The Scratching Post

Christian Covington, son of Grover, drafted by Texans

By Dan Ralph
THE CANADIAN PRESS

Christian Covington doesn't have to go far to begin his pro football career.

The Rice defensive lineman went in the sixth round, No. 216 overall, to the Houston Texans in the NFL draft Saturday. The school is roughly five kilometres from NRG Stadium, the club's home venue.

"To have a team such as the Houston Texans, who are just right down the street, to be interested in this way, this is a dream come true for me,'' Covington told reporters during a conference call.

The six-foot-two, 289-pound Covington, from Surrey, B.C., was the lone Canadian taken in the three-day draft, which was held in Chicago. Covington watched Saturday's proceedings on TV in B.C. with about 45 family members and friends.

Covington, who declared for the draft despite having one year of eligibility remaining, had 20 tackles and three sacks last season. He missed four games with the Owls, including the final three with a dislocated knee cap that required surgery in November.

In 2013, Covington had 11.5 tackles for loss and four sacks to earn All-Conference USA first-team honours despite playing most of the campaign with a cast on his right hand because of a thumb injury. Covington says his knee is a non-issue.

"I'm fully recovered,'' Covington said. "I know when I get back to Houston there will be re-evaluating my knee . . . but I'm ready to get the ball rolling.''

Covington won't have to wait long. He and other rookies will report Friday for a three-day mini-camp in Houston.

Covington's selection is bad news for CFL clubs as he's the top-ranked prospect for the league's draft later this month. Now, any team selecting Covington will have to wait for him to arrive.

Covington has CFL roots. His father, Grover, registered a league-record 157 sacks over 11 seasons as a defensive end with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (1981-'91) and was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

Christian Covington is the first Rice interior defensive lineman drafted since '76 when Cornelius Walker went in the third round to the Kansas City. He joins a Texans' defensive front that features veteran tackle Vince Wilfork and defensive end J.J. Watt, twice the NFL's top defensive player.

"Everywhere you go you hear J.J. Watt,'' Covington said. "To actually have a chance to be able to be on a team with him right now, that in itself is motivation for me to be able to come and perform with my best every day.''

NFL Network's Charles Davis praised Houston for selecting Covington.

"When you look at what he can get done, another one of those guys in the right situation (can get) up field, disrupt things, help out your football team,'' Davis said after Houston made the pick. "In the AFC South you've got to disrupt everything Indianapolis does if you want to make headway.''

Mike Mayock, the NFL network's respected draft guru, also complimented Covington.

"One of the more intelligent kids I've ever met,'' he said.

Neither South Alabama quarterback Brandon Bridge, a native of Mississauga, Ont., nor Yale running back Tyler Varga of Kitchener, Ont., were selected.

Bridge but the six-foot-four, 229-pound Bridge signed as a free agent with the Detroit Lions, while Varga inked a deal with Indianapolis Colts. Brett Boyko, another highly-ranked CFL prospect signed with the Eagles while fellow offensive lineman Sukh Chung has been invited to Giants mini-camp. 

Bridge, who has run a 4.64-second 40-yard dash, appeared in 11 games last year with the Jaguars, completing 160 of 307 passes (52.1 per cent) for 1,927 yards with 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also ran for 297 yards and four TDs.

Bridge capped his college career by playing in the NFLPA Bowl, then worked out at the NFL combine before auditioning for pro scouts at his pro day.

The five-foot-10, 227-pound Varga ran for 1,423 yards and a school-record 26 TDs last season and was named the Ivy League's offensive player of the year. He was also a first-team all-star nod.

Varga was Canadian university football's top rookie in 2011 at Western before transferring to Yale. In January, he became just the second Yale player ever to play in the Senior Bowl and was invited to the NFL combine.

Ticats release nine, including WR Cary Koch

The Ticats released nine players today, two days after the conclusion of the team's mini-camp. Here's the list.

