Just two seasons ago the Lions appeared solid at the tackle position on their offensive line. Now, with the departure of Rob Murphy last season via free agency and the release of Jason Jimenez for philosophical differences this off-season, the Lions find themselves in  a bit of a precarious position heading into 2010.

Rob Murphy practices with the Lions in 2008. Photo: BCLionsDen.ca

It’s been reported that the Lions have inquired about the possibility of bringing Murphy back to the west coast. The Lions have last year’s Murphy replacement Daren Heerspink and Damane Duckett penciled in at the tackles at the moment, and while Heerspink was adequate last year, Duckett spent the season on the practice roster and saw limited action. Perhaps that experience will be useful as he competes for the job this year, but the Lions have yet to announce any new signings that will compete. Of course they have Justin Sorenson, who played the position in college. There is also Jon Hameister-Ries who could step up provided he can avoid the injury bug, something he hasn’t been able to do after his first two CFL camps.

Regardless, the Lions need to address the issue. They have a more mobile quarterback in Casey Printers to start the year and early indications are the team would like to passing the ball and stretching the field the primary focus of their offense. They’ll need solid play from the tackles if they hope to be successful and keep Printers healthy.

Murphy was a popular player in the Lions room, but he left mainly for family reasons. After another year gone by he and his family may be willing to move back to the west coast, but any such trade is going to bring more microscopes to the relationship between the Lions and the Argos who are both owned by David Braley. The carrot the Lions seem to be dangling in front of the Argos is quarterback Jarious Jackson, but as reported by Lowell Ullrich of The Province last week, the veteran QB has not even began throwing after a tear in his rotator cuff sidelined him at the end of last season.

Through The Grapevine

The Lions may have found themselves an up and coming linebacker prospect. There is word in both local papers that the club is on the verge of signing Solomon Elimimia, a 225-pound Nigerian recently impressed the team at a free agent camp in Los Angeles. Elimimia is the all-time tackles leader at the Univerity of Hawaii.

For more tidbits and scoops, including news on a possible pending contract extension for Geroy Simon, progress in talks between the CFL and the CFLPA, and more confirmation the Lions are close to naming Dennis Skulsky as their new President, checkout this latest piece from the man in the know, Lowell Ullrich of The Province.

In a new feature here at BCLionsDen.ca, we’re going to try and help keep you up to date on recent happenings from the Lions Den and around the CFL. We’ll gather the top news items of the week and compile them here for your convenience. So let’s get started!

News Items

Simpson off to Riderville

Former BC Lion linebacker Barrin Simpson signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday. The signing had been rumoured for about a week, but was made official. The Lions had been kicking the tires on Simpson, who I know was very interested in a return to BC. However, on his Fifth Quarter blog, Lowell Ullrich reports that after considering bringing the nine year veteran back to where he began his career, Wally Buono perhaps decided that the risk to the chemistry of the locker room would be one too great to take.

“Nobody would ever come out and say so for public consumption, but the clear message was that the Lions feel that Simpson would be some kind of distraction in the locker room. Chemistry is a big thing with Buono, and you can debate if you choose whether that has always been the case.”

The Lions do need linebackers, but with the trade to acquire the younger Dennis Haley from Hamilton earlier this month it appears they will look to free agent camps and possibly the draft to add more depth behind Haley and Anton McKenzie.

Robertson Runs With The Lions

Free agent running back Jamal Robertson signed with the Lions this week. The 33 year old former back of the Toronto Argonauts will had some veteran depth to the lineup that currently features young prospects Jamal Lee and Andrew Harris. Both are promising backs, and both have Canadian passports. Robertson is a hard runner, similar in style to the departed Martell Mallett, but he’s also capable catching the ball out of the backfield. From the sounds of things, new offensive coordinator Jacques Chapdelaine will be designing an offense that is pass heavy, so adding Robertson would compliment that style. The Lions also feel that they let Mallett get worn out last season, and there is a good chance the team will rotate backs a lot more this season in an attempt to keep guys fresh, give teams different looks and build some experience for Lee and Harris.

Competition For Logan?

