The Calgary Stampeders will enter the 2016 season with a new head coach and a very real optimism surrounding their hopes of making a Grey Cup run. David Dickenson takes over for John Hufnagel on the sidelines and the rookie head coach is in the perfect situation to succeed right away with a stacked roster that features one of the top quarterbacks in the CFL. The Stampeders are ready to contend for a Grey Cup in 2016 with Bo Levi Mitchell set to lead the way once again.
Team Strengths
Mitchell has developed in to one of the top quarterbacks in the CFL over the years and it will be very interesting to see how he fares with Dickenson as his new head coach. Mitchell will be asked to take on even more responsibility this season and Calgary will need him to be their best player every single week. The Stampeders aren’t known for making big free agent moves but they did land former East Division All-Star wide receiver Bakari Grant, who brings a ton of speed and big-play ability to the table. Calgary also returns a talented defense that has the potential to be one of the better groups in the West division and they will need to excel on that side of the football as well if they are going to challenge for a Grey Cup.
Team Weaknesses
The addition of Grant was much needed following the loss of the CFL’s leading receiver from a year ago in Eric Rodgers, who left for the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL. Rodgers led the CFL with 1448 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. The Stampeders also lost Jeff Fuller at the wide receiver position, which was another 92 targets, and their depth will be tested with Grant and Marquay McDaniel set to lead the way. Calgary also lost the former Most Outstanding Player Jon Cornish following his retirement and his exit will mean somebody needs to step up to lead a consistent rushing attack. The Stampeders still have some intriguing weapons on the offensive side of the football but this team just isn’t nearly as deep as it was at the skill positions in previous seasons. Its hard to expect the Stampeders offense to be where it was last year. There has been a lot of change here and a transition period should be expected.
Team X-Factor
Cornish’s retirement will put even more pressure on Jerome Messam to perform at a high level at the running position and there is no doubt he will be among the team’s biggest X-Factor’s this season. The good news is that he’s coming off a strong season where he finished third in the CFL in rushing yards. He was just one of three players to surpass the 1000-yard mark (1006). The Stampeders made it clear from the start of training camp that they don’t expect him to be the “next Jon Cornish” but the bottom line is that they need him to play at a high level in order to compliment Mitchell in their offense. Messam has all of the tools he needs to put up big numbers in Calgary this season and a strong rushing attack will help move the football and take some of the pressure off of Mitchell and the passing game on offense.
Outlook
It’s easy to forget that the Stampeders went 14-4 last season and actually tied the eventual Grey Cup champion Eskimos for the best record in the West division during the regular season. Calgary will look to build on that record and take another step in the right direction as they battle the Eskimos for division supremacy once again this season. The Stampeders have the talent to contend for a Grey Cup in their first year under Dickenson. However, everything will have to come together just right with Mitchell playing at an elite level, Messam shining at running back and the defense stepping up if Calgary is going to contend for a Grey Cup in 2016.
Pick: Second in Western Division. A potential battle with Edmonton in the Western Final could determine which team plays in the Grey Cup.
