art in acquiring veteran leader and “quarterback 1A” Kevin Glenn from the O

Its been two years since the BC Lions hoisted the Grey Cup and Wally Buono handed the head coaching reigns to Mike Benevides. Since then the Lions have entered each season with one of the most talented rosters in the league before falling short of expectations. Two years is a short time to be sure, and its not like the Lions cant supply excuses for their shortcomings since 2011 – Travis Lulays shoulder injury last year – but in the ultra-competitive and impatient world of professional sports, the pressure is on. Bad teams feel pressure to be better; good teams feel pressure to be the best. And dont forget the added burden of a potential home field for the Grey Cup and the three-year streak of Grey Cup champs winning at home. The Lions were smart in acquiring veteran leader and “quarterback 1A” Kevin Glenn from the Ottawa Redblacks during the CFL Draft for the fifth-overall draft pick. The price was a little steep for a player few figured would actually end up with Ottawa for the upcoming season, but with Lulays shoulder still a talking point, Glenn provides quality insurance at the most important position. BC has opted for younger projects at QB behind Lulay the past couple years but the Glenn acquisition makes sense for a team that cant get derailed for even a short period of time, should Lulay miss games – for whatever ailment – this season. Especially with Thomas DeMarcos selection in the Expansion Draft, Glenn gives the Lions peace of mind at one of their most worrisome areas for 2014. Another solid move, adding to a position of strength, was the free agent signing of Jamall Johnson. Johnson returns to BC after five seasons in Hamilton, his last a down year after being asked to play in the middle, and joins a frightening linebacking corps that already includes Solomon Elimimian and Adam Bighill. BCs task in once again entering the year as one of the most talented teams on paper is replacing receiver Nick Moore and a number of large bodies on the offensive line. Not to diminish Moores impact, but the Lions receiving corps still has enough burners, and more importantly, added Canadian content, that Lulay – or Glenn – shouldnt feel frustrated for lack of quality targets. The line however, may have to rely on more youngsters than would be considered ideal. The good news is their young contingent on the offensive line is talented and the unit is still anchored by perhaps the best left tackle in the game in Jovan Olafioye. While theyve fallen short of the Grey Cup the past two years, the Lions still qualified for the postseason those years, and were just a win away from a return trip in 2012; so it feels strange to suggest the team enters the season under pressure to do more. That reality is part testament to how well the Lions organization is run, but as is the case with all good teams, being good only counts for so long; greatness sticks. Like the Argos and Riders before them, look for the Lions to go all out in 2014. Notes Parting Ways After a long tenure with the Lions as an offensive coach and coordinator, Jacques Chapdelaine left the Lions early in the off-season, the coach and team mutually agreeing to part ways. It was certainly a big shakeup on Benevides staff, getting rid of the offensive mainstay of 10 of the past 11 years. Up and coming offensive mind Khari Jones replaced Chapdelaine as well as taking on the QB coach role. Expansion Draft The Lions search for a backup quarterback began anew after the Ottawa Redblacks selected Thomas DeMarco, who gained solid experience filling in for an injured Travis Lulay In 2013, in the first round of the Expansion Draft. BC also lost guard Matt Albright and DT Andrew Marshall to the Redblacks. Free Agency With the least amount of players to hit the free market, the Lions were one of the least active teams during the free agency period. They did lose promising receiver Nick Moore to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers however, but made a splash on the other side of the ball when they brought back linebacker Jamall Johnson, who last played for the Lions in 2008, from Hamilton. Retirements The Lions offensive line took a number of big hits this off-season with the retirements of three big pieces. Veteran centre Angus Reid was the first to announce his retirement. The 13-year veteran was a three-time West