Ticats Trim Roster After Preseason Finale

On Heartbreak Saturday, 29 potential Tiger-Cats were released, including six who played games for the team last year.

Surprises? Yes. Particularly along the defensive line where Canadians Mason Bennett and Anthony Federico were set loose.

The popular Bennett was the Ticats’ first-round draft choice, 8^th overall  in 2020 out of North Dakota and played  43 games over his, three seasons, including some starts.  Federico, the Niagara Falls native who played two seasons for the junior Hamilton Hurricanes, was the Ticats’ top choice –17^th overall—two years ago when they didn’t have a first-rounder.

A difficult day for players to be sure, head coach Scott Milanovich also noted after Friday’s preseason finale in Guelph, that this day also takes a toll on the coaches and football ops staff.

Many of Saturday’s moves were impacted by GM Ed Hervey and his player personnel staff bringing in a number of players over the last few days, including veteran Canadian defensive lineman David Ménard which I assumed would actually strengthen the case for Bennett and Federico because it seemed to indicate that the Ticats were going to use a Canadian much of the time on the defensive line. They still will, it appears, but more as a rotational player, moving through several positions which Ménard can do.

And when Steven Dunbar Jr. was brought back to the team this week, coupled with the arrival of former Indianapolis Colt receiver Dezmon Patmon who was outstanding in Friday night’s 25-14 loss to Toronto in Guelph. He goes on the practice roster but I don’t expect him to stay on there for too long.

Those two pushed a lot of players down the depth chart, including Omar Bayless who played six games here last year, with a couple of touchdowns and slotted into a starter’s spot for a while during training camp. He was released Saturday.

Receiver Kaylon Geiger, who’d been a starter in drills and in the preseason, sticks around on the practice roster, at least in part due to his versatility in the return game. He’s showed some some promise there but that job is, for now, in the hands and feet of Lawrence Woods III, who has looked good.

Woods, was another late signee, agreeing to return to Hamilton right before training camp after the B.C. Lions released him.

And after the Ticats brought in Nik Constantinou on Tuesday, the same day Ménard and Patmon arrived, there were now three global punters in camp. The odd man out was Bailey Flint who was punting well last year until he had to leave the team for personal reasons. Constantinou, the Ticats’ first-round choice in this year’s global draft, was once a finalist for the Ray Guy Award as the best US College punter and can also handle some kickoffs.  Mark Liegghio will be the field-goal and convert kicker. And Kaare Vedvik, who can handle kickoffs, placekicking and punting, was placed on the practice roster.

It remains to be seen how Milanovich and Hervey will distribute their Canadians across the starting rosters, a tricky equation problem that dates back to Canadian linebacker Jordan Williams—who was acquired to be a ratio-breaker—suddenly retiring in May.

After the three interior linemen on offence–centre David Beard and guards Brandon Revenberg and Coulter Woodmansey—inside receiver Kiondré Smith and safety Stavros Katsantonis, the Ticats need to find at least two more starting spots for nationals to reach the minimum of seven. One would likely be a second Canadian receiver, and another could be rotated through on defence. And there’s the possibility of using the complex CFL imports rules which permit a veteran with three years as a Ticat or five years in the league to be used to replace a National as a “Designated National” American who can replace a pre-designated national for up to 25 snaps in a game.

There’s also tight end. Milanovich has stated he’d like to design a package with true NFL-type tight ends, which is why three contenders –two Americans and a global – were brought in But, because of injuries, for most of camp a lot of the tight-end formations have featured a sixth offensive lineman or one of the fullbacks.

Americans Michael Ezeike of UCLA and Camren McDonald from Florida State were released Saturday, while Robinson, the former North Carolina State basketball player, is the one classic-style tight end remaining.

To make a tight end formation believable as more than a rush-only set, there has to be some possibility that the tight end can run a good route and catch a pass. Fullbacks Justin Tuck and Felix Garand-Gauthier qualify as does the versatile running back Ante Litre who is fairly fast and runs thoughtful patterns. He was the Ticats’ short-yardage quarterback Friday night and converted all five of his tries at a first down, including a touchdown. So occasional tight end work is not beyond his scope.

There are other possibilities and it’s likely they’ll evolve as time goes on.

Special teams played a role in the overall roster selection as they always do. And that was the flip side of the coin for Canadian defensive linemen like Bennett and Federico. In the off-season Ticats signed American defensive linemen DeWayne Hendrix and Brandon Barlow to join all-star Casey Sayles on the line, and they need a backup. To have a Canadian-only lineman spot would require more depth replacements and the Cats couldn’t carry too many defensive linemen on the game-day roster because their body types are suitable for only a few spots on special teams. Noticeably, among the weekend cuts, only two linebackers (one of the core positions contributing to special teams) were cut and another (2024 draftee Ryan Baker) went to the practice roster.

Brandon Kemp, the American offensive tackle who started 10 games for the Ticats last year, was put on the practice roster but tackle Kendrick Sartor and guard Jakub Szott from McMaster, who both played last year, were released.

Hamilton native Tyler Ternowski, the fourth-year receiver who’s been injured, was placed on the practice roster as was sophomore safety Patrick Burke Jr.

The regular season starts with Monday’s day 1 of practice for Friday’s opener in Calgary.

CATS CLAUSES: The Ticats incurred their second loss in as many preseason games Friday night in Guelph, 25-14 Argos who used their starting offensive lineup for the first quarter, and some of them for much longer … the Ticats rested their potential starters and could not get much offence going most of the first half  … with a plethora of two-and-outs, Taylor Powell went only 2-for-4 for 10 yards  and a fumble … Harrison Frost got significant time replacing him and had some strong stretches going 24-for-32 for 222 yards and one interception … the Ticat revelation of the night was WR Dezmon Patmon who arrived in camp only a couple of days earlier, and made seven catches for 115 yards—one of them a highlight jump ball against perfect coverage to set up Hamilton’s only touchdown…Kaylon Geiger had six receptions. … Hamilton missed a number of tackles, but a couple of  big plays on defence were made by newcomer David Ménard, DQ Thomas, Carthell Flowers-Lloyd and defensive tackle Reece Martin … versatile Ante Litre added another job description to his portfolio by becoming the short-yardage quarterback and converting five short-yardage situations, including one for a touchdown …former Ticat Lirim Hajrullahu made all three of his field goals but missed a convert wide right.