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 running backs and linebackers. RUNNING BACKS 1) Anthony Coombs (RB, Manitoba) You Should Know: His coming out party was a 14-carry, 147-yard game against the United States Under-19 National Team as a member of the World Team in the 2012 International Bowl.The Good: He has averaged at least seven yards per carry in each of his four CIS seasons and that average improved every year, leaving him with a career average of 7.5 yards/carry.The Bad: Durability may be a concern, as he has missed time with minor injuries each of the last three seasons. 2) Pascal Lochard (RB, Laval) The Good: This versatile 60”, 215 lbs. back rushed for 184 yards – three yards shy of his career high – en route to earning MVP honours in the 2013 Vanier Cup. The Bad: Its not a knock on his ability or potential but, with the very crowded Laval backfield, he has rarely played more than half of the offensive snaps in a game. 3) Alexandre Dupuis (FB, Montreal) The Good: He battled back from surgeries on both knees in 2012 to become an RSEQ All-Star last season.The Bad: No one will question his toughness or work ethic but he might be a little limited athletically. 4) Robert Farquharson (RB, Guelph) The Good: Over the last two CIS seasons, his average of 112.9 rushing yards per game ranks first among Class of 2014 running backs, just ahead of Coombs (112.7).The Bad: A hamstring injury suffered during training camp limited him to only four regular season games in 2013. 5) Aaron Milton (RB, Toronto) The Good: He “plays faster” than he tests, and, considering that his 63”, 215 lbs. frame has room to carry more weight, he could eventually contribute as a fullback.The Bad: Hes coming off a shoulder injury that has left him a little behind in terms of upper body strength. Other Contenders: Guillaume Bourassa (Laval) – career high 66 carries, 402 rushing yards in 2013; 4.71 40-yard dash at CFL Combine was 2nd fastest among RBs behind Coombs Jordan Botel (Mount Allsion) – 2013 AUS nominee for Hec Crighton Trophy; has averaged 102.3 rushing yards/game over the last two seasons; played FB for CJFLs Vancouver Island Raiders in 2008-09, blocking for current B.C. Lion Andrew Harris Mackenzie Sarro (Calgary) – 64”, 245 lbs.; tied fellow FB Dupuis with 23 bench press reps at CFL Combine; had only one carry, seven receptions in two years with the Dinos Also On The Radar (alphabetically): Connor Anderson (York), Jeremy Andrew (Saskatchewan), Jean-Christophe Beaulieu (Sherbrooke); Errol Brooks (York); Zack Clarke (Acadia), Zack Davis (York), Sean Murphy (McGill), Raul Thompson (Concordia); Kurt Tonowski (Saint Marys); C.J. Zsoldos (Waterloo / London Beefeaters) LINEBACKERS 1) Casey Chin (Simon Fraser) You Should Know: He was a four-year starter and three-time Great Northwest Athletic Conference All-Star during his career with the Clan.The Good: He increased his tackle totals significantly each season, capping his career with an average of nearly 12 per game as a senior.The Bad: Listed at 510”, hes not physically imposing. 2) Max Caron (Concordia) The Good: He won the Presidents Trophy as the Top Defensive Player in CIS football as a sophomore and possesses a very high football IQ.The Bad: His physical upside may be limited, as hell turn 25 this summer. 3) Jesse Briggs (McGill) The Good: Ranked among the top LBs in all testing categories at the CFL Combine, with his 4.57 40 being the key to boosting his stock.The Bad: Hes not seen as a particularly physical player, and his on-field productivity hasnt necessarily matched his athletic ability. 4) Beau Landry (Western) The Good: He offers versatility, having been named a First Team All-Canadian as a defensive halfback in 2011 and again as a linebacker in 2013.The Bad: At the next level, he may find himself as a “tweener”, not possessing the speed of top defensive backs or the size of most linebackers. 5) Travis Bent (Concordia) The Good: Physical and aggressive, he had his best season in 2012, leading the Stingers with 61.5 tackles.The Bad: As highly touted as his teammate Caron when they entered the Stingers program in 2010, he hasnt yet reached that potential. Other Contenders: Christopher Johnson (Toronto) – 510”, 220 lbs.; compares well physically and athletically to drafts top LBs Sam Sabourin – was among the drafts elite prospects until he chose to retire due to concussion concerns; three-time All-Canadian could still be a late selection Thomas Miles (Manitoba) – second on Bisons with 39 tackles in 2013; also long snaps Also On The Radar (alphabetically): Aram Eisho (McMaster); Cody Kezama (Regina); Matt Lalande (Saint Marys); Pier-Yves Lavergne (Montreal); Eric Noivo (Concordia); Stephen Osman (McGill); Omar Smith-Jackson (Bishops); Richard Zacharias (Saskatchewan) Analysis: Ill discuss these two position groups together, as there are a number of similarities in terms of how theyre evaluated for the draft. While Jon Cornish, Andrew Harris, Shea Emry, and Henoc Muamba are household names for CFL fans, the reality is that the vast majority of the leagues non-import running backs and linebackers are depth guys, who will play far more snaps on special teams every week than they will on offence or defence. Since its difficult for teams to justify using first round picks for players who arent projected to play regularly on offence or defence, you generally dont see a lot of RBs and LBs selected in Round 1. In fact, in the last ten years, there has only been one draft in which the first round included more than one player from either of these two groups (Keep in mind that while Mike Edem, Shomari Williams, and Justin Phillips may have been listed as LBs, they were all drafted to play another position). In 2005, Akron LB Cam Yeow went second overall, McMaster RB Jesse Lumsden was chosen sixth, and Kentucky fullback Alexis Bwenge was the eighth overall selection. A significant factor leading to that anomaly was that the Class of 2005 was strong at neither offensive line nor receiver, the usual “marquee Canadian positions”. Coincidentally, a similar dynamic exists in this years draft class, which should open the door for the top running back and linebacker prospects to be among the first nine picks.At running back, the obvious choice is Coombs. In his eight Canada West games last season, the Winnipeg native rushed for 100+ yards four times and had 100+ receiving yards three times. The CFL Combine revealed both his willingness to pass block and his ability to compete as a receiver. All things considered, he is the best non-lineman in this draft