Cats Hire Reinebold

The Ti-Cats announced today that they have hired Jeff Reinebold as the team's new special teams coordinator.

This is the first piece of news since the Cortez firing/Austin hiring that I completely disagree with. Reinebold has nothing on his résumé that leads me to believe he'll be anything other than mediocre at this position. Last year, Reinebold was the defensive coordinator in Montreal and that unit was not great by any stretch of the imagination.

But perhaps the worst part of this is that last year's special teams coordinator Jim Daley was not retained. Daley, whose hiring was criticized and even laughed at (especially by the fans in Saskatchewan), coached what was easily the best special teams unit in the entire CFL. Luca Congi, Josh Bartel and Chris Williams all earned division all-star nods under Daley's guidance, and Williams was named the league's 2012 Most Outstanding Special Teams player. Daley did a remarkable job last season.

Keeping Daley would have been a smart move, but I understand that a new head coach will want to pick his own coaches. That said, replacing him with Reinebold just makes no sense to me. The last time he coached special teams was in 1995 with the Edmonton Eskimos, and he just hasn't been anything other than a mediocre coach at any of his previous stops. I am not impressed with the hire at all.

I hope Reinebold proves me wrong, but I won't be holding my breath. Sooner or later Austin was going to make a move that I didn't like and today ended up being that day.

Ticats Bring Steinauer Back to the Jungle

The Ti-Cats are starting the new year off right by getting a major hiring out the way. Today, the team introduced Orlondo Steinauer as the new defensive coordinator. Steinauer is the fourth defensive coordinator in as many years. Greg Marshall left following the 2010 season to become head coach in Saskatchewan, Corey Chamblin left the following year to take the head coaching job in Saskatchewan and Casey Creehan went back to Winnipeg to be the defensive coordinator back in November.

When it became known that Creehan would be going back to Winnipeg, I placed Steinauer on my personal shortlist of candidates to take over for him. Steinauer wasn't my top choice, but I did like the idea of bringing him in. While he has limited experience in the role (a 12-game stint as Toronto's defensive coordinator in 2011), he's had success as a defensive backs coach the last three years with the Argos.

And if player reaction on Twitter is any indication, Steinauer's hiring is being met with lots of excitement. Both Dee Webb and Kevin Eiben tweeted out that they thought this was an excellent move. Both Webb and Eiben are familiar with Steinauer from their days in Toronto (Webb was coached by Steinauer when he was in Toronto; Eiben and Steinauer were teammates) and they both seem very excited that Steinauer has been brought in to fix the defense in Hamilton. And Webb was ahead of the curve on this one, saying the team should bring Steinauer in back when Creehan went to Winnipeg (and it is also where the title of this post came from).

After seeing his scrum with the press in a video posted on the Ti-Cats' website, I too am excited about his hiring. I was extremely impressed with everything Steinauer said. Everything. Of all the things the Ti-Cats needed to fix for 2013, the defense was the biggest. If Steinauer can get the defense to just the league average, the Ti-Cats will be a playoff team.

I think he can, and will, do just that.

Cats Hiring of Condell Not Surprising

The Ti-Cats announced the first addition to Kent Austin's coaching staff today, naming Tommy Condell the team's offensive coordinator and receivers coach.

This is no surprise given that Condell worked with Austin at Cornell while he was head coach there the last two seasons. In fact, Condell was considered the front runner by many to take this position after Austin was hired. Condell has one year of offensive coordinator experience in the CFL, with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2006. That year, the Riders were the third-highest scoring offense, behind only BC and Calgary, finished second in both rushing touchdowns, behind Montreal and receiving touchdowns, behind BC, and fourth in total yards. The Riders finished third in the West Division with a 9-9 record and made it to the West Final before losing to the eventual Grey Cup champion BC Lions. It's a small sample size, just like with Austin, but it shows he has been successful in the past in the position he will have with the Ti-Cats.

Now the team needs to act just as quickly in naming a defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator. I would hope that Jim Daley is retained by Austin since he did such a stellar job in 2012 and my wish is to see Greg Marshall return as the team's defensive coordinator. But who knows what Austin will do.

We'll hopefully know very soon who will fill those positions, but Austin acted quickly in naming his offensive coordinator (though that probably came because of their previously relationship), so hopefully he acts just as swiftly in filling out the rest of his staff.

