Sometimes crappy things happen to good people and today quarterback Buck Pierce is experiencing that feeling after being released by the BC Lions.
Last year at this time he had just been named the Lions undisputed number one quarterback heading into training camp. But after another season with injury troubles to both his shoulder and head (concussions), Pierce became a victim of the business side of football. There was no way the Lions could carry him and his $300,000 contract this season. He was due a bonus payment on March 15th. Pierce was released just a day after the Lions announced a contract extension for Casey Printers.
The Lions had this release on their website:
The BC Lions Football Club announced today that quarterback Buck Pierce has been released.
“Buck has been a consummate professional during his time with our organization and in addition to thanking him for his efforts over the past five seasons we also wish him the very best in the future,” said Lions GM and head coach Wally Buono.
Originally joining the club as a free agent in 2005, Piercewent on to start 34 of his 86 career games in the CFL, compiling a mark of 21-12-1. He leaves the Leos ranked seventh on the club’s all-time passing list with 8,734 yards and sixth all-time with 692 completions. His career passing efficiency rating of 93.6 is third-best among all Lions quarterbacks behind only Dave Dickenson and Casey Printers.
In 2009, he appeared in 12 of 18 games for the club including the first seven of the season and five consecutive games from September 19th to October 18th. Buck led the club in passing yards with 2,272 and 10 TD passes including three, 300-yard passing games in 2009, giving him eight for his five-year career.
Pierce is truly one of the good guys. He always had time to chat with kids or fans at practice and training camp and he made many community appearances. I had the pleasure of meeting his parents at a tailgate party one year and it was clear to see where he got his values and demeanour. As a player, Pierce was as tough as they come. Often playing hurt, Pierce gave his all to the Lions and was a valuable asset both as a starter and a backup during his time with the team.
On behalf of BCLionsDen.ca and all our members, I would like to thank Buck Pierce for his contributions to the team and our community, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours.
Bombs over BC? Fans of the BC Lions fans will hope so after the club announced a contract extension for quarterback Casey Printers Sunday evening. In keeping with club policy, terms of the deal were not released.
“Casey has demonstrated that he’s not only a gifted and exciting quarterback, but that he is capable of being one of our core leaders moving forward into next season,” said Lions GM and head coach Wally Buono.
Printers rejoined the Lions during the 2009 season, and finished the year as the club’s starter after both Jackson and Pierce were lost to injury. He finished the season completing 43 of 68 passing attempts for 686 yards and three TD’s, showing flashes of the 2004 Printers that won the league’s most outstanding player award.
Despite terms of the deal not being released, it can be assumed that Printers will be paid in line with other CFL starting quarterbacks, meaning the club will likely making another announcement in the near future regarding the release or trade of one it’s QB’s. It’s an almost certainty that one of Jarious Jackson or Buck Pierce will likely be gone come training camp. With Pierce’s history of shoulder problems and concussions, he may be the one on the move, but there is no way the Lions can carry three pivots at the dollars they are making.
Printers is happy to be staying with the Lions. “As excited as I was to return last season, I am even more ecstatic to be signing this extension and getting an opportunity to contribute to the Lions in any way I can,” said Printers. “We have an outstanding group of players on both offense and defense that will make us very difficult to play against in 2010.”
Yesterday we told you about the release of RB/KR Ian Smart, and today Lowell Ullrich of the Province reports that two more players were released and one retired.
DB Lavar Glover and DL Nautyn McKay-Loescher were were also released and the club announced linebaker Jojuan Armour has retired.
Ullrich also seems to concur with the report from Arash Madani from Sportsnet this week that the Lions are close to signing Riall Johnson away from the Montreal Alouettes.
The search for replacements also begins this weekend in Miami as the Lions will hold the first of their off-season free agent camps.
After four seasons with the BC Lions, Lions running back and kick returner Ian Smart was released by the club as we learned from Ian himself on Twitter.
“@BCLionsDen yeah its official I am no longer a Lion…you were great to me for 4 yrs and I wanna say thank you..”Bless”
and
“…they had other plans and wanna go in a different direction..its the business.”
Ian’s greatest moment as a Lion came in the 2006 Grey Cup game when he ran in a 25 yard touchdown to help the Lions win the championship. He was a special teams leader, winning the John Agro Special Teams Award, awarded to the CFL’s Most Outstanding Special Teams player in 2007.
