Blogs CFL Buzz

It’s a quiet Friday in the CFL and in Stampeders land. That’s not a bad thing. Thursday was so busy this blog was neglected.

Early in the day, we heard that the Flames were going to be taking a bigger chunk of the ownership in the CFL team. At the time, it wasn’t clear if they would have controlling interest. As we got closer to a 3 p.m. news conference, it was clear they were going to be calling the shots as the likes of Doug Mitchell and John Forzani have moved into minority ownership.

Here is the story on the sale, and what it means for Calgary. The big part of this transaction appears to be a future sports complex with a new hockey arena and a football stadium. There are rumblings that McMahon Stadium has about five to seven years left of use before it will be brought down and a 5,000-8,000-seat facility will be erected in its place. That would be ideal for track and field competitions, soccer and football. This is all long-term forecasting, so who know where it leads.

Flames president Ken King confirmed Thursday at the news conference they will look into combining football and hockey buildings on the same site. He isn’t going into details obviously.

There is a debate raging as to whether the Flames owning every pro sports team in this city is a good thing. The public hasn’t exactly responded to their takeover of the Calgary Roughnecks with an uptick in popularity. The comments at the bottom of my story certain signifies a divide in the public.

What does the new ownership mean on the field this season? Nothing for this season. In fact, the first thing the Flames did was to extend John Hufnagel’s contract and lock him through the 2016 season. Here is that story.

— Buz

The Calgary Stampeders are getting down to the short strokes in finalizing the 2012 roster. In the past two days, they have announced deals that have long been done.

On Monday, it was the signing of University of Calgary Dinos running back Matt Walter, who was a fifth-round draft pick in 2011. On Tuesday, Landan Talley’s contract extension was announced.

Talley is entering his third season with the Stamps and it remains to be seen where he fits in within the offence. With Ken-Yon Rambo and Nik Lewis still occupying the slot positions, Talley is the odd man out when everyone is healthy.

In 2011, Rambo wasn’t healthy a lot of the time, giving Talley the chance to record 19 receptions for 317 yards and three TDs. He also return kickoffs, and his first game was a 205-yard all-purpose effort in B.C. Later in the season, he had an 81-yard TD against the Lions in Vancouver.

“Landan became a more important part of our offence in 2011 and we expect that to continue in the upcoming season,” said Stamps GM-head coach Hufnagel. “He has breakaway speed and that was evident in the play against the Lions.”

Walter went back to the Dinos last season and worked hard on special teams. If he makes the Stamps, he will need to be a coverage player to make himself valuable. There is little chance he would get much time on offence. It was Walter’s willingness to absorb what the Stamps were telling him and work on other things than just running the ball, which they knew he could do from his record-setting Dinos career.

“I was impressed with Matt’s skill and competitiveness last year at training camp and look forward to his continued improvement in his attempt to become a Calgary Stampeder,” said Hufnagel. “Matt showed during his university career that he can be a dominant running back.”

— Buz

Cam Sexton made the most of a first impression with the Calgary Stampeders. After bringing the quarterback in for a short audition in 2011, the Stamps have invited the North Carolina product back for this year’s training camp.

On Friday, the Stamps announced the official signing of Sexton and import linebacker Danny Lansanah. Sexton was a Tar Hell for three season in which he threw for 2,110 yards and 13 TDs. He spent his final season of eligibility at Catawba College in North Carolina.

Lansanah played five games for the Green Bay Packers in 2008 and was with the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions practice rosters the following season. The University of Connecticut product played in the UFL last season.

Extra points
The B.C. Lions have named Carl (Big Daddy) Hairston as their new defensive line coach … The Blue Bombers have sign non-import receiver Rory Kohlert … The Tiger-Cats offically anounnced the signing of kicker Luca Congi.

— Buz

If there as any doubt that Corey Mace is fully recovered from his torn Achilles suffered last season, he put it to rest in 30 minutes of training Thursday morning.

At a workout with UFC competitors Nick Ring and Jason MacDonald, Mace had worked up a huge sweat and had a bit of fun learning the techniques. The defensive tackle isn’t jumping into the octagon any time soon, but he’s anxious for the CFL season to start. The Port Moody, B.C., product played just one game in 2011 after suffering the injury in the season-opening loss to the Toronto Argonauts.

He missed the final 17 game but was back working with the team during the playoffs. Had the team kept their playoff run going, the Stamps maybe would have activated him.

