We’re now just a week away from the kickoff to the 2021 CFL season! Last week, I previewed the four teams from the CFL’s East Division – Hamilton, Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto; this week I’ll be bringing you a quick overview of each of the five West Division teams. Reminder as well to those who are interested – the weekly pick ’em pool is linked below, if you feel like predicting game matchups this season – PoolTracker also has a web app for phones and desktops available here!

https://www.pooltracker.com/join.asp?poolid=193216 

I’ll be getting back to doing full league-wide news next week as the season kicks off; tune in August 5th to catch the first matchups of Week 1, 2021! And now, onto the main event.

BRITISH COLUMBIA LIONS

Founded: 1954

Home Stadium: BC Place, Vancouver, BC (54,500)

Grey Cups: 6 (1964, 1985, 1994, 2000, 2006, 2011)

2019 Record: 5-13, fifth in West Division; missed playoffs

GM: Neil McEvoy and Rick Campbell

Head Coach: Rick Campbell

Starting QB: Michael Reilly

Famous Alumni:

• Doug Flutie, QB
• Joe Kapp, QB (once fought Ti-Cats defensive lineman Angelo Mosca at an alumni banquet when they were in their 70s!)
• Austin Collie, WR
• Jim “Dirty Thirty” Young, WR/RB (first Canadian Interuniversity Sport [CIS] player drafted to the NFL – Minnesota Vikings, 1965, from Queen’s University. Also a great nickname, though I don’t know where it comes from.)
• Cameron Wake, DE

Fun Facts: One of the main rivals of the BC Lions is actually the Montreal Alouettes, clear across the other side of the country; the two teams have a long-running Labour Day series that is similar to the game traditionally played between Toronto and Hamilton that same weekend. The Lions are also the first team from Western Canada to win a Grey Cup at home, in 1994, and also the only team to beat an American-based team in a Grey Cup, also in 1994 against the Baltimore Stallions.

The Training Camp Scuttlebutt: The Lions had an incredibly disappointing 2019. They’d made a big splash in free agency, bringing in the league’s best quarterback in Michael Reilly (formerly referred to as Mike, including by yours truly – he’s going by his full name now in order to honour his recently-passed mother’s memory), as well as a slew of offensive weapons, plus a new head coach in DeVone Claybrooks, former Stamps DC, to take the helm. It was too much all at once – the team never really gelled, Reilly got hurt, and it just wasn’t a cohesive season for anyone. Claybrooks was fired at the end of the year – tough to see a first-time head coach only get a single season shot at the opportunity, but the decision was made in part because Rick Campbell, the REDBLACKS’ former head coach who was disgruntled with personnel management and the front office, decided to leave Ottawa. With Campbell now having a hand in the GM role, the Lions hope they’ll finally be able to see the turnaround they envisioned after Hall of Fame coach and GM Wally Buono retired at the end of the 2018 season. Reilly, at age 36, is still arguably the best quarterback in the CFL, and with a year to rest and recuperate, like the rest of the league, he’s still going to be good this year. The real question is whether or not Campbell can get the Lions to come together and buy in as a team when his predecessor Claybrooks could not – but considering Campbell’s experience in taking the expansion REDBLACKS from a woeful 2-16 inaugural season to three Grey Cup games and one title, I’d say the Lions are in a much better position than they were a couple of years ago.  The main issue remains that they’re in tight against a very, very tough West Division – all the other teams have arguably improved this offseason. The other major question mark about the team is all about ownership – longtime owner David Braley passed away in October 2020, and his estate continues to manage the team; that said, it seems reasonable to believe that the Lions will be sold soon – and hopefully to an owner or ownership team that understands the Vancouver market better than the Lions have in recent decades, in order to increase attendance and community outreach and support.

