Thoughts on what each West 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 West, going west to east. (Thoughts on the East Division's teams are here.)

B.C. Lions:
Result: 14-11 road win over Edmonton Friday.
Takeaways: With Travis Lulay still recovering from shoulder surgery, this team's draft-day deal for Kevin Glenn may prove valuable. CFL veteran Glenn delivered a solid performance (five completions on eight attempts for 72 yards, no turnovers), and while backups John Beck and Travis Partridge had their moments, throwing for 113 and 108 yards respectively, they also threw a pick each and completed just six of 15 and six of 11 passes respectively. Glenn looks a ways ahead of both, and if Lulay isn't ready to go when the season starts, he'll be the clear choice. It's the B.C. defence, substantially remade in the offseason, that may be more of a concern; while they allowed just 11 points on the night, they were torched by Eskimos' starter Mike Reilly (11 completions on 12 attempts for 117 yards and a touchdown) and primary backup Matt Nichols (nine of 12 for 107), and they couldn't generate much pressure on against an Edmonton line that was dismal last year. The Lions only won this thanks to scoring 10 unanswered fourth-quarter points while the Eskimos were trying out their younger quarterbacks. Yes, a lot of the B.C. starters didn't play or didn't play much, but the guys who did see substantial time didn't impress. They'll have to get better if they want to earn their place in this team.

Calgary Stampeders:
Result: 23-20 home win over Winnipeg Saturday.
Takeaways: This team's starting quarterback camp battle between Drew Tate and Bo Levi Mitchell isn't over yet. Mitchell had the better day Saturday, completing eight of 11 passes for 76 per cent, but Tate wasn't bad either; his two completions on five attempts for 28 yards weren't great, but he did make plays with his legs (an area where Mitchell has usually received more praise), picking up 14 yards on one carry and a one-yard touchdown run on another one. The rest of the Stamps' offence also looked good, especially on the ground; reigning league Most Outstanding Player Jon Cornish picked up 52 rushing yards on just four carries, while new acquisition Jock Sanders added 51 and a touchdown on five (plus a 52-yard kickoff return) and Canadian backup Matt Walter collected 49 yards on nine carries. They even pulled off a nice trick play, with receiver Marquay McDaniel completing a 27-yard pass, and his younger brother Damon had a team-high 47 receiving yards on just two catches. (Sadly, it didn't help him avoid being cut Sunday.) There are lots of nice pieces on this roster, and they looked good Saturday.

Edmonton Eskimos:
Result: 14-11 home loss to B.C. Friday.
Takeaways: Despite coming out on the wrong side of the scoresheet, there may be more positives for the Eskimos and the Lions. Their two top quarterbacks looked great, as mentioned above, and most importantly, their line was finally able to protect their passers, conceding just three sacks on the night and relatively little pressure. The ground game's going to have to get better, with presumed starter Hugh Charles collecting just 17 yards on six carries, but the pass protection was finally there. The defence was also aggressive and opportunistic under new defensive-minded head coach Chris Jones, notching two interceptions and keeping the Lions' passing and rushing offences largely in check. There's still work to do here, especially on red-zone finishing, but this team looked much better in general than they did last season, despite that not being reflected in the final score.

Saskatchewan Roughriders:
Result: 21-17 "road" loss to Ottawa Saturday.
Takeaways: Starting quarterback Darian Durant looked sharp, connecting on seven of eight passes for 78 yards, but he'll need some new offensive weapons with Weston Dressler and Kory Sheets leaving for the NFL this offseason. Rookie Keith Toston looked like a potential replacement for Sheets at RB, picking up 58 yards on three carries, but the team's other RB options didn't impress, and this team may need to go more pass-heavy in 2014. They'll need some new receivers to step up, though. CFL rookie Brett Swain looked good, making two catches for 22 yards and two touchdowns, but more depth will be needed. The remade defence didn't look bad, though, helping to contain Ottawa's offence. Still, this team looked a long way from their Grey Cup-winning form last season. Part of that's playing a lot of subs, but there's still a lot of work to do here.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers:
Results: 24-22 home loss to Toronto on Monday, June 9, 23-20 road loss to Calgary Saturday.
Takeaways: Two preseason losses aren't the end of the world by any means, especially close ones, but the Winnipeg offence has a ways to go. New starting quarterback Drew Willy was just okay against Toronto, completing six of 12 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown, and while he was better against Calgary (14 completions on 23 attempts for 172 yards), his accuracy still needs some work. That's partly about the Bombers' offensive strategy, too; they've gone for a lot of high-risk, high-reward deep passes so far, and may need to emphasize a higher-percentage short passing game. There may be a change coming behind Willy, too: young backups Robert Marve and Brian Brohm showed potential against Toronto and Calgary respectively, while more-experienced QB Max Hall struggled in both games. Rookie running back Paris Cotton did impress, rushing for 39 yards on six carries against the Argos and 58 on five against the Stamps. Receiver Clarence Denmark continued his transition into a CFL star, recording 60 receiving yards in each game, but the Bombers could use more depth there. Their defence showed some promise under new coordinator Gary Etcheverry, but wasn't quite at its best yet. We'll see how this team does when the season gets closer.

Go here for thoughts on the East Division teams.