Division All-Star and one-time league All-Star. Not long after tackle Ben Archibald retired. The two-time All-Canadian spent the past three seasons in BC. Then late in the off-season Patrick Kabongo joined the two in retirement. The nine-year vet was a one-time West Division All-Star. CFL Draft The Lions traded out of the first round in order to solidify their backup quarterback situation by grabbing Kevin Glenn from the Redblacks for the fifth-overall pick. The team had two picks in the second round, grabbing OL Tchissakid Player from Northwestern State and FB Pascal Lochard from Laval. With their final five selections the Lions took LB Casey Chin from Simon Fraser in the third round, DL David Menard from Montreal in the fourth round, WR Alexander Fox from Bishops in the fifth round, DL Dylan Roper from Simon Fraser in the sixth round, and RB Guillaume Bourassa from Laval in the seventh round. Khalif Mitchell Returns One of the most enigmatic players in the league the past few seasons made his return to BC late in the off-season after a year with the Toronto Argonauts. Khalif Mitchells talent and impact at his DT position are unquestionable, but his return to the Lions was surprising after Mitchell seemingly burned a lot of bridges on his way out of BC a year ago. Lions GM Wally Buono has said all the right things about Mitchells return so far, noting the player has matured over the years. Derrick Favors Jersey . -- The top-seeded Alberta Pandas set up of an all-Canada West final against arch rival UBC at the CIS womens volleyball championship after a 3-0 win over the No. Cheap Utah Jazz Jerseys . In question is whether 26-year-old Matt Frattin will be on it. A a€?mediocrea€? training camp, as Carlyle put it earlier this week, has Frattin lingering nervously on the bubble at the end of the exhibition season, pushed out of a likely job by Brandon Kozun, the small, but feisty winger determined to make the NHL for the first time. http://www.cheapjazzjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-joe-ingles-jersey . Neither player was available Saturday for the Knicks 107-98 loss in Atlanta. "Were going in a different direction and weve got to figure out another spot or two for our ballclub," coach Mike Woodson said before the game. Wholesale Jazz Jerseys . According to a police report, Douglas is accused of grabbing his girlfriend by the neck and slamming her against the wall several times while he carried her from the elevator to their Hartford hotel room early Sunday morning. Cheap Jazz Jerseys China . Yahoo! Sports columnist Marc Spears says that the Boogie Smooth album may have been an elaborate April Fools prank.Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - With the college football season in its November stretch run, some of the better freshman players in the FCS are making important contributions to their teams that prove well beyond their years. Southern University quarterback Austin Howard and Butler University running back Sam Schrader have both made such high marks that they were named to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List on Tuesday. The Rice Award, now in its fourth season, and named for the legendary wide receiver who played in the FCS (then Division I-AA) at Mississippi Valley State, honors the nations top first-year player, whether a true freshman or a redshirt freshman. Howard is guiding the offense of the defending Southwestern Athletic Conference champions. He has accounted for 203.4 yards of total offense per game with 17 total touchdowns. Schrader is coming off 162 yards and four touchdowns on the ground in a win over Morehead State. His 561 rushing yards rank fifth among all FCS freshmen and his 11 total touchdowns rank third. The Rice Award winner will be announced at The Sports Network FCS Awards Presentation Dec. 15 in Philadelphia. The Jerry Rice Award Watch List: Mike Basile, Monmouth, Safety, 6-1, 185, Brick, New Jersey 8 games: 52 TT, 44 solo, 2 TFL, 3 INT, 4 PBU Al Cobb, VMI, Quarterback, 6-3, 190, Pulaski, Tennessee 10 games: 223-for-350 (63.7 percent), 2,254 yards, 16 TD, 8 INT; 128.3 passing efficiency, 225.4 ypg; 2 rush TD Chandler Curtis, Mercer, Wide Receiver/Return Specialist, 5-10, 186, Calhoun, Georgia 10 games: 3 carries, 56 yards, 1 TD; 23 receptions, 455 yards, 4 TD; 13 kick returns, 27.1-yard average, 1 TD; 9 punt returns, 28.8-yard average, 3 TD; 112.2 all-purpose ypg