CFL Pre-Season Offensive Rankings

Anthony Calvillo and coach Marc Trestman make a formidable duo

With training camps well underway, the Canadian Football League regular season is officially right around the corner.

A crazy off-season has seen coaches and players switch teams, and some unexpected retirements from veteran free agent players. All of this means is that the CFL is wide open this year, and for the first time, I can realistically see no less than six of the CFL’s teams being a legitimate contender for the 100^th Grey Cup title in November.

With so much personnel movement and so many changes, it might be tough for some people to figure out how to rank each team offensively and defensively going into the 2012 season.

While time will tell how the teams will fare, here are my offensive rankings assuming each team stays healthy and no surprise moves are made. I also provide a positional grade breakdown (PGB) of each team. I should also mention that there is no formula connecting the PGB and where each team is ranked.

Offence:

1.       Montreal Alouettes: As long as Anthony Calvillo and/or Marc Trestman are in Montreal, there is no way I see Montreal dropping below #2 in the pre-season offensive rankings. Jamel Richardson and S. J. Green are arguably the best receiving duo in football, and Brian Bratton is often a forgotten man in the receiving corps. Brandon Whitaker will try and repeat as league rushing champion behind the league’s best offensive line, anchored by reigning lineman of the year Josh Bourke and right guard Scott Flory. Not to be forgotten up front is right tackle Jeff Perrett, who is the most underrated lineman in the CFL.  Marcus Brady is the new offensive coordinator, but Trestman will still have a major say in the offence, which should play to Montreal’s benefit.

PGB: QB – A+, WR – A, RB – A, OL – A+, Offensive Coordinator – A-

2.       Toronto Argonauts: Yes, the Argos finally have a legitimate quarterback behind centre. No, it’s not the year 1997 and the QB is not Doug Flutie. The addition of Ricky Ray automatically makes the Argos a better offence, and new head coach and offensive coordinator Scott Milanovich is one of the brightest young minds in all of football. Cory Boyd is a solid threat at running back, and Andre Durie should be able to get some time in the backfield as well. Durie will primarily play slotback however, in a receiving corps that includes Ray’s former teammates Jason Barnes and Maurice Mann. Chris Van Zeyl , Joe Eppele, and Cedric Gagne-Marcoux are joined by new arrivals Marc Parenteau and Wayne Smith on an improving O-Line. I for one am really excited to see how Milanovich will use all of his weapons in his first offence that is entirely his to run.

PGB: QB – A, WR – A-, RB – A, OL – B, OC – A

3.       BC Lions: With the reigning League and Grey Cup MVP behind centre, how could BC not be in the top 3? Travis Lulay returns, and with Andrew Harris now cemented in the starting role at running back, it will by no means be a one-dimensional Lion attack this summer. Lulay will also have the benefit of having Arland Bruce III for the entire season this year, as well as having Geroy Simon back. Simon is poised to become the CFL’s all-time leading receiver. The Lions are one of only two teams (Montreal being the other) to return all five starters on the offensive line, which is a huge advantage having that chemistry still in place. Shawn Gore had a breakout season last year, so look for him to have another big year with most of the attention focused on the superhero duo of Spiderman (Bruce) and Superman (Simon). Offensive Coordinator Jacques Chapdelaine is also back once again.

PGB: QB – A-, WR – A, RB – B+, OL – A, OC - A

4.       Hamilton Tiger-Cats: Just as the Ray factor in Toronto improves that offence, Henry Burris and Andy Fantuz make Hamilton a better team right off the bat. Burris will not only have Fantuz to throw to, but a solid possession receiver in Dave Stala along with speedster Chris Williams. Avon Cobourne is no longer in the backfield, but former Rookie of the Year Martell Malett should find himself a comfortable home in Steeltown. Also looking to find a home in Hamilton is Samuel Giguere, who spent the last three seasons in the National Football League. Their offensive line is still anchored by one of the best characters in the game, Marwan Hage, and veterans Tim O’Neill and Pete Dyakowski will also play leadership roles among what could be a young line. George Cortez is the new sheriff in town as head coach and OC, and Jeremaine Copeland brings many years and two championships to the coaching staff as receivers coach.

PGB: QB – B+, WR – A, RB – B+, OL – B-, OC – A-

5.       Calgary Stampeders: Gone is Burris, so the reins of the Calgary offence lie in the hands of Drew Tate. The 29-year old is responsible for the Stamps trading Burris, as he earned the starting job late last season. At his disposal is a stellar receiving corps, headlined by Nik Lewis and Ken-Yon Rambo, but don’t forget Romby Bryant or former #1-overall pick Chris Bauman. Jon Cornish can be credited with kickstarting a Canadian revolution at running back, and he, like Tate, unseated an established starter a year ago in Joffrey Reynolds. Cornish is one of the more exciting players in the league, and runs behind a fairly experienced O-Line including Stanley Bryant and Dimitri Tsoumpas. 2012 draft pick Mike Filer could add some toughness and work ethic into the middle of the line as well. Also dangerous out of the backfield are LaMarcus Coker, who burst onto the scene in the 2011 Touchdown Atlantic game, and hometown boy Matt Walter, who recently graduated from U of Calgary. Longtime CFL quarterback Dave Dickenson brings an experienced mind to the coaching staff.

