What's Wrong With the Cats; Baggs is a Stamp

Looks like Stevie Baggs is back in the CFL, this time with the Calgary Stampeders. I have made my thoughts known on the whole mess that went down between Stevie Baggs and the Ti-Cats, so I won't go into it any further. I wish him luck in Calgary where he joins Kevin Glenn, Chris Bauman, Marquay McDaniel, Mark Dewit, Tad Korengay and Demonte' Bolden in what I have dubbed "Hamilton West."

What's wrong with the Ti-Cats? It was a question I was asked by Drew Edwards on Wednesday and today you can see my answer. Drew decided he wanted to ask a smattering of people just what is wrong with the team right now. He got answers from Bob Young, George Cortez, Andy Fantuz, Avon Cobourne, Dave Naylor, John Salavantis, a CFL insider who wished to remain anonymous and myself. If this song popped into your head reading that list of names, you're not alone. Anyway, my answer was a simple one: change. Click the link and read my take as well as the take of the others.

Baggs Signs With the Ravens

I have never hid the fact that I am a fan of Stevie Baggs. I never hid the fact that I thought the team was wrong to let him go back in March. But since the Ti-Cats are in the midst of a three-game winning streak and things are going smoothly in Hamilton, thinking about past negatives isn't something I want do. But I bring Baggs up for one reason.

He has signed with the NFL's Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens had an opening on their 90-man training camp roster and have brought Baggs in to compete for a spot at linebacker. He will also have to contribute on special teams if he hopes to make the team.

This kind of came out of nowhere and it does seem odd that the guy who was deemed not good enough to play for the Ti-Cats is now a member of the Baltimore Ravens. So was Cortez and crew wrong or is Baggs now more suited to be a pass-rushing linebacker in the NFL than a pass-rushing end in the CFL? This is a very weird situation. While I am sure this has happened before, I can't think of many times a player was cut from a CFL team for lack of performance, which was the reason given for his release, and was signed by an NFL team. But it's just more of a noodle-scratcher than me placing blame on anyone. It is just a very strange situation.

But like Justin Medlock, Marcus Thigpen, Justin Hickman and Garrett McIntyre before him, I wish Baggs the best of luck in trying to make it in the NFL.

Training Camp Preview: Defensive Line

With training camp about to start (rookies report on May 30th, veterans on June 3rd) it's time to look at each position group as we head into the 2012 season. Today, it's the defensive line.

Since I missed yesterday, I decided to double-up today and tomorrow. Earlier today, I looked at the offensive line, so now it's time to look at the defensive line.

Like the offensive line, the defensive line is an area of concern for more than a few people. After seeing Justin Hickman depart for the NFL and with the release of fan favourite Stevie Baggs, the Ticats look woefully thin along the front four. Much like the offensive line, I think this might be a tad overblown.

The team signed Greg Peach away from Edmonton in the hopes that he could replace Hickman (Baggs was still a member of the team when Peach was signed), so that means that the Cats only need to find one other edge rusher to compliment Peach. I thought that person would be Shawn Crable, and I turned out to be very, very wrong (Crable was released in mid May). The Cats will use training camp to find the gy to take the other end position.

In the middle, the Cats are actually pretty well stacked. The hope was that Arnaud Gascon-Nadon would be in the mix, but it looks like he has decided to return to Laval for his final season. Even without Gascon-Nadon, the Tabbies have Eddie Steele, Maurice Forbes and Robert Rose on the roster. I'd expect Steele and Rose to start, with Forbes as a backup.

The Ti-Cats have a fairly good track record when it comes to finding hidden gems along the defensive line. Khari Long (10 sacks in 2009), Garrett McIntyre (eight sacks in 2010) and Justin Hickman (13 sacks in 2011) were all unknown players when they signed with the Tiger-Cats. There could already be another diamond in the rough on the Hamilton roster. All the changes means that new players will be forced to step up. Whether they can or not will something worth watching over the course of the season.

Baggs Cut

Sometimes the writing is on the wall long before anyone sees it, and the news that Stevie Baggs has been released is actually not a surprise. In fact, not to long ago I openly wondered (third-to-last paragraph) if Baggs would be the next big-name player to become a former Tiger-Cats. This is one of those times I didn't want to be right.

For Head Coach George Cortez to say that this was not a financial decision is ludicrous. While last season was far from a banner year for Baggs, and regardless of what Cortez says to the contrary, Baggs was not put in a position to succeed by former Defensive Coordinator Corey Chamblin. He didn't go from the player we saw at the end of 2010 – where in seven games he amassed five sacks, three fumbles recoveries, one interception and two touchdowns, and was named the Defensive Player of the Month for October – to the neutered player we saw for much of 2011 in one off-season.

But Baggs can now add his name to the others on the long list of highly questionable, and in some cases downright idiotic, decisions the team has made over the last eight months.

Baggs still has a lot left to give and whichever team lands him will be getting not just a great football player but a great human being. I wish him the best of luck in the future, and I imagine that we'll be seeing Shakespeare making more plays in the not-to-distant future.

