Lions load up to help Reilly in second year back in BC

TSN’s Farhan Lalji and Dave Naylor take a closer look at the BC Lions in their series of team snapshots around the CFL.

Helping Hands

Lalji: Year One for Mike Reilly back in BC as the starting quarterback did not go so well for this team; they certainly expect to take another step in Year Two with that experiment. And it’s going to start with some more production at the wide receiver position. It didn’t really work out last year with Duron Carter; Dominique Rhymes was brought in from Ottawa and he should bring an instant boost. He has a great familiarity with new head coach Rick Campbell.

And you’ve also got some improvement along the offensive line, which is big. Ryker Mathews was probably the Lions’ biggest addition this off-season, coming over from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He should solidify one of those tackle spots. Reilly was running for his life last year, he simply can’t take the same beating in 2020.

New Look on the Sideline

Naylor: The biggest change for the Lions will be at head coach where DeVone Claybrooks is out and Campbell is in. Campbell brings a lot more experience to the position; he was a coach on several CFL staffs before he became the head coach of the Ottawa Redblacks in 2014. He had a six-year run there where he got to a Grey Cup, won a Grey Cup, and was very successful until 2019 when they had some severe problems at the quarterback position.

In terms of personality, it’s going to be a big change as well. Claybrooks was a big personality, very outspoken. Campbell is much more the other extreme. He’s a very soft-spoken guy and doesn’t always show his emotions so it’s certainly going to be an adjustment.

Campbell will also be the defensive coordinator, while the offensive coordinator is not a household name to CFL fans. Jordan Maksymic was the passing game coordinator with the Edmonton Eskimos last year but most importantly, he has a history with Reilly, which should be a key for them this season.

Rebuilt Defence

Lalji: Their defence is also going to have to improve under Campbell and they’ve completely rebuilt that defensive line, which was much needed because they simply couldn’t get pressure on the passer a year ago. The rebuild is highlighted by Micah Johnson. He can draw those double teams and free up some other players, that’s going to be a big difference for this team.

They’re also going to improve at the SAM – or cover – linebacker position as they get Kenny Ladler back into the fold. And this extended break will probably be a benefit for defensive back Aaron Grymes who needed knee surgery last year. He should be ready to go if and when there is a season.

Naylor: The Lions made a couple of additions on defence that I think could be keys to them really improving this season. One of them is Jordan Williams, the linebacker who they traded up to select first overall in this year’s CFL Draft. This is a guy who played at a very high level at East Carolina, and in fact almost entered the CFL as an American with the Redblacks last season before getting his Canadian citizenship and entering the draft this year. The Lions feel like he can come in and compete right away. One of the things about Williams however, is he hasn’t played football since 2017, so he’s been out a couple of years. How quickly will he pick up the CFL game and the Lions’ schemes? Those answers will be critical in terms of what impact he can make in 2020.

And the other player who comes to mind is Chris Casher on their defensive line. This is a guy who was very productive with the Calgary Stampeders last season. It wasn’t the kind of free agent signing that made headlines, but the kind of signing that very quietly could be very effective. He’s a guy that a lot of people think has a lot of upside and he certainly could have an impact on the Lions defence. If both those players hit for the Lions, it will have a great improvement on their defence overall.