On the way out there front, there has been speculation from fans that former Lion Stefan Logan could be in trouble in Pittsburgh with the return of Antwaan Randle-El this week to the steel city. If he were to return to the CFL however, he would be a free agent, and it remains to be seen if the Lions would throw their hat in the bidding war his return would create. Before that happens however, Logan will have to be cut, and would likely get looks from other NFL teams before ever considering a return to the CFL. Randle-El hasn’t been very productive of late and Logan set a new Steeler kick return record last year. I’m banking on the little man.

Stubler’s Return

One of the best signings the Lions have made this off-season was the one of new defensive line coach Rich Stubler. To say the man is over qualified for that job would be an understatement. Stubler has a long history in the league and will bring a wealth of experience to the table. There is also talk the move my be a part of a plan for if and and when Wally Buono decides to move upstairs and assume the GM role full time. The idea being that Mike Benevides is being groomed for the head job, while Stubler would take over the defensive coordinator role. For now Stubler, who lives in the Pacific Northwest is thrilled to be back in the league and back with the Lions.

Wanna Go Camping?

The Lions posted details of the first week of their 201o training camp on BCLions.com this week. The first week’s preliminary schedule has been posted, and as in past years the Lions will practice twice a day, once on the morning and once in the afternoon. The will be located at Hillside Stadium adjacent to campus of Thompson Rivers University.

Hillside Stadium, City of Kamloops by sportexe, on Flickr

Lions rookie camp will go June 2nd to the 5th, and the first day of the main camp will be the 6th. The Lions will remain in Kamloops until the 12th, when the travel to Regina to play the Riders on the 13th. They will return to Kamloops on the 14th for more sessions, before heading to Vancouver to take on the Edmonton Eskimos on June 20th at their temporary home, Empire Fields. The club opens the 2010CFL season on July 4th in Edmonton.

Tweet @Coach_Brillo (Wally Buono)

Join Head Coach and GM Wally Buono on Twitter on Monday, March 29th between 11:00am and 12:00pm for a question and answer session. The coach who goes by the name @Coach_Brillo on Twitter, will answer as many questions from Twitter fans within the hour. Coach Buono will fresh off the clubs Los Angeles free agent camp which goes this weekend.

It’s a nice move by the team to take advantage of a great social media tool. Hopefully they can maybe do more with Twitter in the future and do similar Q & A’s with Geroy Simon (@geroysimon), Dante Marsh (@dantemarsh) Emmanuel Arceneaux (@84mannie) and others that use the service.

Check it out, and if you’re on Twitter, make sure you follow us, @BCLionsDen!

Once again from the informative blog of Lowell Ulrich comes word that running back Martell Mallett has been working out for NFL teams. First for the Philadelphia Eagles, and now comes word that the St.Louis Rams also put the CFL Rookie of the Year through his paces.

How can this be you ask? Isn’t Mallett under contract? Why yes he is, but as Ullrich reports, Wally Buono is affording him the courtesy:

“Mallett signed a reported minimum two-year deal upon joining the Lions last spring that would not have given him option-year rights until after the upcoming season. It’s believed he has been given a chance for a look-see because of contract protocol that allowed Stefan Logan and Cam Wake their chance to test the market.

“There are a lot of ways to get a player to agree to a contract. Sometimes you have to satisfy your needs. Sometimes you have to satisfy their needs. Sometimes you have to blend both needs,” said Buono, who would not elaborate.”

Not a bad policy to have to get players to sign in BC, but it sure sucks when they have a chance to leave so quickly and fans are getting to know and enjoy watching the player, but such is the way for CFL clubs. As Ullrich reports, the window for Mallett to sign a deal is a lot smaller than that of a free agent, so Lions fans can hope it closes without an offer, but for the man himself, we of course wish him the best of luck.

Word from the blog of Province football writer Lowell Ullrich today that defensive line coach Mike Roach will not be returning to the Lions in 2010. The departure leaves the Lions with two holes to fill on their coaching staff, after QB coach Steff Kruck was told he would not be offered a new contract

Roach, who has 26 years of CFL coaching experience, informed Buono of his decision at a meeting the two had at Grey Cup in Calgary.

One name tossed about by Buono as a possible replacement is Jim Daley, who recently stepped down as defensive coordinator in Edmonton.

With the 2009 season freshly in the books and the Christmas season upon us, I thought it was time for a wish list for our BC Lions.

