CFL Daily Dose’s top 50 players in the CFL

The CFL may be a team game, but it does have a handful of star players.

With that being said, I thought it would be appropriate to compile a list of the top 50 players in the league as we approach the start of a new season. This was a list I had planned to make during the off-season, but that never happened.

Comprising this list certainly wasn’t easy. First, there are so many talented players to try and rank. Secondly, there are many different positions to sort through. It is not exactly easy determining if an offensive lineman is more valuable than a receiver. What I did was go through each position and rank the players first. Doing this made the whole list much easier.

There are a couple of things to consider when going through this list. It is a list of the top players heading into the season; it is not a fantasy article predicting which players will have the best season. Some players ranked lower on the list could in fact have a better season than those ranked higher.

Also, statistics alone aren’t enough to vault a player over another. For example, if a player who hadn’t been a really big name in past seasons led the league in a certain category last season, they will not necessarily be higher than the consistent producers.

Finally, note that this list is only one man’s opinion. With such a big list there are bound to be people who disagree with some selections. Where would you have ranked each player? Comment below.

Here is the list:

With two straight most outstanding player awards under-his-belt, it is hard to argue that Calvillo is the most dominant player in the game.

1. Anthony Calvillo (Quarterback, Montreal Alouettes): Calvillo is the most feared pivot in the CFL. He is coming off of two consecutive most outstanding player awards and led the Alouettes to a Grey Cup victory last season. Calvillo threw for 4,639 yards, with 26 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in 2009. He threw more touchdown passes than any other pivot and less interceptions than any other starter.

2. Joffrey Reynolds (Running Back, Calgary Stampeders): Calgary’s offence runs best when Reynolds gets the ball in his hands. When Reynolds does have the ball in his hands, there aren’t many defences in the league that can stop him. Reynolds is coming off of two consecutive rushing titles. During this time, he rushed for an average of 1,407 yards a season, with 10 touchdowns and a 6.1 average.

3. Jamel Richardson (Slotback, Montreal Alouettes): With Montreal, Richardson has emerged as a dominant receiving threat. Over the last two seasons, he has averaged 1,171 yards receiving with 12 touchdowns. For a big target, he has a surprising burst of speed. Richardson has played a big role in Montreal’s offence the last two seasons.

4. Avon Cobourne (Running Back, Montreal Alouettes): Cobourne is one of the best multi-dimensional backs in the CFL. Last season, for example, he ran for 1,214 yards with 13 touchdowns while earning 458 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Last season was definitely Cobourne’s break-out year. In the Grey Cup, he was named the most outstanding player, rushing for 85 yards and one touchdown while earning 64 receiving yards.

5. Gene Makowsky (Offensive Lineman, Saskatchewan Roughriders): As offensive lineman come, none are more reliable than Makowsky. Makowsky is versatile – he can play any position on the line – and does not miss much time due to injury. The five time CFL all-star, and two-time most outstanding offensive lineman, continues to be a dominant force on the line even at the age of 37.

6. Jamall Johnson (Linebacker, Hamilton Tiger Cats): Johnson finally showed what he was capable of last season. After coming back from the NFL during the season, Johnson decided to sign with Hamilton. He led the league with 108 tackles and also recorded two sacks. Hamilton had one of the best linebacking cores in the league last season thanks to Johnson.

7. Scott Flory (Offensive Lineman, Montreal Alouettes): Much like Makowsky, Flory is as solid an offensive lineman as there is. The six-time CFL all-star is coming off of consecutive most outstanding offensive lineman awards. He has helped anchor Montreal’s offensive line for years.

8. Arland Bruce III (Slotback, Hamilton Tiger Cats): Acquiring Bruce during the 2009 season was a great move by Hamilton. In his time with Toronto and Hamilton last season, Bruce recorded 1,242 yards and 10 touchdowns. He finally gave Hamilton a pure receiving threat.

9. Jovon Johnson (Defensive Back, Winnipeg Blue Bombers): Johnson is not only a ball-hawking defensive back, but he is a solid return man. He had six interceptions last season while returning a punt and a missed field goal for a touchdown.

10. Sandro DeAngelis (Kicker, Hamilton Tiger Cats): You can always count on DeAngelis to make the kick when it really matters. DeAngelis made 85 percent of his field goals last season. The former special team’s player-of-the-year and Grey Cup most valuable Canadian will be a big boost to Hamilton’s special teams this season.