The Next DC

It is looking more and more like Hamilton will have a fourth different defensive coordinator in as many seasons. If the rumours are to be believed it is a fait accompli that defensive coordinator Casey Creehan will head back to Winnipeg to take up the same position on Tim Burke's staff. With the Bombers firing de facto defensive coordinator Chip Garber, it looks more and more likely that Creehan will head west sooner rather than later. That goes against what I said when Burke was retained as Winnipeg's head coach – and in my defense, I was looking at it from Hamilton's perspective, not Winnipeg's – which means it is highly likely that the Ti-Cats will be in the market for a new defensive coordinator once again.

So we might as well start speculating now on who that could be.

There are a number of qualified candidates and one popular among the Tiger-Cat faithful is former defensive coordinator Greg Marshall. Many wanted Marshall to take over for Creehan at the midway point of the season. It was a ridiculous notion at the time – Marshall is still getting paid handsomely to not coach the Roughriders – so him jumping into the fray at midseason never made sense to me. But that changes now, not only with the off-season here – which means Marshall would have all the time he would need to find the right players for his defense – but also because Marshall has expressed a desire to return to coaching. Marshall is probably at the top of the wish list for many, but whether he would want to return to Hamilton, however, is another matter entirely. But Marshall is hardly the only qualified candidate.

What about Gary Etcheverry? He flamed out as the head coach at the Univeristy of Ottawa, but the guy is still one heckuva defensive coordinator and was the man in charge of the Rider defense that went to two consecutive Grey Cups. Etcheverry is a bit unorthodox, but that might be just what this team needs.

Some other possible candidates are Mike O'Shea and Orlondo Steinauer, both currently coaching with the Toronto Argonauts. O'Shea is still public enemy No. 1 in Hamilton, but he has grown in his three years as special teams coordinator in Toronto and could be in line for promotion. Steinauer was defensive coordinator with the Argos for the last half of the 2011 season when the team fired Chip Garber and went back to being the team's defensive back coach when the Argos hired Chris Jones from Calgary.

And perhaps Garber himself could find his way to Hamilton to replace the man that many believe will be replacing him.

One thing I think is near certain is that Hamilton will hire an experienced coordinator for 2013. The days of experimenting with unproven talent is over (I don't consider O'Shea or Steinauer unproven talent seeing as they have both been coordinators); there will be no hot shot young coordinator coming in. I think the team will want a relatively old hand, one that is capable of getting the most out of the players on the roster. Believe it or not, there is talent on the defense, it just has to be harnessed correctly. That will be job No. 1 for whoever the team hires should, as believed, Creehan bolts back to Winnipeg.

Ozzie Hired as Special Teams Assistant

It's been a busy day for yours truly on the Tiger-Cat front. I have continued my daily looks at position groups as we head into training camp and the team had their yearly conference call for members of the media. You can hear the full audio over at the Scratching Post. If you'd rather not listen to the whole thing – it lasts about 35 minutes – Drew Edwards was kind enough to transcribe the points probably of most interest to fans.

The point that interested me the most was the announcement that Paul Osbaldiston has been hired by the team as an assistant special teams coach.

There is no better player to help out the new kickers than Ozzie. Bringing him back, especially this season, is a stroke of genius. He has been there to help whenever asked in the past, serving as a consultant last season, so it is about time the team put him on the coaching staff. If there is one player who knows about kicking in Hamilton, it's Ozzie. The Ti-Cats did the smart thing by bringing him in to help the kickers. Whichever player wins the training camp battle, be it Luca Congi or Josh Maveety, will have the honour of getting tutored by inarguably the greatest kicker in Tiger-Cat history.

Cats Hire Jim Daley as Special Teams Coordinator

The Ti-Cats filled the final vacant coordinator position today when they announced the hiring of Jim Daley as Special Teams Coordinator. The team also hired Nelson Martin as Defensive Backs Coach and Ryan Sheahan as Running Backs Coach.

Head Coach George Cortez said he wanted an experienced CFL coach as his Special Teams Coordinator and he got one in Daley. I'm not a huge fan of Daley's, but I do like this hiring. He wasn't great as a Special Teams Coordinator the last time he held that position (in Saskatchewan in 2010), but he has been a Head Coach twice in the CFL (with Winnipeg and Saskatchewan), so he could be a help to Cortez as he takes on the responsibility for the first time in his coaching career. An experienced hand, even one that hasn't had the most success, is always helpful to have around.

