Thoughts on what each East Division CFL team’s preseason play so far tells us

Scores, results and statistics from the CFL's preseason don't always translate to the regular season, as each team gives their starters varying amounts of play, and the squads on the field for much of the contest usually don't reflect starting lineups once the games begin to count. However, the preseason's still worth following, as it indicates how certain positional battles are going, what new players might have a shot at stardom and what areas each team might need to improve. Now that every team's played at least one preseason game, here are some thoughts on what we've seen from each team in the East, going east to west. (Thoughts on the West Division's teams are here.)

Montreal Alouettes:
Result: 28-23 road loss to Hamilton Saturday.
Takeaways: Well, now that the stats have been fixed (they were broken for most of Saturday), we can see how players actually did in one of the few games not to be televised nationally. Too much shouldn't be made of the Alouettes' loss, as they played even more subs than most teams, and starting quarterback Troy Smith didn't see the field at all thanks to injury. (Neither did the CFL's most famous Twitter personality, Chad Johnson, who was also out with injury.) Of the guys who did play, quarterbacks Tanner Marsh, Alex Brink and Collin Klein all flashed some potential, but they all also threw an interception and didn't look consistently great; Smith shouldn't have to worry about his starting spot. It was curious to see Klein not used more as a running threat (he had one carry for six yards) during his appearance, as he found such great success on the ground with Kansas State. (He was released Sunday, so don't expect to see more from him in an Alouettes' jersey.)

The ground game was problematic for Montreal in general, with no RB picking up over 13 yards and all four of them averaging less than three yards per carry, but Brandon Whitaker and Tyrell Sutton have found CFL success in the past and are likely the guys going forward (they also only got three carries each, so small sample size applies). Rookie Robert Godhigh (cut Sunday) and third-year CFLer Brandon Rutley also didn't impress Saturday. This receiving corps is stacked, with most of the Als' top receivers not even playing in this one, but Brandon London showed he might deserve consideration as an important weapon for this team, making seven catches for 87 yards.

Ottawa Redblacks:
Result: 21-17 "home" loss to Saskatchewan Saturday.
Takeaways: This team might be better this year than previously thought. They were always facing an uphill battle as an expansion team with very few players who have ever worked together, and we can't read too much into the preseason, but the starters who briefly played in this one looked more cohesive than you might expect. Quarterback Henry Burris doesn't seem to have lost his touch at all, completing five of six passes for 40 yards, and he showed some nice chemistry with CFL vet Marcus Henry in particular. Rookie Travon Patterson has great speed, as he showed on a 60-yard catch-and-run touchdown, and former Winnipeg spare part Wallace Miles has nice hands, making four grabs for 44 yards. The Ottawa offensive line, usually one of the toughest places to develop cohesion, also looked pretty solid, conceding just two sacks on the night. The ground game's a work in progress, and while likely starter Chevon Walker had a touchdown, he averaged just four yards per carry; the offence also wasn't able to consistently move the chains once Burris left. Still, the Redblacks' offence in particular has some nice pieces, and it's not that far away from coming together.

Toronto Argonauts:
Result: 24-22 road win over Winnipeg on Monday, June 9.
Takeaways: We didn't see the first-team passing offence at all in this one, as quarterback Ricky Ray sat out, but the depth behind him doesn't look too bad; quarterbacks Mitchell Gale (11/16, 118 yards), Trevor Harris (8/12, 81 yards) and Casey Pachall (2/4, 44 yards and a touchdown) all impressed. Depth was also evident at running back, thought to potentially be a concern with Chad Kackert's retirement, but Curtis Steele did a decent job last year while Kackert was out, and he looks set to continue there, picking up 38 yards and a touchdown on six carries (6.3 yards per carry) while adding one catch for eight yards. While it's weird to see a different "J. Johnson" for the Argos following the retirement of fullback Jeff in December, Jeremiah (no relation) looked good, collecting 38 yards on four carries and 22 yards on two receptions, and former West Virginia star Steve Slaton also showed his potential, picking up 19 yards and a touchdown on three carries and 22 and another touchdown on two catches. Passes to running backs are crucial in Toronto's high-percentage offensive scheme, and all of these guys look capable there. In the receiving corps, rookie Nathan Adjei looked particularly promising, making four catches for 62 yards. The defence also looked good in this one, pressuring the Bombers' quarterbacks throughout and showing solid downfield coverage.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats:
Result: 28-23 home win over Montreal Saturday.
Takeaways: Projected starting QB Zach Collaros looked good in limited time, completing five of eight passes for 52 yards, but the real change came further down the depth chart; last year's primary backup (and frequent run-package sub), Dan LeFevour, struggled, completing just four of 12 passes for 45 yards with two interceptions while rushing three times for two yards (but one touchdown), while third-stringer Jeremiah Masoli shone, completing nine of 12 for 137 yards and three touchdowns while rushing six times for 28 yards and leading a late comeback. It's just one preseason game, but it certainly showed LeFevour is not solidly entrenched as the backup. Beyond that, most of the Ticats' traditional receiving weapons (Bakari Grant, Sam Giguere and Andy Fantuz in particular) looked good when they played, but Luke Tasker's three catches for 36 yards and a touchdown suggests the second-year man may get more use this season. Punter/kicker Justin Medlock looked a little rusty after his return from the NFL, averaging just 40.6 yards on punts and missing his one field-goal attempt; we'll see if he can get back to form. The defence had its moments, notching three interceptions and a forced fumble and looking stout against the run, but some of their coverage schemes still need fine-tuning.

Go here for thoughts on the West Division teams.