In 2003, Smart attended New York Jets training camp but joined NFL Europe’s now-defunct Scottish Claymores as a running back. He played 4 games with the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004. He was on the Buccaneers’s practice roster during the 2005 season. He joined the Lions in 2006 and replaced Aaron Lockett as the Lions’s kick returner during that season.
We’d like to thank Ian on behalf of Lions fans for four great seasons, and wish him all the best in his future football travels.
The Toronto Argonauts may be doing a little pre-spring cleaning after announcing they had released quarterbacks Kerry Joseph, Cody Pickett and LB Zeke Moreno on Sunday. Generally teams don’t release their two best QB’s unless they have a plan in place, and according to Sportsnet’s Arash Madani on Twitter, they may just be finalizing the fine print on such a plan, and it may involve the BC Lions.
Madani suggested today that the Argos and Lions are working on a deal that would see Jarious Jackson heading to the Argos. He also suggested that the Lions might be close to signing LB Barrin Simpson, and both DE Riall Johnson (Montreal) and Teyo Johnson (Calgary).
“A lot of noise BC + Tor working to send Argos J. Jackson. Braley optics factor an issue. Murmurs Barrin S., Rial+Teyo Johnson becoming Lions”
Madani’s fellow columnist Perry Lefko seems to back up the speculation in this article today. While the dealing of Jackson makes sense in the fact that the Lions will have to cut lose a QB to re-sign Casey Printers to a starter’s contract, it is surprising it’s Jackson and not Buck Pierce being dangled if that’s the case. While Pierce is younger and perhaps a more complete QB when healthy, the problem lies in the fact he can’t stay off the injured list. Jackson is coming off a rotator cuff injury, while Pierce has had both shoulder and concussion issues. Both are good coming off the bench in games, so you would think the Lions would take less risk by unloading Pierce.
It’s been less than a month since David Braley purchased the Toronto Argonauts, and the fact he may be bringing a quarterback from his other club will be looked at closely by several parties. BC fans will be wanting to make sure the Lions receive decent compensation in return for a quality QB. Argos fans will be watching to see what the Lions get in return, and teams looking for QB’s will be watching to see if the Argos got their new starting QB for fair market value.
At the time that Braley bought the Argos, both he and the league said all the right things about maintaining the integrity of the game. I believe them both when they say that, but it doesn’t mean all the parties involved won’t be looking at any deals between the two clubs. Stay tuned!
I put out a call on Twitter the other day seeing if anyone would be interested in writing for BCLionsDen.ca this season. Little did I know the riches that would fall into my lap this morning. I am absolutely thrilled to announce that we have added Jann Shreve and Jack Bedell to our writing team here in the den.
Both Jann and Jack wrote for the Score.ca last year and are not only talented writers, they possess a real passion for the CFL. Their roles will be to contribute thoughts on any aspect of the league and provide an eastern persepctive of the CFL. Their experience and contacts will provide us with a new dimension to the site, and I am very excited about adding them to our team. Here is a little background about our newest writers!
Jack Bedell:
Jack Bedell has done a lot of work in CFL circles over the years. He’s based in the U.S. but has a tremendous passion and understanding of football and of the Canadian game. A fan of the Montreal Alouettes, Jack directs the creative writing program at SLU (South Eastern Louisiana University) and writes for the MontrealAlouettes.com. He also appears on a radio show to discuss the Alouettes and other football matters on the TEAM 990 in Montreal.
“I’m very honored to be part of one of the most vibrant fan sites in the CFL. I hope Den readers won’t hold my Als fanhood against me!”, Bedell said.
You can follow Jack’s wisdom of all things football on Twitter by following @JackBedell.
Jann Shreve:
A native of LaSalle, ON, Jann has been a sports fan her whole life. She has participated in athletics since elementary school and has competed in track and field for the University of Windsor. She currently plays in a touch football league in Toronto, ON.
Jann has loved football her whole life, and became an avid follower of the CFL when her brother was drafted and her mother needed the rules explained. She has a passion for writing, reading, music and playing video games.
“I’m just happy to be here, y’know, gonna go out there and do my thing, help my team by making plays and get to Edmonton in November!” joked Shreve about joining the BCLionsDen.ca team.
Jann can be followed on Twitter as @LittleMissCFL.
There is no doubt in my mind that these additions are going to take the den to another level as far as being a regular stop for Lions and CFL fans online.
The BC Lions have reportedly signed perhaps the most sought after defensive free agent from the 2010 crop, adding DE Keron Williams, formerly of the Montreal Alouettes.
