David wrote:Jovan's reaction to the trade? Shock at first, for sure. Then likely confusion, hurt, maybe even a slight feeling of betrayal - he did everything right, after all. Isn't that how a pro is supposed to comport himself? It's probably more like resignation now, much like the rest of us.
Anyway, good follow-up article from Postmedia's Mike Beamish
HERE.
“I was shocked, like everybody,” Olafioye says. “I’ve always been a good pro. I never cause anybody any problems. I’m very respectful. I went to work every day and did what I had to do. Me, I don’t understand it.
“I don’t see how you can trade a franchise left tackle, one of the league’s most consistent players for seven seasons, who never missed a game. I really don’t understand Wally’s decision. But I still have a lot of respect for the man.”
DH
I think the trade of Olifioye was a shock to almost everyone...fans, teammates, football reporters as well as to Jovan himself.
I don't think it was part of Wally's plan to trade Olifioye for 2017. Rainey had to be given a big raise and Wally also had to sign Sol E. Burnham left and Wally signed Chris Williams. Wally had to get into a bidding war for Waters with Hamilton, which turned out to be more costly for a kicker than anticipated. Then Burnham became available again and had to be signed. Wally was now up against the cap and had to reduce salary. He wasn't going to get it from Sol E, who has just been signed again. Olifioye had a big contract and therefore he became the go to guy in terms of Wally wanting to take a pay cut.
Hunter Steward also had an injury free season last year, had showed his toughness and ability at left guard, and is a natural tackle. Wally knew he could move Steward out to left tackle and that would also allow him to line up Manny, Burnham, and Williams at receiver but with Gore's pending retirement, Wally's likely thinking was also that he would either have to start Iannuzzi or go with a fourth International receiver.
Wally obviously felt that Iannuzzi was not good enough for that role so therefore there was even more impetus to go with four Internationals on the offensive line.
But Wally could have done that and moved Olifioye back to right tackle. That move would have worked well from a talent perspective but not a cap perspective. Antionio Johnson or a new International signing to play right tackle was a lot cheaper.
Olifioye would not take a salary cut overall. Therefore the decision was to trade him.
The concept that Wally needed a backup National tackle doesn't seem to hold true in that Wally tried to get Gagnon out of Montreal first and he is a guard. That would have meant that either Fabian or Vailencourt would be in the role of a backup, should we have traded for Gagnon.
Wally needed four Nationals to start and he had four who could start in Steward, Fabian, Vaillencourt, and Husband. But if he did that he needed quality National backups. What Wally would have done, if Steward got hurt at left tackle this season, had we traded for Gagnon is nebulous - he likely would have drafted a National offensive tackle this year has to be the assumption.
It would have made more sense for Wally want to trade for Facault, a left tackle, as either a starting left tackle or a backup left tackle in the first place.
Perhaps, now, by trading for Facault, Wally may either start Steward or Fagault at left tackle. If Wally gives the nod to Facult, then Steward will likely remain at left guard. Wally may also want to play Facault at guard in his first season. Should he want to do that, then either Fabian goes to backup or Vaillencourt doesn't move into a starter role this season.
Of course Wally could also start Facult at right tackle. Wally will likely draft an offensive lineman with one of our two first round draft choices. If Wally goes with four Nationals on the line, he would have two National backup offensive linemen - one of Steward, Facault, Husband, Fabian and Vaillencourt plus Dhillon plus Horton and Pennell, who were signed for this season (plus a potential draft choice).
Horton is a converted defensive lineman out of SFU and Pennell is an offensive lineman who started 50 games for UBC and was a second Second-Team All-Canadian selection in 2013 as well as a Canada West All-Star and he helped lead the Thunderbirds to a national championship win in 2015.
But if Wally decided to start five Nationals on the offensive line, he would only have Dhillon plus Horton and Pennell plus a potential first round 2017 offensive lineman and that potential offensive lineman would need to be able to be a backup offensive tackle.
I dont' see Wally doing that. Wally appears to want to copy the Stamps model of having a backup for every offensive line position. The Stampeders offensive line success over many seasons is based on a number of factors: 1) coaching (eg: Delmonaco) 2) drafting a lot of offensive lineman 3) being able to replace injured offensive linemen without missing a beat.
That means that Wally, by wanting a backup at every line position, will want to start an International at one line position with an International backup. He wants a backup National at each position and a backup offensive tackle at each position, as well as someone who could step in and play center if necessary.
Wally is thinking that the Stamps offensive line success has been based upon competition. That is not something we have had much of here in B.C. on our offensive line over recent years. If we go in that direction, it will mean having more National offensive linemen on our practice roster.
Injuries forced the Stamps last season to use many different hoggies — 12 different offensive linemen saw duty in the trenches in 2016 and not once after the 11th game of the season did Calgary start the same five starters in back-to-back games. Yet they run blocked well enough for Messam to win the rushing title and they protected Bo Levi Mitchell much better than any other team did for their quarterback.
The Stamps go into the 2017 season with Nationals Dan Federkeil, Pierre Lavertu, CFL All Star Wilson, Shane Bergman, Cam Thorn, Brad Erdos and Randy Richards who all made starts in 2016 as well as young linemen Roman Grozman, and Karl Lavoie.
That means that he will want to start an International with a backup. He wants a backup National at each position and a backup offensive tackle at each position, as well as someone who could step in and play center if necessary.
Our National offensive lineman right now are:
Hunter Steward
Kirby Fabian
Cody Husband
James David Facautl
Jas Dhillon
Quinn Horton
Alex Pennell
Potential draft choice
International
Antonio Johnson
Vincent Brown
Nate Isles
In terms of the 2017 draft Mason Woods, Geoff Grey, Dariusz Bladek, Qadr Spooner, and Jean-Simon Roy are all potential first round offensive line selections. Jeremy Zver would also be an option in the first two rounds and he is an offensive left tackle.
If we take an offensive lineman in the first round, we would have five first round offensive linemen on our team (Fabian, Steward, Facault, Vaillencourt, plus the new selection. A key to the success of the Stamps has been their focus on the offensive line in the draft...they have used 10 selections over the past four seasons to choose offensive linemen and they used their first round selection for an offensive lineman in 2013, 2014, and 2015.
They have also selected very well. For example in the second round of the 2013 cfl draft we drafted Haidara when Brett Jones was available and we needed a center.
We have an exciting group of recievers for 2017 along with Johnson and Rainey. But the key to it all is Jonathan Jennings.
Jennings is only 24 years old. Anthony Calvillo was 31 when he won his first MOP award. Henry Burris was 35. Damon Allen wAS 42, Kerry Joseph was 34 and ) and Khari Jones was 30. Jonathan Jennings should only get better but we also have to protect him. Quarterback injuries have taken their toll on recent quarterbacks as Ricky Ray and Zack Collaras. Many other quarterbacks have missed time during a football season in recent years due to injury.
The key is not having a backup quarterback. The key is keeping your starting quarterback healthy.
"When I went to Catholic high school in Philadelphia, we just had one coach for football and basketball. He took all of us who turned out and had us run through a forest. The ones who ran into the trees were on the football team". (George Raveling)
