The B.C. Lions have created a buzz as they continue working on their roster for the next season. They recently released their final roster for discharging twelve players, including Sayles, a promising halfback, and Bagayogo, a second-round pick. This massive change occurred just a few days before the beginning of regular season play.
Marcus Sayles, a talented defensive player, participated in all of the Lions’ 18 games in 2023. His achievements included making 38 tackles on defense, three tackles on loss, one fumble recovery, and seven pass breakups. In the playoffs, he increases his numbers by getting another seven tackles and even a pass.
Sayles showcased his prowess in the 2022 season, where he was recognized as a CFL all-star following his excellent performance with 68 defensive tackles and 4 interceptions. His start in the CFL was with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, where he was instrumental in helping the team clinch the Grey Cup in 2019. He was also awarded a West Division all-star player. During his playing time of over 83 games for both the Bombers and Lions, Sayles has made 294 defensive tackles, 10 special team tackles, four sacks, and 12 interceptions, and forced seven fumbles.
One of the newly promoted players, Siriman Harrison Bagayogo, who was drafted in the second round of the 2023 CFL Draft, has recently been released by the Lions. In his time with the team, he played in 15 games as a reserve and made 6 defensive stops and 3 special teams stops. For the University of Guelph, he played 22 games, and his accomplishments included 40 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 4 pass knockdowns. He was honored with prestigious titles during his college season with two U Sports All-Canadian honors and was awarded as the OUA all-star two times.
Besides Sayles and Bagayogo, the Lions have trimmed down their roster right out of which they have released certain players hailing from different parts of the world, primarily including the United States of America. It comprises seniors, namely, running back Percy Agyei-Obese; defensive lineman Sam Burton; defensive back Chris Cooper; receiver Jeff Cotton; Jean Delance, an offensive lineman Ed Lee; wide receiver Forrest Rhyne, a linebacker, Jalen Sample, a receiver, and Maea Teuhema, another lineman.
In response to the budget cut, the Lions have augmented the number of members in the practicing team to ten new members. This roster list contains Stanley Berryhill an American receiver; Juliano Falaniko, a defensive lineman; Terrence Ganyi, a national linebacker; Carl Meyer, a global punter and kicker; Kieran Poissant, a national receiver; Devin Ravenel, an American receiver; Charlie Ringland, a national defensive back Jonah Tavai an American defensive lineman Jordan Terrell as running back and finally Kory Woodruff of the offense line.
The B. C. Lions are getting ready for the season’s first match, which is scheduled for June 9th, Sunday, at 7 PM ET against the Toronto Argonauts. In the wake of the additional personnel changes, they are keen to make a good start and leave a good impression on the upcoming CFL season. These changes within the team were strategic to boost the performance and ensure that the team is successful in the current season. Organizers and enthusiasts will be keenly watching the impact of these changes on the team dynamics and subsequent performance in what is expected to be a thrilling new season.