11. Ricky Ray (Quarterback, Edmonton Eskimos): His play is beginning to drop slightly, but Ray still gives the Eskimos their best chance to win. He is coming off a season in which he threw for 4,916 yards and 22 touchdowns, with a deadly 67.3 completion percentage. He also only threw 12 interceptions.

12. Markeith Knowlton (Linebacker, Hamilton Tiger Cats): Along with Johnson, Knowlton has helped Hamilton form a deadly linebacking core. He nearly recorded 100 tackles in each of the last two seasons, recording 95 in 2008 and 94 in 2009. He has also recorded eight interceptions, three sacks and a touchdown during this time.

13. Darian Durant (Quarterback, Saskatchewan Roughriders): Durant’s numbers weren’t perfect last season – 4,348 yards, 24 touchdowns and 21 interceptions – but the young pivot has shown a leadership quality that can’t be measured by stats. Durant helped the Riders win many close games last season and almost lead them to a Grey Cup victory in his first year as a starter. After next season he could be much higher on this list.

14. Lance Frazier (Defensive Back, Saskatchewan Roughriders): You don’t hear about Frazier much, but this is because he is a shut-down defensive back and other teams don’t like to test him. Still, Frazier’s numbers have picked up in the last two seasons. He has ten interceptions over the last two years and scored a touchdown off an interception last season against the Eskimos.

Simon has still got it and comes in at #15.

15. Geroy Simon (Slotback, B.C. Lions): For the last couple of seasons, fans have thought Simon’s age would finally begin to show. This hasn’t been the case. Simon has seven straight 1,000 yard seasons. He is the playmaker of B.C.’s receiving core and had 1,239 yards last season and six touchdowns.

16. Fred Reid (Running Back, Winnipeg Blue Bombers): Reid is quickly making fans in Winnipeg forget about Charles Roberts, at least a little bit. In his first year as a featured back, Reid accumulated 1,371 yards and seven touchdowns. He may not always step up in big games, but he appears to have a promising career.

17. Fred Stamps (Slotback, Edmonton Eskimos): Stamps came out of almost nowhere to win the receiving title last season. His 1,402 yards and eight touchdowns were impressive and helped him be named the team’s most outstanding player. We will see this season if Stamps was just fluky or is a star player.

18. Henry Burris (Quarterback, Calgary Stampeders): Burris is still good, but watching him get outplayed in head-to-head matches by Durant last season makes one wonder if the torch is being passed. Burris did have 4,831 yards and 22 touchdowns, but threw 16 interceptions. His completion percentage also dropped around five percent from 2008.

19. Korey Banks (Defensive Back, B.C. Lions): Banks is still one of the most feared defensive backs in the league. Last season, Banks showed he can be a multi-dimensional defensive threat, recording five sacks and four interceptions.

20. John Bowman (Defensive Lineman, Montreal Alouettes): With John Chick, Ricky Foley and Stevie Baggs all gone to the NFL, Bowman is arguably the best defensive end in the league. His 12 sacks last season were tied for the league lead.

21. Damon Duval (Kicker, Montreal Alouettes): Duval has been one of the premier place kickers and punters in the league for many years. He led the league last season with 55 made field goals and also averaged 44.8 yards a punt.

22. Jeremaine Copeland (Slotback, Toronto Argonauts): Copeland had one of his best seasons in the league in 2009. He had 1,235 yards receiving an impressive 12 touchdowns. Entering his first year with the Argonauts, Copeland will be the team’s biggest threat on offence.

23. Ben Archibald (Offensive Lineman, Calgary Stampeders): After seeing some playing time in 2008, Archibald really came on last season for Calgary. He started every game at the all-important left tackle position and was the West nominee for most outstanding offensive lineman.

24. Kerry Watkins (Wide Receiver, Montreal Alouettes): Though the CFL is a slotback league, Watkins has made his mark on the outside. In 2009, he earned his fifth straight 1,000 yard season, earning 1,243 yards and eight touchdowns.

25. Weston Dressler (Slotback, Saskatchewan Roughriders): The 2008 most outstanding rookie was well on his way to a 1,000 yard sophomore season before his injury. Dressler still finished with 941 yards, giving him a total of 2.064 yards and 10 touchdowns in his first two seasons in the league.

