The BC Lions could be a very hard team to pass the ball against in 2012. After a productive 48 hours that saw the defending Grey Cup champions sign Lin-J Shell and re-sign their own free agents, Ryan Phillips and Dante Marsh, the team has confirmed the signing of three time division and league all-star Byron Parker, formerly with the Toronto Argonauts.

The signing leaves BC with a secondary to be envied by the rest of the league and one that just oozes with experience. It will be interesting to see how the Lions utilize all this DB talent when things get going and it certainly means that a few DB’s on the roster today likely won’t be on opening day. If the Lions can have James Yurichuk step in at middle linebacker the Lions could go with an all-import secondary.

Regardless, it’s a luxury that every coach in the league would drool over. After retaining pretty much their entire Grey Cup winning offensive roster, they are now loading up on defence. The loss of Solomon Elimimian and possibly Aaron Hunt will be felt, but the Lions already have some nice pieces to try and plug in with the likes of Rajon Henley, Yurichuk, Joash Gesse, Adam Bighill and Adam Leonard.

On offence the Lions addressed the retirement of Jamall Lee by signing Stu Foord out of Saskatchewan. Foord will see duty on special teams and back up fellow Canadian Andrew Harris in the backfield.

“Stu is a capable running back who can provide us with some depth behind Andrew Harris as well as on special teams. We’ve been aware of his ability for some time and this is a very good addition.” said GM Wally Buono.

Foord leaves Regina after coming up through the junior ranks, playing for the Regina Thunder and spending the last four seasons with the Riders where he saw very limited touches and spent most of his time on special teams.

Word on the Aaron Hunt front is that there is interest out east for the popular Lion defensive lineman, but Lowell Ullrich of The Province also indicated on Thursday that the door may not quite be closed yet on a return to BC.

It came down to the wire, but the BC Lions signed two more of their own Wednesday morning as the team announced that Ryan Phillips and Dante Marsh would be back with the team in 2012.

Farhan Lalji of TSN broke the story last night indicating the sides had agreed to new deals but the contracts were not officially done until this morning.

The signings give the Lions defence a solid boost of of continuity on defence, with Solomon Elimimian the only huge loss so far. That said, popular defensive lineman Aaron Hunt has not been as successful with his dealings with the Lions and is currently shopping himself around the league as a free agent, with Hamilton and Winnipeg said to be interested in his services. It would likely have to be a full time playing role and a starters wage for Hunt to move, which apparently the reason why he hasn’t re-signed with the Lions.

There have also been rumblings the Lions could be bringing former Stubler protege Byron Parker into the fold, which would leave the secondary very crowded but stacked with talent.

We’ll have a recap of all the Lions action coming later.

The BC Lions have reportedly signed free agent defensive back Lin-J Shell. Photo: CFL.ca 

The BC Lions have kept themselves in the news this off-season and they achieved that once again Monday with news that running back Jamall Lee retired and that the team had signed two time eastern all-star Lin-J Shell to a free agent contract. Shell had been released by the Toronto Argonauts earlier in the off-season.

Opinions are varied as to where that leaves the Lions’ own two free agent defensive backs. The Province’s Lowell Ullrich feels the signing could have a an impact on the re-signing of the Dante Marsh and Ryan Phillips while tweets by TSN’s Farhan Lalji indicated that Marsh may be close to a deal with the club and that Phillips remained a real possibility.

Earlier in the week there was concern over the Lions letting three key free agents get to the deadline unsigned and that still may happen with no progress being reported on Aaron Hunt. But it appears as if the Lions are putting some pressure on Marsh and Phillips to accept deals that are open to both players. The signing of Shell might also spell the end of any possible return for Tad Kornegay, who the Lions released earlier as per an agreement they had when they signed him last season.

Shell had 94 tackles and added two interceptions in 2011. He was a surprise early cut of the Argos this off-season who inidicated defensive philosophy and salary were considerations for the the move.

“Lin-J has been a great player for us but with a new defensive scheme and philosophy planned for this season, and operating within the salary management system, he is no longer a fit for our team.  We would like to thank Lin-J for his contributions and wish him continued success.” said GM Jim Barker at the time of the release.

On offence and special teams the Lions were informed that 24 year old running back Jamall Lee had made the decision to retire from football, reportedly to concentrate on the field of social work. Lee has sustained injuries over the last two seasons, including a bad ACL tear in his knee. That move leaves the Lions thin at running back after Jamal Roberston retired, and the deal that sent Jerome Messam to Edmonton last season. The Lions once scary depth of Canadian running backs looks much different a year later.

