I'm still on my last bit of vacation before disappearing into the abyss that is the season so I'm covering my eyes and ears and going "na-na-na-na, I don't see anything" on the new Ticats quarterbacks.

Luckily, Uncle Milty is here to bail me out.

By Steve Milton

Tate Forcier hasn’t even put on a Tiger-Cats uniform and he’s already moved up a spot on the depth chart.

The Ticats released third-string quarterback Jason Boltus Thursday, which means that Forcier, the Michigan quarterback who announced his own signing with Hamilton last week, moves into the three-hole. The Cats made his signing formal Thursday, along with that of fellow pivot Sedrick Harris of East Texas Baptist.

Harris has a CFL-type profile, becoming the first player in his league’s history to both throw and rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season, when he turned the double as a junior. (Here's some video on Harris.)

Forcier, whose signing in Hamilton stirred a wave of media interest in the U.S., was one of only two Wolverines ever to start every game at quarterback as a “true” freshman. Boltus’ release suggests that the Cats view Forcier as a potential starting quarterback down the road and want him in uniform during games, assuming he beats out Harris for the third-string role behind starter Henry Burris and backup Quinton Porter.

After spending two years on the practice roster behind No. 3 Adam Tafralis Boltus moved onto the regular roster last year and was the holder for the also-departed Justin Medlock’s place kicks. His brother Jeremey also played pro sport in Hamilton last year, with the Nationals, but he’s left the field lacrosse team to begin his active term in the U.S. Army, so Hamilton is now Boltus-less.

During an enforced football absence due to academic ineligibility Forcier spent time working out with Jeff Garcia, who starred under current Hamilton head coach George Cortez when he was the offensive coordinator in Calgary.

The Cats also released Canadian defensive end Ivan Brown who, was claimed off the Montreal Alouettes’ practice roster just before Opening Day last year, and fellow non-imports Kyle Jones and Neil Puffer.

While the Cats officially welcome one Michigan product, they released another in defensive end Shawn Crable, whom they signed only last month. The former New York Jet and New England Patriot was expected to be in the middle of a high-profile training camp battle for a starting job in the Front Four, after the Cats lost one starting defensive end (Justin Hickman) to the NFL and cut the other (Stevie Baggs).