Garrett Dolan, Houston Baptist, Linebacker, 6-2, 235, Mont Belveiu, Texas 9 games: 75 TT, 51 solo, 6 TFL, 2.5 sacks, 1 PBU Chase Edmonds, Fordham, Running Back/Kick Returner, 5-9, 185, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 9 games: 207 carries, 1,322 yards, 6.4 ypc, 18 TD, 146.9 ypg; 9 receptions, 65 yards, 1 TD; 193 all-purpose ypg Josh Gontarek, Albany, Wide Receiver/Return Specialist, 5-11, 170, Mt. Airy, Maryland 9 games: 45 receptions, 498 yards, 6 TD; 4 carries, 77 yards Christian Guzman, Houston Baptist, Punter, 5-9, 160, Brookshire, Texas 9 games: 46 punts, 42.8-yard average, 61 long, 3 TB, 4 FC, 9 I20, 14 50+ P.J. Hall, Sam Houston State, Defensive End, 6-1, 270, Seguin, Texas 9 games: 53 TT, 22 solo, 16 TFL, 5 sacks, 1 INT, 3 PBU, 1 QBH, 1 FF, 1 BLK Austin Howard, Southern, Quarterback, 6-0, 190, Edgard, Louisiana 9 games: 119-for-236, 1,675 yards, 14 TD, 7 INT; 48 carries, 156 yards, 3 TD Mario Jenkins, Idaho State, Linebacker, 6-1, 205, Nampa, Idaho 9 games: 84 TT, 32 solo, 9.dddddddddddd5 TFL, 2 sacks, 3 INT, 3 PBU, 2 QBH, 1 FF, 1 FR Alex Lakes, Mercer, Running Back, 5-10, 205, Newnan, Georgia 10 games: 170 carries, 981 yards, 5.8 ypc, 13 TD, 98.1 ypg; 3 receptions, 44 yards Justin Lea, Jacksonville State, Right Tackle, 6-4, 275, Henagar, Alabama Starter at right tackle for Gamecocks team that is ranked No. 5 nationally in rushing offense and No. 6 in total offense. Darius Leonard, South Carolina State, Linebacker, 6-3, 200, Lake View, South Carolina 8 games: 53 TT, 41 solo, 8 TFL, 3 sacks, 1 PBU, 2 FR, 1 FF Yedidiah Louis, Sam Houston State, Wide Receiver, 5-8, 187, Richardson, Texas 9 games: 42 receptions, 488 yards, 1 TD; 3 carries, 29 yards Octayvius Miles, Alabama A&M, Wide Receiver/Kick Returner, 5-10, 165, Mesquite, Texas 9 games: 10 receptions, 291 yards, 4 TD; 19 kick returns, 25.6-yard average, 1 TD Jimmy Moreland, James Madison, Cornerback, 5-10, 175, Royal Palm Beach, Florida 9 games: 34 TT, 24 solo, 3 INT, 6 PBU, 2 FR, 4 BLK Daniel Riddle, Western Carolina, Linebacker, 6-1, 225, Raleigh, North Carolina 9 games: 62 TT, 27 Solo, 5 TFL, 1.5 SK, 2 FF Sam Schrader, Butler, Running Back, 5-10, 185, Mishawaka, Indiana 9 games: 64 carries, 561 yards, 8.8 ypg, 9 TD; 11 receptions, 157 yards, 2 TD James Simms, Towson, Linebacker, 6-3, 190, Laurel, Maryland 9 games: 87 TT, 31 solo, 6 TFL, 1 INT, 2 PBU, 3 QBH, 1 FF Nathan Stone, Duquesne, Linebacker, 5-11, 234, Scottsdale, Pennsylvania 9 games: 69 TT, 31 solo, 6 TFL, 3 sacks, 3 PBU, 2 QBH, 1 FF Emmett Tela, Weber State, Linebacker, 6-1, 220, Provo, Utah 8 games: 79 TT, 46 solo, 10 TFL, 2.5 sacks, 2 QBH Lucas Webb, Chattanooga, Free Safety, 6-1, 190, Northport, Alabama 9 games: 38 TT, 23 solo, 0.5 TFL, 4 INT, 1 PBU, 1 FR Hunter Wells, Youngstown State, Quarterback, 6-5, 195, Navarre, Ohio 7 games: 81-for-127, 1,295 yards, 9 TD, 2 INT Jake Wieneke, South Dakota State, Wide Receiver, 6-4, 205, Maple Grove, Minnesota 9 games: 44 receptions, 810 yards, 9 TD, 18.4 ypc; 1 carry, 52 yards Blaine Woodson, Delaware, Defensive Tackle, 6-2, 270, East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania 9 games: 43 TT, 24 solo, 10 TFL, 8.5 sacks, 1 QBH Cheap Buffalo Sabres Gear Wholesale Calgary Flames Jerseys Cheap Adidas Colorado Avalanche Jerseys Montreal Canadiens Outlet Store Wholesale New Jersey Devils Jerseys Adidas Arizona Coyotes Jerseys Cheap Adidas Boston Bruins Jerseys Cheap Adidas Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys Chicago Blackhawks Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Columbus Blue Jackets Jerseys Dallas Stars Shop Free Shipping Cheap Adidas Detroit Red Wings Jerseys Anaheim Ducks Jerseys China Wholesale Edmonton Oilers Jerseys Florida Panthers Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Los Angeles Kings Jerseys Minnesota Wild Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Nashville Predators Jerseys Cheap Adidas New York Islanders Jerseys New York Rangers Winter Classic Jerseys Cheap Adidas Ottawa Senators Jerseys Cheap Adidas Philadelphia Flyers Jerseys Wholesale Pittsburgh Penguins Jerseys Cheap Adidas San Jose Sharks Jerseys St. Louis Blues Winter Classic Jerseys Wholesale Tampa Bay Lightning Jerseys Toronto Maple Leafs Outlet Store Vancouver Canucks Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Vegas Golden Knights Jerseys Cheap Adidas Washington Capitals Jerseys Cheap Adidas Winnipeg Jets Jerseys ' ' '