Positional Breakdown | Receivers

Between now and the start of training camp, bclions.com rolls out positional previews for each group that will hit the field at Hillside Stadium in Kamloops on May 20th. We continue the series with a look at the receivers.

Flashback to 2016. Both Emmanuel Arceneaux and Bryan Burnham eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark. Shawn Gore, in his final season before retirement, likely would have as well, if not for a late-season concussion. And then, 2017 free agency brought the addition of speedy playmaker Chris Williams. All those factors led many observers to proclaim the BC Lions could be as close as you can get to an unstoppable force on offence. Even though the results weren’t disastrous, it’s safe to say they fell short of the pre-season hype and expectations, especially when Williams didn’t provide the extra spark they were looking for.

Still, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. Burnham nearly equalled his 2016 production. Arceneaux recorded a third straight season of over 1,000 yards. The 1,566 he racked up the previous season was always going to be tough to match.

In addition, Shaq Johnson replaced Gore as the squad’s top Canadian target, averaging a team-high 17.4 yards per reception.

Now the challenge is to prove they can do their part under a couple of new coaches and some new-look schemes.

“Manny and Burnham, they’ve been putting it on film for a long time. They’ve been playing at a high level,” says new receivers coach and passing game coordinator Markus Howell.

“These young guys are coming in like Shaq and Danny Vandervoort. They’re learning and growing underneath those guys. Shawn Gore left his mark on this group. You can tell they’ve learned a lot and that they’re growing together. My job is to refine the unit just a tad and let them loose, then let them loose, let them play and do great things. You add the young guys that we had in mini-camp, it will be an explosive bunch.”

Howell came to the west coast with new offensive coordinator Jarious Jackson. The duo won a Grey Cup together as young coaches in Edmonton in 2015 and helped Saskatchewan lead the entire CFL in passing yards last season. The Winnipeg native and former receiver has enjoyed adjusting to life in orange.

“It’s been fun learning my new surroundings, learning the Surrey area and seeing how everybody works together,” says Howell.

“Once the staff gels first, that newness flows down to the players. It’s been vital, it’s been fun and I’m just looking forward to the players coming in for training camp.”

If last month’s three-day mini-camp was any indication, one thing the new offensive coaching staff wants to preach above everything else is speed. Naturally, when teaching newcomers the bread and butter of Canadian football, that up-tempo style is a major teaching point. Now comes the task of making sure they perfect it in training camp and game action.

“We pride ourselves on finding dynamic athletes,” explains Howell.

“They did a great job of bringing in some great young receivers and then you mix those with the vets already here on the roster, we’re looking at playing an up-tempo style of football;  explosive, creative, fun and challenging for the defence.”

We know who the usual suspects are. A really intriguing piece to the puzzle will be seeing how a few of those newcomers fair in some of the key battles. Kevin Elliott, Ricky Collins Jr, and Cory Watson represent a few of the CFL veterans signed in the offseason. The new blood includes Kenny Lawler, a Seattle Seahawks draft pick that has experience playing fast football in the Pac-12 with the California Golden Bears.

Watson joins a Canadian contingent that includes Johnson, 2017 first round pick Daniel Vandervoort and UBC product and 2018 seventh round selection William Watson. The retirement of Marco Iannuzzi opens a spot at one of the slot positions so you know Howell et all are looking for at least one of those other nationals to stand out early.

Another nugget to follow is second-year Lion Tyler Davis who will start camp with the receivers after primarily working as a running back/kick returner in last year’s camp before spending all but one game on the practice roster. Every position provides some interesting storylines and the receivers will prove to be no exception.

“They’re all their own man, they’re all demanding in their own way and it’s going to help us manage that room well,” says Howell.

Three more sleeps. Let the tempo begin.

Bryan Burnham (16) of the BC Lions during the game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, ON., on Saturday, July 15, 2017. (Photo: Johany Jutras)

THE RECEIVERS

* newcomers in bold

Emmanuel Arceneaux (I)-

Bryan Burnham (I)-

Ricky Collins Jr. (I)– signed as a free agent in February of 2017. Collins has suited up in 15 games with Saskatchewan, hauling in 48 receptions for 720 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Tyler Davis (I)-

Kevin Elliott (I)- attended the club’s 2018 mini-camp in Surrey. Elliott has 30 CFL games under his belt, split between Toronto, Hamilton and Ottawa. He had 642 receiving yards as a rookie with the Argonauts in 2015. 

Samajie Grant (I)- signed as a free agent by the Lions in May. Grant attended Detroit Lions rookie mini-camp in 2017.

Ronnie Holley (I)- signed with the club in May after splitting his final year of eligibility between Adams State and Azusa Pacific.

Shaq Johnson (N)-

Vernon Johnson (I)- signed with the Lions in May. After suiting up in three pre-season games with the Detroit Lions in 2015, he spent the following season with the Wiesbaden Phantoms of the German Football League.

Kenny Lawler (I)- the California Golden Bears product was a seventh-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2016 and suited up for four pre-season games that same year. Signed with the Lions in May.

Danny Vandervoort (N)

Cory Watson (N)- the oldest and most experienced CFL receiver on the roster, Watson joined the Lions in February. He has recorded 290 receptions for 3,331 yards and 13 touchdowns in 115 career games.

William Watson (N)- selected in the seventh round (54th overall) of 2018 CFL Draft. The Surrey native caught 92 passes for 1,190 yards and eight touchdowns in 28 appearances for UBC. He helped the T-Birds claim the Vanier Cup in 2015.  

Ricky Collins Jr. #3 of the Saskatchewan Roughriders narrowly misses a touchdown pass under pressure from Ryan Phillips #21 of the BC Lions during the first half of CFL action in Regina on Saturday, October 29, 2016. (CFL PHOTO – MATT SMITH)

INTRIGUING NEWCOMERS

Collins Jr.- the familiarity with Jackson and Howell could pay dividends. Along with his skills as a receiver, the native of Tyler, Texas was utilized as both a kickoff and punt returner in his rookie season of 2016.

Elliott– It never hurts to have all of the experience you can get and Elliott brings that to the table. After impressing the coaching staff at mini-camp, he could be a guy worth keeping tabs on. One of his more productive games of late came against the Lions on August 31st, 2016 where he finished with six grabs for 89 yards and a touchdown before Richie Leone ended it with a winning field goal as time expired.

KEY NUMBER

524- Arceneaux’s reception total through seven seasons and 120 appearances in orange. The 2009 training camp unknown- he spent 2012 and 2013 with the Minnesota Vikings before returning- is a prime example of how training camp can yield an unknown superstar from time to time.

Check out the remainder of our positional breakdowns, and schedule for the remainder between now and the weekend:

READ: Breaking Down The Special Teams

READ: Breaking Down the Offensive Line

READ: Breaking Down the Running Backs

READ: Breaking Down the Defensive Line

READ: Breaking Down the Linebackers 

Friday, May 18^th– Defensive Backs

Saturday, May 19^th– Quarterbacks

Matt Baker: mbaker@bclions.com