2009 was a struggle for BC. There were the injuries to deal with and some real instability at the quarterback position. There was a high turnover of players and lost leadership as Wally Buono attempted to make the team younger and faster. In some areas that was successful, in others not so much. But for the second consecutive year the Lions had some of the same issues arising that hampered their game. Stalled offensive drives, troubles stopping the run and the inability to shut teams down late in games were familiar and frustrating problems. Three times this year the team as blown out at home to the point where fans were leaving on droves early in the third quarter.

So, here’s my wish list for the team and by no means do I expect all of this to happen. These are my personal wishes from a fans point of view after sitting in the stands game after game and watching this team for the last couple of seasons.  See if you agree or disagree and feel free to add your own wishes by commenting!

A New Coaching Direction:

It’s pretty much understood that Wally Buono is going to coach the BC Lions as long as he wants to, at least according to owner David Braley. I think Wally is still a very capable coach, but in too many games this year the Lions seemed unable to make the right adjustments during a game to change the momentum. To me that falls on your assistant coaches. I’d like to see changes in the coaching staff, and here are my wishes.

Out:

Jacques Chapdelaine: His official title is receiver’s coach, but it’s no secret he plays a bigger role. The word is that he and “offensive coordinator” Dan Dorazio come up with the game plan for the week and Chapdelaine calls the plays during the game. The Lions offense has sputtered the last two seasons, and while instability at the QB position has definitely been factor, there have been too many stalled drives and questionable play calls. And don’t get us started on third and short. Some of the players love him and asked for his return, but it’s time for a new direction and someone with some fresh ideas. I respect Jacques Chapdelaine, and the man certainly knows way more about the game than I ever will, but it’s not working. That said, Buono seems very comfortable with him, and Chapdelaine escapes the axe year after year, leaving little chance he won’t be back next season.

In:

Dave Dickenson: Perhaps a bit premature but I think it would be a pretty bold move and one that could pay off huge. Dickenson was a  great QB who understands the CFL game and while he may not have the experience as a coach his knowledge of the game and his already clear desire to get into coaching make him an intriguing option. Dickenson was a running backs coach last season in Calgary and has had inout on their offense under coordinator George Cortez. Some will feel the offense he knows is that of the Hufnagel/Chapdelaine mold and bringing him in wouldn’t be much of a change but I think Dickenson has a lot to offer, and could add some excitement back to the Lions offense. It may be far fetched, and unfortunately I think Buono may be too loyal to Chapdelaine to make a move, but Dickenson will assume a coaching role as a coordinator or head coach one day, and whatever team gives him that shot will look like a genius. The Lions have already decided not to renew contract of quarterbacks coach Steff Kruck and apparently Dickenson has been offered that job by Wally. I would also allow Dan Dorazio to concentrate on the offensive line again, freeing him from any offensive game planning, but of course welcoming his input.

Out:

Mike Benevides: Since Dave Ritchie retired, the BC Lions defense has lost it’s bite. Benevides assumed the role two seasons ago and the results haven’t been stellar. The defensive line led the league in sacks, but the Lions had huge problems with the run, and couldn’t get stops late in games on too many occasions that cost them points. Getting embarrassed at home in three games was disheartening as well. Whether it be personnel or the scheme, the linebacker play last season was brutal at times and the scheme was the design of Benevides. Korey Banks added some nice options at the  nickle position, but teams knew to beat the Lions, running the ball was a good start, and the Lions could do nothing to stop it on too many nights. When they did, it was the secondary’s turn to give up big yardage late in games to blow leads.

In:

Rich Stubler: Formerly the Argonauts defensive coordinator and head coach, Rich Stubler is known for his aggressive in your face defenses and under his coaching the Argonauts defense was at the top of the league regularly. He could bring that aggressive style back to the Lions and is available after sitting out last season. Perhaps the Eskimos will beat the Lions to the punch, with the recent resignation of Jim Daley from their ranks. I think Benevides will survive because he was loyal to Buono last season, turning down the head coaching spot in Toronto to remain in BC, and Buono will probably give him another year hopefully at least with the understanding that some things have to change.