Now that the coaching staff is almost settled – only the Linebacker and Defensive Line positions still do not have coaches – the team's brain trust can focus on free agency. Given the moves the team has made already, I doubt they will be quiet when free agency begins on February 16th.

Copeland Retires... Becomes Coach in Hamilton

Jeremaine Copeland has ended his playing career. The 11-year veteran retired today and immediately took a coaching position with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Copeland is the team's new Receivers Coach. The Ti-Cats also hired Doug Sams as Quarterbacks Coach and retained Doug Malone as Offensive Line Coach.

The biggest news is obviously Copeland, who is the most well-known of the three. Going over Copeland résumé is unnecessary; everyone knows what he accomplished during his playing career. It's what he can bring as a coach that has the most intrigue.

Copeland is familiar with the two biggest names the Ti-Cats brought to town over the off-season: Head Coach George Cortez and Quarterback Henry Burris.

Copeland was with both in Calgary. Copeland, therefore, knows what Cortez likes to do offensively, and can relay that to the group of Receivers he is working with.

But it is Copeland's familiarity with Henry Burris that might end up paying the most dividends. Copeland played with Burris for five seasons (2005-2009) and both achieved amazing success together. As a coach, Copland can impart his wisdom to the Receivers that will be catching Burris's passes this season. That could prove to be invaluable.

Bringing in Copeland also puts a dent in Hamilton's closest rivals. The Argos are in desperate need of Receiver help, and losing their most veteran guy – even if he was long in the tooth and not an elite Receiver anymore – hurts.

The Cats have almost filled out their coaching staff. The big one left is Special Teams Coordinator, but a few positional coaching vacancies still exist. I'm sure the team is scouring the land looking for the right people.

Casey Creehan Named Defensive Coordinator

The worst-kept secret was finally officially confirmed: Casey Creehan is the new Defensive Coordinator of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Creehan spent the last two season with Winnipeg, where he was their Linebacker Coach. He held the same position with Montreal in 2008, and was the Defensive Line Coach in Calgary the four season before that.

Creehan and new Head Coach George Cortez worked together in Calgary in 2007. It is that previous working relationship which likely helped Creehan get the job.

Creehan comes to the team with no CFL coordinating experience, and we saw how welll zero experience worked last season with Corey Chamblin; however, his tenure in Winnipeg came when the Bombers had one of the best Defenses in the CFL, so hopefully he can translate his success with Winnipeg's Linebackers to the entirety of Hamilton's Defense.

With Creehan on board, the team can develop the defensive roster based around his philosophy. It will be interesting to see what players will be brought back and which ones will be released or allowed to leave. Hamilton is stockpiled with talent on Defense, in my opinion, so it is finding the right way to harness that talent – which I don't think Corey Chamblin did – rather than mass player change that will make the difference.

The hiring of Creehan leaves one coordinating job still vacant, that of Special Teams Coordinator. No names have surfaced and since he hasn't been retained already, I doubt Brad Miller will be brought back. Filling that position is the last major move the Cats have to make to the coaching staff. With free agency set to begin in less than a month, the team will likely fill that position sooner rather than later.

Khari Jones Off to Saskatchewan

Less than a year ago, Khari Jones was named the Offensive Coordinator of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He will not be in that role in 2012, as he has been named the Quarterback Coach for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Jones's first year as a coordinator provided mixed results. There were times when the Offense looked unstoppable and other times when it looked like they didn't know the difference between a football and a baseball. A perfect example of that is their play in the two playoff games: near flawless in victory over the Alouettes and completely inept in defeat at the hands of the Blue Bombers.

With a new Head Coach coming in – soon? – it was unlikely that Jones would return in the same capacity with the team in 2012. Jones has a lot of potential, and it showed in spurts during the 2011 season. I would have preferred to see him continue to grow in the roll with the Tiger-Cats, but I'm not surprised he is moving elsewhere.

The Cats are now need to fill both coordinator positions, as well as name a Head Coach. The list of candidates for all those positions are dwindling by the day – not to mention, Winnipeg is still in need of a new Offensive Coordinator – so the Ti-Cats can ill-afford to dillydally any longer. It's time to pick someone move on to other business. Hopefully a decision comes down before the end of the week, but with how long it has taken them so far, I will not be holding my breath.