Williams had 32 tackles and 8 sacks for the Grey Cup champions last season, and when the Lions lost Ricky Foley to the NFL, addressing the defensive line became a necessity. At 6′1″ 260 pounds the native of Jamaica will start his 5th season in the CFL with the Leos.
After losing Ryan Grice-Mullen, Rolly Lumbala, Martell Mallett and Ricky Foley to the NFL, the Lions have now added Derick Armstrong, Davis Sanchez and Williams.
An updated list of potential free agents for each team as Free Agency comes into effect at 12:01 ET time February 16th, 2010. Striked out players indicate they have re-signed or signed NFL deals.
| Montreal Alouettes | |||||
| PLAYER | IMP/NIP | POS | WT | HT | COLLEGE |
| BOWMAN, John | I | DE | 6.03 | 255 | Wingate University |
| CARTER, Kerry | N | RB | 6.02 | 242 | Stanford |
| CHIU, Bryan | N | C | 6.02 | 300 | Washington St. |
| DESLAURIERS, Eric | N | WR | 6.04 | 206 | Eastern Michigan |
| DIEDRICK, Dahrran | N | FB | 6.00 | 225 | Nebraska |
| FERRI, Diamond | I | LB | 5.10 | 214 | Syracuse |
| JOHNSON, Riall | N | DE | 6.03 | 250 | Stanford |
| LAMBERT, Paul | N | OL | 6.04 | 295 | Western Michigan |
| MCELVEEN, Jermaine | I | DE | 6.04 | 265 | UAB |
| ROBERTSHAW, Jeff | N | DE | 6.03 | 260 | McMaster |
| WATKINS, Kerry | I | WR | 5.11 | 186 | Georgia Tech |
| WILLIAMS, Keron | I | DT | 6.01 | 260 | Massachusetts |
| TORONTO ARGONAUTS | |||||
| PLAYER | IMP/NIP | POS | WT | HT | COLLEGE |
| BROWN, Jonathan | I | DE | 6.04 | 267 | Tennessee |
| CETOUTE, Obed | N | WR | 6.02 | 213 | Central Michigan |
| DORSEY, Dominique | I | RB | 5.07 | 173 | UNLV |
| FONTAINE, Raymond | N | LB | 6.03 | 235 | Kentucky |
| MCNEAL, Reggie | I | WR | 6.02 | 193 | Texas A&M |
| MIDDLEBROOKS, Willie | I | DB | 6.02 | 196 | Minnesota |
| POOLE, Will | I | CB | 5.10 | 194 | Southern California |
| ROBERTSON, Jamal | I | RB | 5.09 | 215 | Ohio Northern |
| SAM, P.K. | I | WR | 6.03 | 210 | Florida State |
| SHIVERS, Jason | I | DB | 6.01 | 180 | Arizona State |
| HAMILTON TIGER-CATS | |||||
| PLAYER | IMP/NIP | POS | WT | HT | COLLEGE |
| GAGNE-MARCOUX, Cedric | N | OL | 6.02 | 290 | Central Florida |
| WILLIAMS, John | N | RB | 6.01 | 203 | Edinboro |
| WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS | |||||
| PLAYER | IMP/NIP | POS | WT | HT | COLLEGE |
| DONNELLY, Ryan | N | OL | 6.06 | 295 | McMaster |
| HARGREAVES, Aaron | N | WR | 6.04 | 230 | Simon Fraser |
| HOLNESS, Steven | N | DB | 5.11 | 197 | Ottawa |
| JOHNSON, James | I | DB | 5.07 | 180 | Arkansas State |
| JOHNSON, Jovon | I | CB | 5.09 | 177 | Iowa |
| MACDONALD, Patrick | N | DL | 6.02 | 247 | Alberta |
| SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS | |||||
| PLAYER | IMP/NIP | POS | WT | HT | COLLEGE |
| ADAMS, Marcus | I | DL | 5.11 | 285 | Eastern Kentucky |
| BAGGS, Stevie | I | DL | 6.02 | 290 | Bethune-Cookman |
| CATES, Wes | I | RB | 6.00 | 215 | California U. of PA |
| CHERNIAWSKI, Dustin | N | DB | 6.00 | 210 | UBC |
| DAVIS, Eddie | I | DB | 5.10 | 170 | Northern Illinois |
| FANTUZ, Andrew | N | WR | 6.04 | 220 | Western Ontario |
| FOORD, Stuart | N | RB | 5.11 | 195 | Regina Thunder Jrs |
| FRENETTE, Jocelyn | N | OL | 6.03 | 300 | Ottawa |
| JYLES, Steven | I | QB | 6.00 | 195 | Louisiana At Monroe (NE) |
| KORNEGAY, Tad | I | DB | 5.10 | 185 | Fordham |
| MORGAN, Omarr | I | DB | 5.09 | 175 | BYU |
| PARENTEAU, Marc | N | OL | 6.05 | 290 | Boston College |
