Mace signing ignites jubilation among Stampeders fans
Corey Mace resisted the temptation to test the open market in an attempt to ignite a bidding war for his services on the defensive line.
Sure, he is a non-import starter. And sure, he proved his durability in 2012 by playing all 21 games (both regular season) right in the heavy-traffic, high-punishment zone known as the trenches.
But Mace saw no reason to live a charade when he already knew where he wanted to play. So he ended all the speculation Tuesday by finalizing a three-year contract extension (two years plus an option) with the Calgary Stampeders.
“All along this is the place I thought I wanted to be,” he said. “I knew going somewhere else and restarting all over might not have been worth it for me, especially with what we did this season and where I think we’ll (go) in seasons to come.
“It was just a matter of getting a deal done sooner rather than later to get this ball rolling.”
The Mace signing generated much jubilation among Stampeder fans on Twitter but no doubt invoked sighs of frustration from front office types for several CFL teams.
Mace, 26, can play both interior positions on the line, and his passport opens the way for his team to play an import elsewhere.
That makes the University of Wyoming product a ratio-changer, which rendered him desirable for just about every franchise on the eight-team circuit.
Mace led Calgary’s interior lineman in 2012 with 25 tackles and tied for the club lead with two forced fumbles. He also added a sack and a touchdown, making the most of a rare appearance on offence.
“Corey was a solid and consistent performer for us in the middle of the defensive line this past season,” Stamps head coach/general manager John Hufnagel said in a news release. “His durability and reliability were very important in light of the toll injuries took on us at that position this season.
“Coming off a season-long injury the previous year, Corey developed very well in 2012 and I look forward to even more progress next season.”
Looking back, Mace relishes the fact he managed to shake off the injury bug to anchor the interior of a defensive line that finished tied for second in the CFL in sacks with 43 and did not surrender a 100-yard rushing game to an opponent in the final 16 regular-season games.
“That meant more to me than any stat line or anything, being able to make it through a whole season injury-free,” said Mace, a second round (11th overall) pick of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 2007 Canadian College Draft “Mind you, everybody is going to have bangs and bruises. I was out there toughing it through a few of them, like most guys do who play professional sports.
“But I was fortunate enough not to miss a game, and that was very important to me.”
Most important, for Mace, is a chance to avenge last month’s Grey Cup loss to the Toronto Argonauts at the Rogers Centre.
Recovering from such a defeat on the ultimate stage will clearly take some time.
“You know what? I was actually just tweeting with one of my friends who played for the Argonauts,” Mace said. “I think that’s the first time I actually told him congratulations.
“I think now I’m just finally starting to get over it. I’m able to admit it. It’s just tough to go out like that after the season we put together. But hey, you’ve got to show up for big games like that, and that’s something we didn’t do our best at.”
The six-foot-three, 287-pounder plans to lead by example to help generate a different outcome in 2013.
With the signing this week of Mace and punter Rob Maver, the Stampeders have eight players eligible to test free agency Feb. 15: WR Romby Bryant, KR Larry Taylor, S Eric Fraser, DL Justin Phillips, OL Mark Dewit, OL Stanley Bryant, DL Brian Bulcke, and DL Chris McCoy.
Short yardage: With the firing of George Cortez in Hamilton Tuesday, expect to hear the name of offensive co-ordinator Dave Dickenson bandied about as a candidate to take over as head coach in Steeltown.