INT       OL        Everett Benyard
INT       WR       Lamont Bryant
INT       WR       Cary Koch
INT       DB       Taylor Mack
INT       DL        Adewale Ojomo
INT       RB        Sam Ojuri
INT       LB        Jonathon Sharpe
INT       DL        Brandon Thurmond
INT       DB       E.J. Woods

The biggest name on the list is receiver Cary Koch, who was signed as a free agent from Edmonton last off-season. He made just 14 catches for 215 yards and was benched after fumbling away a punt return in Montreal on Sept. 9 and never made it back into the line up. 

The team liked what it saw from American receivers Tiquan Underwood and Terence Tolliver at mini-camp and their entry-level contracts are more cap friendly than the veteran Koch's. 

Thurmond earned a starting job in week two last season but suffered a season-ending injury in the second quarter while Ojuri played in one game last season. The rest were released after their performance at mini-camp this week.

Pikula passes, Torrey returns and Pinball's a Canuck.

A few items today...

• former Ticat Joe Pikula, who was a member of the 1963 Grey Cup winning squad, passed away April 26 at the age of 70. This story, written by Brian Smiley of the Brantford Expositor, does a nice job of capturing the essence of the man. 

• former Ticat Torrey Davis signed with the Eskimos today. Davis, you may remember, lost his son in a tragic drowning accident close to a year ago. He came to Ticats training camp last spring but it was pretty clear his heart wasn't in it. Here's the story I wrote at the time, which remains as heartbreaking as ever. I'm glad to see him back in the league and hope he has success with Edmonton. 

• the first round of the NFL draft is tonight, with rounds two and three going tomorrow, and the final four rounds taking place on Saturday. The draft has plenty of relevant story lines: Christian Covington, son of Ticat great Grover and top-ranked CFL prospect, is expected to be taken in the middle rounds; Brandon Bridge, the quarterback from Mississauga, could be a late-round pick; and the NFL draft (and subsequent free agent period) inevitably impacts the CFL draft.

• Argo legend Pinball Clemons obtained his Canadian citizenship in Hamilton yesterday. I know Pinball wore the Double Blue but I think even Ticats fans have come to appreciate and respect the man. I know I do. This video is just another example of his class and grace. At the risk of sound hokey, I'm proud that Pinball is a Canadian.

Five things we learned from Ticats mini-camp

Tiger Cats wide receiver Tiquan Underwood is pursued by defensive back Mike Daly during the mini camp this week. Cathie Coward/ Hamilton Spectator

With the Hamilton Tiger-Cats three-day mini-camp now in the books, here are five things we learned:

1. Achilles has made the Ticats vulnerable.

The season-ending injuries to Spencer Watt and Linden Gaydosh could have an impact on both the team’s ratio structure and draft strategy. 

Both players suffered torn Achilles tendons in separate off-season training incidents this spring — neither was at mini-camp this week — and Ticats head coach Kent Austin said the team is still reviewing the implications.

“What we need to do is think about the iterations that would happen in the event we have other injuries and the ripple effect,” Austin said after the final on-field session at McMaster University. “We’re just going through the ‘what if?’ scenarios.”

Austin said, however, that the football implications are secondary to the personal impact these devastating injuries have on the players.

“First and foremost we care about getting the guys healthy and back on the field so they can compete as professional athletes,” Austin said. “The good news is we have some depth especially (at defensive tackle). There’s a lot of different ways we can construct the ratio and our roster.”

2. Peter Dyakowski looks to be all the way back.

One possible solution to the loss of Watt, whose absence will likely leave the Ticats without the option to play two Canadian wide receivers, would be to play three Canadians on the offensive line. And a healthy Dyakowski might allow them to do just that. 

Dyakowski is now fully recovered from the torn patella tendon he suffered in the 2013 Grey Cup, an injury that forced him to miss most of last season. But he asked to come to mini-camp — it’s optional for veterans — and showed up 20 pounds lighter.

“That was one individual that we needed to see his ability to move coming off his injury and he really did well. He’s moving as well as he has since we’ve been here,” Austin said. “He looks good, he’s lost some weight and he’s in shape. It’s good for him and good for us.”

