2013: Teams With 2+ RBs Competing To Start

Absolutely and according to the HC, he looked great at mini-camp.

Mallet coming off an injury and was a player signed under the old regime. Austin apparently likes Walker a lot and also looks to be grooming a lot of Canadian players to contrbute to more than just special teams so that looke like good news for Bo Palmer but still would think that AUsting has his own import RB in mind.
I may be called crazy but the possibility of Cory Boyd appearing down the QEW to Hamilton could be a move. Expereiced pro style RB in the CFL two 1,000 yard seasons and a 3rd season where he lost his job do to his style so he is very well rested barley playing since leaving the Argos but practicing each week with the ESKS after they singed him.
Right now he could be had for a bargain price and a chip on his shoulder to beat the crap out of the Argos

Garrett is coming off an achilles injury as well just like Mallett. Drew Edwards commented that Mallet seemed to have lost some explosiveness which is not uncommon with those injuries. If Garrett's lost a step it'll be a short competition for the RB spot. Early reports after minicamp is that Garretts looked good though.

As for Hamilton, they could look at Boyd but there will be other RBs cut by other CFL teams that they may look at also. For instance, if Garrett's really good to go, chances are the bombers only keep 2 of their 3 top import RBs, Hamilton could very well look to try score one of those guys.

Mallet has just been released from Hamilton which could mean that he has not been able to recover from his surgery as of yet. That being said Austin with only Chevon Walker on the roster with any pro starting ecpereince anywhere with his one season in the CFL. Although he is a runner who can break one at anytime he is lacking the rest of the skills such as blocking that is needed in the single back offenses.
Garrett has spent two seasons in the CFL and 2012 with the team but injured so he knows the requirements and demands of a CFL RB. Also Cory Boyd who is a better back then Garrett could be a more perfect one two punch with Walker boyd as power and Walker as change up.
Wlker now with a year of expereince and not being the only RB on the 42 man roster would most likely become a better Kickoff or even punt returner to go along with his year of expereince.
Garrett already expereinced as a Kick Off returner
Hamilton will be looking for another back to go along with Wlker with Mallet out Boyd and Garrett could be top choices or Austin could have conficence that one of the NFL free agent RBs they brought in to do the job.
Bo Palmer a Canadian RB rookie and 2012 draft pick of Hamilton will also be in the mix would have a good chance to hit the 42 as a RB and special teams player coming from the Canadian 20 roster spots. being able to play coverage teams specials will help Palmer immensely.
Winnipeg could actually use a better and more expereinced Canadian Reciever but would Stalla or Giguere be guys that the Cats would want to trade for this season.

True except he did have to quit early on the final day because he was having some difficulty with it.

Some difficulty is a pretty road comment I wonder what his reasons were???

From the Free Press:

Burke said running back Chris Garrett -- who’s recovering from a torn achilles tendon that cost him all of the 2012 season -- rested near the end of practice after complaining of soreness.

To me if you look at the RB situation in Winnipeg Simpson and Ford combo was very successful so it will be Garret who will have to step up and take one of those spots. Simpson unless he is injured has proven to be the guy and i cannot see Garrett displacing him. Garretts health will be monitored of course and Ford will be the guy he will have to displace but as I said that was one really great part of Winnipeg at the end of last season.
Burke and Crowton began working on getting Volney in as the 3rd from the Canadian portion of the roster but his health has been an issue.
If he can come to camp this season healthy and back to where he was in 2011 coming into the season as the #2 RB.
All four played at the NCAA DI level either at the FCS or Mid Major schools at least three of them were also top return men in school or in Simpson's case the NFL. I am not sure what Volney's situation as a returner at Central Michagan but he could most likely be an affective Kick off returner.
The Bombers have a nice problem to have at the RB position
They also have been hanging on to former Dino All Canadian Anthony Woodson who has not been healthy for a few years going back to Calgary and the IFAF team that finished with a gold medal.

or Chad Owens type.

Devine i would think is definitely in Montreal's plans but not as a starting RB.
Certainly with the special teams already becoming more of a priority by bringing in an expereinced special teams coach who has coached special teams at high levels of football from the NCAA DI to the NFL Colts.
Devine will be back into the mix as a returner only this time with a unit blocking in front of him. Being a had Owens type returner is a definite possibility and from there the Als will begin to groom him into a good fit for their team whether he turns to a a hybrid like Thigpen, or transitions to SB like Durie, or even a Westbrook type with the Eagles who they never planned for him to be part of the RB situation on a full time basis.

Possibly, but let’s not shoot for the moon in year one of the Post-Bischoff Era (hallelujah!). :smiley:

one can dream though

So far, Gerald Riggs, Jr. is a good one who has been cut.

We’ll see who else will make the tough choices, but I think it’s ridiculous when teams should have 46 roster spots for each game instead of a maximum of 42.

That’s a whole other debate but maybe that will come with increased TV revenue too.

Hamilton still has four RBs on the roster, with Walker, Gable, Lamar, and Palmer. Still the last round of cuts to come - 15(?) to go - so maybe one gets cut. But it looks like they may switch between Walker and Gable, depending on the situation, with Delahunt (FB) with them in the backfield at times - not sure if they'll ever give him the ball, but you never know. Lamar will be available as a backup if needed, but is on the team more for his return abilities. That would mean two of their DIs will be RBs, but with the way the team is loading up on non-imports at DL and DB, they may not be worried. Don't see Palmer making the team, and there's no room left on the PR. Given that he wasn't on the depth chart for either pre-season game, he's either injured or not interested in playing this year.

Problem with Palmer is that he has no 5th year to return to as SFU is not a CIS school. Delahunt will be used more as a TE I would suspect. So palmer much like Lumbala in Montreal could make the roster as a special teamer or as you said be placed on the 9 game IR with a rookie min salary and if needed for the second half of the season he could be activated as a special teamer or even work on also being a Kick Off returner being he is a RB or just finish the year on the IR.
Releasing him he could very well be signed by another teams PR very easily.
Every team is now looking to have at least on Canadian RB ( not FB/TE ) somewhere on the team. Palmer is that guy for Hamilton at least for this season

The Ticats have just announced that Palmer has retired.

Wow retired. I wonder if a PR spot was offered and denied by Palmer. With the Additional mandatory two Non import spots bringing the PR to 9 this year combined with the advantage of having a Canadian RB to be on the roster if not now at least in the near future. would have seem plenty of action in practice playing scout team RB.
Seems as though the low salaries are beginning to affect Canadian players as well.

The retirement of Palmer may be a temporary avenue of sorts as he reportedly has a hip injury, and by retiring the team still retains his rights.

Thanks for the update. That would makes sense now. even though he was not an Austin pick he still is a Canadian RB with a good upside along the lines of the Walter, Lumbala Back up Special teams mold.
The Argos let go Riggs because there just is not enough room for 3 RBs on the roster, actually 3 import RBs.
Montreal on top of things of course have a veteran 1,000 yard Canadian RB and an up and coming rookie.
For all the flack that Joe Mack gets and much is well deserved he also was on top of this with having 2 Canadian RBs Woodson had a histroy of injuries but Volney did not but still has found trouble staying healthy.
Calgary was able to let go of Coker with Cornish breaking into MOP status and a solid back up in Walter.
BC groomed Andrew Harris into a great RB import or non.

What's Montreal's situation looking like? I'm doing a CFL fantasy draft, so far my team has Hugh Charles (everyone else except Winnipeg and montreal's rb's went in the first round) I need a second runningback and I was gunning to snag one of Montreal's but they seem to have like 4 vying for a spot, Whitaker, Messam or Jennings??