| PATRICK, James | I | CB | 5.11 | 175 | Stillman College |
| SCHULTZ, Scott | N | DL | 6.02 | 296 | North Dakota |
| SZARKA, Chris | N | FB | 6.02 | 225 | Eastern Illinois |
| WALKER, Gerran | I | WR | 5.10 | 185 | Lehigh |
| WASHBURN, Clifton | I | OL | 6.06 | 313 | The Citadel |
| CALGARY STAMPEDERS | |||||
| PLAYER | IMP/NIP | POS | WT | HT | COLLEGE |
| DEANGELIS, Sandro | N | K | 5.08 | 195 | Nebraska |
| DICKENSON, Dave | I | QB | 5.11 | 195 | Montana |
| HUGHES, Charleston | I | LB | 6.01 | 244 | Northwood University |
| JENNINGS, Michael | I | WR | 5.11 | 180 | Florida State |
| JOHNSON, Teyo | N | WR | 6.05 | 260 | Stanford |
| REYNOLDS, Joffrey | I | RB | 5.10 | 221 | Houston |
| EDMONTON ESKIMOS | |||||
| PLAYER | IMP/NIP | POS | WT | HT | COLLEGE |
| AMOS, Willie | I | DB | 6.01 | 185 | Nebraska |
| COE, Scott | N | LB | 6.03 | 230 | Manitoba |
| COMISKEY, Dan | N | OL | 6.05 | 302 | Windsor |
| GARRETT, Shannon | I | LB | 5.10 | 195 | Mississippi College |
| ONATOLU, Kenny | I | LB | 6.02 | 225 | Nebraska Omaha |
| PARKER, Byron | I | CB | 5.11 | 193 | Tulane |
| TUCKER, Jason | I | WR | 6.02 | 180 | Texas Christian |
| WAYNE, Clinton | N | DT | 6.02 | 290 | Ohio State |
| B.C. LIONS | ||||||
| PLAYER | IMP/NIP | POS | WT | HT | COLLEGE | |
| ANDERSON, Bret | N | SB | 6.03 | 215 | Simon Fraser | |
| BWENGE, Alexis | N | RB | 6.01 | 225 | Kentucky | |
| FOLEY, Ricky | N | DL | 6.02 | 245 | York | |
| GRICE-MULLEN, Ryan (Signed with Miami) | I | WR | 5.10 | 188 | Hawaii | |
| LOGAN, Stefan | I | RB | 5.07 | 177 | South Dakota | |
| WAKE, Cameron | I | DE | 6.03 | 257 | Penn State | |
The NFL has poached another from the roster of the BC Lions after it was reported today that defensive lineman Ricky had signed a contract with the Seattle Seahawks.
Foley the CFL’s top Canadian player in 2009, led the team and the league with 12 sacks last season. Taking advantage of the departure of Cameron Wake, Foley grabbed the open starting spot and ran with it in 2009 racking up 51 tackles as well. Foley, who was scheduled to become a CFL free agent on February 15, is a native of Courtice, Ontario led the CFL in sacks last season with 12, also recording 51 defensive tackles for the Lions.
Foley was a standout on York University’s football team and was selected fourth overall by the Lions in the first round of the 2006 CFL Draft.
After losing some veteran talent in the secondary with the retirement of Barron Miles, the BC Lions decided to look to another veteran defensive back to plug into their defense come training camp in June. The Lions announced the signing of CFL veteran Davis Sanchez on Tuesday. Sanchez, who played with the Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes last season, had a clause in his contract that allowed him to try and get a deal closer to home after last season. When the chance came to sign with BC, Sanchez made use of the out.
Sanchez told BCLions.com that BC was his only choice.
“The Lions are the only team I wanted to play for this season and moving forward,” said Sanchez. “I have always respected this outstanding organization’s quality of coaches and players and I know I’m part of team that will be very difficult to play against.”
Sanchez will be 36 years old in August, and his role on the team is likely yet to be defined. His experience will be an asset, but his age and a good showing by younger talent at training camp could make this signing one to watch in Kamloops.