With Wednesday’s free agent deadline looming, don’t expect things to stay quiet in the Lions den anytime soon.

The BC Lions off-season has been an eventful one so far and Thursday night the biggest surprise so far came with the news that tackle Jovan Olafioye would be returning to the team after a “medical issue” was listed as the cause of his release from the St.Louis Rams. The nature of the medical issue was not reported. The NFL window in his contracted closes next Wednesday, but Olafioye’s agent announced he would be returning to BC.

The 24 year-old Olafioye worked out for 15 NFL teams this off-season before signing with St. Louis. In a statement Thursday Olafioye indicated the news was “unexpected” but that he was happy to be returning to BC.

The big right tackle didn’t allow a sack in 2011 and it was a forgone conclusion he would be lost to the NFL in 2012 given his age and potential. His return scratches a huge need of the Lions list heading into training camp, depending of course on the nature of the reported medical issue.

The media release from BCLions.com:

The BC Lions Football Club was informed Thursday evening that offensive lineman Jovan Olafioye has been released by the St. Louis Rams.

Olafioye’s representative Dan Vertlieb issued the following statement: “The St. Louis Rams have notified Jovan Olafioye that they have released him from his contract due to their concerns about a medical issue.  Given the closing window to explore opportunities in the NFL in Jovan’s current CFL contract, he will return to the BC Lions for another season after thoroughly addressing his status.”

Lions VP of football operations and GM Wally Buonohas issued the following statement: “We are pleased to welcome Jovan back and we will work with him closely in coming months to ensure any issues that may have arisen are addressed.”

Anchoring a Lions offensive line that gave up the fewest sacks in the CFL for the first time since 1995, Olafioye was dominant throughout the year and earned the nod as the West Division’s Most Outstanding Lineman.

Jovan Olafioye has issued the following statement: “While this news was unexpected, I am very happy to be returning to my family at the BC Lions.”

Related stories:

About turn: Olafioye back with Lions – Lowell Ullrich, The Province.

Korey Banks will be in a Lions uniform until at least the end of the 2013 season. Photo: BCLions.com

The BC Lions announced Wednesday the signing of defensive back Korey Banks. The extension is a two year deal which will see the popular veteran remain with the Lions until at least the end of the 2013 season. Banks was entering the option year of his contract and was not set to become a free agent, but locking him for another year is another key core signing for the team this off-season.

Banks enjoyed another all-star season with the Lions, the fourth such honour of his career. Banks will begin his ninth season in the CFL in 2012, all but two of those have been with the BC Lions after being selected in the 2006 dispersal draft of the folded Ottawa Renegades.

Reporters and media members will be happy with today’s news as Banks is known to never shy away from a microphone and provides them with great material for their newspapers and sound bites.

Here are Banks career starts, as found on BCLions.com, where you can find the official release of today’s news.

Stats via BCLions.com 

Paris Jackson had better offers, but in the end he chose to stay with both is immediate and CFL family over the other options.

The BC Lions announced following the Super Bowl that the popular veteran non-import receiver had extended with the Lions for another year plus an option.

Jackson assumed a back up role for the team last season and helped mentor younger receivers such as Akeem Foster, Shawn Gore and Marco Iannuzzi. He’ll assume that role again and also be ready to make a clutch catch when called on, as he did in last season’s Western Final and Grey Cup game.

“Paris has always been a very good receiver and in recent years he has developed into both a leader and mentor for our younger receivers,” said VP of football operations and GM Wally Buono. “He is an important part of our team and this is another offseason win for the club to have him returning.”

More details on the signing can be found at BCLions.com and at Lowell Ullrich’s Fifth Quarter blog.

The BC Lions have added another key potential free agent Thursday evening with the announcement that the team has re-signed place kicker and punter Paul McCallum.

General Manager Wally Buono is thrilled to have the 19 year veteran and CFL record holder for consecutive field goals back in the lineup.

“Paul has been one of our most consistent and dependable players since coming here in 2006,” said VP of football operations and GM Wally Buono. “He has been one of the very best at his position and this is a very important signing for the club.”