Some Shivers Gems

It would be nice to see scout Roy Shivers undercover some gems as he did for the Riders a few years back. Linebackers will be at the top of the wish list I would think and preferably some nasty ones. The Lions lost some leadership and some attitude when Otis Floyd left and would probably like to have the Jamal Johnson negotiation from last year as a do over. They need to get some of that attitude back in the middle. Some of it returned with the arrival of Jojuan Armour and Anton McKenzie was voted an all-star, but this position needs to be addressed.

More depth brought in to challenge the offensive line would be nice, preferably at guard and tackle positions and a new centre needs to start being groomed, with Angus Reid coming off a serious ankle injury and not getting any younger.

Emmanuel Arceneaux was a nice addition, but another sure handed speedy receiver would be nice. Or how about or a big and bulldozer type in the mold of an Andy Fantuz or former Lion Jason Clermont?

The Emergence Of Youth

The key to remaining a competitive team in the CFL is keeping your team well stocked with talented young players who eventually take over a key role on your football tream. Sean Whyte, Jamal Lee, James Yurichuk, Justin Sorensen and Andrew Harris are promising young prospects for the Lions, and it would be nice to see them emerge next season as prime time players. Yurichuk was great on special teams, Sorensen was forced into duty late in the season, and Jamal Lee will have a full training camp under his belt. Andrew Harris has been a territorial project for the Lions and has a ton of talent. Whyte had the job of kicker/punter in his graps before making way for Paul McCallum late in the year. The Lions need some if not all of these picks to rise to the top and help take this team to a higher level.

Stability At Quarterback

Casey Printers certainly gave fans of the Lions something to look forward to by his play to end the year. Now the key will be getting to the start of next season with a full camp under his belt, and then keeping him healthy. Going through five QB’s would be tough for any club and for once Santa, it would be nice to have the same QB start every game next year like  Edmonton, Saskatchewan and Calgary. Please see what you can do about that.

Best Wishes for Buck Pierce

I really feel for Buck Pierce. I don’t know what the Lions have planned for him, but at his current salary and the almost certainty that Casey Printers is the starter going into camp, it’s hard to see Pierce returning next season. The Lions still have Jarious Jackson, Travis Lulay and Zac Champion under contract and it’s no secret they like what they see in Lulay. Whatever Buck’s fate may be, I wish him all the best. He’s always been great with the fans, and given it all on the field for the BC Lions.

Home Sweet Home

With the Lions moving to a temporary stadium next season, most likely at the old site of Empire stadium, lets hope the club can make Lions home games a tough environment for opponents once again. Three debacles at home last year and two before labor day hurt the Lions in the standings, and probably at the gate too.

Ok, I should stop before I get too greedy. Oh, okay one more thing…let’s get that Grey Cup!

The BC Lions woke up this morning needing a helping hand from the Hamilton Tiger Cats if they hoped to play in the CFL playoffs next weekend. Their feline cousins in the east came through with a decisive 39-17 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to knock them out of the playoffs and give the Lions another one of their nine lives.

Of course, the Lions put themselves in this position with an embarrassing 45-13 loss to the Edmonton Eskimos Friday night at BC Place.

The night started poorly for the Lions when on his fifth play from scrimmage, Casey Printers injured the thumb on his throwing hand and could not continue. Buck Pierce would be done 15 plays later and the Lions hopes fell on the shoulders of young Zac Champion, who has been on and off the practice roster all year. But even that wouldn’t matter, because the Lions defense was shredded for 260 yards rushing, and another 248 in the air.

It was like the team quit, and for the third time this season at home, fans left BC Place in droves in the third quarter of a game.

The Eskimos ran the ball right down the Lions throats with Arkee Whitlock amassing 165 yards of their impressive total on the night. Ricky Ray went 19 of 26 on the night, with one TD and one interception.

Even the troubles with short yardage were evident again. With BC needing less than a yard at midfield to sustain a drive, they were stuffed as they have been too many times in the last two seasons, and the result was a 14 point turnaround for the Eskimos to end the half. Things just went from bad to downright embarrassing in the second half with no resistance on defense, and and offense that couldn’t move the ball under the guidance of a young and green QB.

Then there was the penalty for two many men on the field that gave the Eskimos seven points instead of three. Whatever could go wrong, went wrong.

