Friday, June 26, 2015

Ticats at Stampedes Preview Week 1 CFL

I've looked at the Ticats website and no sign of the depth chart yet. Seems pretty strange as they had one for the last pre-season game. So I will have to go by some assumptions.

I'm not exactly sure which offensive tackles will start but I do know they will be Americans. Figueora I believe is on the injury list so not him. Likely in the middle will be guards Dyakoski and Bomben plus Filer as centre, all non-imports. 

Collaros will start at quarterback and a lot of how the game goes will depend on him. The problem is that Gable, Grigsby and Madu are all injured at running back and Steve Tasker is out at receiver.

The Cats do have import Bakari Grant who looked good in the pre-season and if the Cats are going to win, is going to have to have a good game. Non-import Fantuz is healthy and will also need to have a good game. I'm assuming that Brandon Banks will play some five and six receiver sets. The new import Tolliver will likely start as a receiver and hopefully he pans out as the new 2015 receiver find for the Ticats. The non-import Coates could possibly also see a little bit of time.

The new running back Holley at least had some time in the last pre-season game taking over from the injured running backs. How he does receiving will be important for the offense. Prime is likely the non-import running back. Medlock obviously kicks and punts and it will be interesting what the Cats do on the new points after rule.

On defence, the line will be Justin Hickman as an end, Henry as a tackle and non-import Laurent as another tackle. If Norwood hadn't injured himself in a household accident he would have started (he had 13 sacks in 2014) and I'm not sure who replaces him.

Linebackers are I'm guessing Harris and Reed although without the depth chart I'm not sure exactly who the third is. Rico Murray is unfortunately injured.

In the secondary, Brandon Stewart is likely one of the starting corners with Gainey or Sears as one of the others. Butler a non-import starts at safety.

Calgary obviously has Bo Levi Mitchell and Jon Cornish and the defence will at least have to slow them down. I can see the Cats minimizing production from Cornish but then getting torched from the air. This game could be a shootout although I'm not sure that is recipe for the Cats winning.

Apparently the Cats haven't won their home opener for ten years, which is kind of depressing. Hopefully Collaros comes up with a monster game.

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