Moderator: Team Captains
The season suits me just fine right now. Even the preseason -- don't want more games there.Hambone wrote: There are folks who seem to want the CFL season bumped up anywhere from 2 weeks to a month which likely would force the CFL to again hold their draft prior to the NFL Draft.
Yup. I'm OK with status quo. Seems mostly to be the prairie folks pushing for it to get away from the less than favourable weather they get to enjoy in late October and November.WestCoastJoe wrote:The season suits me just fine right now. Even the preseason -- don't want more games there.Hambone wrote: There are folks who seem to want the CFL season bumped up anywhere from 2 weeks to a month which likely would force the CFL to again hold their draft prior to the NFL Draft.
Same with the ratio -- suits me just fine.
Hambone wrote:Since you follow these guys and I don't who is the centre prospect amongst the top OL? If BC targets an OL their priority should be someone, who if he isn't already playing centre in college, projects as a good conversion project to a CFL centre. I hate using the word project because that usually insinuates at least 2 years.OV - 54:40 wrote: Some good O-linemen up this draft if Wally wants to go there - including the 3 guys from Laval - Valliancourt in particular is maybe one of the best CFL draft interior O-lineman prospects in some time (4 straight years a CIS all-star, and pro plus size) - arguably more impressive college ball resume than Ben Heenan or Brent Jones, who turned out to be pretty good in the CFL.
I think it matters. Centre is arguably the most important position on the OL other than the OT on the QB's blind side. The ability to read and recognize defences and make correct signaling of blocking assignments is something no other OL position has to deal with. That's not to say there aren't good conversion projects available. It just means you can't just take any natural guard or tackle and turn him into an effective centre.OV - 54:40 wrote:Hambone wrote:Since you follow these guys and I don't who is the centre prospect amongst the top OL? If BC targets an OL their priority should be someone, who if he isn't already playing centre in college, projects as a good conversion project to a CFL centre. I hate using the word project because that usually insinuates at least 2 years.OV - 54:40 wrote: Some good O-linemen up this draft if Wally wants to go there - including the 3 guys from Laval - Valliancourt in particular is maybe one of the best CFL draft interior O-lineman prospects in some time (4 straight years a CIS all-star, and pro plus size) - arguably more impressive college ball resume than Ben Heenan or Brent Jones, who turned out to be pretty good in the CFL.
I don't believe any of the top prospects from the CFL Prospects list is a natural or experienced C; but does that really matter much? - CFL thinkers often convert any NI O-linemen to somewhere on the interior O-Line = we see long body, natural OT types like Sorenson (starting OT in Div I ball) playing C, and 6-11 CIS all-star OT Matt O'Donnell playing guard. Did Matt Norman play C as a rookie for the Lions? - cause he was an all-star guard in CIS ball
However - up this draft are a couple of CIS Conference all-star centres - James Comeau (AUS - Acadia) and Matt Van Praaet (OUA - Western); both are going to an upcoming Regional Combine, so if they get invited to the Main E-Camp, they might be getting considered decent CFL prospects. I would lean to trying to find an experienced C if that is the position you want to address, rather than project/conversion types, but I guess the guy has to have some pro measureables (Comeau weighed in at over 310 at last spring's CIS East-West game Combine). Unhearlded type picks do pan out in the pros sometimes, and both those guys might be still be available in the mid to late rounds maybe?
I agree that the centre position is crucial for a good o line, and I think the Lions have been really lucky to have had only 4 guys play the position over the past half century with Wilson, Taras, Sinclair, and Reid. If they can develop a guy like Thorn they should be set for another 10 years.Hambone wrote:I think it matters. Centre is arguably the most important position on the OL other than the OT on the QB's blind side. The ability to read and recognize defences and make correct signaling of blocking assignments is something no other OL position has to deal with. That's not to say there aren't good conversion projects available. It just means you can't just take any natural guard or tackle and turn him into an effective centre.
Sorensen is interesting in that it's now been 8 years since he was drafted. I don't know if he was a conversion project in Winnipeg by design or if it was a case of well he's not living up to expectations at tackle and guard, how about centre. Obviously with Reid well entrenched at C in BC that wasn't something they were considering. Unfortunately for him Jovan Olafioye came on the scene after his rookie season. I think they hoped Sorensen could convert to guard but he never really seized that opportunity.
Norman started 7 games at RG in the first half of his rookie season (2012) before he returned to school to finish his teaching certificate. They were looking at him as a conversion project to C due to apparently "high football IQ". I think the plan was to use his sophomore season (2013) as an apprenticeship under Reid with an eye to him starting in his 3rd season if Reid hung up his cleats. He likely would've received that apprenticeship by returning to play guard off Angus' right shoulder. That plan was derailed when Angus was sidelined with back problems. Norman was thrust into the starting C role as a sophomore with 7 games of CFL experience under his belt, all at guard. He had to learn on the fly. I don't know what the impact last year's injury had on his job as Lions centre. Did Foster wind up with the job because of Norman's injury or did they feel they needed to upgrade the position because of Norman's play in 2013 & 2014?
Norman is still a free agent. According to the Free Agent Tracker at cfl.ca, other ex-Lions who remain unsigned include Rennie Curran, Cord Parks, Khreem Smith and Courtney Taylor.Lionsfan65 wrote:
Speaking of Norman, does anybody know what his status is? If he has signed anywhere yet? He was solid at guard during his brief time playing there.
So much Canadian talent now. Very, very promising.Another player who helped himself on Sunday was Rupert Butcher, an interior defensive lineman who Dunk said needed to show this weekend that he could be a pass-rusher after spending most of his University career playing one-technique.
“He certainly did that today,” said Dunk. “At Western University he took on a lot of double teams to free up other defenders to make plays. That’s why his ability to pressure the quarterback had been questioned.”
Butcher was unstoppable in one-on-ones, winning virtually every one-on-one battle. Just as important as the result, Butcher said afterwards, was the way in which he approached one-on-ones.
“I think the biggest thing for a guy my size is to show I can move, that I have the agility to play in the CFL because the CFL is mostly pass rush,” said Butcher. “I need to show that I can move quickly and I’m able to have the agility for a guy my size.
“I think the film the coaches saw of me on defence did not have a lot of pass rush,” he added. “Here you have the best O-linemen in the country, and I showed I could play with them and beat them.
“I was really happy with my performance today.”
