his productivity rise the last three seasons, finishing 1,504 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. When Reynolds rushed for 100 yards in a game last season, the Stampeders only lost three times.

Burris is great at running the play action pass. When Reynolds is running the ball effectively it opens this play up and tires out opposing defences.

Heading into a new season, Calgary will be looking to prove they are still one of the top dogs in the West. Saskatchewan finished first in the West last season. The Stampeders defence won’t be amazing, but should be consistent enough to keep Calgary in ball games. On offence, the Stampeders offence won’t do much if Reynolds struggles. If Maver fails in the kicking game, Calgary could find themselves on the short end of many close games.

That’s a lot of pressure on two players.

Jon H
"This is our League"

Relationships are a beautiful thing. Like the relationship, for example, between a football player and his team. When things are going well, the player contributes to the team by putting forward a solid effort. He is rewarded by collecting a pay check.

But, sometimes things change.

The relationship starts to run its course. The team may become dissatisfied with the player’s attitude, or the player may become unhappy with the treatment he is receiving from the team. Furthermore, the player may become too old for the team. This usually results in the player getting released.

In the CFL, there are currently some top notch free agents out there. With that being said, here is an attempt to match them up with a new partner.

Jesse Lumsden – Running Back (Career: 1,802 yards, nine touchdowns and a 6.3 average)
CFL Matchmaker: Toronto Argonauts

Yes, Lumsden has had an injury-filled career. However, it couldn’t hurt Toronto to take a chance on Lumsden. As it stands, the Argos don’t even have a running back on their team that rushed for over 100 yards last season, thanks to the departure of 1,000 yard rusher Jamal Robertson. Lumsden has been effective when not injured. In 2007, he rushed for 743 yards and averaged 7.6 yards a carry. More than that, Lumdsen is only 27 years old and still has the will to play. Toronto would not have to pay a ton of money to bring in Lumsden and the potential rewards could be great.

Zeke Moreno – Middle Linebacker (Career: 306 tackles, six sacks and five interceptions)
CFL Matchmaker: Calgary Stampeders

With the retirement of Tim Johnson this off-season, and a linebacking core that is far from solid, Calgary could really benefit from adding a shutdown linebacker like Moreno. Moreno could step in nicely for Johnson, who had 54 tackles and a sack last season for Calgary. Moreno started his CFL career with the Hamilton Tiger Cats in 2007 and was named an all-star in his first two years. Moreno, who has averaged over 100 tackles a season, would add some punch to Calgary’s defence, which allowed 123 rushing yards a game last season.

Fred Perry – Defensive End (Career: 315 tackles, 62 sacks and 46 special teams’ tackles)
CFL Matchmaker: Saskatchewan Roughriders

The Riders are in need of a starting defensive end. Why not bring back the defensive end that had great success in Saskatchewan? Perry, a ten year veteran and two-time CFL all-star, was a dominant force during his three year tenure with the Riders. He recorded 159 tackles and 33 sacks and was part of Saskatchewan’s 2007 Grey Cup team. The Riders lost defensive ends John Chick, who had 32 tackles and 11 sacks last season, as well as Stevie Baggs, who recorded 55 tackles and 12 sacks last season. Though Perry is 35, he could provide some veteran leadership on the defensive line.

Reggie Hunt – Middle/Outside Linebacker (Career: 514 tackles, 28 sacks and eight interceptions)
CFL Matchmaker: B.C. Lions

Hunt signing in B.C. makes a lot of sense. First of all, Hunt is the older brother of Aaron Hunt, the Lions star defensive tackle. Secondly, B.C.’s run defence was horrid last season, they gave up 138 rushing yards a game, and they could use a solid middle linebacker to play next to Anton Mackenzie. After Mackenzie, who tallied 85 tackles and six sacks last season, the Lions don’t have a proven linebacker. Hunt is a solid veteran.

Siddeeq Shabazz – Middle/Outside Linebacker (Career: 212 tackles, seven sacks and five interceptions)
CFL Matchmaker: Montreal Alouettes

While the Alouettes have one of the deepest rosters in the CFL, they could afford to add a solid linebacker to the mix. Shabazz would compliment current linebackers Chip Cox and Shea Emry. He has averaged 71 tackles, two sacks and nearly two interceptions a season. Another thing to consider is the fact Shabazz holds a grudge against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who released him, and Montreal plays them three times this season.

Kelly Malveaux – Defensive Back (Career: 461 tackles, 17 interceptions and six sacks)
CFL Matchmaker: Hamilton Tiger Cats

After trading away solid defensive back Chris Thompson this off-season, the Tiger Cats could use some depth in the defensive backfield. Though Hamilton’s defense improved greatly last season, they did allow 24 points a game. The Tiger Cats have a solid front seven but the defensive backfield has always been an area of concern for them. If Hamilton hopes to compete with Montreal, who has a group of deadly receivers, they will need good defensive backs.

Kerry Joseph – Quarterback (Career: 24,831 yards, 130 touchdowns and a 58.5 completion percentage)
CFL Matchmaker: Winnipeg Blue Bombers

While the Bombers already added pivots Buck Pierce and Steven Jyles in the off-season, it wouldn’t hurt to give Joseph a look. Pierce has had a history of injuries and Jyles is an unproven quarterback. Joseph is the league’s former Most Outstanding Player and could challenge Pierce and Jyles for the starting position. If he fails to get the position, Joseph could serve as reliable backup for a team that ran into quarterback troubles last season.

Kenton Keith – Running Back (Career: 3,913 yards, 21 touchdowns and a 6.1 average)
CFL Matchmaker: Saskatchewan Roughriders

During his time in the CFL, Keith has found his most success with the Riders. During his four year stint with the team, Keith rushed for 3,811 yards and 21 touchdowns. The Riders have question marks in the backfield currently. Wes Cates was the only starting running back last season not to rush for 1,000 yards. Behind Cates, the Riders have Dominique Dorsey, Hugh Charles and Stuart Foord. These three running backs are explosive, but have not seen a ton of time in the backfield.

Ian Smart – Running Back/Kick Returner (Career: 318 yards, three touchdowns and a 5.8 average)
CFL Matchmaker: Toronto Argonauts

Since the Argos did not bring back Dorsey, their special teams’ demon, in the off-season, they need a good return man. Smart was the CFL’s most outstanding special team’s player in 2007. Furthermore, he could be used as a running back on occasion, giving Toronto depth at that position. Smart could help the Argos win the field position battle, something that will be important with their inexperienced offence.

Jerome Haywood – Defensive Tackle (Career: 232 tackles, 31 sacks and one special teams’ tackle)
CFL Matchmaker: Saskatchewan Roughriders

Since Saskatchewan did not draft a defensive tackle in the CFL draft, they may want to give Haywood a look. At around 280 pounds, Haywood can certainly dominate the line of scrimmage.  This would help the Riders, who gave up 124 rushing yards a game last season. While Marcus Adams and Keith Shologan appear to be the starting defensive tackles going into camp for the Riders, the veteran Haywood could push them in training camp. 

Jon H
"This is our League"