PGB: QB – B, WR – A-, RB – A, OL – B, OC – B+

6.       Winnipeg Blue Bombers: Once again, and not to beat a media dead horse, the big question around the Bombers offence will be: can Buck Pierce stay healthy? He did for the better part of last season, and the Bombers played in the Grey Cup game. Chris Garrett emerged late in the season thanks to injuries in the backfield, and he’ll be expected to carry most of the load for Winnipeg this season. Terrence Edwards is the most experienced receiver in a group that includes youngsters Clarence Denmark and Cory Watson. The biggest hole is on the O-Line, where Glenn January and Steve Morley are the only lineman over the age of 26. Without that experience up front, Pierce could find himself scrambling more than head coach Paul LaPolice and OC Gary Crowton are comfortable with. Still, with Edwards and co. along with other big targets (five receivers of 6’4 or taller in camp), the Bombers should still be alright. It’s not that Winnipeg’s offence is bad and ranked #6, it’s that the five offences ahead of them are just that good.

PGB: QB – B, WR – B+, RB – B+, OL – C, OC – B

7.       Saskatchewan Roughriders: Every chart or ranking list reaches a point where said list has a drop-off from one rank to the next. Here be that drop-off. Which is strange, considering the Riders receiving corps. Weston Dressler, Chris Getzlaf, and Rob Bagg are a very dangerous trio, and Dallas Baker is another returning starter from a year ago. Dwayne Jarrett and Sinorice Moss are new names to the CFL, but hardcore football fans will recognize their names from south of the border (Moss played for the New York Giants while Jarrett was a college star at USC). The only problem is that they have a quarterback who is on a downward spiral after a good first couple of seasons. Darian Durant is not the same quarterback without Andy Fantuz, he proved that much last season. The outstanding trio mentioned above are hoping that Durant will be able to re-discover the form that took them to two Grey Cups in a row in 2009 and 2010. Joining Durant in the backfield are Brandon West and Yvenson Bernard, as well as former OUA star Nathan Riva. First overall pick Ben Heenan and free agent acquisition Brendon Labette join Chris Best and Dan Goodspeed on the O-Line. First-year OC Bob Dyce will make the calls from the sidelines with the help of assistant coaches Khari Jones (quarterbacks) and Jason Tucker (receivers), who are no stranger to the CFL game, or excelling in it.

PGB: QB – C+, WR – A-, RB – C+, OL – B+, OC – B

8.       Edmonton Eskimos: I’m going to be blunt and honest here, trading Ricky Ray was the worst thing the Esks could have done for their 2012 Grey Cup chances. Steven Jyles, the man they acquired for Ray, will compete with former MVP Kerry Joseph for the starting QB spot, and they will have a receiving corps which really only has one big name in Fred Stamps. And Stamps is coming off quite a sensitive injury (a ruptured testicle), so it is uncertain at what point he’ll be back to 100%. 6’6 Greg Carr adds some size to the group, while Cary Koch and Adarius Bowman are the only other well-known names at receiver. Calvin McCarty is the thunder to Hugh Charles’ lightning in the backfield, but even though each has been given a chance before, neither one has proven himself to be a legitimate starting back. After those two and fullback Mathieu Bertrand, the running back position is quite slim. Maybe the only bright spot at this point in time is that the offensive line seems pretty solid. Gord Hinse, Simeon Rottier, Kyle Koch and Scott Mitchell all return, and Dylan Steenburgen enters his first full season as an Eskimo after three training camps and two Grey Cups with Montreal.  At least OC Marcus Crandell can feel safe in that.

PGB: QB – C, WR – B, RB – C+, OL – B+, OC – B

And, for some comparison purposes, here are the top 8 offences (in Net Yards and Points) from a year ago.

Yards:

1.       Montreal – 7269

2.       Calgary – 6954

3.       BC – 6646

4.       Edmonton – 6294

5.       Winnipeg – 6148

6.       Hamilton – 6112

7.       Saskatchewan – 5891

8.       Toronto – 5743

Points:

1.       Montreal – 515

2.       BC – 511

3.       Calgary – 511

4.       Hamilton – 481

5.       Winnipeg – 432

6.       Edmonton – 427

7.       Toronto – 397

8.       Saskatchewan - 346

Be sure to come back next Wednesday and see which team’s defence I will have ranked first, just in time for the CFL pre-season opener, a double-header on TSN as Toronto visits Hamilton and Saskatchewan travels to B.C.