2014 CFL Offseason Thread

[Drake]

Khalif Mitchell is heading back to BC. I wonder how Andrew Harris feels about that.

Brendan Taman said today in a conference call Geroy Simon either takes a pay cut or ends up getting cut.

[Drake]

Ottawa's jerseys were revealed tonight.

Home Jersey:


Road Jersey:

[Cheese]

Nice jerseys...I like them

[M*A*S*H 4077]

Nice clean look. I like them

(would love if this makes the Stamps become the Red Whites once again)

[Brannigans Law]

helmets released yet?
edit: on site. damn. they are very nice. huge props to the ottawa franchise for getting it right.

[Drake]

A Few More Pictures:

[Machiavelli]

I wasn't so sure until I saw them on the players. Very sharp.

[Drake]

Kory Sheets busted for pot.

Kory Sheets has pleaded guilty to possessing marijuana and was granted an absolute discharge. He was represented by counsel but not present at the courthouse.

The Estevan RCMP pulled over the former Saskatchewan Roughrider on Highway 18 in Bienfait after they found him to be speeding. Upon approaching his vehicle the arresting constable noted an odour of marijuana.

Asking Sheets about it, he produced two joints and another small canister, all of which amounted to about 6.4 grams of marijuana.

The constable noted Sheets also showed signs of drug impairment and a field sobriety test led to a 24-hour suspension of his licence, though Sheets’s lawyer noted there were no allegations or charges suggesting impairment.

Sheets was leaving Carnduff on his way to Regina, as he had finished a job in the small Prairie town and was heading back to the United States where he plans on working in the future.

He was released after his arrest on a $500 cash-bail recognizance, as he is a U.S. citizen, and has made a $300 charitable donation to Students Against Drunk Driving as part of the discharge arrangement.

http://www.estevanmercury.ca/article...owing-assault#

[Drake]

The CFL has approved making pass interference subject to video review.

The CFL has approved making pass interference subject to video review for the upcoming season.

Coaches are now allowed to challenge both called and potential defensive pass interference fouls under certain conditions.

"We are constantly looking for ways to make our great game even better and I believe we have done that today with the approval of this rule change," said CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon. "Being progressive and using technology to compliment the excellent work our officials already do on the field is positive for our teams, players, and ultimately, our fans."

The new rule now provides a team with the ability to use coaches' challenges to review a called or potential pass interference foul up to the final three minutes of a game. In the final three minutes and overtime, a team can only challenge such a call or non-call once, and only if it still has an unused challenge and a timeout remaining.

A coach must challenge to trigger a video review of a pass interference call or a potential pass interference call. They will not be subject to automatic review by the Command Centre.

An unsuccessful challenge of a potential pass interference foul in the final three minutes will result in the loss of a timeout. An unsuccessful challenge of an actual pass interference call in the final minutes will not result in the loss of a timeout.

The CFL is the first football league to subject pass interference to video review.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=451630

[Cheese]

According to TSN's Farhan Lalji, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats released wide receiver Onrea Jones, linebacker Brandon Isaac and offensive lineman Cody Husband on Friday.
Sources also told TSN that Isaac's release is due to not having the tools to fit into the schemes the Tiger-Cats plan to employ this season.
"Half his problem is he doesn't recognize that," one source said.


Ouch LOL


http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=451699

[Swayze11]

One thing I really dislike about the majority of teams (seems to be just the west now that I think about it) is 2 different helmets depending on being home/away.

What happened to the good old days with 1 helmet?

[Drake]

No shocker here, the teams that draft well really have more success and vice verse.

Drew Edwards shows the rise of the Cats who he uses as an example is directly related to their Canadian content, which again is no shocker. Their drafting has gotten much better in the last few years and it's showing

The teams that do the best job in drafting and developing Canadian players win more games. The Calgary Stampeders currently have a league-leading 17 players on their roster that they drafted and they have won 60 games over the last five years, tops in the CFL. Conversely, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have a league-low eight of their former draft picks on their roster and have won just 30 games during the same span (worst in the CFL.) The numbers match up exactly: the better a team is at drafting and developing players, the more games they've won over the last five seasons.

http://scratchingpost.thespec.com/20...he-ticats.html

[Da_Chief]

Really lucky to have Huff and crew. They're always thinking ahead.

[Brannigans Law]

I've always scoffed at the Canadian draft but the numbers speak for themselves: draft poorly at your own peril.

