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WestCoastJoe wrote:A little ray of hope. A little ray of sunshine in the middle of winter. Hey, winter has been mild so far.
One has hopes that Jeff Tedford can do some magic with our quarterbacking crew.
I must've missed this in other threads but found one interesting tidbit. Tedford talked about doing a lot of scouting in his brief tenure as TB's OC so out of curiosity I looked through the Buc's 2014 transactions to see who they might've brought in last year and subsequently released. Interestingly 2 days after the announcement of Tedford being hired as OC there was a transaction showing Jordan Rodgers had been signed to a reserve/futures contract. He was waived 5 weeks later when they signed Mike Kafka who had been with the Eagles the previous 2 seasons. Kafka would ultimately stick with the team bouncing back and forth from PR to active roster. Another QB Alex Tanney out of Monmouth was the only other QB they had in camp then released. He would up with Tennessee and remains on their roster. It would seem though that Tedford will have some knowledge of Rodgers even if Jordan didn't have a chance to get onto the practice field for the Bucs.
That is interesting.
We will see who and what Tedford comes up with.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.
Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.
Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
MONTREAL - S.J. Green won't be hitting the CFL open market.
The eight-year veteran receiver, who was slated to become a free agent Feb. 10, signed a three-year contract extension with the Montreal Alouettes on Wednesday. The deal allows Green, 29, to remain with the only CFL team he has known.
"I've been here eight years and it's been like a second home to me," Green said during a news conference. "One dream I always had growing up as a young boy was to be able to play professional football and to be able to play for one organization.
"Bob (Als owner Bob Wetenhall) and Jim (general manager Jim Popp) have given me an opportunity to fulfil a life-long dream and be a part of one organization my entire career."
Green's return was important to Montreal with receiver Duron Carter expected to sign soon with the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. Carter was the Alouettes' receiving leader last year with 75 catches for 1,030 yards and seven TDs while Green was next with 53 receptions for 835 yards and four TDs.
Green was certainly productive in the playoffs for Montreal. He had seven catches for 95 yards and a touchdown in the club's 50-17 home victory over the B.C. Lions in the East Division semifinal, then recorded six receptions for 126 yards and three TDs in a 40-24 road loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the conference final.
"Ultimately, it's all about winning Grey Cups and winning rings," said Green, a two-time Grey Cup champion with the Alouettes. "I want to help bring that ring back here to Montreal."
The expectation was Montreal would announce the signing of former NFL receiver Austin Collie on Wednesday following published reports Tuesday night that Collie had agreed to terms with the CFL club. But the 29-year-old Hamilton native, who has played for both Indianapolis and the New England Patriots, emphatically denied he was heading to the Alouettes.
"Don't believe wht u hear," Collie tweeted Wednesday. "The report of me plying for Montreal is completely false."
The 2014 season was a roller-coaster affair for the Alouettes. They began the campaign losing seven of their first eight games before going 8-2 the rest of the way to finish second in the East Division. The resounding turnaround earned head coach Tom Higgins a nomination for the league's coach-of-the-year award, which was ultimately won by John Hufnagel of the Grey Cup-champion Calgary Stampeders.
Green was a CFL all-star in 2013 when he had 83 receptions for 1,197 yards and 13 touchdowns. He has registered 368 catches for 5,518 yards and 38 TDs in 92 regular-season games with Montreal.
Green's signing continues what's been a busy off-season for Popp, who has re-signed 12 potential free agents including standout linebackers Chip Cox and Bear Woods and running back Tyrell Sutton. He also acquired veteran Fred Stamps from the Edmonton Eskimos for fellow international receiver Kenny Stafford on Jan. 16.
"Today obviously I'm a better football coach than I was yesterday," Higgins said. "It's just a good sign that players want to be back.
"We're looking forward to the season getting started."
Montreal still has six other players slated to become free agents next month, including defensive back Jerald Brown and cornerback Geoff Tisdale, both starters last season.
Club president Mark Weightman said the return of proven veterans like Green is important for the Alouettes to create a sense of continuity.
