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.

The BC Lions recent Grey Cup win was the sixth in franchise history and veteran Dante Marsh has been patrolling the corner for two of those titles. Marsh has just completed his eighth season with the team and will hopefully be joining them for a ninth.

We had a chance to talk to Dante about the 2011 season, the future and about an auction he is holding to make a donation to CFL Fans Fight Cancer and Hannah’s Heroes. Dante is auctioning off two pairs of his cleats from the 2011 Grey Cup championship season. One pair are pink Nike Vapor cleats that Dante wore on October 22, 2011, when the CFL allowed players to wear pink items in support of women’s cancer awareness. The second pair of cleats were worn in the 99th Grey Cup Championship game in which the BC Lions defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers by a score of 34-23.

We’ll get you the link to the auction below, but first our interview with the BC Lions veteran cornerback, Dante Marsh.

BCLD: Dante, it was a season that will never be forgotten. The team started slowly before turning things around to end the season with a Grey Cup victory at home. What was that like and what do you feel was the one thing that turned the season around?

DM: It was amazing to say the least. I mean it still hasn’t really hit that we won the 99th Grey Cup. Starting out 0-5 after a sluggish 1-7 start in 2010 was extremely frustrating. We felt like we were the team to beat coming out of training camp especially the way we ended the 2010 season. However that did not happen and once again we sputtered out of the gate. I think our attitude was the one thing that changed which enabled us to get over the hump. We were just tired of losing.

BCLD: Personally you had one of your best years in the league, as your stats show. You were named a West Division all-star, you won your second championship and now you’re eligible to become a free agent. What does the future hold for Dante Marsh and do you want to end your career in black and orange?

DM: I would like a couple more rings. I feel like I have done my part as far as my job goes. I feel like I have had a very good career so far and I would like to finish up where I started and thats in black and orange. This has been maybe my best all around season but like I have said before I think I have had really good seasons other years and they were over looked to an extent. I am scheduled to become a free agent this winter for the first time ever which is exciting but yet gives you an unsure feeling. Exciting to see what your value is to others but at the same time I bleed orange and black and hopefully I can retire as one of the best to ever do it at my position in a Lions uniform.

BCLD: You played eight seasons under Wally Buono as a coach and now your defensive coordinator Mike Benevides is widely speculated to be Buono’s replacement. How might the team be different under a Benevides coached team if he were to get the job?

DM: I am not sure things will change all that much. Benny has been one of the coaches I have had a real good relationship with since my rookie year when he was the special teams coordinator. In fact I think you can keep the same structure and continuity within the team if he is ultimately hired. Benny is a players coach easy to talk to and is open to suggestions so I think everything will just keep flowing smoothly.

BCLD: Your off-season training is well publicized and you train with CFL legend Milt Stegall. How has the old “G.O.A.T.” as you refer to him helped you train for a long and successful career in the CFL? Can you tell us what G.O.A.T. stands for?

DM: Well the G.O.A.T. stands for greatest of all time. Milt has been very influential in my career as far as the knowledge he has shared with me since I moved here to Atlanta in 2006. He has shown me how to be a pro, how to train better, eat better, focus on the business side of the game more like contractual issues and pension decisions. Milt has shown me how to push myself further and further and one of our sayings is, “How can they beat you if they cant out work you?”

BCLD: Dante, let’s get you your charity auction. This is the second year now that you’ve done a charity event for Cancer research. You’ve graciously offered to give half of the proceeds for this auction to our cancer charity of choice, Hannah’s Heroes’. I know that the tragedy that your good friend Korey Banks went through is close to your heart. Can you tell us how that event has made cancer research important to you?

DM: It’s an opportunity for me to give so someone else can have. I feel like if you’re in a position to help someone other than yourself and you dont you are truly missing out on one of life’s greatest moments/feelings. I have always wanted to make an impact on someone elses life. There are people who cant walk, cant see, can’t have the normal life because of cancer or some other ailment and these are little things we often take for granted on a daily basis. When Korey went through that ordeal with his son Kamari, it hit close to home and I wouldn’t want anybody to ever have to go through that. So yeah I just feel its one of my duties to help in any way I can.

BCLD: Dante thank you for taking the time to do this for Hannah’s Heroes and for talking with us. We wish you all the best in the future, and hope you’ll be back in BC to defend the Grey Cup championship in 2012.

DM: As always I appreciate you Brian and thank you for taking the time to put this Q and A session together. CHUUCH!!!

How you can bid:

For the current auction of Dante’s cleats you can head to the Ebay page they are listed on.

If the auction ends without the reserve being met, get the latest on Dante’s website.

These cleats are one of a kind collectors items and would be a great addition to any CFL memorabilia collection. You’ll also be helping fund cancer research for childhood cancer. For more information on Hannah’s Heroes visit their web site.