Reports of departures kick off busy day for Stamps
After a week and a half when it seemed like most of the Calgary Stampeders were filling their time with post- Grey Cup victory celebrations, Tuesday was a busy day for anyone who follows the team.
It started in the morning with the Stamps announcing the release of receiver Chris Matthews, with reports indicating he would be pursuing opportunities in the NFL.
Shortly thereafter, TSN’s Davis Sanchez was first to report quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell had a workout lined up Wednesday with the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings.
A couple of hours later, the CFL announced its 2018 allstars. Mitchell, Alex Singleton and Micah Johnson each got a nod, although the league’s list of honourees was probably more notable for which Stampeders were missing.
Finally, Sportsnet’s Arash Madani reported that, while he has yet to sign on the dotted line, Stamps defensive co-ordinator DeVone Claybrooks will be named the new head coach of the B.C. Lions later this week.
Let’s break it down piece by piece:
1. The big one
If the report about Claybrooks joining the Lions is true, it’s not exactly a surprise.
It was reported last week the Stamps had given the Lions and Argonauts permission to speak with him. It’s understood that he was offered the Montreal Alouettes gig last season, but turned it down.
With Wally Buono retiring, the Lions job is open. The organization is coming off a playoff season and has a level of top-down stability that would be attractive to anyone looking to take the leap into head coaching in the CFL.
As for how it affects the Stamps, the team obviously isn’t going to begin talking about potential replacements before Claybrooks has officially left the fold.
There are internal candidates who will likely get consideration, but it’s just as likely they’ll look outside of the organization to find their man.
Either way, if Claybrooks really is on his way to Vancouver, he’ll leave behind some awfully big shoes to fill.
2. No surprise here
This has been covered elsewhere in today’s paper, but it’s best not to overreact to Mitchell’s tryout with the Vikings.
He’s hinted publicly that as many as 12 NFL teams have expressed interest in getting a closer look at what he can do, and the Vikings are just the first of many.
This certainly comes as no surprise to the Stamps.
“We’ve had some conversations before the season was finished and Bo’s a very truthful person,” said Stamps president/general manager John Hufnagel. “What he’s saying in the public is the same thing he’s said with me.”
What Mitchell has said in public is essentially this: He’s going to take a look at his NFL options, and if the right opportunity is there, he’s interested in giving it a shot.
This is going to be the most talked-about storyline this offseason in Calgary, so it’s best to buckle in, but don’t order a Vikings jersey with Mitchell’s name on the back just yet.
3. This is getting repetitive
Just like the previous points, it’s not exactly shocking that Matthews was released.
He was only signed in early October as an emergency replacement for the long list of Stamps receivers who suffered season-ending injuries.
This is a guy who spent the better part of the last half-decade in the NFL, and at 29 years old, should generate a fair bit of interest from teams south of the border.
This was always the most likely outcome when Matthews signed in Calgary, and at least he got a Grey Cup ring to take home from his two-month stint at McMahon Stadium.
4. About those all-stars
It’s always best not to lose too much sleep over the CFL’s all-star selections, but it’s a little odd that the team with the best record in the league, the eventual Grey Cup champions no less, somehow ended up with fewer all-stars than five other teams.
There are some snubs that make no sense, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
“I think our back end had a season like no other,” Singleton said. “Especially Ciante (Evans) being a West (Division) all-star, I thought he’d easily walk in and be a league all-star. … Those guys on our back end, they deserve everything.
“And the guys up front, I think we led the league in sacks, so there were obviously other guys beside Micah getting sacks, so those guys deserve all the credit.”
Sometimes when you look at the end-of-season all-stars, you get the feeling some of the voters just looked at the league leaders and picked the guys with the biggest numbers.
That’s the wrong way to do it, but until it’s made public who people vote for, it probably won’t change.
5. Inducted
A final word on another big piece of news as Stamps head coach Dave Dickenson on Tuesday was one of 10 inductees into the U.S. College Football Hall of Fame.
Dickenson was a star at the University of Montana between 1992-95 and remains the Grizzlies’ all-time leading passer.
His college accomplishments are too many to list here, but younger Stampeders fans who don’t know what Dickenson could do on the field definitely should take a minute or two to catch up.