Allgemeines » Most of Torontos top

With the 2014 CFL Draft set to take place Tuesday in Toronto, CFL on TSN analyst Duane Forde breaks down the top prospects. Today, he looks at defensive backs. 1. Antoine Pruneau (Montreal) You Should Know: He has been an RSEQ All-Star each of the last three seasons...at a different position each year.The Good: He combines a high football IQ with excellent speed and quickness.The Bad: Hell need to improve his overall strength to battle receivers at the next level. 2. Andrew Lue (Queens) The Good: He is a four-year starter and three-time OUA All-Star at the boundary corner position.The Bad: He has always played on an island at corner and, therefore could take time to adjust to being in the middle of the field if needed at safety. 3. Raye Hartmann (St. Francis Xavier) The Good: A bigger DB at 62", 190 lbs., he is as competitive and physical as any player in the class.The Bad: Having left school after his second year, he hasnt played football since the 2011 season. 4. Adam Thibault (Laval) The Good: He is one of the most explosive athletes in the draft class and posted the fastest 40-yard dash (4.45 seconds) and 20-yard shuttle (4.03) of anyone at the CFL Combine, as well as topping the DB group with 18 bench press reps.The Bad: Despite trying multiple positions on both sides of the ball, he could never establish himself as a full-time starter for the Rouge et Or, and didnt participate in one-on-ones at the CFL Combine. 5. Derek Jones (Simon Fraser) The Good: The son of former Edmonton Eskimo DB Ed Jones was a four-year starter at SFU and, at 4.51 seconds, had the 3rd fastest 40-yard dash at the CFL Combine.The Bad: He had some trouble in man coverage at the CFL Combine. Other Contenders:• Eric Black (Saint Marys) – 511", 170 lbs.; brother of Toronto Argonaut DB Matt Black; 2013 AUS All-Star cornerback; strength is a concern, as he posted only 3 bench press reps at the CFL Combine• Josh Burns (Windsor) – 60", 180 lbs.; was #14 prospect in the September Canadian Scouting Bureau rankings; a collapsed lung in Week 2 limited him to four games; tested well at Toronto Regional Combine, including a 4.57 forty, which ranks 4th among draft eligible DBs• Charlton Elliott (St. Francis Xavier) – 60", 185 lbs.; played in 2013 East West Bowl; ankle injury cost him most of the 2013 season; tested well at Montreal Regional Combine but could improve on 4.76 forty• Matt Webster (Queens) – 511", 185 lbs.; played just four games in 2013 due to injury but still had 2 INT; as a safety, led the nations 2nd ranked rushing defence in tackles in 2011; 4.59 forty at Toronto Regional Combine• Steve Ventresca (McMaster) – 60", 180 lbs.; not a great tester (5 bench press reps, 4.97 forty at 2013 East West Bowl) but this four-year starter has 14 career interceptions Also on the Radar (alphabetically): Alexandre Branco (Sherbrooke); R.J. Cornish (Saint Marys); Allan Dicks (McMaster); Demetrius Ferguson (St. Francis Xavier); Zach Lord (McGill); Mattey Ossom (McGill); Hugo Rajotte (St. Francis Xavier); Randy Williams (Ottawa) Analysis: Historically, defensive backs havent heard their names called frequently in the early portion of the CFL Draft. In fact, over the last thirty years, only two DBs (Patrick Burke in 1993 and Dylan Barker in 2008) have been selected first overall and youd have to go back to 1996 (Kelly Wiltshire and Andrew Henry) to even find the last time two defensive backs were chosen in the first round. Its largely a product of the relationship between supply and demand, as every CIS team has five starting defensive backs but CFL teams rarely start more than one non-import in the secondary. Nonetheless, with draftees like Craig Butler and Mike Edem and, to a lesser extent, Courtney Stephen and Keenan MacDougall, having a relatively immediate impact in the CFL, teams are recognizing that the learning curve for young Canadians might not be quite as steep as in years past. This will be a very important consideration in 2014 because, for as much as has been said about the new draft eligibility rules hurting the depth of this "transition year" class, the group of DB prospects is as good and as deep as any Ive seen. Athletic, cerebral, and versatile, Pruneau fits the mold of the "new" non-import safety cast by Butler and Edem. He is right alongside Manitoba running back Anthony Coombs, in a 1a/1b relationship, as the best non-linemen in the class. He is a virtual lock to be taken in the first round, potentially in the Top 5. Lue doesnt quite possess the vast résumé of Pruneau but his size, coverage skills, and intellect are why several teams covet his services. He has an outside chance of making it two DBs in Round 1. Hartmann and Thibault are two of the most intriguing prospects in the draft. Hartmann left St. FX after two years