With Marken Michel running inside, the Stampeders pack a ton of speed

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Marken Michel doesn't look any older than she did a year ago.

To this reporter's eyes, she actually looked a little slimmer, a little more slender.

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But looks can be deceiving.

The veteran Calgary Stampeders receiver weighed in at 205 pounds when he stepped on the scale at training camp.

After spending the offseason bulking up in anticipation of a move to the slot receiver position, that extra weight was a big part of his plan.

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“I think it's going to be good, just being in the slot now and having to go in there and make those slot blacks, d-ends and linebackers, maybe I need some weight to help me out a little bit,” Michel said. “I'm not moving slowly.”

Moving Michel to the slot position answers one of the big questions facing the Stampeders receiving corps heading into the year.

Michel returned to Calgary last season after a long stint in the NFL, but he was only signed after Malik Henry was lost for the season with a torn Achilles tendon. For all intents and purposes, he came in and took the wide receiver spot where Henry was expected to play.

Henry is very much on the road to recovery, and all indications are that he can return to something resembling the player he was before the injury — and he's the CFL's best receiver in 2022, so there's a huge upside to that. Stamps.

But where does that leave Michelle? With Jalen Philpott also available at wide receiver after a hamstring injury last year, he made the necessary changes in the offseason and is ready to move into the slot receiver position.

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That's something he's done in the past, and with the ability to move around versatile, speedy receivers like Michel and Henry, the Stamps need to create some dynamic options when they want to throw downfield.

“There's a lot of versatility here,” Stamps GM/head coach Dave Dickenson said. “Different skill sets. Both can play on the offensive line and outside. Some guys, when they're from the US, are more comfortable with low traffic. I think both of these work well.

“I think Malik is an underrated blocker. Marken is obviously thick, but his top speed is low, he was 60 and 85 yards last year … You can move these guys. They are smart, they are hungry.”

As for Michel, he's excited to move on, and he's quick to point out that he's spent time at the slot receiver position in the past, so the learning curve shouldn't be too steep.

All signs point to Henry's Achilles tendon being treated properly and he should return to form, but it's a serious injury and the Stamps are being careful. While he has been an active participant in camp, the Stamps have slowly but surely increased his work rate.

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“It's confidence and it increases the load and can carry the load to the game,” Henry explained. “We are reaching this goal.

“However, I feel good. We gradually developed it and got back into the game.”

If Henry gets back to his best and Michelle learns the ins and outs of the slot position, the Stamps reception has the potential to surprise a lot of people.

Nobody in the dressing room wanted to use injury as an excuse last year, but the reality is that between Philpott being out for a year, Henry missing 90% of the season and Clarke Barnes getting injured after an impressive start, the Stamps are set. strong hand.

All those guys are back, and Michelle has to go through a full training camp. Add in Reggie Begelton, who is as good as it gets, and the receivers room has real game-breaking potential.

“I think we do a great job as a front office of embracing and appreciating the talent that we have,” Michelle said. “We look at film in the room and we go deep into that receiver position. Everyone made plays in camp.”

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