The question I get asked a lot this time of year is, ‘How are the BC Lions going to do in the upcoming CFL season? ‘
I usually have a pretty good read on the team and can give a prediction based on that.
This year is a different story.
The Lions went 9-9 and lost 28-19 to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Western Semi in a year in which all stops were pulled in an effort to get to the Grey Cup game being played in Vancouver.
The disappointing campaign resulted in a myriad of changes with head coach and general manager Rick Campbell being let go with Buck Pierce replacing Campbell as head coach and personnel director Ryan Rigmaiden being elevated to the role of general manager.
Those moves have resulted in optimism about this year but every team is optimistic heading into a season.
With the 2025 campaign starting this Saturday when the Lions host the Edmonton Elks, we will start to learn if that optimism is warranted.
The best news for Lions fans is that quarterback Nathan Rourke is back with an off-season of having learned Pierce’s playbook and he appears rejuvenated. After his NFL odyssey, Rourke came back to B.C. in an awkward situation with Vernon Adams Jr. entrenched as the starter but it’s Rourke’s team now, and as he told me, he’s slowly eliminated the pressure of not making a mistake which he felt during his time south of the border.
Rourke will have plenty of weapons on the offence with running back James Butler and receivers Justin McInnis, Keon Hatcher, Jevon Cottoy, Ayden Eberhardt and Stanley Berryhill at his disposal.
The question mark with the unit is the offensive line.
Rigmaiden’s prized off-season acquisition was acquiring tackle Dejon Allen from Toronto, who is one of the top offensive linemen in the league. The concern with Allen was a back issue which sidelined him for the start of training camp. The Lions can ill-afford to lose Allen as he, along with tackle Jarell Broxton, are expected to anchor the line. A shoulder injury to Tyler Packer settled the battle at centre with veteran Michael Couture winning the job for now. Second-year vet Kory Woodruff slides over from tackle to claim the left guard spot which he’s better suited for.
The right guard position has been a black hole, however. Sophomore Anu Una was expected to be given the opportunity to be the starter but an ankle injury suffered in the first pre-season game has delayed that. Veteran David Foucault was signed as a free agent in the off-season to provide some depth. He was expected to fill in at guard until Una was ready but he suffered a broken leg in the second pre-season game and is out indefinitely. That means that Chris Schleuger might have to start but since he’s an American, it will have to come at the expense of an American elsewhere.
The players are extremely excited about the new playbook as it is much more dynamic with plenty of motion, misdirection and east-west to it – something that was clearly lacking the last few years but the bottom line is that this group will go as far as the offensive line can take them.
On the other side of the ball, improvement is expected under new defensive coordinator Mike Benevides. Much like the offence, there are strengths and there are areas of concern.
Up front, the Lions need to be stouter against the run and that is expected to improve with second-year players Jonah Tavai and Marcus Moore having looked great in training camp. That pair, along with a heavier Christian Covington, will be looked upon as run-stoppers in the middle. Sione Teuhema and Mathieu Betts along with newcomer Kemoko Turay will be expected to provide some pass rush off the edge but the biggest difference maker with this group could be defensive line coach Randy Melvin.
Melvin is a disciplinarian who emphasizes strict gap control. His predecessor – John Bowman – allowed the players a little more freedom to freelance and it sometimes came at the cost of gap integrity. That won’t be the case this year with Melvin.
The linebacking corps was one of the deepest positions in training camp – and that’s without the services of Josh Woods, who is still rehabbing an ACL injury but is expected to be ready within the month. Veteran Micah Awe leads this group and will be joined by pre-season sensation Jeremy Lewis. With the injuries on the offensive line, Lewis might get caught in the numbers game but he should play a role for the team this year. Look for veterans Ben Hladik, Adam Konar and Adam Auclair to be part of the rotation as well.
The secondary will be fluid to start the season as Benevides and secondary coach Ryan Phillips try to find the right combination of players. The only players who are locks are corner Garry Peters and safety Cristophe Beaulieu.
After that, it’s a puzzle with Jalon-Edwards Cooper and Ronald Kent Jr. expected to start at half with either Deontai Williams or Robert Carter Jr. at the other corner. Williams could also wind up at nickel if the team feels Tyler Coyle isn’t ready. Then again, Carter could start at corner with Williams taking over at half for either Edwards-Cooper or Kent Jr. And expect to see second-round pick Jackson Findlay and Patrice Rene in certain packages as well. Like I said, there is a lot of fluidity when it comes to the secondary.
As for the specialists, kicker Sean Whyte returns for what seems like his 32nd season and will be counted upon again for his deadly accuracy. Global punter Carl Meyer has one of the strongest legs in the league and has had a great pre-season. As for the return game, Carter has seen some time in the pre-season but newcomer Jermaine Jackson has everyone excited to see what he can do. Simply put, Jackson is explosive and has the potential to be an impact player.
So, about that question.
How do the Lions do this year?
I have a floor of eight wins with a ceiling of twelve wins, so I’ll settle at 10-8 but with the team getting stronger as the season progresses.
OVERTIME:
*A sell-out for the opener against the Edmonton Elks is expected this Saturday at BC Place with the Concert Kickoff featuring Snoop Dogg. The team is asking fans to be seated by 5:45 p.m. for the concert with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. The Lions are also hosting their “Backyard Party” beginning at 2 p.m. on Terry Fox Plaza.
*One feel-good story in training camp has been the play of fullback Riley Pickett. Originally drafted as a defensive lineman, Pickett spent three years as the team’s long snapper but was given a chance to replace the retired David Mackie at fullback. One of the more popular players in the locker room, Pickett has looked extremely good in the transition.
*Teuhema will miss the first two games of the season for violating the CFL’s drug policy after he tested positive for the banned substance Amfetamine.