Evaluating the 2nd stringers / Practice Roster players

[David]

Travis Lulay - Happy to see Travis show good arm strength and seemed to have good chemistry with Boldewijn. Started really well but would have liked to have seen him use his legs more to gain positive yardage instead of throwing the ball out of bounds (but the name of the game was to leave the game unscathed). Best way to describe his performance was "more efficient than productive." In other words, "August." Still, if he's prepared to back-up and mentor next year, would love to have Travis back. The consummate professional.

Geraldo Boldewijn - Now I can see why the Lions' staff have been salivating over the Flying Dutchman. Looked like a poised vet on the 50 yard bomb. Smooth and efficient stride to get behind defenders - reminded me of Tony Simmons. Definitely want him back at camp next year. Interesting to see if he gets some NFL interest, as has been suggested.

Terence Jeffers-Harris - Next to Travis, likely the most "game ready" of all of the Practice Roster players. In fact, I am surprised we never saw him activated all season after a terrific preseason. Not likely to draw in Sunday, but could easily flourish if given the opportunity. Burnham's been a good possession receiver, but not spectacular. TJ Harris seems more of a big target deep threat to me. Definitely want him back.

Anthony Fera - Probably had more riding on his performance than any other replacement. Punted much better than expected (49.5 yard average). However, the 2 misses likely means Leone's job is safe for Sunday. Had to be lights out, but the missed 33-yarder was a killer. Nice 49-yarder though. Which is kind of like that Conservative ad, "....nice hair though." We really needed to see how he'd perform on converts but weren't able to get a single major. That's what you get for treating the game like a preseason contest! Hard to see Mgt bringing back both Leone AND Fera next year.

Greg McGhee - There's something "Michael Vick-like" about the southpaw. More dangerous with his feet than either Jennings or Lulay. Nice arm strength and a 28-yard completion, but for most part looked like a rookie pivot trying to read a defense. Hopefully see him compete with Archer and a young rookie or two at Spring Camp.

Rennie Curran - Not the hard-hitting sideline-to-sideline terror we saw from his days as an Eskimo, but obviously missed training camp and is still working his way into shape, so willing to cut him some slack. Made some mistakes out there (whiffed a couple of times) but can be a very good tackler. We held Messam to 59 yards rushing a 4.5 yard average, so linebacking was not an issue out there. Still, with enormous depth at linebacker with the emergence of Lokombo and Hoffman-Ellis, hard to see Curran back next year.

Jason Arakgi - Nice to see the likeable vet get some well-deserved game reps. But we're not likely to see him start at linebacker anytime soon, so not much to evaluate. Still, a very strong 6-tackle performance. Hope to see him back on STs again next year.

Cord Parks - I like Parks, so this is hard to say, but he really struggled against the Stamps. Got lit up by a rookie (Durant) a couple of times (went for the INT on one play when a knock-down would have been better) and didn't do much returning kicks. In fact on one play, should have taken a knee, started to, the decided to run it out and got tackled deep in our zone. Hard to see Buono bringing him back but really liked his positive attitude and mentorship this season.

Shaquille Murray-Lawrence - When you're generously listed at 5'8" you'd better be making guys miss. Yes, one nice 34-yard kick return, but not effective enough carrying the mail. Still, just a rookie so we can't expect too much. Was expecting to see more of his 4.4 speed though.

Not enough film on Lezarius Levingston or Tim Flanders (3 carries for 15 yards late) to make an impression. But, final impression, we MUST find a way to get Bo Lokombo on the field more next year. He's a tackling machine!


DH

[TheLionKing]

Is Boldewiyn an import ? Jason Arakgi was playing linebacker in the 4th quarter.

[B.C.FAN]

Good job, David. I agree with just about everything you said. I'll add a few observations of my own.

Terence Jeffers-Harris: If I could make one roster change, it would be to insert Jeffers-Harris for Burnham. He's more dangerous all over the field. Bunham had a nice 47-yard catch against Hamilton but Jeffers-Harris's total of 78 yards on Saturday was more than Burnham has put up in any game this year.

Travis Lulay: He has been a great mentor to Jennings but at what price do the Lions bring him back as a player? Would he be better suited to the role of QB coach? Now that the Lions appear to have found his successor, they may just let him walk if he wants to keep playing.

Lazarius Levingston: The Riders' ran their first three rushing plays right at Levingston. In fact, they ran right at him all night when he was in. He offered little resistance, registering just one tackle in the third quarter. Perhaps he'll get a chance to come back at training camp and learn the game but I've seen DTs cut this year after better showings.

[Blitz]

Its an important discussiuon for next season. At this point we don't know if Harris and Manny are returning so tailback and primary slot back are two questions for next season that will need to be answered, as well as the role of Lulay for next season if he returns/we want him to return.