“It’s unbelievable,” said slotback Geroy Simon. “We can’t keep a quarterback healthy to save our lives.”

“This is amazing. It’s like we’ve never played football before. How many quarterbacks do we need to go through in a season?”

“This game is the story of our season. It’s biggest game of the year and we don’t show up to play.”

Indeed, it seemed when Printers went out of the game, so did the Lions fight and that was the most discouraging thing of all for the crowd of over 31,000 in attendance.

The Lions will have their work cutout for them next week against a Hamilton club that swept them this year and ran through them much like the Eskimos and other clubs have done all year. With an uncertain quarterbacking situation and many issues to work through over the next week, the Lions will be clear underdogs in the first playoff game to take place in the the Steel City since 2001.

Reports Sunday indicated that Printers thumb my not be as bad as first thought, and Province beat writer Lowell Ullrich reported on his blog that the thumb was definitely not broken, and that Pinters could be ready to practice Tuesday. Travis Lulay is also reportedly ready to start practicing this week, leaving a possible QB rotation of Printers, Lulay and Champion for the game.

The defense will have their pride tested and will have to solve their run stopping deficiencies in a hurry. The Ticats DeAndra’ Cobb will head into the game against the Lions with the confidence he can have success against their run defense after he racked up 369 yards of offense on the Lions in two games, 267 of them along the ground.

The game will also feature a number of former BC Lions facing their old team. Otis Floyd, Jamal Johnson, Matt Kirk and Markeith Knowlton are all former Lions, as well as GM Bob O’Billovich who was with the Lions for years. Should Printers be able to go there would certainly be an interesting storyline there as well.

Friday night’s game was the last game that will be played under the roof of BC Place Stadium. The team will return to it’s roots and a temporary 30,000 seat facility to be built on the old Empire Stadium site at the PNE next season.

As I sit here awaiting the Labour Day classic between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Saskatchewan Roughriders, I thought I would share a few opinions and thoughts from recent happenings in our great game. The Labour Day weekend football is the most anticipated weekend of the CFL regular season, and he’s a few thoughts on what’s unfolded thus far.

Proud of my Lions, proud of the fans

Two weeks ago, fans left BC Place stunned and deflated at what they had seen. The Lions were thoroughly beaten by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and it appeared like the teams spirit was shattered  by that loss. Friday night at BC Place the undisputed best team in the CFL came to town and failed to score a touchdown on the Lions, who turned in a gutsy performance and restored some hope amongst the fans and no doubt confidence in themselves. I’m always proud to be a Lions fan, but Friday night showed me this team has pride and that was great to see. Kudos also go to the 27,199 fans that made it very loud in the fourth quarter getting behind that Lions defense.

The touchdown that wasn’t?

The Lions may have been fortunate that a league error on the Als final drive nullified a Montreal touchdown that would have tied the game. However a couple things need to be clarified. The first is, what was the flag on the play for? Lowell Ullrich, in his video recap following the game stated the call was offside against the Lions, while Rick Ball of the TEAM 1040 stated the call was procedure against Montreal. That would explain why Wally Buono was so upset after having the call explained to him, and almost every Lion on the field was pointing towards the Als after the touchdown and seeing the flag. If the call was against the Als, they would have been facing a 3rd and a 11 and the touchdown wouldn’t have counted anyway.

Secondly, there has been a lot of finger pointing at the “homer” timekeeper in BC Place, an accusation that is getting a little stale from disgruntled opposing fans. I sat at Commonwealth stadium this year and the clock had to be reset 4 times. It happens folks and the officials and the league are responsible for making sure it is accurate before each snap. The league has admitted their error, and while unfortunate for the Als, those are the breaks, and the Lions sure needed one.

Finally, congratulation to Wally Buono, who pulled even with Don Matthews as the most successful coach in CFL history with the win. The Lions next won will see Buono become the CFL’s all-time leader in coaching wins. Go get em Wally!

Go Joystick go!

As a Lions fan, I watched Stefan Logan closely over the last couple of weeks, selfishly hoping that “Joystick” would wear a Lions uniform again. Of course we all know his 80 yard punt return for a touchdown Thursday erased any glimmer of hope that would happen. Congratulations to Stefan Logan, who chased his dream, and went down to Pittsburgh, with no contract, no signing bonus and no promises. He gave the Steelers no choice but to have him on the team. He’s an outstanding player, with a tremendous belief in himself and his abilities, and I’m sure I join all Lions fans in wishing Logan an outstanding season with the Steelers, and I’ll certainly be watching anytime the Steelers are on TV.