Cats Announce New Coach... at Fundraising Dinner? [UPDATE]

While I and, I imagine, most of you was busy watching the federal leaders' debate, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats were hosting the "Touchdown Dinner and Awards." The event was to raise funds for Hamilton minor football.

However, at the event the Tiger-Cats decided to announce the hiring of Scott Fawcett as the team's new Special Teams Coordinator.

Don't know much about him except what was written in the linked piece about him being the former Assistant Head Coach at the University of Windsor.

Fawcett is replacing the much-respected Dave Easley. He has big shoes to fill.

UPDATE: Apparently I am unable to read, as Fawcett has been hired as an assistant. My bad. I thought something didn't make sense here.

Two New Coaches and TD Atlantic II

A couple pieces of news today as the Ti-Cats have rounded out their coaching staff, and it looks like they're headed to the East coast for a matchup with the Stamps.

First, the Tiger-Cats have hired two coaches: Rick Worman and Doug Malone. Worman will replace Mike Gibson as the team's Running Backs Coach (Gibson was also the Offensive Coordinator, a role that now belongs to Khari Jones) and Malone will replace Steve Buratto as Offensive Line Coach.

Worman brings a wealth of CFL knowledge, having served in multiple capacities with multiple teams, most notably as an Offensive Coordinator, most recently with the Edmonton Eskimos. Malone has over 30 years of experience, but none in the CFL.

The key for both of these gentlemen is to get the running game going, which was a weak spot, offensively, for the Cats in 2010. DeAndra' Cobb did not have the best of seasons (yes, he finished with decent stats, but anyone who actually watched the games knows he did not have a good year), and the O-Line seemed as if it was unaware of how to run block. If the running game can be fixed in 2011, the Cats' Offense will be downright lethal.

Secondly, it looks like the Tabbies will be "hosting" the Calgary Stampeders in Moncton in September.

The source article cites that "the [Tiger-Cats'] general manager let it slip during a radio interview earlier this year" that Hamilton would be the home team. I do not recall ever hearing this interview or hearing about this interview. If anyone of my loyal (or not-so-loyal) readers could please point me in the direction of this interview (or at least confirm it exists) I would be grateful.

Also, as was pointed out by one of my Twitter followers, the fact that the Cats will lose all nine home games in 2012 (with one or two possibly being played in Moncton), means that it is somewhat unfair to the fan base to lose one in 2011 as well. I do not have a problem with Hamilton playing in Moncton in 2011, but it should have been a home game for the Stamps, not the Cats. Since we are going to be deprived of an entire season's worth of games in 2012, we should at least have been given a full slate of games in 2011.

Hamilton's New DC and That Other News

Not Richie Hall.

Not Gary Etcheverry.

Not Brad Miller.

The man that will take over for the departed Greg Marshall is Corey Chamblin. The official announcement should come later in the week.

I don't know much about Chamblin. Sadly, I am not well versed on DB Coaches from around the league. Chamblin did apprentice under Chris Jones in Calgary, and Jones likes to employ a more aggressive approach. There will obviously be a change in philosophy from the past two seasons.

And before anyone asks, yes I am aware of the goings on with the stadium. But until a deal is signed, I'm not getting excited about anything. The Cats might stay at Ivor Wynne, and that's fine by me. But we've all seen the twists and turns, and we've all been on this roller-coaster ride, so we should all remain skeptical that a deal can get done until a deal is done. But this is positive news. Let's hope that this positivity carries forward toward February 1st.

One Step Closer

News has just dropped that Richie Hall is no longer believed to be in the running for the Head Coach position with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. (The pertinent quote from the story: "Former Edmonton head coach Richie Hall, who was with the Riders as defensive co-ordinator, is not believed to be in the mix.")

This paves the way for Hall to join the Tiger-Cats as their new Defensive Coordinator. It has been speculated for some time that Greg Marshall will not be brought back, and Hall is the presumed replacement because of his relationship with Tiger-Cat Head Coach Marcel Bellefeuille.

With Bellefeuille, Hall and Jones, the Cats could have the calmest coaching staff in football history. Some fans complain about coaches who don't show emotion, but Marc Trestman is as calm as they come and it hasn't hurt him any.