Travis Lulay: I really believe we should take Lulay out of the equation for quarterback and back up quarterback for the future. Lulay won the MOP and helped us to win a Grey Cup in 2011 and he also had a very good 2012 regular season. But since then, injuries and inconsistent play have mostly been the recipe for Lulay at quarterback. Once defenses took away a lot of his mobility by rushing an extra defender to the right side of our offence and defenses also blitzed Lulay, knowing his penchant for bailing quickly, he became a much less effective quarterback. Lulay showed last game that his arm strength was back and he completed three long throws. If Lulay came back next season I would like his role to be a transition as a third string quarterback/quarterback coach. Lulay has done a lot of quarterback mentoring and coaching during the last 3 seasons. Lulay has excellent leadership qualities, he's smart, and he's a hard worker. I'm usually not big on taking players and bringing them up inside as coaches but there are exceptions and Lulay more than qualifies.

Terrance Jeffers Harris. I believed that Jeffers Harris should have gotten an opportunity well before our last game. I believed he was a better choice than Taylor or Burnham and I actually preferred Taylor to Burnham. Jeffers Harris has size, speed, and toughness.

Geraldo Boldewijn. He's a glider, like Simon was, has excellent height, size, leaping ability, and very long arms to snap off target footballs. Great upside.

Stehen Adekolu. I've always had a very high opinion of his potential but we really haven't given him an opportunity. Slotted in behind Collie this season, Adekolu could be moved outside to Gore's spot. Gore has been targeted more oftem with Jennings at quarterback but the reality is that both Gore and Iannuzzi have had plenty of opportunities to shine over a number of seasons. I would love to see the Lions give Adekolu at least the opportunity to showcase his abilities.

Courtney Taylor. I don't believe Taylor will be back next season. He's an older receiver now and still a solid slotback but we need to be young at receiver.

Cam Morrah. Not sure if the tight end experiment is over but we used a lot more tight end sets in the latter part of the season, once we didn't have any tight ends left. My guess is that we won't see Morrah back.

Dean Valli. Dean started for us at right guard in 2011 and we went on to win a Grey Cup in Valli's best season as a pro. But Valli has lost his starters spot a number of times and the injuries are mounting. He is also is being paid a starters salary. he could be an SMS casuality or brought back as an experienced vet for less money.

Matt Norman: I highly doubt we will see him in a Leo uniform, once he is healthy.

Pascal Lochard. Pascal has mainly been relegated to special teams. Listed as a fullback, Lochard is a tweener at 215 pounds, He can play fullback and tailback. In many ways he reminds me of Lyle Green but has been given even less opportunities.

Shaq Murray Lawrence: Lawrence could be used as a change of style tailback in a rotation but he is not starter tailback material. He could be used on passing downs out of the backfield in a rotation or used to stretch the field at the perimeter.

Hunter Steward. Hunter Steward is a 325 pound talent who has suffered through a couple of injuries but he is a stud when healthy. I'm guessing he will be pencilled in at starting right guard next season but he could also play either tackle position, as long as we had a good National backup for him at tackle and we don't at this point.

Anthony Fera. Not sure which kicker we will bring back next season but Fera would be my choice. His punting has improved and he is a field goal kicker who has a very nice stroke and good leg.

T-Dre Player. Player has been given the opportunity to start two seasons in a row and has been demoted both times. He's a bit undersized and lost his job this season to Cody Husband, who was undrafted. National offensive lineman are important for depth and flexibility but Player is on the bubble due to his limited upside.

Greg McGhee - McGhee and Jennings were close at training camp. McGhee is a double threat quarterback who is sneaky fast and has a good arm. He's a keeper for the future.

R.J. Archer. At 6'2", 220 pounds and a strong arm, Archer was given a good look by a number of NFL teams, including the Seahawks. Whether he is back or not will depend on what we decide what role Lulay will have next season if he returns.

Craig Roh. Craig Roh started for us at tackle this season, where he was out of position, was sat out for a number of games, and then returned to the rotation and then lost his spot to Smith/Bazzie against Toronto. Smith will not likely be brought back next season due to his age but who knows? Bazzie has really come on in recent games. Roh will see tough competition at next year's camp. We really need a pass rush dominant defensive end. Not sure if Roh has that upside.

Bo Lokombo. This is a player who is starter quality. We really don't need to dress an import linebacker with Sol E., Bighill starting next season. I even think we could trade Sol E and go with Bighill and Lokombo as starters in 2016 and Hoffman-Ellis playing well this season when pressed into a starters job.

David Menard. I believe Menard has the motor and strength to start at defensive end if we had a backup for him. Westerman could rotate inside next season.

Ese Mrabure-Ajufo. Ese got some reps against Calgary and registered a sack. Hard to know where his development is at this point but he could be a ratio changer if he was good enough to get in the rotation next year.

Maxx Forde: We didn't see Forde play this season but this is a defensive lineman with a lot of potential.

Chris Rwabukamba. Rwabukamba lost his job to Fraser at safety and for good reasons but Rwabukamba can play corner so he is a flexible back up and will return in that role, unless his salary is too high.

