CFL NOTEBOOK
Notes from around the CFL:
– The Edmonton Eskimos released non-import DT Eddie Steele on Monday. The Manitoba product has spent the past four seasons with the Esks, winning a Grey Cup in 2015. He also played all 18 games for Edmonton last year.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are reported to have the cap space available to sign Steele, and are interested according to Gary Lawless.
– Hours after the Toronto Argonauts hired Jim Popp and Marc Trestman as their GM/Head Coach combo on Tuesday, the Twitter account CFL_News reported Corey Chamblin will replace Rich Stubler as the Defensive Coordinator of the Double Blue. The announcement of Stubler being dumped is expected to come out on Wednesday.
Chamblin’s been out of work since being fired by the Saskatchewan Roughriders on August 31, 2015.
– Also, for some reason, before Popp and Trestman even left the news conference room at BMO Field Tuesday morning, TSN reporters (i.e. Dave Naylor and Gary Lawless) were adamant the Argos should pursue free agent quarterback Johnny Manziel. We all know the Tiger-Cats own Johnny Football’s CFL rights, however perhaps a trade is in the offing.
Where there’s smoke there’s fire, and all signs point to Manziel playing north of the border in CFL in an effort to revive his pro football career.
However the Texas A& M star and former Cleveland Brown has some personal issues he needs to clean up before setting foot on a football field.
– The Saskatchewan Roughriders have yet to name a Linebackers Coach for the 2017 season. Philip Lolley jumped to the Tiger-Cats on February 9.
– RUMOUR ALERT: And finally, a source told me Tuesday evening that the Roughriders have shipped CFL footballs to Vince Young in Texas in order to get him further acclimated to the CFL game. I asked the source – who is in no way affiliated with the Roughriders – how confident he is in his information and he said “Very”.
Young – the former NFL’er and Texas Longhorn star – has been added to the Riders’ negotiation list, but has not signed.
Forever Young.
RP
@rodpedersen