3. The new CFL rules will take some getting used to.

The Ticats had three CFL officials at Wednesday’s final mini-camp session so they could help coaches and players get a better handle on the new pass interference rules, which limit contact on a receiver to within five yards of the line of scrimmage.

“We’ve been going back after practice and trying to count where we thought flags might be thrown so we were glad to get them out there,” Austin said. “That type of feedback right as the infraction occurs is important.”

Though it wasn’t raining penalty flags during every drill, there were certainly some exasperated defensive players. The offensive guys, however, were loving it. 

“Sometimes I think they passed these new rules just for me,” joked receiver Brandon Banks, who will also benefit from changes to the special teams’ guidelines. 

4. Training camp will feature quite the battle at wide receiver.

Among the standouts during mini-camp were American pass catchers Tiquan Underwood and Terrence Tolliver, both of whom were on the Ticats’ neg list for more than a year before signing this spring. Tolliver is 6-foot-5 and made a number of spectacular catches during the week while Underwood showed speed and polish. 

Other standouts: speedster Quincy McDuffie, who returned a punt for a score in his only game last season but struggled with injuries, defensive ends Adrian Tracy and Adrian Robinson, linebackers Dan Molls and David Caldwell and defensive backs Ellis Lankster and Julian Posey.

5. Austin likes the progression of his quarterbacks. 

Coming into last year’s mini-camp, new starter Zach Collaros was trying to learn the Hamilton offence but he looked far more comfortable with a season under his belt. The same can be said for Jeremiah Masoli and second-year man Jacory Harris. Newcomer Jeff Mathews struggled a little on day one but his understanding of the scheme from his days with Austin at Cornell was apparent.

All three are expected to be in the mix for the back up job behind Collaros at main camp.

“The knowledge of the guys that are back is way different, in particular our quarterbacks,” Austin said.

“Their level of execution, decision-making, delivering the ball on time, anticipation, all those types of things is a lot better right now. That’s a good sign.”

Mini-camp done, but football has begun

It's over suddenly, but the past two days of glorious sunshine, and Day 1 under threatening skies,  have whetted all our appetites for football.

It has always been in April and May that you realize, with a capital 'R', just how freakin' long the CFL off-season is: it and the NFL have by far the longest downtime of any of the four major team sports on the continent.

That's another reason why mini-camp--oh, excuse, us OTA--was a good CFL idea. It's a concrete reminder to the market of what it is they sell. And what they sell gets better because of the OTAs, which this corner has always called 'quality control.' Any team that uses it strictly as a tryout camp, without getting a head start on systems and other season-related specifics is cheating itself and, worse, the fans of the league. And fans of this league are the all-time sports martyrs, and don't deserved to be deprived in any way.

 

 

 

 

This Ticat mini-camp, more than any of the previous ones, seems to have been more broadly welcomed by the city and its fans. Weather has played a role, but so has the unbelievably successful return to town last year from exile in Guelph. Undefeated here since they came back and they'll stay that way, at least in regular season, until August. Their winning--with the Leafs and Bulldogs competing to see who could turn in the more irrelevant season---and their young stars, have been missed.

And there is an expectation, as there was last year, that the Cats will make their third consecutive Grey Cup appearance for the first time since 1986   and, despite the collective missteps of the builders and the sheer public boredom with the incessant delays, there is excited anticipation about returning to Tim Hortons Field.

The Ticats have enough returnees, enough marquee players, and enough excellent coaching that they should win the east. It would be nice if they got off to a good start for a change, instead of counting on sprinting like madmen down the stretch, but where would this team be without season-long drama.

Today, under this sun, it's all hope and optimism and everybody has zero losses. In that way, it's not unlike the sport with the shortest off-season: it's kind of like baseball spring training.

 

 

 

 

UPDATED: Ticats lose Watt, Gaydosh to season-ending Achilles injuries

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have lost two key Canadian players to what's believed to be season-ending Achilles injuries.

