BC Lions 2009 Season Preview

The BC Lions lost a lot of key players during the offseason, which has raised questions on whether the team will be in rebuilding mode this season.

Last season, the team did well, but never looked great despite some solid individual performances from key players, such as defensive end Cameron Wake and his 23 sacks.

The Lions never seemed to be able to get on a roll last year. They looked good, and on the verge of greatness, but it seemed that every time they took a step forward, they would slide back.

The off season didn’t start the way the Lions envisioned either, with the loss of Wake to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. He was not the only player the Lions lost on defense, as linebackers Jamall Johnson joined Wake in the NFL (signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Jason Pottinger was traded to the Toronto Argos and Otis Floyd was released.

On offense, the Leos lost lineman Rob Murphy, who signed a lucrative deal with the Toronto Argos. They also released fan favourite Jason Clermont.

To top it all off, last year's star running back, Stefan Logan left the Lions for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, leaving a hole in a key offensive position.

BC did add a few players during free agency to counter-balance some of the losses. One key pickup was linebacker Anton Mackenzie, from the Saskatchewan Roughriders. They also added defensive end Nautyn Mckay-Loescher to try and replace Cameron Wake and his 23 sacks.

Despite the many losses, Wally Buono was actually able to hold on to some key pieces, re-signing Paris Jackson, Aaron Hunt and Baron Miles.

BC's first preseason game was last week against the defending champion Calgary Stampeders. The Stamps came out on top 37-30. All in all, not a bad performance for the Leos, especially considering it was the first game after a long off season.