Key Additions: WR Dominique Rhymes, Lucky Whitehead (FA); RB Shaq Cooper, Chris Rainey (FA); LB Bo Lokombo (FA); DB Marcus Sayles, Anthony Cioffi (FA); DL JR Tavai (FA); QB Shea Patterson (FA)

Key Subtractions: QB Brandon Bridge (released); DB Crezdon Butler (FA), Aaron Grymes (released); WR Ryan Lankford (FA), Duron Carter (released); DE Jonathan Newsome (retired), Shawn Lemon (FA); DT Davon Coleman (FA); RB John White (FA), Brandon Rutley (retired)

2021 Record Prediction: 6-8

CALGARY STAMPEDERS

Founded: 1945

Home Stadium: McMahon Stadium, Calgary, AB (35,400)

Grey Cups: 8 (1948, 1971, 1992, 1998, 2001, 2008, 2014, 2018)

2019 Record: 12-6, 2nd in West Division; lost in West Semifinal to Winnipeg

GM: John Hufnagel

Head Coach: Dave Dickenson

Starting QB: Bo Levi Mitchell

Famous Alumni:

• Doug Flutie, QB (won the 1992 Grey Cup as the starter)
• Jeff Garcia, QB (played 1994-98, won the 1998 Grey Cup, and was a 4-time All-Star before jumping to the San Francisco 49ers)
• Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, LB (was on the 1995 practise roster)

Fun Facts: The 1948 Stampeders are the only professional Canadian football team to ever have a perfect season, when they went 12-0 and won the Grey Cup in Toronto against the Ottawa Rough Riders; the celebrations were so epic that they had a giant pancake breakfast on the steps of Toronto’s City Hall and even rode horses through the lobby of that city’s famous Royal York hotel.

The Training Camp Scuttlebutt: The Stamps have been the class of the CFL for the last two decades, with four Grey Cup victories in seven title game appearances. Though they didn’t win last year, falling to an underdog Winnipeg team in the West semifinal, they remain a threat to win it all yet again. Through the last decade, the team’s biggest strength has been its stability, particularly at head coach and at quarterback. Dave Dickenson took over the team from current GM John Hufnagel in 2016, and the Stampeders have never finished lower than second place in the division during his tenure. Starting QB Bo Levi Mitchell, two-time CFL Most Outstanding Player, had a pectoral injury in 2019 that kept him sidelined for a few weeks (and it probably cost the Stamps a shot at the division title), but he returned to play in the second half of the season, and is going to be as good as ever this year. At age 31, he’s got a lot of football left in him. In all honesty, the Stamps’ preview tends to be the most boring to write – they’ve been so consistently good over the last few years that there’s not really much new information to provide – if you’re looking to HAIL GAMBLOR on a Grey Cup favourite without knowing jack shit about the CFL, Calgary will almost always be a safe, reliable bet.

Key Additions: DB Brandon Dozier (FA); WR Josh Huff (FA); DB Richard Leonard (FA); FB Calvin McCarty (FA); QB Michael O’Connor (FA)

Key Subtractions: QB Nick Arbuckle (traded, FA); OL Derek Dennis (FA); DL Cordarro Law (FA); LB Dexter McCoil (FA); WR Eric Rogers (traded); DB Courtney Stephen (FA, retired)

2021 Record Prediction: 9-5

EDMONTON ELKS

Founded: 1949

Home Stadium: Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, AB (56,302)

Grey Cups: 14 (1954, 1955, 1956, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1993, 2003, 2005, 2015)

2019 Record: 8-10, fourth in West Division; missed playoffs

GM: Brock Sunderland

Head Coach: Jaime Elizondo

Starting QB: Trevor Harris

Famous Alumni:

• Warren Moon, QB (longtime Houston Oilers QB and 5-time Grey Cup winner, 2-time Grey Cup MOP, 1983 CFL MOP)
• Joe Anoa’i, DT (now famous as current WWE superstar Roman Reigns)
• Henry “Gizmo” Williams, RB (5’6″, 185 lbs, a forerunner to Darren Sproles & Devin Hester – one of the greatest kick returners in CFL history with 31 kick return touchdowns – 26 punts, 2 kickoffs, and 3 on missed FGs)
• Chris Getzlaf, WR (brother of NHL Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf)

Fun Facts: The Elks won 5 straight Grey Cups between 1978-82, and this streak of dominance is considered to be the best that the CFL and all of Canadian football has ever seen in its history. The team also made the playoffs in 34 consecutive years between 1972-2005, a feat no other team has equalled in any North American pro sports league. Commonwealth Stadium is the largest stadium in the CFL, and is also the traditional home of the Canadian national soccer teams due to its size and its use of a real grass field until 2009.

