Ticats shifting the defensive backfield building blocks
If football fields had road signs, the one over the Hamilton TigerCats defensive backfield much of the past decade or so would read “Under Construction.”
It’s still hanging there, but there’s a sense that things are getting a little closer to completion, or to what passes for completion in an area influenced weekly by injuries and negative huge-impact plays.
Delvin Breaux’s return at boundary corner helps; like a long, straight drive helps on a par 5. Hard-hitting Mac grad Mike Daly has, somewhat unexpectedly, won the safety job over incumbent Courtney Stephen; and sophomore Cariel Brooks has turned in successive bigmoment games at boundary halfback.
The field, or wide, side of the secondary is in a little more flux, surrendering some huge gains in the first half of both Alberta games. But it tightened significantly in the second half each time.
Richard Leonard, who had an excellent rookie season as a corner last year, has moved to wideside halfback, where it’s a very steep learning curve. But he hasn’t practised this week and is a “game-day decision” according to June Jones. So Frankie Williams, who played field cornerback in Game 1, may be the halfback in Friday’s home opener against Winnipeg.
The new wide side cornerback is Jumal Rolle, who was displaced from the boundary when Breaux signed last week. His coverage had helped discourage Calgary’s Bo Levi Mitchell from throwing very often to the short side.
In the first half of the Edmonton game, Mike Reilly completed an 88-yard touchdown pass on the field seam, plus a 55-yard completion that set up another major. But after that, it was much tidier back there.
“We had some miscommunications and we cleaned it up in the second half and were able to control the explosive plays,” says Rolle, who made three interceptions in just 10 games for the 2014 Houston Texans. “That’s what really beats teams, the explosive plays. In the second half, we were really focused and anticipating them trying to take shots. We were in position to control the deep balls.”
The six-foot, 190 pounder says his college and NFL teams didn’t make a distinction between boundary and field side. You played on the left, or you played on the right.
So there was already a big adjustment for the 28-year-old in his first CFL season. Then he had to make another mindset alteration when he moved to the wide side where, he says, you have to hold your coverage longer.
During training camp, defensive co-ordinator Jerry Glanville had all his defensive backs play multiple positions, beside multiple partners. So Rolle’s had some on-field work “and good talks” with both Leonard and Williams.
There’s still a lot to work on, but surrendering only 21 points to a Reilly offence should provide positive reinforcement to what Glanville and his backfield coaches William Fields and Craig Butler are trying to teach.
And the Glanville blitz hasn’t really been a factor yet. Should it become one, that will also increase the secondary’s chances of success.
While Rolle is new to the league, he’s been aware of the Ticats since 2009. His defensive backs coach for his entire fouryear career at Catawba College in North Carolina was Bob Lancaster, son of legendary Ron, the last man to coach a Hamilton Grey Cup winner.
“He was my guy,” Rolle says of Bob Lancaster. “What is so crazy, and shows how the tables have turned, was that he had a picture in his office of a guy who played with the Ticats named Jemonte Battle (a cornerback in 2004).
“It’s fascinating to reflect on that picture, and learn that Coach and his dad had such significance here. To be a part of it, it just makes mine and Coach’s relationship that much tighter.
“When I got here and he texted me about Hamilton, I remembered that photo and said: ‘We have to update that … with me!’ That would be so sweet.”
Notes: Several Ticats, including Richard Leonard and Jackson Bennett are nursing small injuries and haven’t practised this week . ... Luke Tasker had limited practice Tuesday, but Jones says he should be ready to go Friday night . ... Nationals DL Connor McGough and DB Jay Langa will be ready Friday.