B.C. Lions mix old and new, extending Elimimian and Bighill, bringing back Simon and signing Rwabukamba

The B.C. Lions were the CFL's only team to change head coaches this offseason, but there are also going to be a lot of familiar faces around the club for the forseeable future. That's clear from the team's moves this week, particularly extending linebackers Solomon Elimimian and Adam Bighill and bringing in former star Geroy Simon in a combined business/football personnel role. However, there will be substantial differences for this team in 2015 as well, and those are illustrated by their one big free agent signing so far, defensive back Chris Rwabukamba. Will this mix of the old and the new pay off for the Lions?

Adding to the contracts of Elimimian and Bighill is a big deal, and a remarkable one. Neither was a pending free agent this year, but they now should both be Lions through the 2017 season. That's particularly notable in the case of Elimimian; his remarkable 2014 season saw him not just set a league tackles record with 143 (54 ahead of second-place Bear Woods), but also become the first full-time defensive player ever to be named the CFL's most outstanding player. The 28-year-old Elimimian has tried the NFL before, with Minnesota and Cleveland in 2012, and many thought he might give that league another shot after 2015 with his new CFL accolades under his belt. His decision to stay with the Lions long-term seems like a substantial win for general manager Wally Buono. Bighill is also a key piece to keep around; he fits in very well with Elimimian in the linebacking corps, and he had 77 tackles himself in 2014. Having both of them locked up for the forseeable future should help maintain B.C.'s impressive defence, and having coordinator Mark Washington (who did a great job in his first season in that role) stay on should provide some continuity. The Lions' defence would seem likely to be just as strong in 2015 as it was this past year.

In fact, the defence could be even better this season, and Rwabukamba's signing may play a big role there. The 28-year-old Canadian has spent four years in the CFL with Hamilton and Edmonton, and he's played both safety and cornerback. That versatility could make him an excellent fit with the Lions, and could give them some appealing ways to adjust their import ratio. Solid Canadian defensive backs are tough to find, and B.C. looks to have picked up an excellent one here. If he can give them an upgrade over J.R. LaRose (last year's primary safety, who wasn't offered a new contract by B.C.), their defence may find even more success in 2015.

The Lions have made interesting moves in the coaching and personnel ranks, too, and Thursday's announcement that Simon would be rejoining them is a big one. Simon started his famed CFL career with Winnipeg, but is most known for the time he spent in B.C. from 2001-2012. His parting with the Lions wasn't on great terms, as he didn't want to accept a reduced role and wound up being traded to Saskatchewan before 2013, where he had a reasonably successful final season (with big Grey Cup contributions in particular) before taking a role as a community ambassador for the team. It sounds like B.C. has an even larger role in mind for him, though, involving duties on the football personnel side (perhaps taking over some of the workload of former Canadian draft coordinator Kelly Bates, who the team didn't offer a new contract) as well as business duties. Having Superman back in the building seems like a good omen for the Lions, and it's one that will certainly be popular with many of their fans.

There have been some notable departures as well, though, and those could affect the Lions on both sides of the ball. On offence, Ernest Jackson (their second-most productive receiver last season) headed off to Ottawa, and he could be a substantial loss. At the moment, the team doesn't seem to have a consistent #2 receiver behind Emmanuel Arceneaux (their next-leading receiver in 2014 after Jackson was running back Andrew Harris). Shawn Gore, Marco Iannuzzi and Courtney Taylor have all shown some potential, but we'll see if any of them can break through to a higher level. The health of quarterback Travis Lulay remains a question, too, and it looks like the team will be going in a new direction for their backup after letting Kevin Glenn walk in free agency. They've reportedly reached out to Hamilton's Dan LeFevour, who might be a great fit, but that appears to depend on his recovery from a torn ACL. On defence, the losses are of their own making, as they've cut LaRose and long-time vet Dante Marsh, but Marsh's experience in particular may be missed. We'll see how the Lions do in 2015; their free agency moves so far are impressive, and look like a good mix of the old and the new, but that won't automatically translate into on-field success.