Nothing is set in stone, but I would be stunned if Hall is not hired as Hamilton's Defensive Coordinator. I'll get a jump start and say, "Welcome to Tigertown, Coach Hall."

And the New Tiger-Cats Offensive Coordinator is...

Khari Jones.

To say that I am psyched is an understatement. I have been pushing for Jones since before it was announced that Mike Gibson would not be returning to the Cats. I said before that I thought some new blood would be a good thing, and to hire a retread would just be taking a sideways step. The Cats needed the new blood that Jones provides.

We have all seen the meteoric rise of Dave Dickenson in Calgary, and I truly believe that Jones can be Hamilton's version. He's got his shot; now I only hope that he rewards the Cats with a great infusion of fresh ideas or else I am going to look like quite the idiot.

Ken Miller's Decision and Its Raminfications in Hamilton

As everyone knows, Ken Miller has stepped down as the Head Coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and the decision has some interesting ramifications for the Tiger-Cats.

With Miller moving upstairs, that leaves the Saskatchewan job vacant. Two candidates, at least according to TSN's Dave Naylor, are Richie Hall and Greg Marshall. Now, rumours have been floating around that Marshall has been let go by the Tiger-Cats; whether that is true or not is unknown at this time. The rumoured replacement for Marshall has been one Richie Hall.

If Marshall gets the job, good for him. He's a good football coach and deserves the opportunity to lead a team. Marshall moving to Saskatchewan would also open the door for Hall to come to Hamilton.

Now, what happens if Hall gets the Saskatchewan job? Does that mean that Marshall will remain with the Tiger-Cats? Could the Cats whiff on getting Hall and lose Marshall? Who would the team then hire as Defensive Coordinator? Have the Tiger-Cats acted too quickly in (allegedly) getting rid of Marshall? It will be interesting to see how this plays out for the Tiger-Cats.

More Coaching Changes?

With Mike Gibson already gone, is Greg Marshall far behind?

According to Perry Lefko, Greg Marshall will not return as Tiger-Cat Defensive Coordinator in 2011.

Lefko also posits that the frontrunner for the position is former Edmonton Eskimo Head Coach Richie Hall. Hall and Tiger-Cat Head Coach Marcel Bellefeuille have a friendship dating back to their time together with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Obviously, Hall's philosophy will mesh with Bellefeuille's.

I'm of two minds about this. First, I think Greg Marshall is a very good Defensive Coordinator. He has presided over many top-notch Defenses during his CFL tenure, and Hamilton's the past two seasons has been very good.

That said, his "Bend But Don't Break" philosophy broke a few times in 2010. And sometimes it bent at inopportune moments, such as the final minute against Calgary in Week 2. There were also rumours of clashes between Marshall and Bellefeuille, and with Bellefeuille staying put (rightfully so), it seems like Marshall almost had to go.

There is this myopic view amongst Ti-Cat fans that Marshall can do no wrong, and that all the problems that occurred in 2010 were Mike Gibson and the Offense's fault. I don't subscribe to that particular viewpoint. I think both men underachieved with the groups they were given. The Tiger-Cats should have been better than 9-9 and a first-round playoff exit. They weren't, and it wasn't one person's fault. There were times when the Offense couldn't be stopped, but times when they couldn't get started; the exact same can be said of the Defense. Neither one produced the kind of season that we all thought was possible. Now it looks like this underachievement has cost each man his job (though in Gibson's case, that might not be entirely accurate).

If Marshall is heading out the door, replacing him with Hall is a good move. Hall was a terrific Defensive Coordinator with the Roughriders before he left to take the head job in Edmonton, and he would make an excellent Defensive Coordinator for the Tiger-Cats. The talent is there on the defensive side of the football, led by 2010 Most Outstanding Defensive Player Markeith Knowlton.

Who says there's no news after the Grey Cup? Two days and already two big pieces of news coming out of Tigertown. I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring.

Who Replaces Gibson?

It is now official: Mike Gibson will not be returning as Offensive Coordinator of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

I'm sure many Tiger-Cat fans are popping champagne in celebration. The much-maligned Gibson was nearly universally reviled by Tiger-Cat supporters. I was not one of them. Though Gibson did have his flaws, I was not one of the many who placed the blame almost solely on him. Sure, he needs to take part of the blame – especially for the lackluster rushing attack in 2010 – but he was not the only reason why the Tiger-Cats did not achieve what they had expected to achieve in 2010. Some of that blame falls to the players.