class. On my board, Chin also ranks among the top three non-linemen available and projects as a potential future starter. Last season, the Simon Fraser product racked up 119 tackles in 10 games (11.9/game) to lead the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Four years ago, another 510” linebacker finished second in the GNAC with 96 tackles in 11 games (8.7/game). That player was current B.C. Lions star Adam Bighill, whose 196 tackles over the last two CFL seasons equals Montreals Chip Cox for the most in the league during that span. Granted, the number of tackles made can be a misleading statistic but, given his range and productivity, Chin should be given every opportunity to contribute on defence as well as special teams. Jeremy Roenick Jersey . - The Carolina Panthers believe Steve Smith lost "top-end" speed, a big reason the franchise parted ways with its all-time leading receiver. Derek Stepan Jersey . As Valanciunas was whistled for a rare technical toward the end of the third quarter - a result of waving his hand at an official after being called for a foul - Lowry pulled the Raptors sophomore aside, corralling him by his jersey and patting him on the back. http://www.authenticcoyotespro.com/Dale-hawerchuck-coyotes-jersey/ . Blown save in the ninth inning? No problem. Jason Demers Jersey . TSNs Farhan Lalji reports the Edmonton Eskimos non-import DT has a workout scheduled with an NFL team next week and isnt expected to sign a deal with any team until then. Bobby Hull Jersey . -- The defending Canadian womens curling champions squandered an opportunity to take sole possession of first place in the standings Tuesday at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.Final score of last years Grey Cup: Saskatchewan 45, Hamilton 23. What a disaster right? No, far from it. I thought last year for the Tiger-Cats was an immense success, not the ultimate success, but immense in my evaluation. Ending the season at 10-8 was the first time the Ticats had a 10 win season since 2001. Getting 10 wins has a psychological comfort about it in that it means you are not great but by no means are you a disaster. And then you consider in support of those 10 wins the team made it to the Grey Cup, first time since 1999, the 45-23 loss has to be put into rational perspective against the season. The Ticats had a good season last year, a type that leads to the inevitable feeling of impending improvement. Consider playing the season basically on the road at University of Guelph. To be clear, that city receives my praise for embracing the Ticats with both arms and not letting go. All adversity considered, we all thank them for what they did both on and off the field. Sure, I am positive the revenue they received enhances the quality of what it was invested in, but my attitude is "thank you for being there." If not for you, not sure what the league could do. But, this year could be different with the building of Tim Hortons Field. I live about 15 minutes away and have keep my eye on its progress month after month. It is coming, may not yet be 100 per cent ready, but its mold gives me a feeling that this could be unique. A home field advantage could finally be a tangible aspect of winning football. What needs to improve? Well, like all teams there is always room. First and most importantly, continuity of personnel. Hamilton went through 57 different starters over the course of the year; some due to injury but also some due to simple evaluation of whether this player can play productively and consistently. Given those two factors, this year cant be another 57 player year; way too many. Also a 1-4 start is hard to overcome. I always hear about how the real CFL season doesnt start until September and it is a false observational claim. Toronto finished 11-7, Hamilton 10-8; if their 1-4 start was 3-2 or 4-1, the Ticats could have been a first place team in the East. Improvement points are everywhere though when you look at the overall statistical package. Finishing eighth in protecting the quarterback and eighth in getting to the quarterback has to improve and will. Improviing on their only 14 interceptions is also a priority when you compare that to Montreals 27.dddddddddddd Red zone offense was just sixth best, as was red zone defence. Point being Hamiltons 10 wins were done the hard way, not the dominate way. Major point of optimism? Ticats finished second best in total yards, averaging 373 a game. Which brings us to the most important names in priority of performance: Zach Collaros, Dan LeFevour or maybe even Jeremiah Masoli. That battle through training camp will be entertaining and interesting. Entertaining in that all three are good athletes that can adapt exceptionally well when the situation regresses. Interesting in that Kent Austin will give the job to the guy who is the smartest under stress; a quality not always recognizable from the outside looking in. When you play a position in football you truly know the position because you have played it under pressure. I know the left tackle position. I can recognize a good one, an average one, and everything in between very quickly. The exact same can be said for Austin as a quarterback. Whichever player can take the pressure Austin puts on him - and he will - and respond, will be the starter. When you have played the position you know the position and the Hamilton Tiger cats are fortunate their head coach is a former successful CFL quarterback. Now as much as quarterback is the man in football, Hamiltons second best move this off-season was getting Justin Medlock back as kicker, punter and kickoff specialist. He was an 89 per cent kicker and 41 yards-per-punt punter. So many CFL games come down to a kick or a moment the kicker can control. Getting Medlock back is a big deal in the world of off-season football moves. Interesting time if youre a Hamilton Tiger-Cats fan. A 20-year agreement with a new stadium, a team that knows how to win through experience and yet still has a lot to improve upon. It will be entertaining and interesting to see how the new season unfolds. Entertaining as a new era of football begins in the exact physical area of history and respect. And interesting in that given the avoidance of injury disaster, this is a team that should progress on many fronts. I will miss Ivor Wynne, it was a big part of my childhood. But I will embrace Tim Hortons Field as it becomes part of my adulthood. Everything changes, but this may be easier to adapt and enjoy than anticipated. 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