Vancouver Sun

Buono’s moves show deft hand

GM keeps most of championsh­ip team intact, but depth at QB may be issue

- BY MIKE BEAMISH mbeamish@ vancouvers­un. com Twitter. com/ sixbeamers

In just over a week’s time, Wally Buono is expected to be presented with the Annis Stukus Trophy as coach of the year at CFL meetings in Toronto.

And while they’re at it, why not name him executive of the year?

The unofficial results are rife with suppositio­n, speculatio­n and decidedly premature, but the defending champion B. C. Lions have emerged from a flurry of free- agent signings looking about as strong as they were on Nov. 27, when they defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 99th Grey Cup game.

The inevitabil­ity of a championsh­ip team is that it normally begins to unravel as soon as it’s put together. Players start to over- value their contributi­ons and move on for greater economic opportunit­y, some to the National Football League.

But somehow, through luck and circumstan­ce, the Lions have lost only one player to the NFL — linebacker Solomon Elimimian — when they were prepared to lose three.

And, despite market value inflation because of their Grey Cup victory, the Lions have lost only three players through free agency — backup QB Jarious Jackson, released three weeks ago; DT Aaron Hunt, who was asked to take a reduced role and a correspond­ing salary cut; and backup OL Andrew Jones, who was deemed expendable.

Meanwhile, Buono, the GM and VP of football operations, is earning leaguewide kudos for strengthen­ing the CFL’S stingiest defence with the addition of free- agent defensive backs Byron Parker and Lin- J Shell and by signing useful running back Stu Foord to back up Andrew Harris, last year’s breakout player.

“I’m saying we’re done,” Buono said Wednesday, when asked if there is another free- agent signing in his future.

“There’s nobody out there right now who jumps out at you. We’ve picked up three guys. We’ve done okay. We’ve got younger, and we’ve been able to strengthen our team at the same time.”

The combinatio­n of an outstandin­g quarterbac­k and most outstandin­g player in Travis Lulay, a starting offence returning intact and the resigning of veteran players who know what they’re doing, and have confidence in each other, should make the 2012 Lions as good as or better than last year’s version.

The proof of that theory is still months away, of course.

And Buono has to believe in the same sense of intuition about Jackson, his safety net, that paid off so handsomely when he decided to give the ball to Lulay.

With Jackson’s signing by the Argos, Toronto now has more depth in numbers and experience at quarterbac­k than the Grey Cup champs.

Jackson, who is represente­d Dan Vertlieb, the same Vancouver sports agent who negotiates for Lulay, joins Ricky Ray, Adam Trafalis and B. J. Hall in the Argo quarterbac­k stable.

The Lions have only Lulay, Mike Reilly, who has thrown two CFL passes in his career, and Corey Leonard, who has yet to record a throw, much less a completion.

“When you look at experience, the nod definitely goes to the East [ Division],” Jackson said Wednesday. “You look at Ricky, and he’s been a starter from Day 1 [ nine seasons with Edmonton]. I’m 34. Henry Burris [ Hamilton] is up there [ 37 in June]. Anthony Calvillo’s [ Montreal] always been there [ he turns 40 this year]. And then you’ve got Buck [ Pierce] in Winnipeg as well.”

“Jarious is a rare commodity,” Vertlieb said. “He has shown the ability to win games both as a starter and in a relief role, and there are few players in the league who garner as much respect in the locker- room.”

Jackson is hardly alone in the feeling that the Lions were fortunate to have Lulay suit up for every game last season and play, as if equipped with a motion sensor. His ability to feel the rush, and escape from it, kept him immune from severe injury.

Had it gone the other way, B. C.’ s championsh­ip season might well have ended right then and there.

Being aware of Lulay’s amazing feel for the game, and respectful of his former teammates, Jackson is not about to cast aspersions on Reilly and Leonard, who are unproven and lack any body of work as backup QBS. That’s for others to say.

As for Jackson: “They’re [ Reilly and Leonard] definitely competitor­s. They pay attention in the classroom and work on the small details. With more practice reps, they’ll definitely improve and get better. I’m friends with those guys, and I wish them the best.”

Buono has done the best be could to protect his roster from championsh­ip shrinkage, in a time of league- driven equity, and the tendency of successful teams to get old overnight.

Releasing Jackson perhaps was a hard decision, but it’s hard to argue the deftness with which the Lions’ GM is shaping his team for the coming season.

 ?? LES BAZSO/ POSTMEDIA NEWS ?? B. C. Lions general manager Wally Buono says he’s done making off- season acquisitio­ns. ‘ There’s nobody out there right now who jumps out at you.’
LES BAZSO/ POSTMEDIA NEWS B. C. Lions general manager Wally Buono says he’s done making off- season acquisitio­ns. ‘ There’s nobody out there right now who jumps out at you.’

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