JONES FINALLY GETS TO PUT HIS STAMP ON THE TIGER-CATS
Head coach’s first training camp at helm ends with surprise trade of veteran Kanneh
June Jones’ first run through cut-down day was an eventful and somewhat tough day, but nothing he couldn’t handle.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats head coach arrived midway through last year with an extensive football resume, but never really got the chance to put his stamp on the makeup of the Ticats.
It didn’t stop him from putting up a 6-2 record as a head coach after taking over from Kent Austin and helping bring at least some hope to a CFL season that began with an 0-8 skid.
But now Jones’ fingerprints are all over this roster and he starts the season with a clean slate and the people of his choosing in place.
On Monday, he spoke of the excitement and anticipation of his season-opening opponent — the Calgary Stampeders — a team he has at the top of the heap in terms of excellence.
“I’m really excited about this game,” Jones said of Saturday’s opener in Calgary at 7 p.m. “It’s going to be a big challenge for us to play, really, the best team in this league, I think. As I look at them on film and even more so in the last two days now that I have really isolated on them, they have a done a good job of schemes and personnel on both sides of the ball and to beat them at their place is what you have to do if you want to be the best.”
Perhaps the biggest surprise of cut-down day in Hamilton was the trade of veteran and one-time all-star defensive back Abdul Kanneh to Toronto in exchange for an eighth-round pick in next year’s draft.
“We just liked all the young guys back there,” Jones said of the trade that raised more than a few eyebrows mostly because of the small return it brought. “We like the culture that those guys bring. They are hungry and it’s healthy.”
Jumal Rolle and John Green are two of those young players that helped make Kanneh expendable.
They will join second-year halfbacks Cariel Brooks and last year’s top Ticats rookie Richard Leonard along with veteran safety Courtney Stephen for a young, athletic secondary.
Jones said his biggest decisions on cut-down day came at the SAM linebacker position and returner.
The plan appears to have Mariel Cooper eventually lock down that SAM linebacker spot, but he got hurt midway through camp and will likely start the season on the injured list.
In the return game, Willie Quinn Jr. lost out with defensive back Frankie Williams earning that role.
Joining Cooper on the injured list will be receiver Terrence Toliver, who should be ready to play in two or three weeks. Toliver was a 1,000-yard receiver two years ago, but was limited to one game last season because of a knee injury.
For all the attention Johnny Manziel received in training camp from the media, his role for now is to take second-team reps in practice and get more comfortable with the CFL game.
Jones was asked if he had a package for Manziel to get him slowly acclimated to the league, but stated firmly that he did not “at this time.”
Jones admitted he would have liked to see more of his starters in game action during camp, but knows the risks far outweigh the rewards.
Facing Calgary in Week 1 and Edmonton a week later is a tough way to start a schedule for any team, but particularly so for a team that remembers its awful start last season.
Jones, though, has his starters picked out, his reserves, too, for the most part, although they are set up to make changes if need be.
“We have a lot of flexibility because of our Canadian content on the team, so that’s fortunate,” Jones said.