The Training Camp Scuttlebutt: The biggest news this past offseason about the Edmonton CFL team was its long-overdue name change; after mounting pressure from Indigenous advocacy groups across Canada and the United States, the team retired its old, racist nickname and adopted a new one for the start of this new season. Now known as the Elks (which is, in fact, grammatically correct – the team consulted with linguists at the University of Alberta and the Oxford Dictionary to confirm this), a nod to the original football team from early 20th century Edmonton, the team will be remodelling itself both on and off the field.  After another disappointing season where the team had a hot start only to collapse down the stretch once again, head coach Jason Maas was fired. Taking his place is Jaime Elizondo, who was hired to replace Scott Milanovich, who was his initial replacement, but jumped ship to the NFL to become the QB coach for the Indianapolis Colts. Elizondo’s coaching record is curious – he’s never been a head coach prior to this point, and he rankled Ottawa REDBLACKS’ GM Marcel Desjardins immensely when he abruptly resigned his offensive coordinator job just before the start of the 2019 CFL season to jump ship to head to the XFL. Regardless of his purported loyalty issues (according to some), he remains a very strong offensive football mind – he won a Grey Cup with Ottawa in 2016 as their OC, and has a good working relationship with Elks’ QB Trevor Harris, who worked with him closely while a member of the REDBLACKS. More than anything, what Edmonton needs is a way to maintain discipline and composure down the stretch – they had a terrible habit of taking costly penalties at the most inopportune times under Jason Maas’ tenure, and this should be the most pressing issue that Elizondo and his coaching staff need to deal with if they want to return to the playoffs. There’s definitely talent on this roster, but if they can’t keep composed, they won’t be able to hack it in a really tight West Division.

Key Additions: WR Armanti Edwards, Derel Walker, Mike Jones (FA); DL Shawn Lemon (FA); DB Jonathan Rose (FA); RB James Wilder, Jr., Terry Williams (FA)

Key Subtractions: WR Ricky Collins (FA), Christion Jones (released); RB CJ Gable (retired) Shaq Cooper (FA), FB Calvin McCarty (retired, FA), DL Stefan Charles, Almondo Sewell (FA); LB Jovan Santos-Knox (FA); DB Josh Johnson (FA)

2021 Record Prediction: 6-8

SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS

Founded: 1910

Home Stadium: New Mosaic Stadium, Regina, SK (33,000, expandable to 40,000)

Grey Cups: 4 (1966, 1989, 2007, 2013)

2019 Record: 13-5, first in West Division; lost in West Final to Winnipeg

GM: Jeremy O’Day

Head Coach: Craig Dickenson

Starting QB: Cody Fajardo

Famous Alumni: 

• Ron Lancaster, QB/DE (led Riders to the 1966 Grey Cup; 4 time CFL All-Star, 2-time CFL MOP)
• George Reed, RB (9-time CFL All-Star, 1965 CFL MOP, CFL record-holder for rushing TDs with 134)

Fun Facts: The Roughriders are one of only two CFL teams currently owned by community shareholders. They are the #3 overall sports team in Canada in merchandise sales, behind only the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. Until 2013, you could joke about my alma mater, the Queen’s University Golden Gaels (Kingston, ON) having won the same number of Grey Cups (3) as the Roughriders, despite not playing for the trophy since the 1920s. Finally, it’s very easy to upset Ottawa fans about the Rough Riders/Roughriders controversy of the 20th century, especially since Saskatchewan lawyers blocked the new expansion team in Ottawa from taking their old name back (WE HAD IT FIRST, DAMMIT!).