Tailgating goodness!

We’re halfway through the season, and I have to say our new tailgate home has been a big success. New people are showing up and finding us to enjoy the cheap parking and everyone has been great about policing ourselves and keeping the lot clean each and every game. It’s so nice to head to the game knowing we won’t be facing a surprise when we arrive. Another huge thanks goes out to the folks at Easy Park, in particular Greg Watrych, and city councillor Andrea Reimer who made a lot of Lions fans very happy. I encourage everyone to park at Easy Park lots whenever they head downtown to an event, and if Greg and Andrea are up for it, I would love to treat them to a tailgate dinner!

Enjoy the games everyone!

Time to settle down and get ready for some great Labour Day games. Winnipeg and the Riders get it on today, and Monday features a day of double header football. Enjoy the games everyone, and good luck to all our teams in the second half of the season!

ROAR YOU LIONS ROAR!

The BC Lions returned to the practice field Monday after another loss on their record, and some new faces on the field. With holiday Monday and a beautiful day to take in practice, I ventured down to the Surrey training facility to check out our lethargic Lions.

New faces in town

As was rumored Sunday by @littlemissCFL on Twitter, and posted on BCLionsden.ca, the Lions announced the signing of linebacker JoJuan Armour on Monday, as well as that of former Edmonton Eskimo running back A.J. Harris and defensive end James Edwards. All three players were at practice and it was instantly recognized that Armour was immediately taking on a starting role with the team. The physical Armour, who started his CFL career with the BC Lions, was taking all of the first team reps in Javy Glatt’s middle linebacker position, while Glatt watched from the sidelines. This move was later confirmed by Armour who told the Team 1040 that he was assuming the middle linebacker position.

When asked about the move Glatt told the Team 1040:

“When you lose games, people lose their jobs and they picked me – I’m the guy that takes it and I’ve just got to stay positive about it and help the guys as much as I can, and if I’m here, I’m here, and if not, we’ll deal with that when we get to it.  Basically, I was told I’m not athletic enough and I’m a liability in some things. That’s what happens when you lose. A lot of things come out that are negative and you just have to deal with it.”

Glatt can hardly take all the blame for the team’s defensive woes. The defensive line has been at fault as well, and there are questions about the scheme of the defense itself. But the fact remains that something had to change, and the with the Lions giving up an average of 150 yards rushing per game,the middle linebacker position was a good place to start.

Wally Buono explained it this way:

“Well, we’re not replacing Javy, we’re just changing his responsibilities. Part of (the move) was trying to get a spark into this football team. I’m not going to go into issues. At the end of the day, you’ve got to be able to function and we just wanted to make sure we address a situation that wasn’t good. We didn’t stop the run in the past two weeks and for us to be better as a football club, we have to do that.”

There was no scheme change, with Armour and McKenzie being joined by Korey Banks in certain situations as the nickleback. It will remain to be seen how much the scheme itself has to do with the Lions lack of success with the run, now that Armour is in the mix.

A.J. Harris didn’t seem to have as much of a prominent role at Monday’s practice, and Martell Mallett seemed to be taking all the first team reps, with Darren Toney and Ryan Grice-Mullen returning punts.  According to Lowell Ullrich, Buono confirmed that Harris is here for the time being as insurance behind Mallett, and because Ian Smart was due to have surgery today on his banged up knee. With an average of 5.6 yards per carry last season for the Eskimos and good hands coming out of the backfield, it was not a bad insurance policy to take a chance on.

A quiet bunch

I’ve attended a few Lions practices over the last few years, and one thing was noticeable off the bat at this one, there wasn’t a lot of talking going on. Korey Banks quipped “We still have fans? Really, we still have fans?”, as he jogged out to the practice field, but the usual banter amongst players was muted at best.

Wally involved

Wally Buono took a much more hands on approach in today’s practice, particularly on special teams drills where he was fairly vocal. Buono’s style is usually to sit back and let his coaches run the practice, but obviously desperate times call for a more involved role from the boss.