Baggs Won't Play

Stunning.

That's the first word that came to mind upon hearing about the benching of Stevie Baggs for tomorrow's East Division Semi-Final versus Montreal.

Baggs hasn't had the best of seasons, but with pressure on Anthony Calvillo being one of the things Hamilton has to do if they hope to win, taking Baggs out of the lineup is surprising.

I understand that a change was needed to get Jamall Johnson back on the field – his versatility in both pass coverage and pass rush makes him more important than Baggs – but not playing Baggs is astonishing.

This is one of the those moves that if it pans out, Bellefeuille looks like a genius. But if the Cats lose, he will be second guessed to death. In fact, he is probably already being second guessed by many fans.

Personally, I don't like it. The team brought Baggs in after Labour Day last season for just these types of games. Despite noting having the kind of season he hoped for, Baggs is still a player that opposing teams need to gameplan for. He can be a difference maker.

Now he sits, and I have to wonder if perhaps Baggs has played his last game in Black & Gold. Now is not the time to go into stuff like this too thoroughly, and I admit that I may be reading way too much into this, but if the Cats beat the Als, what will be the incentive to play Baggs in Winnipeg and/or the Grey Cup? What will be the incentive to pay him big bucks if the team can win without him? It'll be interesting to see how everything plays out in off-season.

But the Cats still have a game to play tomorrow, and they will stunningly do it without Stevie Baggs.

A juicy game just got a lot juicier.

Baggs Named Defensive Player of the Month

The Players of the Month for October have been announced, and to no one's surprise, Stevie Baggs has snagged Defensive Player of the Month.

Baggs was a dominant force on Hamilton's Defensive Line over the last month. Baggs finished the month with 20 tackles, four sacks and three fumble recoveries – two of which he took back for touchdowns – and an interception. He won Defensive Player of the Week twice in October, after dominating performances against the Argonauts (where he had two sacks) and the Alouettes (where he returned a fumble for a touchdown and had an interception).

I would have been more surprised had Baggs not won this award. Baggs was simply spectacular over the final month of the season (his first since returning to the CFL from the NFL), and his addition provided a spark to the Tiger-Cat Defense.

A well-deserved award for the man we call Shakespeare.

Three Out of Four Ain't Bad

Damn you, Chad Owens. Leave it to an Argo to screw everything up.

Three Tiger-Cats snagged Player of the Week awards for Week 17.

Kevin Glenn was named the Offensive Player of the Week, becoming the only player this year to win that award three times. Glenn was masterful in the Tiger-Cats' destruction of the Montreal Alouettes. Glenn finished the night, which ended early for him, 21 for 32 with 371 yards passing and two touchdowns. The second TD pass tied Glenn with Danny McManus for the most single-season TD passes by a Hamilton Tiger-Cat.

Stevie Baggs once again lived up to his "Shakespeare" moniker and grabbed his second consecutive Defensive Player of the Week award. Baggs has been unstoppable since arriving in Steeltown. In Week 17 he had another fumble recovery for a touchdown – taking this one back 80 yards – and followed it up on the next series by intercepting Anthony Calvillo. All Stevie does is make big plays.

Chris Bauman – the much maligned Chris Bauman – snagged the Canadian Player of the Week award. Bauman played magnificently when called upon to replace the irreplaceable Arland Bruce. Bauman finished the night with 116 yards on five catches, two of which went for touchdowns. Perhaps this is finally the start of something big for Chris Bauman.

Fitting way to cap off a great week for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Baggs Wins Defensive Player of the Week

This news should come as no surprise: Stevie Baggs has been named the Defensive Player of the Week for Week 16.

Baggs had a monster game in Toronto last Friday: seven tackles, two sacks and a Special Teams tackle. Baggs was unstoppable against the Argonauts.

Since joining the Tiger-Cats in late September, Baggs has steadily improved every week. It is going to be a real treat to see what he will be able to accomplish in 2011 when he really knows the defensive schemes.

Still think it was a bad signing, Perry Lefko?

Check Your Baggs, Stevie's Coming to Hamilton

According to the Spectator's Drew Edwards, former Saskatchewan Roughriders Defensive Lineman Stevie Baggs is about to sign with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Now, before we all get excited, let's wait until this becomes official. We all saw what happened this week with Ricky Foley and the Lions and Argos.

But for a second let's act like this is a done deal. Adding Stevie Baggs, a pass-rushing monster, is nothing short of awesome. An already great front four just got greater. Baggs will be a tremendous addition to the roster, and if he plays like he did last season in Saskatchewan, look out. With John Chick, they formed one of the most dominant D-Line tandems in recent CFL history. I cannot wait to see what Baggs will do for Garrett McIntyre.

I will provide a caution to all, myself included. The last two big-ticket free agents the Tiger-Cats signed after NFL cuts were Casey Printers (2007) and Kenton Keith (2008). To put it politely, those moves didn't work out. To put it honestly, they sucked. Hopefully, the Baggs signing will start a new trend.

Baggs is going to look very nice in Black & Gold. Welcome to Tigertown, Stevie.