"(Gereen is) one of the most exciting players in this league . . . who gives us another example of consistency to allow us to build our franchise moving into 2015 and beyond," Weightman said.
Former Saskatchewan Roughriders offensive lineman Ben Heenan has agreed to terms with the NFL's Indianapolis Colts, according to TSN's Farhan Lalji.
"Colts fans! It's time to welcome CFL guard Ben Heenan to #ColtsNation!" the team tweeted.
The Regina native was released by the Roughriders on Monday so he could pursue opportunities south of the border. Heenan entertained offers from five NFL clubs.
This is the second former CFLer the Colts have come to terms with this off-season, earlier signing Duron Carter who spent the past two seasons with the Montreal Alouettes. Another former Roughrider, Jerrell Freeman, and former Winnipeg Blue Bombers linebacker Henoc Muamba are also currently on the team.
Heenan, 24, was drafted first overall in 2012 and spent three years with the Roughriders, winning a Grey Cup in 2013.
"We were fortunate to get as many years out of him as we did," said Roughriders GM Brendan Taman. "We won the Grey Cup and he has had a pretty good career so far. I'm sure it will continue.''
Don't expect the Lions to be active buyers in free agency. According to LU, Wally says the Lions are committed to Travis Lulay as the starter and will not seek out an experienced free agent.
Buono said there are no plans to upgrade the most important position on the field with players about to hit the open market.
“We’re dealing with an MVP quarterback that we believe will be ready to go. We’re also dealing with a scenario where we say ‘let’s get the best young quarterback.’
“It’s like they say in hockey; maybe you have to work through a tough year for longer-term benefit, and the long term could be the second half of this year. Why can’t you win with a young quarterback? We have before.”
Hamilton thrower Dan LeFevour, 27, who torched the Lions last season at B.C. Place Stadium, was thought to be of interest. However, LeFevour is coming off ACL surgery and the Lions aren’t prepared to sign another quarterback with health issues. A long-shot option evaporated before Christmas when Terrelle Pryor, who was on the Lions’ negotiation list, signed with the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs.
That leaves Lulay.
“Everybody wants to make Travis a part of the future,” Buono said.
LU also indicated the Lions could lose Ernest Jackson and J.R. LaRose to free agency.
Two B.C. starters from last season, receiver Ernest Jackson and safety J.R. LaRose, are almost certain to hit the market. Jackson hasn’t responded to the Lions’ latest contract offer. LaRose never got a deal to contemplate.
I am glad that they see Lulay as healthy enough to count on. In the best sense ...
EJ? Don't want to lose him, but we should be fine at receiver, IMO.
J.R. LaRose. Good guy. Scottish clan motto: "Late but in earnest." Could lay some licks on if he ever got to the ball. Although the coaches seemed to like his play, not many fans did, or so it seemed. At least he got his interception. Did not seem fast enough to cover all that ground. Did not react well to the ball. Played very, very deep.
............
Season coming up ...
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.
Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.
Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
I will be very disappointed if we lose Ernest Jackson. I thought he was spectacular at times last season, and really coming into his own. I had heard earlier that he was interested in giving the NFL a shot. We saw from Chris Matthews' performance in the Super Bowl that CFLers can ball down there, but it's hard for a not-so-young receiver from the Canadian league to get a legit shot. There are scouts and GMs' priorities and preferences.
Interesting first impression from an outsider's perspective that we had two many "of the same types of receivers." I thought this was a good observation from Tedford. No one really created huge mismatches last year. No one was a real speed burner to be a constant threat behind coverage (Jackson was probably best at this. Arceneaux was the big target we need, but doesn't always create separation).
The most interesting nugget was buried in the article and reported on NEWS1130 yesterday. Brandon Banks may have interest in coming here as a FA as he's friends with Arceneaux. Not sure how much merit this has; but interesting nonetheless.
David wrote:I will be very disappointed if we lose Ernest Jackson. I thought he was spectacular at times last season, and really coming into his own. I had heard earlier that he was interested in giving the NFL a shot. We saw from Chris Matthews' performance in the Super Bowl that CFLers can ball down there, but it's hard for a not-so-young receiver from the Canadian league to get a legit shot. There are scouts and GMs' priorities and preferences.