Both defensive tackle Linden Gaydosh and wide receiver Spencer Watt will miss the entire 2015 CFL campaign after being hurt in separate off-season training incidents.

The 24-year-old Gaydosh was the first overall pick in the 2013 CFL Draft and signed with the Ticats mid-way through last season after recovering from a serious back injury suffered during a stint with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. He played in 11 games for Hamilton, registering eight tackles. 

The 26-year-old Watt was one of the Ticats' prized free agent signings this off-season, signing a two-year deal with Hamilton after spending five seasons with the Toronto Argonauts. He has registered 135 catches for 1,715 during his CFL career.

While losing Gaydosh would be a significant blow to the team’s Canadian depth, the Ticats are well-stocked at the defensive tackle position with Ted Laurent, the Most Outstanding Canadian in the East Division last season, veteran Brian Bulcke and a number of young national players.

But Gaydosh is entering the final year of his contract and will be a free agent by the time his Achilles is fully healed, which usually takes anywhere from eight to 12 months.

The loss of Watt, however, could be more significant. The Ticats have little depth behind star slotback Andy Fantuz, who has missed at least five games due to injury the past two seasons. The team has started two Canadian receivers for much of the last two years but will likely be forced to make a ratio change with Watt out.

Girard happy to move across the line for Ticats

This is my story on Matthieu Girard, the former Montreal Carabins defensive lineman and Ticats draft pick, who the team is trying to convert into an offensive lineman (something they are also trying with Everton Williams). I've been writing about the team's plethora of Canadian defensive tackles for awhile now and this is one solution to that "problem." I still think the Ticats will pursue a trade if they can find the right deal...  

One other item about Girard that didn't make the story... he's the guy who blocked the potential game-winning field goal against McMaster in last year's Vanier Cup. He told me that he used to wear a Carabins t-shirt under his shoulder pads but decided to leave it at home, given where he was playing his pro ball. He's sporting a new Ticats one now.

 

Just after 7 a.m. Monday morning, there was a knock on Allen Rudolph's office door. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats offensive line coach looked up to see Matthieu Girard standing there, playbook in hand. He had a question. Several, actually.

Rudolph wasn't particularly surprised. Girard, a 23-year-old taken in the sixth round by the Ticats in the 2014 draft, has spent the last four years playing defensive tackle for the Montreal Carabins but was asked in January by Hamilton management to make the switch to the offensive line.

While players are often reluctant to take on a new position, Girard has fully embraced his new role.

"I love it. When I was younger, I played both positions so now it's a just a matter of going back to the basics," he said after the Ticats' opening day of mini-camp. "I have a lot to learn but I'm really excited about it."

The move makes sense for both the player and the team. The Ticats have a glut of young Canadian defensive lineman and could use some depth on the other side of the football. For Girard — and free agent signing Everton Williams, who is also trying to make the switch — it's an opportunity to have a long and lucrative CFL career if they can manage it.

At 6-foot-3, 295 pounds, Girard has the size to play up front and he spent the winter gaining an extra 10 pounds. He has the beginnings of requisite O-line pot belly. But he's also trying to retain the athleticism and nastiness that made him one of the most dominant defensive lineman in the CIS last season.

To help with the learning curve, Girard has talked with Rudolph by phone throughout the spring and spent time training in Montreal with Carabins offensive line coach, Tony Addona.

At mini-camp this week he's taking reps at centre, which means he also has to learn play calls and protections. He's a smart a guy — he has a degree in Business Administration with a joint major in Information Technology — but it's a lot to take in.

"When I was in college, I was working, I was in school and I was playing football," Girard said. "Now, I'm only focused on this. It's going to be hard, but it's a good challenge."

Rudolph said Girard's total commitment to the move is the reason why he believes he has a chance to succeed. The questions Girard posed to his coach Monday morning indicate he's done his homework and is looking for more.

