In less than a week, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats training camp will open and the team will prepare for the upcoming season. What are the biggest issues heading into camp?
Tiger-Cats Training Camp Preview
Quarterback Situation
There are many positions left for grabs during training camp, but the biggest question mark for the team heading into camp is at the quarterback position. The team will not have their one pivot Zach Collaros likely until August, after he tore his ACL last September. Until the franchise quarterback returns, head coach Kent Austin will certainly implement the often-successful philosophy “next man up” in this coveted position. Jeremiah Masoli and Jeff Mathews will battle for the starting job, while Jacory Harris and rookie Jake Waters will fight for their spot in the main roster. Austin will likely cut either Harris or Waters after the Tiger-Cats training camp is done, so it could be an interesting battle during the pre-season games.
Kicker/Punter Competition
Without question, the Tiger-Cats will miss the ace of the special teams Justin Medlock. However, if the coaching staff does their due diligence for this critical position, it can become an insurance. Former Ottawa Redblacks kicker Brett Maher and former University of Alabama kicker Cody Mandell will square off for the starting job. Despite Maher’s CFL experience, Mandell may have a slight advantage in this kicking duel. He has a big leg, which could pay dividends given that the wind is a huge factor at Tim Hortons Field. Maher didn’t do well kicking at the stadium back in late 2014, and after a training camp injury in 2015, he has been out of football since Ottawa released him last summer.
The Injury Factor
There is no doubt the Tiger-Cats’ Achilles heel throughout the past few seasons has been the massive number of injuries, especially during training camp. Most recently back in 2015, major notables Andy Fantuz, Luke Tasker, and C.J. Gable were out for a large chunk of the first half of the 2015 season, and it took a while for them to regain their own consistency in the offence. A healthy roster with a minimal number of major injuries going into week one will be critical for a team that could become something special in 2016.
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