The Training Camp Scuttlebutt: The start of 2019 was a tumultuous one for the Riders… but despite the fact they didn’t win the Grey Cup, I still think it’s fair to say last season was a resounding success. When starting QB Zach Collaros went down with a concussion in just the third play of their opening game against Hamilton, backup Cody Fajardo – who’d spent the previous two seasons bouncing around as the second or third option on Toronto’s and BC’s rosters – was pressed into action. Upon becoming the Riders’ new starter, he never looked back, seizing the reins and turning into the reliable starter Saskatchewan had been looking for since they traded Hall of Famer Darian Durant to Montreal in 2017. With Fajardo leading the way, the Roughriders won their first division title since 2009, and won thirteen games in a season for the first time since 1970, when they went 14-2. Saskatchewan’s roster continues to look pretty good, but they’re also plagued by injury problems early on – they’ve suffered five torn Achilles tendons in training camp alone, including key linebacker Larry Dean, DB Nelson Lokombo, DEs Freddie Bishop III and Tim Williams, and RB Jonathan Femi-Cole. Dean, in particular, is a big loss for the team, having come from Hamilton in free agency to try and help stabilize the run D. The Roughriders will also be without the services of longtime pass-rusher Charleston Hughes, who left to join the Argos this season… the D will look different without him running hard from the blind side. Riders fans are still hoping for another deep playoff run this year, and there’s definitely potential for that… but all truly great teams get a fair amount of luck to help them on their way, and it seems like there hasn’t been much in Regina so far this season. Oh yeah, and also they signed Denver draft bust Paxton Lynch to compete for a backup QB slot. Hilarious!

Key Additions: OL Brett Boyko, Evan Johnson (FA); DB Lorenzo Jerome, Mike Stevens (FA), QB Paxton Lynch (FA)

Key Subtractions: WR Naaman Roosevelt (FA), Manny Arcenaux (retired); RB Marcus Thigpen (released); LB Cameron Judge (FA), DE Charleston Hughes (FA), OL Brendon LaBatte (opted out)

2019 Record Prediction: 9-5

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS

Founded: 1930

Home Stadium: Investors Group Field, Winnipeg, MB (33,500)

Grey Cups: 10 (1935, 1939, 1941, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1984, 1988, 1990)

2019 Record: 11-7, third in West Division; won Grey Cup

GM: Kyle Walters

Head Coach: Mike O’Shea

Starting QB: Zach Collaros

Famous Alumni: 

• Milt Stegall, WR (played 3 seasons in the NFL for the Bengals before coming north to Winnipeg, where he holds the CFL record for all-time touchdowns with 144; also a 9-time CFL All-Star but never won a Grey Cup)
• Tom Clements, QB (won 1976 Grey Cup with the Ottawa Rough Riders, as well as the 1984 Grey Cup with the Bombers; currently serving as the Green Bay Packers’ assistant head coach)

Fun Facts: The Blue Bombers are owned by a community-based collective, in extremely similar fashion to the Green Bay Packers, and are the second of two CFL teams still with this model of ownership. They were also the first team not from Ontario or Quebec to win a Grey Cup, with their initial 1935 victory. The Bombers have the most Grey Cup game appearances of any CFL team, with 25 title games played.

The Training Camp Scuttlebutt: The Bombers came away from an incredibly challenging season with a surprise Grey Cup victory, making their battles through adversity all the more sweet… and ending a 29-year title drought at the same time! Starting QB Matt Nichols, who’d been leading the league in TDs and passer rating at mid-season, went down with a shoulder injury in Week 10, and missed the rest of the season, leaving Chris Streveler (now with the Arizona Cardinals) to take over as the new starter. Adding insult to injury, star Canadian running back Andrew Harris was hit with a two-game PED suspension, and it looked like the Bombers would fall out of the playoff race. However, they elected to trade for Zach Collaros from Saskatchewan at the trade deadline; Collaros, who’d missed much of the first half of the season due to a concussion, was pressed into tandem duties with Streveler, but when Streveler down with a knee injury, Collaros got the Bombers into the playoffs… and then was lights-out in three post-season games. It was a wonderful redemption story for a guy who looked like a shell of the player he was in his early career with Hamilton; Winnipeg is banking on Collaros continuing his fine form into this year. They’re likely to be in the playoff hunt once again this season, especially thanks to RB Harris continuing to be such a valuable part of their offence, but it’s so unbelievably difficult to repeat as Grey Cup champions in this league – the last team to do it was the 2009 and 2010 Montreal Alouettes. The West is a three-horse race right now, with Calgary, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg the most likely candidates for the division title.

Key Additions: DB Alden Darby (trade); K Tyler Crapigna (FA); DB Josh Johnson (FA); WR Cameron Meredith (FA)

Key Subtractions: WR Lucky Whitehead (FA); K Justin Medlock (FA); OL Terry Poole (trade)

2021 Record Prediction: 8-6

And that concludes your 2021 team previews, folks! I look forward to kickoff next Thursday, August 5th – hope to see you back here, same bat-time, same bat-channel.