Logan Watch:

For those still dreaming of the return of Stefan Logan here is an update on his quest to make the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Monday’s Practice Photo Gallery:

[nggallery id=19]

Wally Buono has begun to address injuries and deficiencies arising from Friday’s loss in Saskatchewan. The club has finalized a deal with running back Tyler Ebell, who should be on the field when practice resumes on Monday.

The Lions have also signed a new offensive tackle, Daren Heerspink, out of Bellingham, Wash. The 6’6′ 315 Heerspink was recently waived by the St, Louis Rams. Heerspink also spent time on the practice roster of the Miami Dolphins. It’s unlikely he’ll see any action this week, but he does provide a backup tackle for the Lions, which they lacked heading into the season.

Lowell Ullrich has more information on both of these developments on his blog, and also sheds some light on the injury status of both Ian Smart and Emmanuel Arceneaux.

Buono is also reassessing the linebacker situation after Jamall Johnson decided Hamilton was a better fit for his career and signed with the Ticats. He met with CFL veteran Reggie Hunt in Regina, but told Mike Beamish of the Vancouver Sun it was more of a courtesy meeting at this point, and that bringing in another linebacker was not necessarily as given.

(Regina, SK) The BC Lions were in a generous mood Friday night, and handed the Saskatchewan Roughriders a 28-24 victory at Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field on Friday.

Buck Pierce fumbled four times and threw two interceptions under constant pressure from a Rider defense that was seemingly having it’s way with BC’s new look offensive line, which often seemed confused with picking up the blitz giving Pierce little time to look down field allowing 9 sacks. Walter Stith showed that he is a work in progress replacing Rob Murphy, while Dean Valli also had a tough game at times. These deficiencies will need to be addressed or Buck Pierce will end up on the injured list in no time.

The Lions picked up key injuries as well, the most concerning being to running back/kick returner Ian Smart. Smart pulled up lame on a carry and looked to have popped a groin the way his body language was suggesting. Promising newcomer Emmanuel Arceneaux, who had a TD catch on the night, left the game with an apparent shoulder injury. The Lions got big scare came when Omar Morgan rolled up on the leg of Geroy Simon, bending the star receiver’s leg in a way it shouldn’t bend. Simon laid on the turf grabbing his leg but walked off under his own weight and thankfully returned to finish the game.

The loss of Smart left the return game in shambles and Darren Toney looked lost filling in for the CFL’s former special teams player of the year.

On a promising note the Lions defense looked pretty decent at times. Ryan Phillips picked off two Darian Durant passes and took one back for a touchdown, and the front four got decent pressure most of the night, registering three sacks and would have had a bunch more had Durant not been so agile and thrown the ball away on other occasions. Javier Glatt had a strong game for the Lions at linebacker, and Korey Banks looks as though there will be some exciting moments coming from him at his new nickleback position.

The Riders didn’t do themselves a lot of favours trying to win the game. They added turnovers of their own, and almost gave the Lions the win in the dying moments when Ryan Grice-Mullen was wide open deep but dropped the ball. Durant went 18-32 for 313 yards, 0 TD’s and 3 interceptions. 154 of those yards were to star Weston Dressler who served notice to the league he is quickly becoming the premier receiver in the CFL.

Footnotes:

• The Lions have lost out on the Jamall Johnson sweepstakes as the former Lions linebacker signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Sad that an NFL tryout costs the Lions a good player, who may have had a bigger role here had he not left. The Lions apparently exchanged contract numbers with Reggie Hunt while in Regina, and will now explore the possibility of adding him or JoJuan Armour.
• With the injury to Ian Smart the rumored signing of RB Tyler Ebell could be finalized this week, or perhaps junior star Andrew Harris will dress. Martell Mallet had some promising carries, and looks to be a similar type of runner as Joe Smith.
• Former Lion Jason Clermont finished the night with 1 catch for 9 yards, while former Rider Anton McKenzie registered 6 tackles, 1 sack and a forced fumble.
• If Emmanuel Arceneaux can’t go Friday, we’ll likely see the other promising receiver in camp, Terence Scott get his chance to shine.
• Lowell Ullrich has more in a nice video blog he composed after the game in Regina. You can view it here.