By Fred Williams Jun 27, 2007, 15:35 GMT
That could explain why in the offseason the Stampeders signed former NFL first round pick Akili Smith. Starter Henry Burris has been solid during the regular season the last two years, but hasn't been able to lead Calgary to any postseason success.
Burris will begin his third season as Calgary's starter, but Smith was impressive during the exhibition season and will undoubtedly be asked to come off the bench should Burris struggle. And if Burris doesn't play well, there's no doubt he'll hear it from the fans at McMahon Stadium, whose expectations the last two years haven't come close to being met.
Burris finished third in CFL passing last year with 4,453 yards and had a league-high 23 touchdowns. But he also had 18 interceptions, tying Edmonton's Ricky Ray for the league lead.
But Burris' mobility is another element opposing defenses must account for. He ran for 480 yards, averaging 6.9 yards per carry, and also scored seven touchdowns. However, the bulk of Calgary's running game is handled by running back Joffrey Reynolds, who was second overall in the CFL in rushing with 1,541 yards. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry and scored nine touchdowns.
Calgary also signed Canadian running back Jon Cornish, who last year rushed for a single-season record 1,457 yards as a senior at the University of Kansas. He also scored eight touchdowns and had 24 catches for 194 yards. But not only can Cornish spell Reynolds, he is also a solid special teams player.
Nik Lewis was the club's leading receiver with 77 catches for 1,114 yards and five touchdowns. Veteran Jeremaine Copeland had a down year by his standards with 54 catches for 978 yards and six touchdowns. But Calgary's receiving corps should be boosted by the signing of free agent Ryan Thelwell -- who was with B.C. last year -- and return of Marc Boerigter following five seasons in the NFL. In 2001, his second season with Calgary, Boerigter had 48 catches for 931 yards and a team-high 11 touchdowns as the Stampeders won the Grey Cup. Following that season, Boerigter signed with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Another positive factor for Calgary is offensive coordinator George Cortez, who is regarded highly in CFL circles for orchestrating innovative and high- scoring offenses. But he will have big shoes to fill as last year's offensive coordinator Steve Buratto, put together a viable offense but many felt his firing was a case of Buratto being made the scapegoat for the Stamps' playoff woes.
But the Stampeders were busy at the CFL cutdown, dealing running back Wes Cates to Saskatchewan for Canadian offensive lineman Rob Lazeo and a 2009 conditional draft pick. Then, Calgary sent defensive back Coby Rhinehart to the Montreal Alouettes for future considerations.
If there was a weakness last year, it was defending against the pass as Calgary finished last in that category, averaging 278 yards against per game. But the defender most making a stir in training camp was Brandon Browner, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound defensive back from Oregon State. A CFL rookie, Browner signed as an undrafted free agent with the NFL's Denver Broncos after his college career and was said to have impressed the coaches with several interceptions and aggressive play during training camp.
But he suffered a fractured forearm and missed the entire '05 season, spending it on injured reserve before being released earlier this year. Browner has not only shown a penchant for being able to deliver big hits, but amazingly at his size he's still capable of providing adequate man coverage, something that's important in the passing CFL.
Kicker Sandro DeAngelis enjoyed a banner '06 campaign. The former Nebraska Cornhusker was named the CFL's top special teams player after leading the league in scoring (214 points) and field goals made (56) and tried (65). This after finishing second in scoring as a rookie the year before with 179 points.
Sports Network predicted finish: Second.
© 2007 The Sports Network
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