“I was making a push for it,” Mace said. “It was hard to sit out all season. If we had the chance to play in the Grey Cup in my hometown. That would have been a dream come true.

“Now looking at it, I had more time to rehab. It will be a full 365 days from the time I was injured until this year’s opener. It all worked out. It might have been a blessing in disguise. You never want to rush back. The fact I got an extra six months, it proved to be time I needed.”

Mace and safety Eric Fraser were fans of the UFC before going through the workout Thursday. Now Fraser has a greater appreciation for what they do, although he would never consider doing it himself.

“I don’t like getting punched in the face too much,” Fraser said. “After doing this and seeing how skilled the guys are, it’s a whole other level. I thought I was a strong guy and I could be able to wrestle and roll around. It’s a clearly different game.

“But when you aren’t good at something and you are competitive, you always want to keep going and see if you can keep going.”

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Swaggerville Mayor sent packing
Odell Willis has switched sides in the prairie rivalry. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers sent the defensive end to the Saskatchewan Roughriders Thursday along with a late-round draft pick in exchange for a pair of picks this year.

For the Mayor of Swaggerville, the Bombers got the eighth overall pick this year and the 23rd pick as well. This isn’t the first time Wilis was traded in the CFL. During his rookie season of 2009, he was sent from the Calgary Stampeders to the Blue Bombers as part of the huge deal that netted the Stamps receiver Romby Bryant.

While Willis can no doubt get to the quarterback (he has 34 sacks in three seasons) he isn’t an all-around defensive end. Still, the Roughriders needed a pass rush after being lacking in that area since losing Stevie Baggs and John Chick after the 2009 season.

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Simon extended for two years
In the first couple of games of 2012, Geroy Simon is going to become the CFL’s all-time leading receiver. When the B.C. Lions star is done playing, after a two-year contract extension announced Thursday, he’s going to put a number that will be mighty tough to top.

Simon was second in the league with 1,350 yards and eight touchdowns on 84 receptions in 2011. He was a CFL All-Canadian for the sixth time in his 13-year career, and he is just 66 yards away from Milt Stegall’s all-time receiving yardage mark of 15,153. 

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Congi lands in Hamilton
Kicker Luca Congi is getting a chance to make a comeback. After being fully healthy last year with the Saskatchewan Roughriders but the job was taken by Chris Milo.

So the Riders cut him and now he lands in Hamilton, where the Tiger-Cats are trying to replace Justin Medlock, who left for the NFL. The news was broken by Drew Edwards of the Hamilton Spectator that Congi will try to tame the wild wind in Ivor Wynne Stadium that ate up former Stampeders kicker Sandro DeAngelis in 2010.

The Ticats also announced extensions for defensive backs Milt Collins and Dee Webb, both of whom spent time with the Stampeders.

— Buz

The Calgary Stampeders have solidified two parts of their offensive depth.

The team officially announced a contract extension Tuesday for backup running back and returner LaMarcus Coker, who comes back for a full sophomore season.

Canadian receiver Arjei Franklin is also coming back. The Stamps have yet to announced a new deal for the free agent, but they have signed the veteran for a fourth season in Red and White.

Franklin, who will turn 30 April 25, hit the open market Feb. 15 and was thought to be headed back to Ontario where he is from, but there was a standing offer from the Stamps if he wanted to come back to Calgary.

Franklin’s signing adds to a crowded collection of Canadian receivers that includes Johnny Forzani, Jabari Arthur, Chris Bauman and Anthony Parker. The Stamps also have rookie Michael Squires, an Acadia product, trying out at training camp in June.

Franklin, who had six catches for 68 yards last season while being limited due to broken ribs, came to the Stamps in 2009 in the multi-player deal with Winnipeg that netted Calgary receiver Romby Bryant.

Coker spent the majority of 2011 on the Stampeders practice roster but was activated for Touchdown Atlantic in Moncton. He made an instant impression, scampering for a 75-yard TD run on his first offensive touch.

A high-ankle sprain limited him for a few weeks, but Coker did rush for 234 yards on 24 carries in just five games. He will form a thunder and lightning tandem with starting running back Jon Cornish.

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Extra points
The Stamps will have a fan forum Wednesday night at the Red and White Club. Admission is free and fans can gets their questions answered by president Lyle Bauer and GM-head coach John Hufnagel … The Blue Bombers have extended the contract of head coach Paul LaPolice for two years … Bombers DL Doug Brown is expected to officially retire Wednesday, a move that he announced before last season started.

— Buz