Interesting first impression from an outsider's perspective that we had two many "of the same types of receivers." I thought this was a good observation from Tedford. No one really created huge mismatches last year. No one was a real speed burner to be a constant threat behind coverage (Jackson was probably best at this. Arceneaux was the big target we need, but doesn't always create separation).
The most interesting nugget was buried in the article and reported on NEWS1130 yesterday. Brandon Banks may have interest in coming here as a FA as he's friends with Arceneaux. Not sure how much merit this has; but interesting nonetheless.
DH
Just wondering what you think Tedford means when he says we have too many of the same type of receivers? Who is and isn't in that classification of "same type" receiver?
"the 1996 season was a very difficult period... I couldn't imagine telling people that I was part of the last days of the CFL... it seemed that there would be no end to the continuous stream of catastrophic problems... it was like living in a toxic fishbowl... if they had known how serious the situation was, but we couldn't make it public, for fear of a total meltdown". (from Bigger Balls, The CFL and Overcoming the Canadian Inferiority Complex, by Jeff Giles)
ballhawk wrote:Just wondering what you think Tedford means when he says we have too many of the same type of receivers? Who is and isn't in that classification of "same type" receiver?
I think he means possession receivers who can't get separation to stretch defences or burn them after the catch. Arceneaux comes closest to being a burner. Jackson isn't fast enough to gain separation but he catches the ball well in traffic all over the field. Collie, Taylor, Burnham and Tuinei are pure possession receivers who run a 40 in the 4.5 to 4.6 range. Gore has enough speed to be dangerous after the catch, especially on crossing routes, but he's never recovered from losing his inside slot position to Arland Bruce in 2011. Poblah can be dangerous too if he has a QB who can get the ball to him. I'd look for Tedford to add some speed to the receiving corps before training camp.
ballhawk wrote:Just wondering what you think Tedford means when he says we have too many of the same type of receivers? Who is and isn't in that classification of "same type" receiver?
I think he means possession receivers who can't get separation to stretch defences or burn them after the catch. Arceneaux comes closest to being a burner. Jackson isn't fast enough to gain separation but he catches the ball well in traffic all over the field. Collie, Taylor, Burnham and Tuinei are pure possession receivers who run a 40 in the 4.5 to 4.6 range. Gore has enough speed to be dangerous after the catch, especially on crossing routes, but he's never recovered from losing his inside slot position to Arland Bruce in 2011. Poblah can be dangerous too if he has a QB who can get the ball to him. I'd look for Tedford to add some speed to the receiving corps before training camp.
"Ability without character will lose." - Marv Levy
Funny B.C.FAN, but I thought the opposite this year - that while Arceneaux was a big, inviting target it was actually Jackson that seemed a better deep threat and competed harder for balls (and, for the record, I own an Arceneaux jersey).
But it doesn't appear that Wally is about to lose any sleep losing Ernest Jackson to free agency:
Wally Buono wrote:"Right now, we have Manny Arceneaux, Courtney Taylor, Bryan Burnham and Lavasier Tuinei," he said. "I don't want to sound negative, but he (Jackson) is the big, physical receiver that Burnham is, that Tuinei is. You've gotta be careful you don't have too many of the same guy. Again, do we need to blow our brains out? If it costs you a ton of money against your (salary) cap, is that going to make your team better?" - VANCOUVER SUN 2/7/15
Personally, I think it's a mistake to let him walk (and please, didn't Wally cut Tuinei and bring him back??). I think Wally is selling him short, but that's just one fan's opinion.
I love the way Ernest Jackson competes for balls. There's no receiver I'd rather have in a jump-ball situation. He also works as hard as anyone through the offseason. Arceneaux's speed is also in the 4.5 to 4.6 range but for some reason he just seemed faster. Poblah may be the only sub-4.5 receiver on the team and that was before his knee injury in his rookie season.