26. Arkee Whitlock (Running Back, Edmonton Eskimos): Last season, the Eskimos finally found their running back in Whitlock. He led all rookie running backs with 1,293 yards and 12 touchdowns. His 6.1 yard average was one of the best among starting running backs.

27. DeAndra’ Cobb (Running Back, Hamilton Tiger Cats): In Cobb, the Tiger Cats not only found a solid running back, they found one that could stay healthy. Injuries had plagued Hamilton’s running backs in the last couple of seasons. Cobb ran for 1,217 yards and five touchdowns last season.

Hamilton has finally found their starting running back in Cobb, who is ranked #27.

28. Barrin Simpson (Linebacker, Saskatchewan Roughriders): Simpson is a pure run-stopper. Even last season in Winnipeg, when he missed some games because of his feud with Mike Kelly, Simpson still tailed 84 tackles, two sacks and an interception. Simpson is motivated heading into this season.

29. Paris Jackson (Slotback, B.C. Lions): Jackson has put together back-to-back 1,000 yard campaigns for the Lions. Last season he picked up 1,042 yards and eight touchdowns. He has fit into Jason Clermont’s old role nicely.

30. Anton McKenzie (Linebacker, B.C. Lions): Last season, his first with B.C., McKenzie posted a career high 85 tackles and six sacks. Though the Lions were terrible at stopping the run last season, McKenzie was one of the few bright spots on their defence.

31. Ben Cahoon (Slotback, Montreal Alouettes): Cahoon likely won’t be posting anymore 100 reception seasons anymore, but the veteran slotback is still clutch at catching the ball down the middle. Last season, Cahoon had 1,031 yards and two touchdowns.

32. Andy Fantuz (Slotback, Saskatchewan Roughriders): With an injury-free season under his belt, who knows how many yards Fantuz would finish with? The closet he got to that mark was in 2007, when he earned 978 yards. Last season, Fantuz did grab a career high 67 receptions, accumulating 882 yards and four touchdowns. Fantuz is great at catching the ball over the middle, but needs to get over that 1,000 yard mark to be considered an elite receiver.

33. Sean Lucas (Linebacker, Saskatchewan Roughriders): He is not a very vocal player, but Lucas is a steady linebacker. He recorded 81 tackles, four sacks and two interceptions in 2009. Lucas is solid at stopping the run and the pass.

34. Patrick Kabongo (Offensive Lineman, Edmonton Eskimos): Kabongo struggled at the beginning of his CFL career, but he has turned things around. He was a CFL all-star in 2008 and was named the Eskimos’ most outstanding Canadian player and most outstanding offensive lineman last season.

35. Aaron Hunt (Defensive Lineman, B.C. Lions): As far as defensive tackles go in the CFL, Hunt is one of the best. He consistently has around 40 tackles, last season he recorded 35 tackles along with four sacks. The four sacks were much lower than the 11 he recorded in 2008. Still, Hunt is great at filling the gap.

36. Chad Lucas (Slotback, Toronto Argonauts): Toronto didn’t have many bright spots last season, but Lucas was one of them. Even with Toronto’s quarterback problems last season, Lucas finished with 950 yards and two touchdowns. It will be interesting to see how he pairs up with Copeland.

37. Dwight Anderson (Defensive Back, Calgary Stampeders): The cornerback position is never easy to play, but Anderson has made it look fairly easy. Last season, he had 55 tackles, three interceptions and a touchdown. For his efforts, Anderson was named a West all-star last season.

38. Omarr Morgan (Defensive Back, Saskatchewan Roughriders): The three time all-star bounced back from a mediocre 2008 campaign last season. After recording no interceptions in 2008, Morgan had four last season and added a 108 yard fumble return for a touchdown.

39. Kevin Glenn (Quarterback, Hamilton Tiger Cats): Glenn had a solid year under centre for a revamped Tiger Cats squad. He threw for 3,077 yards and 18 touchdowns. Glenn also only had seven interceptions. If he doesn’t have to compete with Porter as much next season, Glenn’s yardage should go up.

40. Keron Williams (Defensive Lineman, B.C. Lions): Williams was one of the many stars on Montreal’s defensive line last season. He recorded 32 tackles, eight sacks and was named an all-star. Williams can play defensive tackle or end.