"It wasn't just, 'Hey coach, what does this mean?' He had already studied the playbook and thought of the next question that should come out of what he saw," Rudolph said. "That tells you that's he's embraced it, that he wants to be good."

Notes: Head coach Kent Austin cautioned against drawing conclusions about the number of notable absences among veteran players at the team's mini-camp. "Who's here, who's not here, the reps that guy (is) getting are absolutely meaningless. There's a plan we have in place for evaluating our guys to take into training camp and it's nothing more to it than that," Austin said. Among those who aren't here this week: running backs C.J. Gable and Mossis Madu, receivers Andy Fantuz, Bakari Grant, Cary Koch and Spencer Watt, offensive linemen Brian Simmons, Joel Figueroa, Joel Reindeers and Tim O'Neill, linebackers Simoni Lawrence, Rico Murray, Erik Harris and Taylor Reed, defensive tackles Bryan Hall, Ted Laurent, Brian Bulcke, Hasan Hazime and Linden Gaydosh, defensive ends Justin Hickman and Eric Norwood, special team stalwarts Arnaud Gascon-Nadon, Fredo Plesius, Beau Landry, Pawel Kruba and Marc Beswick, as well as kicker Justin Medlock ... Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli missed Monday's session but is expected to be on the field on Tuesday.

Some notes from the opening day of Ticats mini-camp

The Ticats opened their three-day mini-camp on Monday at McMaster and here are some early observations:

• head coach Kent Austin said there would be a number of veteran players absent from camp and there are, including: running backs C.J. Gable and Mossis Madu, receivers Andy Fantuz, Bakari Grant and Cary Koch and Spencer Watt, offensive linemen Brian Simmons, Joel Figueroa, Joel Reinders and Tim O'Neill, linebackers Simoni Lawrence, Rico Murray, Erik Harris andTaylor Reed, defensive tackles Bryan Hall, Ted Laurent, Brian Bulcke, Hasan Hazime and Linden Gaydosh, defensive ends Justin Hickman and Eric Norwood, special team stalwarts Arnaud Gascon-Nadon, Fredo Plesius, Beau Landry, Pawel Kruba and Marc Beswick as well as kicker Justin Medlock and the snappers... quarterback Jeremiah Masoli missed Monday's session but is expected to be on the field on Tuesday.

So essentially the Ticats have brought their quarterbacks, their starting American receiving corps, the veteran American defensive backs competing for Delvin Breaux's job (Brandon Stewart, Ed Gainey), all their young offensive lineman... and a whole bunch of guys auditioning for a spot at a training camp.

Mini-camp is voluntary so it's possible that some of these veteran players have opted not to come but my guess is that most, if not at all, simply weren't invited. Most of the guys on the above list have established roles on the club and having them here would simply take away reps from players the coaching staff need to make a determination on.

• the Ticats have some size at receiver: newcomer Tiquan Underwood is listed at 6-foot-2, while Lamont Bryant and Terrence Tolliver are 6-foot-5.

• secondary coach James Stanley was yelling “don't hold him, don't hold him, don't him,” on pretty much every rep during one-on-one drills. Defensive back are going to need to adjust to the new rules, and fast.

• signed international defensive back Nick Brassell and international defensive lineman Adrian Robinson. From the release:

- Brassell, a 6-0, 175-pound, native of Batesville, Mississippi, played both defensive back and receiver in his lone a season at Ole Miss. In 2011, he compiled 14 defensive tackles and a forced fumble while hauling in 24 passes for 336 yards and two touchdowns with the Rebels. Brassell spent time on the Toronto Argonauts practice roster in 2013.

- Robinson, a 6-1-, 250-pound, native of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, arrives in Hamilton after spending time with a handful of NFL teams over the last three seasons. The former first-team All-MAC and All-ECAC selection registered 156 defensive tackles, 30 tackles for a loss, 25 quarterback sacks, eight forced fumbles and two interceptions in four seasons at Temple.

Ticats shift focus (a little) for this year's mini-camp

A draft of my story for tomorrow's paper... also rode Paris to Ancaster today and wrote about that, too. I'm very tired... but it will cool to see some football at Mac tomorrow. 

