Hamilton, ON (Best E Casino) - FACTS & FIGURES: Division - East. 2007 record - 3-15-0. Playoff result: Fourth in East Division, missed playoffs. Stadium - Ivor Wynne Stadium. Capacity - 29,600. Colors - Black, gold and white.
It was quite the offseason for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The team hired a new general manager (Bob O'Billovich), managed to retain head coach Charlie Taaffe, brought in new coordinators and dipped into free agents to bolster its troops on both sides of the ball. Then again, considering Hamilton finished with a league-worst 3-15 record, it's obvious something had to be done.
O'Billovich comes to Hamilton after serving as the B.C. Lions player-personnel director. O'Billovich knows what it takes to win in the CFL -- his 20-plus year resume proves that -- and during his time with B.C. was responsible for finding players like quarterbacks Casey Printers and Buck Pierce as well as defensive end Cameron Wake, all of whom have contributed to the Lions posting winning records.
Taaffe returns for his second season in Hamilton but in the offseason was linked to the offensive coordinator's job at West Virginia under new head coach Bill Stewart, who is an old friend. However, any question of Taaffe's future in Hamilton was quickly answered when club president Scott Mitchell announced that his coach was staying put shortly after talk of the WVU job began.
Printers begins his first full season in Hamilton after joining the team late last year. The Ticats have a new offensive coordinator in Marcel Bellefeuille and new receivers in veterans Tony Miles and Pat Woodcock. Running back Jesse Lumsden remains the club's top threat in the backfield. Despite suffering through injuries, Lumsden enjoyed a solid '07 season with 743 yards and a nifty 7.6-yard average per rush.
The biggest acquisition for the defense was coordinator Denny Creehan. Creehan spent last season with Calgary before being fired, but brings with him a wealth of CFL experience, something desperately needed for a young Hamilton defense.
Linebacker Zeke Moreno is the anchor of the group. He led the CFL in tackles last year and is expected to be busy again this year. The Ticats acquired defensive back Markeith Knowlton from B.C. last year and he's expected to step up and man one of the club's linebacking positions.
Hamilton found a gem last year in rookie kicker Nick Setta. He not only led the CFL in scoring with 167 points, but hit on 45-of-53 field goals for an 84.9 percent success ratio. Considering the Ticats' troubles in the red zone, Setta's proficiency was desperately needed last year.
But Setta was more than just a kicker. He was also solid on kickoffs and had a respectable 44-yard average as the club's punter.
After struggling last year, there's really nowhere for the Ticats to go but up this year. The club will definitely improve, but is still a year or two away from contending for a playoff spot.
Best E Casino Predicted Finish: Fourth.
