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I think that was expected. Also heard today that Mike Reilly has a tryout with the Jaguars. I sure would like to NOT have to play against him in the coming years. Hope he does well!!

I was kinda hoping he'd get snagged up by Ottawa. I wish him the best, however.

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  • 2 weeks later...
The Chicago Bears have reportedly named Marc Trestman as the team's new head coach.According to an NFL.com report released early Wednesday morning, the Bears have decided on the Montreal Alouettes coach as the team's 14th head coach in franchise history. The report stated that the Bears have informed Bruce Arians and Darrell Bevell - the two other finalists for the job - that they have decided upon Trestman for 2013.Trestman had been rumoured to be a candidate for the Bears job ever since the team dismissed head coach Lovie Smith on New Year's Eve.The 57-year-old Trestman has a variety of NFL experience on his resume, having previously served on the coaching staffs of the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins. He has primarily served as a quarterbacks coach, but has also held the running backs coach and offensive coordinator title at various points in his career.Since joining the Alouettes prior to the 2008 season, Trestman has posted a 64-34 record. He led the Alouettes to back-to-back Grey Cup titles in 2009 and 2010, claiming CFL Coach of the Year honours in 2009.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=413656

Good for him. He's a great coach.

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Lions lock up Lulay with two-year contract extension:

There’s always been a value associated with patience, even when playing a game where someone performing in Travis Lulay’s position often has the blink of an eye to make the right throw, and it paid off Wednesday.

It’s worth the wait if you get to become the highest-paid player in the CFL.

That’s believed to be the status now held by the 29-year-old quarterback after he agreed to terms on a contract extension that will be announced this morning by the B.C. Lions.

"It’s very exciting," Lulay said.

Lulay will be committed to the Lions through the 2015 season, though it remains to be seen whether his offensive co-ordinator, Jacques Chapdelaine, will be around as long or is off to become Marc Trestman’s successor to fill the coaching vacancy with the Montreal Alouettes.

It’s a deal that has been at least a year in the making, and by waiting until the Lions had more advantageous salary-cap flexibility, will earn him in excess of $450,000 annually.

Toronto Argonauts quarterback Ricky Ray has a similar deal, reportedly making a bit more than Montreal legend Anthony Calvillo, give or take a bonus clause.

Now Lulay has an elite-status deal too, and the Lions have made their biggest quarterbacking splash since Wally Buono laid down the foundation of his new regime when he signed Dave Dickenson a decade ago.

Yet while Dickenson earned his Lions contract on the strength of his days with the Calgary Stampeders, Lulay secured his deal solely on the basis of his development under Buono, Chapdelaine and second-year coach Mike Benevides.

The progression was normal, right until the 2011 season, which was capped by a Grey Cup win and being named the league’s most outstanding player. The work ethic along the way, in the opinion of the Lions, was over the top, however, and played a huge factor in the decision to commit to the Montana State product.

It hasn’t stopped lately either, with Lions strength coach Chris Boyko tweeting pictures of Lulay pushing truck tires in the snow as part of a workout at the club’s Surrey practice facility this week.

"I’ve seen a lot of guys come and go, but when a third-stringer is in the building on his own after 7 p.m. watching film, I remember that resonating and have used that when referencing his character," said Benevides. "He’s just an unbelievable guy."

Lulay’s core passing numbers were down last season to 4,231 yards, owing as much to a shoulder injury which virtually sidelined him for the last three games of the regular season.

But the quarterback had taken a major step to becoming a leader both in the locker-room and off the field, taking a support role with B.C. Special Olympics, which was at least as impressive as his performance on the job last year. Passing numbers may have been down, but his completion percentage and quarterback rating last year was up.

"The guy has impeccable character, and all those things line up to create someone that people want to follow," said Benevides.

The process of signing an extension had left the club with a collective state of nerves briefly last season when a longer-term deal did not get done around the time the Lions released veteran Jarious Jackson, leading to speculation their red-headed thrower still had designs on a final shot at making an NFL roster.

" I don’t think doing a one-year deal was sending a message. I believe the club understood I was committed. I was pretty sincere a year ago in saying the big thing was taking care of 2012," Lulay said. "The time has come where everybody feels good about [a new deal]."

Next up will be to determine those who will surround Lulay.

Reports continue to circulate that backup Mike Reilly will be the subject of attention of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers when CFL free agency starts Feb. 15 as a replacement for Lulay’s predecessor with the Lions, Buck Pierce. The possible addition of a quarterbacks coach for the Lions is also part of the commitment to the position being discussed.

It also didn’t take long for speculation to overtake reality regarding Chapdelaine and the Montreal opening created when Trestman was named head coach of the Chicago Bears early Wednesday.

Als general manager Jim Popp has only a two-week window if he is interested in the bilingual Chapdelaine, as the Lions ask for a commitment each season from their coaching staff by Jan. 31.

No call from Montreal as yet, Chapdelaine said.

"We have all have an interest in bigger-and-better but at the same time it’s got to be a good fit and the fit has to be mutual," said the league’s longest-serving assistant coach at his position. "The interest lies if it’s reciprocated, basically. If it’s not, we’re pretty happy here because it is a good fit and working well."

The same can be said about the team and its starting quarterback.

http://www.theprovince.com/sports/football/bc-lions/Lions+lock+Lulay+with+year+contract+extension/7830204/story.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

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To celebrate today's big announcement, the first 14 Lions fans to purchase a #14 jersey will have it personally autographed by Travis Lulay himself.

Buy now: http://store.bclions.com/product.php?productid=17869

735049_10152423782150554_1501835592_n.png

I've was thinking of getting a Lulay jersey for a while now, this just sealed the deal.

Edited by zero-ONE-three
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BCLions.com Staff

The BC Lions Football Club announced this afternoon that receiver Arland Bruce and defensive back Byron Parker have been released by the club.

“Both Arland and Byron were great pros, we thank them for their services and wish them the very best in the future,” said Lions VP of football operations and GM Wally Buono.

Bruce was acquired by the Leos in partway through the 2011 campaign and appeared in 24 regular season games for the club over two years before being sidelined for the final five contests last year with a concussion. He also appeared in two playoff games and the 99th Grey Cup.

Parker was acquired as a free agent last year and appeared in all 18 regular season games for the Lions as well as the Western Final.

Edited by zero-ONE-three
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I love Geroy Simon, he's the greatest British Columbia Lion ever, and a top 5 all-time athlete in this city.

But this trade had to happen.

Geroy Simon is 37 going on 38 and has clearly lost a step the last couple seasons. He still has amazing hands and is a superb route-runner but he needed to take a lesser role this season. We have 3 young, very promising imports chompin' at the bit in Nick Moore, Courtney Taylor and Ernest Jackson. All 3 provide more speed and athleticism to our offence. Thankfully they had someone like Geroy Simon mentoring them and showing them what it takes.

I love Wally Buono too. The man in charge is strictly all business, and it will pay off on the football field.

Can't wait until the Riders and Geroy return.

Oh and Justin Harper looks like he could be something special as well.

Edited by BurnabyJoe
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