2013 CFL Power Rankings Pre-Season Week 1

1. BC Lions
I don't think you can really argue with the Lions being ranked the best at this stage of season. They have the best quarterback in Travis Lulay and a lot of other talent. They lost receiver Geroy Simon, but they also lost his high salary and he's not who he was in his prime. Plus GM Wally Buono knows how to value players. With the limited information we have, BC has to be number one until proven otherwise.

2. Montreal Alouettes
Sure Calvillo is old, but he is still dangerous. The Als now have Quinton Porter as a backup who is decent for a number two in case Calvillo goes down. Again with the limited knowledge, I'll defer to the skills of GM Jim Popp. They don't have Marc Trestman around any more as coach, however I always thought Popp was most important.

3. Toronto Argonauts
The Argos won the Grey Cup last year in a bit of a surprise. I like Ricky Ray at quarterback and Chad Kackert at running back. Chad Owens, receiver and returner and erstwhile MMA fighter also anchors the Argo offense. The defence is more concerning. The front four pretty much got dismantled, which had been an Argo strength. Look for the Argo defence to be weaker, at least initially in 2013.

4. Saskatchewan Rough Riders
Darian Durrant is still a potential best quarterback in the league, with both running and passing ability. Not particularly impressed with the pickup of Geroy Simon, however the receivers (especially the non-imports) have always been a strength in recent years, so Simon could be effective as a secondary target that isn't drawing double coverage.

5. Calgary Stampeders
Drew Tate is OK, and the Stamps have Kevin Glenn as probably the best backup in the CFL. Tate has never really demonstrated that he's a great quarterback, so that holds the Stamps back somewhat. No real impression of their defence right now.

6. Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Ticats are a bit tough this year to predict. Last year they were predicted as a Grey Cup favourite, then ended up in dead last. Good offense, even worse defence. The Ticats still have Henry Burris at quarterback who should be effective at quarterback at a rather advanced age. The Cats receivers are still decent although losing Chris Williams definitely hurts. The defence is the wild card. It was plain bad last year and the secondary has been totally remade. There's no guarantee the defence will be better, however the presence of Burris prevents the Ticats from being at the absolute bottom of the rankings.

7. Edmonton Eskimos
I watched part of their pre-season game and did see quarterback Matt Nichols get injured and I read today that he is now out for the season. I already wasn't that keen on two non-proven quarterbacks being your starter, but now without a choice, the odds of a good season are a little bit worse. They've jettisoned both Cory Boyd and Jerome Messam at running back which I can see (as per my belief in the fungibility of import running backs), but doesn't give me great confidence. Last in the West, although last overall seems less likely.


8. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
There's Buck Pierce and then not a lot after him at quarterback. That seems to me to be a recipe for disaster. At least they have a new stadium.

Half-Time Saskatchewan at Edmonton Pre-Season Game

Lots of turnovers, but that's not surprising. Maybe more surprising was ex-Ticat defensive backs Marcell Young and Carlos Thomas getting TDs off of turnovers. Maybe they weren't that bad after all.

Thoughts on Last Night's Pre-Season Win Against Montreal 2013

TSN didn't show the game last night (and why TSN is only showing two games, both with Edmonton seems weird) so I can only look at the recaps. At least backup quarterback Dan Lefevour looked good. As I recall he did well when he was in last year during the pre-season. With Quinton Porter gone to Montreal, if anything happens to Burris then the Cats need somebody. Pre-season is different than regular season however.

From what I've read the defence looked good, but again that was against quarterbacks who aren't Anthony Calvillo. The Ticat defence was bad enough last year and there's a lot of changes this year, especially in the secondary. The one benefit is that there's a lot of import defensive backs out there so it isn't inconceivable the Cats secondary could regress towards the mean, but in a good way (i.e. less sucky). I've never done the stats, but my guess is that the CFL has less correlation between seasons for teams than other sports so there's always some hope.

Impressive also that Lindsay Lamar scored a TD off a punt return. Without Chris Williams, the Cats might be in trouble on special teams, so any indication of a spark is welcome.

I'll be going to the game next week in Guelph, so I'll be able to do a more in depth report, both on the stadium and the last pre-season game. There should be a lot of Burris in that one and more indication on who starts on defence.

Chris Williams' Contract Ruled Valid By Arbitrator

Just saw on the Ticats Twitter feed that an independent arbitrator has ruled that Chris Williams present Ticat contract is valid. So first off, Williams won't be going to an NFL camp this year.

Williams hasn't reported to camp yet, so what happens next will be interesting. Williams doesn't have much choice but to play for the Cats this year if he wants to play in the CFL this year. I'm doubting the Cats would trade him and would prefer to just have him remain on the suspended list rather than have him come back and bite them in the ass later in the season.

Williams isn't getting paid much at all this year, so he may have already calculated that he would just sit out this year and try for an NFL camp the following year or another CFL team. I suppose Williams could now report to camp, but it seems unlikely.

Tim Tebow Released by Jets, CFL Bound

Now with word that the NY Jets have released quarterback Tim Tebow, what's the odds that he ends up in the CFL in 2013. Not high, as there has to be some bad team that would pick him up for publicity purposes. Next year in 2014 is more of a possibility, although given Tebow's potential in the ministry, the $500 K maximum CFL salary might be a hindrance.

I'm doubting he would end up in Hamilton (I'm not even sure which CFL team has his negotiation rights), although right now the Cats pretty much just have Henry Burris when it comes to experienced quarterbacks.

Chris Williams Situation

I don't know all the details, but clearly Chris Williams would prefer to not play his option year with the Cats in 2013 and try his luck in the CFL. Obviously he's under contract, so the options are sitting out or playing for the Cats. An issue is that he is under a beginning deal, so his pay is minimal. One problem with paying imports such little money initially is that they aren't really losing out on a lot by sitting out.

As far as I understand if the the Cats and Williams redid his deal, it would have to extend to next year, which is probably unpalatable to Williams. The Cats would certainly miss Williams, although as I have kept repeating in this off-season, they were in last place even with him. My guess is that Williams comes back and plays this season grudgingly, although I could see him saying screw it, why play and have the chance of being injured and complicate his NFL bid in 2014. He would be a free agent so even if he didn't make the NFL he could sign a lucrative free agent contract with another CFL club.

Thoughts on the 2013 Ticats Schedule

Long time no post I know, but I'll try and do something at least weekly during the off-season.

Obviously the Ticats are in Guelph this year which is weird. The Cats start in Toronto on the road which is good for the local fans to easily get too, although the Rogers Centre sucks as a football venue.

That's followed up by two home games in Guelph. Hopefully the Cats don't fall flat the first few games, as they'll need a decent team to fill up in Guelph.

There's no Labour Day game which is sad considering the history. Stranger still that weekend they are playing in BC on the Saturday, obviously not a natural rival. At least BC gets a home game on the Labour Day weekend.

Another Moncton game in September this time against an East opponent in Montreal. I assume the league is hoping for some Alouettes fans to make the journey to New Brunswick. I'm not sure how many Cats fans they will get after just two season from their last appearance in the bilingual province.

The season finishes with five division battles in the row, which could be quite interesting if the playoff race is close, or just depressing if the Cats follow up last year with another honking season.

How will the Cats do attendance wise in Guelph? I have no idea. Will people from Guelph support the team? I again have no idea. Will people from Hamilton make the journey? Yet again, no idea.