[MissTeeks]

First two rounds on TSN tomorrow night:

Scott Mitchell‏@SUNMitchell18 secs

TSN is showing full first round of #CFL Draft tomorrow evening at 5 p.m. with rounds two through seven streaming online.

[OzSome]

Any of those Canadian players get drafted in the NFL this past weekend? If not, I guess some teams will gamble on drafting them high figuring there won't be any real NFL interest on those guys.

I got a feeling that the Stamps will draft a lineman (DLine or OLine) in the first round. We need a good Non-import DLineman in case Corey Mace gets hurt again. I think we got hurt late last season when JR Turner, Justin Phillips or Ettiene Legare couldn't handle the opponents after both Micah Johnson and Demonte Bolden went down with injuries. As for Oline, we need a replacement for Dmitri Tsoumpas. I am hoping another rookie OLine take the bull by the horn the way Tsoumpas in his rookie year and Brett Jones played last season.

[Drake]

Originally Posted by OzSome

Any of those Canadian players get drafted in the NFL this past weekend? If not, I guess some teams will gamble on drafting them high figuring there won't be any real NFL interest on those guys.

I got a feeling that the Stamps will draft a lineman (DLine or OLine) in the first round. We need a good Non-import DLineman in case Corey Mace gets hurt again. I think we got hurt late last season when JR Turner, Justin Phillips or Ettiene Legare couldn't handle the opponents after both Micah Johnson and Demonte Bolden went down with injuries. As for Oline, we need a replacement for Dmitri Tsoumpas. I am hoping another rookie OLine take the bull by the horn the way Tsoumpas in his rookie year and Brett Jones played last season.

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is by far the most polished prospect in these draft class and technically he's very sound He got drafted by the KC Chiefs this weekend. David Foucault has been invited to the Carolina Panthers rookie mini-camp on an tryout basis.

Other names of note, Brent Urban who was Hamilton's 2nd round pick last year was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens on the weekend. The way some of their personnel was talking about Urban it doesn't bode well for Hamilton as he could eventually become their five-technique starter. Lets not forget about Hamilton's top pick as well from last year Linden Gaydosh who will be given the chance to make the Carolina Panthers this year after getting hurt last year.

Jesse Joseph (Montreal's 3rd round pick from last year) has been invited to the Chicago Bears' rookie mini-camp on a tryout basis. Kalonji Kashama (Ottawa's 3rd round pick from last year) has been invited to the Detroit Lions rookie mini-camp on a tryout basis. The big winners of the 2013 Canadian College Draft could be BC as Bo Lokombo didn't get drafted and hasn't received any tryout offers.

[Drake]

Thoughts and prayers go out to Torrey Davis and his family.

The five-year-old son of Ticats defensive tackle Torrey Davis has died.

Media reports say the boy, also named Torrey, slipped into a pool at an apartment complex near Tampa Bay, Florida and drowned.

Torrey Davis was playing near the pool with his mother when his mother left him unattended to check on some food. She returned two minutes later to find a crowd gathering poolside, where someone was pulling the boy from the water, officials said.

He was taken to hospital and died just after 8 p.m. on Sunday.

The elder Davis recently signed a contract extension with Hamilton and is entering his third season with the Ticats.

“We were devastated to learn of the passing of Torrey Davis, Jr.," the team said in statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Torrey and his family at this difficult time.”

http://scratchingpost.thespec.com/20...tching+Post%29

[MissTeeks]

“@ArashMadani: BREAKING: Have learned the CFLPA is recommending its membership proceed with a strike vote, after CBA talks have reached an "impasse." #CFL”

“@ArashMadani: Documents obtained show major divide between #CFL and CFLPA. Labour stoppage, jeopardizing camp and perhaps start of 2014 season likely.”

“@ArashMadani: The #CFL is relishing in unprecedented revenue, but the league refuses to attach the salary cap to revenue. Hence, major CBA sticking point.”

“@ArashMadani: The #CFL is offering a salary cap increase of $100,000 in 2014 (to $4.5 million). Additional league TV revenues in 2014: $24.7 million.”

“@ArashMadani: Last year's #CFL TV deal: $15.3 million. In 2014, it's $40 mil. Last in-writing offer from league to players was a $100k hike to cap in '14.”

[M*A*S*H 4077]

I really hope that cooler heads prevail and both sides realize that a lockout would be disastrous for the league and kill momentum the league has gained over the last few years