 

In his first two seasons at the helm, Ticats general manager and head coach Kent Austin came into mini-camp with a very specific to-do list.

In 2013, he and his staff were introducing new systems across the board – offence, defence, special teams – while also trying to get a sense of what they had personnel wise. Last season, the focus was on new quarterback Zach Collaros, as he tried to get a handle on the team's complex offensive decision-making process.

As this year's mini-camp gets underway – players will take to Ron Joyce Stadium at McMaster University on Monday for the first of three days of on-field sessions – things are expected to be a little bit different.

"The general structure is the same but we can install a bit more because we have more experience," Austin said. "As our packages on both sides of the ball and special teams grows, we don't have to start from scratch."

Collaros comes into the season as the undisputed No. 1 quarterback after a spectacular second half to 2014, one that not only got the Ticats into the post-season – the team was 1-6 when he returned from injury on Labour Day, then won eight-of-11 – but helped them to a second-straight Grey Cup berth as well.

Behind him, however, thing are less certain. Two of last year's back ups, Dan LeFevour (Montreal) and Stephen McGee (unsigned) are gone and while Jeremiah Masoli returns for a third season, he's started just two games. He'll be joined by second-year man Jacory Harris and newcomer Jeff Mathews, who played for Austin at Cornell.

"It's competition,” Austin said of his No. 2 spot. “Zach's our starter but we're looking for everybody to grow, to have improved physically and mentally.”

And while much of the core from last year's squad will return this season, Austin said a few veterans will be absent and others will see reduced playing time so the coaching staff can get a look at some of the newcomers. The team has signed a number players from its negotiation list this off-season, receiver Tiquan Underwood and defensive back Ellis Lankster among them.

"We've had some of these guys on our radar for a long time but it takes time to get them up here," Austin said.

One key issue that won't be addressed at mini-camp: how the team plans to use its Canadian players this season.

"We have different iterations of what our ratio may look like but some that will be determined at training camp," Austin said. "We have a fairly good idea of the national players that can start but how that ends up looking could vary."

Covington the top-ranked CFL prospect

The chip and the block it came off of are still close: Christian Covington, son of Hamilton Tiger-Cat legend Grover Covington, is the top-rated prospect in Canadian football.

The CFL Scouting Bureau, which is made up of front-office personnel from the league's nine teams, ranks the top 20 Canadians eligible for the May 12 draft.

The final edition of the key rankings was released on Friday with Covington taking the No. 1 spot.

Brandon Bridge, the Mississauga native who played quarterback at South Alabama, came in at No. 19 on the CFL list and is the first quarterback ever ranked in the CFL's top 20.

He's seen as a possible late-round pick in the NFL draft.

Covington's father played with the Ticats from 1981 to 1991, leading the league in sacks in 1988.

A defensive lineman, he was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

The Ticats have the eighth pick in the draft, while the Ottawa Redblacks hold the No. 1 spot.

University of Western Ontario — and Hamilton native — defensive lineman Darryl Waud slipped to seventh after being listed third in the winter rankings.

McMaster linebacker Nick Shorthill dropped from No. 11 to the final spot at No. 20 after being limited by injury at the CFL Combine in March.

The Ticats are back. For awhile.

The team will host a three-day mini-camp at McMaster University's Ron Joyce Stadium from Monday to Wednesday. The practices will begin each day at 10:10 a.m. and are open to the public.

Hamilton has also added a number of players over the last few days ahead of the on-field sessions, which will be a mix of preparation for the upcoming season and evaluation of players looking for a spot at full training camp, which begins at the end of May.

They signed international receivers Lamont Bryant and Deon Anthony as well as international offensive lineman Everett Benyard on Friday while adding international defensive backs Ellis Lankster, Julian Posey and E.J. Woods and international linebackers Larry King and Jonathan Sharpe this week.

- with files from Curtis Rush, the Toronto Star.