Cord Parks. I don't see Parks returning. His only good season was in 2013. He's struggled at short side half back and wide side corner since. Lane and Buchannan could be incumbents to the backup import defensive back but we'll see a lot of db's at training camp.

Rennie Curran. Curran got an opportunity to come in and play the backup import linebacker position and play special teams. I was not impressed. With Lokombo, Clarke, Chin, and Arakgi as backup National linebackers and Hoffman Ellis returning, there is no spot for Curran.

[Rammer]

Travis Lulay - Happy to see Travis show good arm strength and seemed to have good chemistry with Boldewijn. Started really well but would have liked to have seen him use his legs more to gain positive yardage instead of throwing the ball out of bounds (but the name of the game was to leave the game unscathed). Best way to describe his performance was "more efficient than productive." In other words, "August." Still, if he's prepared to back-up and mentor next year, would love to have Travis back. The consummate professional.

Geraldo Boldewijn - Now I can see why the Lions' staff have been salivating over the Flying Dutchman. Looked like a poised vet on the 50 yard bomb. Smooth and efficient stride to get behind defenders - reminded me of Tony Simmons. Definitely want him back at camp next year. Interesting to see if he gets some NFL interest, as has been suggested.

Terence Jeffers-Harris - Next to Travis, likely the most "game ready" of all of the Practice Roster players. In fact, I am surprised we never saw him activated all season after a terrific preseason. Not likely to draw in Sunday, but could easily flourish if given the opportunity. Burnham's been a good possession receiver, but not spectacular. TJ Harris seems more of a big target deep threat to me. Definitely want him back.

Anthony Fera - Probably had more riding on his performance than any other replacement. Punted much better than expected (49.5 yard average). However, the 2 misses likely means Leone's job is safe for Sunday. Had to be lights out, but the missed 33-yarder was a killer. Nice 49-yarder though. Which is kind of like that Conservative ad, "....nice hair though." We really needed to see how he'd perform on converts but weren't able to get a single major. That's what you get for treating the game like a preseason contest! Hard to see Mgt bringing back both Leone AND Fera next year.

Greg McGhee - There's something "Michael Vick-like" about the southpaw. More dangerous with his feet than either Jennings or Lulay. Nice arm strength and a 28-yard completion, but for most part looked like a rookie pivot trying to read a defense. Hopefully see him compete with Archer and a young rookie or two at Spring Camp.

Rennie Curran - Not the hard-hitting sideline-to-sideline terror we saw from his days as an Eskimo, but obviously missed training camp and is still working his way into shape, so willing to cut him some slack. Made some mistakes out there (whiffed a couple of times) but can be a very good tackler. We held Messam to 59 yards rushing a 4.5 yard average, so linebacking was not an issue out there. Still, with enormous depth at linebacker with the emergence of Lokombo and Hoffman-Ellis, hard to see Curran back next year.

Jason Arakgi - Nice to see the likeable vet get some well-deserved game reps. But we're not likely to see him start at linebacker anytime soon, so not much to evaluate. Still, a very strong 6-tackle performance. Hope to see him back on STs again next year.

Cord Parks - I like Parks, so this is hard to say, but he really struggled against the Stamps. Got lit up by a rookie (Durant) a couple of times and didn't do much returning kicks. In fact on one play, should have taken a knee, started to, the decided to run it out and got tackled deep in our zone. Hard to see Buono bringing him back but really liked his positive attitude and mentorship this season.

Shaquille Murray-Lawrence - When you're generously listed at 5'8" you'd better be making guys miss. Yes, one nice 34-yard kick return, but not effective enough carrying the mail. Still, just a rookie so we can't expect too much. Was expecting to see more of his 4.4 speed though.

Not enough film on Lezarius Levingston or Tim Flanders (3 carries for 15 yards late) to make an impression. But, final impression, we MUST find a way to get Bo Lokombo on the field more next year. He's a tackling machine!


DH

Tough to have a mean nothing game against your playoff opponent from a Lions perspective. The Lions are in dire need of entertaining the fans, and when you only have 10 games to do that and two of them are basically exhibition games, that isn't going to open up many wallets for 2016.

That said, it was a rare opportunity to see the practice roster and it just goes to show me that the best players and players with even more upside don't seem to get opportunities within the Lions club. You have to be kidding me that Boldewijn and Jeffers-Harris didn't find a roster spot during the season. I think that with Jenkins arm and their size and running ability, it may be a wonderful sight for Lion fans.

As for Curran and Fera, the talent is already ahead of them. Although many a LB returning from the NFL requires a season to re-adjust to CFL size and speed. Still, there isn't enough room for the returning LB's to carry a vet like Curran for 2016. Parks showed why he isn't being played, although I suspect he was playing for himself, tempting the big play his way in order to make the INT to impress. If he wasn't, then he isn't the player he showed in his first season anymore.

So game 18 really goes into the books as a game for Lionbackers membership, the true diehards getting something of value out of a game with a lopsided victory for the opposition.