41. Jamal Robertson (Running Back, B.C. Lions): Last season, Robertson had a breakout year. He rushed for 1,031 yards and nine touchdown. Robertson was also Toronto’s greatest offensive threat last season, making one wonder why they let him go in the off-season.

42. Kevin Eiben (Linebacker, Toronto Argonauts): Eiben is a consistent linebacker. The three-time all-star is coming off of another impressive season in which he amassed 90 tackles, grabbed three interceptions and earned a sack.

43. Doug Brown (Defensive Lineman, Winnipeg Blue Bombers): Brown can still fill a hole. The 6-feet-7 defensive tackle had 50 tackles last season and six sacks. Brown has also been named an all-star three out of the last four seasons.

44. Chris Szarka (Fullback, Saskatchewan Roughriders): He has never rushed for over 500 yards in a season, but Szarka is a valuable asset in the short yardage game. He scored six touchdowns last season, helping the Riders convert on some key short yardage plays. Szarka is also a great blocker.

Szarka, who is ranked #44, is pretty much a sure thing in short yardage situations and that is a rare thing.

45. Tad Kornegay (Linebacker, Saskatchewan Roughriders): No one was sure how Kornegay, and undersized linebacker, would do at the position last season. Kornegay ended up finishing with 74 tackles and three interceptions. He was named a West all-star.

46. Ryan Phillips (Defensive Back, B.C. Lions): Phillips always seems to find the end zone at least once in a season. Last season Phillips scored a touchdown on an interception and fumble return. He had four interceptions in 2009.

47. Maurice Mann (Wide Receiver, Hamilton Tiger Cats): Mann almost had 1,000 yards last season, but was hampered by injuries. Mann had 917 yards and six touchdowns. He will help Hamilton replace Prechae Rodriguez.

48. Anwar Stewart (Defensive Lineman, Montreal Alouettes): After a couple of average seasons, Stewart bounced back in 2009. He had nine sacks and one interception. Stewart was the East nominee for the most outstanding defensive player award.

49. Rob Bagg (Slotback, Saskatchewan Roughriders): Bagg filled in nicely for the injured Weston Dressler last season. He had 807 yards and five touchdowns. Bagg was a big reason the Riders were able to overcome Dressler’s injury.

50. Burke Dales (Punter, Calgary Stampeders): People may not consider a punter to be a valuable player, but Dales been for Calgary. He had the best punting average last season, 46.0, among active punters. Dales has a career average right around 45 yards a punt.

A few observations

- Notable players who didn’t make the top 50: Casey Printers (Quarterback, B.C. Lions), Jarious Jackson (Quarterback, B.C. Lions), Buck Pierce (Quarterback, Winnipeg Blue Bombers), Wes Cates (Running back, Saskatchewan Roughriders), Nik Lewis (Wide Receiver, Calgary Stampeders), Charleston Hughes (Defensive Lineman, Calgary Stampeders), Brent Johnson (Defensive Lineman, B.C. Lions), Willie Pile (Linebacker, Toronto Argonauts), Chip Cox (Linebacker, Montreal Alouettes), Mark Estelle (Defensive Back, Montreal Alouettes), Lenny Walls (Defensive Back, Edmonton Eskimos), Luca Congi (Kicker, Saskatchewan Roughriders).

- Toronto was the only team on this list not to have a player in the top 20. Montreal had the most players in the top 20 with five. Four of these were in the top 10.

- Chris Szarka was the only fullback selected and Burke Dales was the only punter selected.

- First players selected by position: Quarterback (Anthony Calvillo, #1), Runningback (Joffrey Reynolds, #2), Fullback (Chris Szarka, #44), Slotback (Jamel Richardson, #3), Wide Receiver (Kerry Watkins, #24), Offensive Lineman (Gene Makowsky, #5), Defensive Lineman (John Bowman, #20), Linebacker (Jamall Johnson, #6), Defensive Back (Jovon Johnson), Kicker (Sandro DeAngelis, #10), Punter (Burt Dales. #50).

- Most selections by team: Saskatchewan (11), Montreal (9), B.C. (8), Hamilton (7), Calgary (5), Edmonton (4), Winnipeg (3), Toronto (3).

CFL Daily Dose can be followed on Facebook and Twitter. If you are a fan of the CFL, and would be interested in writing about the Montreal Alouettes, Toronto Argonauts, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Edmonton Eskimos, B.C. Lions, or the CFL in general, contact Chris.

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