Lions Release Jason Clermont

[pennw]

So are we going to see him in Green next year now ? To bad this is where it ends , but this the tough part of pro sports that can't be avoided. Best wishes to JC .

[TheLionKing]

So are we going to see him in Green next year now ? To bad this is where it ends , but this the tough part of pro sports that can't be avoided. Best wishes to JC .

I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that he will wind up in Regina. As he learned today, it's a business. He'll probably go to whichever team offers the best deal. On Global tonight, he indicated that several teams have already been in touch.

[SammyGreene]

I believed that our Leos were better off to have Paris Jackson in the slot along with Simon. The CFL is a slotback league and Jackson is a faster, taller target that can take more pressure off Simon. I felt it was a mistake to move Jackson back outside when Clermont returned from his four game injury at the end of this season because we were a more dangerous offence with Jackson inside.

The decision to use P. Jackson in the slot next year put Clermont in a bind. Not fast enough to play the two outside receiver positions he would have become the fifth receiver. That made him expensive and at 30 years old, coming off an injury plagued season, I understand why we said goodbye to him. We need more speed at receiver, it was a shortcoming that hurt us in big games.

Blitz, I reluctantly agreed with your assessment when Jackson was so productive at the time in the slot. I also realized it would be really hard to justify paying a 5th receiver/TE $180,000 (or even your 3rd best receiver) in a salary cap era. Still, yesterday's move came as a shock given I always thought Clermont would retire as a Lion after signing his most recent extension last season.

Wally is taking a lot of heat right now for cutting a very popular player but respect him a ton for making such a decision when a lot of GMs would play it safe and look for cap savings elsewhere, or worse just remain status quo.

That was a hell of a stern message he sent to the rest of his veteran players. Basically don't expect the club to ride out a marquee players' contract if he has an injury marred or less productive season.

I wonder who is next on the chopping block?

[Lions_Fan_4_Life]

What a class act. Dude gets cut, and mentions DPF in his first interview. Honestly, I can't say enough good stuff about him. every encounter both on the internet and in person with him have been nothing but positive, and saying DPF was his best memory of Vancouver, besides winning the Grey Cup, shows his personality, that we all have grown to love.

Keep us proud 82, good luck.

[Big Time]

This move I have to say is yet another sign that Wally is losing it as a GM. Let's see, you got a slotback who catches everything, is the toughest player in the league, catches in traffic, takes punishing hits and keeps going, always gets extra yards after every catch, is under contract for two more years and IS CANADIAN, and you cut him outright? Are you telling me they couldn't have gotten at least a meaningless draft pick out of this? They couldn't have found something for to do? This move is as insane as the Joe Smith move which has now officially also amounted to nothing with the Roberts cut. I don't see Paris Jackson making the catches JC82 did. The Lions did not get better with this move.

With all that being said, I've felt for a couple of seasons now that the team has not used JC properly. There are games where no namers are getting more balls thrown their way than JC. He would sometimes get one or two passes a game. Looks to me like Chap ball will be on the menu again next year since they've now officially gotten rid of two all stars because Chap doesn't know how to play with them.

All in all, I'm not happy with this move at all

[TheLionKing]

Let's hope Chap is the next to go.

[Blitz]

I believed that our Leos were better off to have Paris Jackson in the slot along with Simon. The CFL is a slotback league and Jackson is a faster, taller target that can take more pressure off Simon. I felt it was a mistake to move Jackson back outside when Clermont returned from his four game injury at the end of this season because we were a more dangerous offence with Jackson inside.

The decision to use P. Jackson in the slot next year put Clermont in a bind. Not fast enough to play the two outside receiver positions he would have become the fifth receiver. That made him expensive and at 30 years old, coming off an injury plagued season, I understand why we said goodbye to him. We need more speed at receiver, it was a shortcoming that hurt us in big games.

Blitz, I reluctantly agreed with your assessment when Jackson was so productive at the time in the slot. I also realized it would be really hard to justify paying a 5th receiver/TE $180,000 (or even your 3rd best receiver) in a salary cap era. Still, yesterday's move came as a shock given I always thought Clermont would retire as a Lion after signing his most recent extension last season.

Wally is taking a lot of heat right now for cutting a very popular player but respect him a ton for making such a decision when a lot of GMs would play it safe and look for cap savings elsewhere, or worse just remain status quo.

That was a hell of a stern message he sent to the rest of his veteran players. Basically don't expect the club to ride out a marquee players' contract if he has an injury marred or less productive season.

I wonder who is next on the chopping block?

Clermont is going to have a hard time geting paid $180,000 by anyone in the league!! He might be a popular choice in Riderland but they have cap issues as well. Clermont was worth his $180,000 last season but just like Bobby Singh, if you are going to force the club into a contract that pays you at the very highest rate you place yourself at high risk for being cut if you don't or can't perform at that level.

Who is next on the chopping block? Hard to know. Wally is close to players like Barrin Miles and Ty Williams but the players that should be on the block if we want to get things turned around are Ty Williams, Otis Floyd, and Barrin Miles. Leroy Glover had an excellent season but at 30 years old we may go a year early at wideside corner and release him. Jamal Johnson is fast and can hit a ton but he also was not great at pass defense and could be on the bubble. Korey Banks is expensive, not a Wally type of player in that he is not the supercompliant type, he had a mid-season awful slump but was terrific in the playoffs. I think we should keep him but who knows. Glatt has to get moved out of the middle but I can see us keeping him but using him more situationally as we did towards the end of the season. However, we need to use Glatt more against the pass and less against the run.

