Lynch about to catch his big break
Injuries to Canadian receivers could present Stampeders rookie with the opportunity to start
CALGARY — It appears that Julan Lynch has a role to play in the battles ahead for the Calgary Stampeders.
The rookie receiver still hasn’t made a regular season appearance for the team that drafted him in the second round of the 2017 CFL Draft, but it appears increasingly obvious that Lynch will be getting a chance sooner rather than later.
In part, that’s because injuries to Canadian receivers Lemar Durant and Juwan Brescacin have opened up a window of opportunity for the 23-year-old rookie.
But it’s also a credit to the work Lynch has been putting in both on and off the practice field.
“This week would have been the time to send him back (to U Sports) or not, and I just feel he’ll play soon,” said Stampeders head coach Dave Dickenson.
“I feel like he’s doing a good job at receiver and he’s digesting the information. I think he could (also) make an impact on special teams.
“With Lemar being out for the year, he’s real close and he’ll play soon.”
When the Stampeders drafted Lynch, they said they considered him to be raw. He had lots of talent and even more potential, but Lynch started playing football later than most of his peers and needed time to develop.
And yet here we are a couple months later and Lynch looks like he could be on the verge of breaking on to the active roster.
“Yeah, we have a couple of injuries, and usually it’s next man up, so I’m just going to keep working until I see what happens,” Lynch said. “You’re truly never really ready, you go in and make sure you know what you’re doing and do the best you can.”
With the Canadian receiving corps as beat up as it is and with Kamar Jorden on the six-game injured list, the Stampeders have gone from having one of the deepest groups in the league to being only an injury or two away from being in serious trouble.
Dickenson, though, seemed confident that his team will be OK.
“We’re tested if something happens in the next week or two, but we also have our eye on a few people,” Dickenson said. “We always want to improve, we want to bring in the best people and have the best people ready to play.”
Smith on his way
It appears that Quinn Smith is getting close to a return.
The offensive lineman still hasn’t played for the Stampeders this season after undergoing off-season surgery, but he’s practising with his teammates and should be on the active roster soon.
Prior to the Stamps’ last game against the Argos, Smith was added to the practice roster in a bit of a strange move, but as a Canadian who can play multiple positions, there’s little question he’ll be useful going forward. “He’s ready,” Dickenson said. “He gives us versatility as an extra offensive lineman and I believe he can fill in as an extra on the D-line, as well. He’s a little rusty, too, he didn’t have the same pop but he didn’t have a camp.
“All these guys with no camp are taking longer than I want, but I think that’s probably realistic.”
Get it going
Dickenson admitted that he didn’t think the Stampeders had quite the same intensity in practice this week as they did before the bye week.
Maybe that’s to be expected, but it’s something he’d like to see fixed.
“I don’t really see the execution that we’ve seen in previous weeks. I just feel that we’ve got to get back in our groove, playing fast, practising hard, making plays,” Dickenson said.
“I’m hoping we turn that corner soon, because the game is right there. I’d like to see more.”