But that's neither here nor there. Gibson is gone, and now the speculation really begins as to who might replace him.

I have already stated, twice, that I would like to see Khari Jones given the chance, and according to Drew Edwards, Jones is on the shortlist of candidates to replace Gibson.

It would be nice for once to see the Tiger-Cats take a chance. Jones has experience – he's been the team's Quarterbacks Coach for two seasons – and is a former player, who won the MOP award in 2001 when playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. It would be nice to give a new person the opportunity. There are obviously other candidates available, but I would like to see the team hire Khari Jones as Offensive Coordinator.

Also of note: Offensive Line Coach Steve Buratto will not be brought back either. He has left the team due to family reasons. I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Report: Mike Gibson Not Returning

In news that is sure to make many Tiger-Cat fans happy, it seems like Offensive Coordinator Mike Gibson's days with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are numbered, at least according to Sportsnet's Perry Lefko.

The article notes that Gibson will be leaving for personal reasons, not football-related reasons. I hope things aren't serious for Gibson.

The article also mentions that there are plans to "significantly alter [the] coaching staff." With Gibson on his way out, could Defensive Coordinator Greg Marshall be far behind?

I have gone on the record saying that if a change was made, I would like to see Khari Jones given an opportunity.

But Jones is just my preference; there are plenty of other qualified candidates. Let the speculation begin.

Stubler Back in the CFL

Looks like Rich Stubler is headed back to the CFL. The former long-time Defensive Coordinator, and one-time Head Coach, of the Toronto Argonauts will be joining the BC Lions as Defensive Line Coach, according to Sportsnet.

The last we saw of Stubler he was being fired as Head Coach of the Toronto Argonauts in 2008. At the time he was 4-6, and the Argos were in 2nd place in the East Division. He was replaced by Don Matthews, who ended up going 0-8 the rest of the season. The Argos would miss the playoffs with a 4-14 record the year after they hosted the East Division Final.

The Argos replaced Matthews with Bart Andrus, who went a horrendous 3-15 in 2009, which was his one and only season in Toronto. The Argos hired Jim Barker this off-season to replace Andrus.

Even though Stubler coached the Boatmen, I always thought he was a great Defensive Coordinator. The move to BC will likely lead to him being a Defensive Coordinator again in 2011. Maybe he'll move back to Ontario to join the Ti-Cats. It's likely that the current Defensive Coordinator, Greg Marshall, will get a head coaching position in the near future, so if the Cats were to lose Marshall, I couldn't think of a better man to replace him than Rich Stubler. It would just add to the list of recent Argo mistakes that helped the Cats (Exhibit A: Bruce, Arland).

To sum it up, the Argos were in a playoff spot when Stubler was unnecessarily fired, and they have amassed a record of 3-23 since then. It's these decisions that turned a Grey Cup contender in 2007 into the worst team in the CFL the past two seasons.

Cats Round Out Coaching Staff

The Tiger-Cats announced today that they have added two new coaches to round out the 2010 staff. Steve Buratto will be the team's new Offensive Line Coach, and Tim Kearse will be the new Receivers Coach. Every other coach from last season has been retained by the team.

O-Line coaches and Receiver coaches are hardly big-time news, but when one of them is a former Grey Cup-winning Head Coach, people will pay attention. Steve Buratto won the Grey Cup with the BC Lions as Head Coach in 2000. He has bounced around the league some, being employed most recently by the Argos as Offensive Coordinator in 2008 and Special Teams and Running Backs coach in 2009. Uh-oh. The Argos have had one of the worst offenses in the CFL the past few seasons, so hopefully that was an aberration. It's not like Buratto will be calling plays or anything, so we shouldn't have to worry about the Cats replicating the punchless Argos offense of the past couple of seasons. The one upside the Argos did have last season was their running game, as RB Jamal Robertson eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark. Robertson was probably the lone bright spot for the Argos last season.

I don't know much about Tim Kearse except for what I read in the press release the team put out. The Cats already have one the best, if not the best, WR corps in the CFL, so if Kearse's credentials are accurate, then we could be headed for even better things from the Wide Receivers and Slotbacks in 2010.