On offence, we're geting older in the middle so Kelly Bates and Angus Reid will be looked at. We may need to push Valli up to center or left guard. I'd be looking at Angus Reid's performance this year but offensive line is the place you want to make changes slowly. If it was my move I'd drop Rob Murphy. He's expensive, he was not a good role model leader this season, and we could replace him with Stith. Wilson goes into camp as the second Canadian receiver but we have to draft there or try to trade (although the prospects are not great)

I'm not so sure that Wally has really made up his mind about quarterback. He's always been more of a Jarious fan while Chap likes Buck. However, Wally has had his most success with mobile quarterbacks like Flutie and Garica. He could trade but the choices are not good. His decision to look to go deep more next season may mean that he isn't totally decided about Buck or Jarious. I think Zac Champion will be looked at closely at training camp and if he performs very well or Jarious or Buck don't we could see another surprise but not yet.

McCallum was outstanding last season but we're getting closer to the stage where we will have to transtion there. However, I think we'll see McCallum for another season.

However, there is no question that the greatest changes need to be made on offence. Our pass defence was not great during the regular season but our defence played well in the playoffs. However, we were shut down with our nickel and dime offence in the playoffs. We desperately need more speed at receiver but the best change would be to change would be to force Chap to just coach the receivers and not play call. Wont' happen though but the statement from Wally that our offence is too predictable and doesn't challenge vertically is a comment to Chap as well. It was what got him in trouble in Edmonton and he hasn't changed. He has to!!!!!

[zark]

I am both stunned and saddened by this decision. Jason Clermont was the toughest guy on the team, he was our most sure-handed receiver and was always money when a key 1st down was required. Yet, in the second half of the season, he gets completely ignored and is underutilized, and now he's cut. One of the classiest guys to ever wear a BC Lions uniform and great in the community as well as on the field. After many questionable decisions by Wally this year I'm beginning to question him. Bringing back Chapdelaine, trading Joe Smith and his stubborn conservative game plans which ended up costing us. I hope Jason comes back with a vengeance and really sticks it to Wally and makes this move look retarded when all is said and done. Thank you for all the memories Jason, you were one in a million and I feel proud to have watched you play at such a high level for so long. Good luck next season and we'll miss you.

That's the spirit!!!
I'd like you behind MY back.
Let training camp begin. G-Mullen has to EARN a spot on the team. If some one throws a ball in his hands at a crucial play, tell him to catch it.

[B.C.FAN]

I never liked the way we used Jason Clermont in our offence. We probably used him best in 2007, under Kruck/Dorazio, when we used him on more vertical patterns. It didnt' surprise me that Clermont finished third in receiving last year, utilized that way. However, Chapdelaine used Clermont mostly underneath on crossing patterns this season and that didn't make sense to me. Clermont not only took some hellacious hits but you should be using a speed guy on crossing patterns.

Blitz, I agree that Paris Jackson is a much better weapon than Clermont in the slot. I don't think Clermont's relative lack of productivity this year has anything to do with the offensive system or Chapdelaine's play-calling.

Compare Clermon't numbers in the slot this year with those of Paris Jackson in the three games he played at Clermont's position, running the same plays:
Clermont: 50 catchers, 640 yards, 12.8-yard average
Jackson: 16 catches, 249 yards, 15.6-yard average

If you look at Clermont's career, the two seasons in which he was injured and missed substantial playing time were the seasons in which he had the lowest average gain per pass.

2004: 83 catches, 1,220 yards, 14.7-yard average
2005: 78 catches, 1,042 yards, 13.4-yard average
2006: 44 catches, 507 yards, 11.5-yard average
2007: 86 catches, 1,158 yards, 13.5-yard average
2008: 50 catches, 640 yards, 12.8-yard average

Has Clermont lost speed with age and his accumulated injuries or was he just slowed by injuries this year? I know he's determined to bounce back in 2009. I hope for his sake that he has a strong season somewhere. He's due for an injury-free year.

[nelson95]

more sloppy seconds for the riders?

[TheLionKing]

more sloppy seconds for the riders?

:lol: :lol:

[Lions4ever]

more sloppy seconds for the riders?

You....you...hockey player you!

[LFITQ]

I don't know what else to say that hasn't been said already.

This is a mistake. And I'll leave it at that.

Otherwise, I just want to thank JC82 for all he has done for the orange and black. He has been a class act and a wonderful player. He is a player that you hope more players can emulate and when coaching football you hope your players will grow up to become more like. He is a true Red and white role model, and in today's world, sports figures like that are harder and harder to find.

JC thank you for making BC Lions football more enjoyable to me and my family. Your Autographed 8x10 that you sent me when I ordered your t-shirt, your jogo card, your name on my 50th anniversary jersey, (I'd add your bobblehead but I wasn't lucky enough to get one), and the countless numbers of photos you took the time out to take with me and my family will be cherished and hold a place of prominence in my house.

JC, you can be rest assured that wherever you end up next season, I will be cheering just as hard for you as I was when you were wearing the orange and black - even when your games are against the Lions.

To sum it up ... Thank you Jason.

[zark]

Is this when some body says "oh shut up, your just a bunch of whiners." No it isn't. Nice posting guys. Sniff