and, in the 24 months since then, many rumours have circulated as to the reason why. Whether it was finances, academics, or the pursuit of an NCAA opportunity is irrelevant now. He demonstrated through the Toronto Regional and main CFL Combine that he hasnt lost a thing. At the very least, he has the tenacity and athleticism to contribute right away on special teams, while making up for that lost development time as a DB. Thibault is also trying to close that learning gap, having only moved from receiver to defensive back in 2013. Athletically, hes an elite prospect but, if his potential couldnt be maximized at the CIS level in a program with the environment that Laval provides, there have to be concerns that it wont happen in the CFL either. Nonetheless, hes a rare specimen who is worthy of a long look. 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Phoenix originally signed Barbosa to a 10-day contract on Jan. 8 after Eric Bledsoe injured his knee and then signed him to another 10-day deal.PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Canadian Erik Bedard pitched into the fifth inning in his bid to win a spot in Tampa Bays rotation, helping the Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 on Saturday. Bedard, from Navan, Ont., allowed three runs and six hits in 4 1-3 innings. The left-hander is competing with Jake Odorizzi and Cesar Ramos to earn the fifth starters job as a fill-in for the injured Jeremy Hellickson, whos recovering from elbow surgery and expected to miss the first six to eight weeks of the season. The 35-year-old started 26 games and was 4-12 with a 4.59 ERA in 32 appearances with the Astros last season. Through four spring appearances, including two starts, hes 2-1 with a 7.15 ERA. Rays manager Joe Maddon reiterated that the decision on the No. 5 starter will not be based on statistics alone. "Thats good because the ERA isnt good now," Bedard said. "Every teams different. Sometimes they look at that and some teams dont," the former Orioles and Mariners pitcher added. "They know its spring and youre working on your stuff and just getting ready for the season." Mikie Mahtook hit a grand slam and Evan Longoria added a RBI single off Blue Jays starter Sean Nolin, who allowed five second-inning runs. Four Tampa Bay relievers -- Brandon Gomes, Grant Balfour, Joel Peralta and Brad Boxberger -- combined to hold the Blue Jays hitless over the final 4 2-3 innings. Kevin Pillar had a RBI triple off Bedard, then scored on the leftys wild pitch for a 2-0 Toronto lead in the second. "The pitching was spectacular," Rays manager Joe Maddon said, noting that Gomes, whose ERA remained at 0.00, was exceptionally sharp in 1 2-3 innings. "He cant throw any better than he is right now," Maddon added. STARTING TIME Blue Jays: Nolin began with a perfect first, then walked three and allowed five hits during Tampa Bays five-run second. His spring training ERA ballooned fromm 4.dddddddddddd91 to 11.81 after the 1 2-3 inning outing. Rays: Maddon said Bedard, Odorizzi and Ramos likely will all have at least one more appearance before a decision is made on the fifth starter. "Theyre all three in the running," Maddon said, declining to say who has the inside track. Bedard is trying to keep the competition in perspective. "Im not really worried. Ill just do what I can, and the decisions theirs," Bedard said. "Theyll do what they want, and thats fine with me." TRAINERS ROOM OF Wil Myers fouled a pitch off his right quad muscle during the Rays split-squad game against the Pirates in Bradenton and was removed from the lineup for precautionary reasons. Rays RH Juan Carlos Oviedo has resolved visa issues in the Dominican Republic and reported to camp Saturday. The former Royals and Marlins reliever spent the entire 2013 season on the disabled list recovering from Tommy John surgery. He will throw to some batters during Mondays off day, and a decision on when hell pitch in a game will be made after that. HOWS IT GOIN? Toronto infielder Ryan Goins went 0 for 3, leaving him at .171 with no extra-base hits and no RBIs in 12 spring games. He spent time at second base and shortstop against the Rays, the positions he played last season while making his major league debut. The 26-year-old Goins hit .252 with two home runs and eight RBIs for Toronto after being called up in August. Toronto manager John Gibbons said Goins might be pressing a bit. "He knows he belongs in the big leagues," Gibbons said. "Hes a young kid." NO WORRIES Most of Torontos top hitters got the day off and didnt make the 2-hour drive. Jose Bautista, Jose Reyes and Melky Cabrera were among the regulars out of the lineup. The Blue Jays havent scored more than five runs for 12 straight games against big league squads. "We havent had that big outburst yet," Gibbons said. ' ' '