Full details at BCLions.com

The BC Lions will be looking for a new middle linebacker in 2012, as the agent for Solomon Elimimian announced on Twitter Wednesday that his client had signed with the Minnesota Vikings.

Lowell Ullrich of The Province reported that the Lions may have had the chance to make an offer on Wednesday to the all-star linebacker but no offer was made. If that was the case, one has to wonder how good the NFL offers were.  According to the Ullrich report, the Lions say no official request for an offer was made.

The off-season loss is the second in as many seasons to the Vikings, who plucked wide receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux from the black and orange last year.

Elimimian recorded 175 tackles and 9 sacks over his two seasons with the Lions and in 2010 was named the leagues defensive player of the year.

Khalif Mitchell – Photo: Canada.com

The BC Lions gave their fans a great start to the week with news that all-star defensive lineman Khalif Mitchell had signed a new contract with the club. The signing came after reports that the popular defender had signed with the Dolphins earlier this month.

It’s not clear what happened with that situation and how Mitchell became a Lion again, but fans are glad to hear it and you can bet that new head coach Mike Benevides was as well.

“Khalif was an impact player and big part of our championship last season.”, said the new head coach. Given the choices he had, I believe this signing says a lot about our league and our organization and I am very pleased to have him back.”

Following the win in the Grey Cup, an emotional Mitchell talked about how much the Lions meant to him, and how they were family:

The Lions also shocked fans by announcing the release of defensive back Tad Kornegay. Kornegay was given some of the credit for the Lions turnaround last season and helped solidify the defence by allowing Korey Banks to return to a more traditional role in the secondary instead of the hybrid nickleback position he had been playing.

Twitter erupted with shock from Lions fans over the release of the popular @Thadito but the experienced Twitter user quickly calmed the masses with these tweets:

“Take it easy twitter fam. This was set in my contract the first day I sign. My intentions as well ask Coach Bene is to be in BC. #Patience”

“Just a Procedure that had to be upheld cause it was in writing. Now it does make me open to other teams but I plan to be Lion.”

Tad also let fans know his return to BC wasn’t automatic:

“But I must say….I am business man. Lol. I love money that makes me financially comfortable. Lol”

Stay tuned!

The new contract extension for non-import running back Andrew Harris is great news for fans of the Lions and of course the team itself. Considering the fact that the Lions may not have ended up with Harris had he made the grades to get into University, his emergence has been the result of some good fortune by the reigning Grey Cup champions.

Having attended all the training camps that Harris has been a part of, I’ve often left with the belief he was the most talented running back in the Lions system. However, age and experience were against him when it came time to cracking the lineup. Since Harris was in junior and not the CIS, the Lions had the luxury of using a territorial exemption on Harris which kept him from being exposed to other teams. That clause to allow Harris to practice with the team and groom him into the player he’s become today.

Not that he needed a lot of grooming; he just needed the chance and the experience at the pro level. As pointed out in this piece by Ed Willes of The Province, his junior numbers from his days with Vancouver Island Raiders in the CJFL are jaw dropping. The most impressive of all, a 14.5 yards per carry average in his final season in 2009.

Heading into last season the club had designs on an all-Canadian backfield with Jerome Messam and Jamall Lee, who was coming off a major knee injury, in the picture. After making the team in 2010 and seeing primarily special teams work, Harris himself was recovering from a torn pectoral muscle as training camp began. But during camp he showed signs that he had healed well and was likely ahead of schedule. Another training camp incident for Messam saw him dealt to the Eskimos, while Lee’s recovery hampered his ability to have an impact early forcing the Lions to abandon the non-import idea.

When the Lions struggled out of the gate, Harris eventually replaced veteran Jamal Robertson. He got his chance to shine and never looked back and his emergence as the starter coincided with the turnaround of the club. Where Harris’ age and experience were once a negative factor when it came to getting him into the lineup, those factors have become huge positives for the Lions moving forward. He’ll be 25 years of age at the start of camp and hasn’t even hit his prime yet. The experience he gained last year may have set the table  for him to have a dominant season in 2012.

A healthy Harris and Lee combined with the option of using Rolly Lumbala more, means the Lions could take another look at the non-import backfield scenario entering 2012. They’ll have to sign Jamall Lee for that chance though, as he’s eligible for free agency and may get some offers with his yet to be realized potential, strong special teams work and his birth certificate.

In the meantime, the Lions at least have Harris in their back pocket and the best thing is he’s just getting started.