Canadian Receivers

[barrister]

The team has a wealth of very good young Canadian receivers including 2 buried on the practice rooster. We need to play these guys or they will just move on. I suggest that the overall team would be improved if we played just two import receivers and used the extra import in the offensive line or at safety. What do you think?

[DanoT]

The team has a wealth of very good young Canadian receivers including 2 buried on the practice rooster. We need to play these guys or they will just move on. I suggest that the overall team would be improved if we played just two import receivers and used the extra import in the offensive line or at safety. What do you think?

Against Ottawa the Lions played 2 int. receivers (sat Jackson) and this allowed them to insert Tim Brown into the line up.

[leo4life]

The National receivers dont get thrown to very often which is a concern...even Gore doesnt get that many passes per game....Jones need to get them more involed in his offence so teams stop keying in on Harris/Logan/Taylor/Arceneaux

[JohnHenry]

The team has a wealth of very good young Canadian receivers including 2 buried on the practice rooster. We need to play these guys or they will just move on. I suggest that the overall team would be improved if we played just two import receivers and used the extra import in the offensive line or at safety. What do you think?

Good 1st post...and welcome to Lionbackers, by the way!

I've been suggesting this for the past couple of seasons. I can't believe the dropoff in talent from E. Jackson to Poblah/Haidara is that great to cause T. Brown's benching? It seems like a no-brainer to start an extra Canadian receiver...especially with Adekolu/Tomusiak in reserve who look like blue-chip prospects. Another option would be to play a Canadian TE and/or keep the FB in to block on more plays. This might look like the Riders but they've won 7 games in a row with the CFL's worst passing offence.

[Rammer]

I like our depth on N receivers, Haidara's name hasn't even mentioned. Lions need to find a way to work them into the lineup.

[B.C.FAN]

The Lions' national receivers play the positions farthest from the QB and don't get as many passes thrown to them as the two slots, Taylor and Arceneaux. When they do, they're often standing still, facing the QB, and don't get to demonstrate their athleticism. Gore is moved around the most in various packages and gets the most chances. He had 5 targets against Ottawa and 3 catches, plus a 10-yard rush. Poblah had 2 targets and caught them both. Iannuzzi had 4 targets and only 1 catch. (Most of the others were uncatchable.)

Receivers' coach Joe Paopao was on the midday show on radio with Matt Sekeres and Blake Price last week. I forget the exact wording of the quesion, but Sekeres asked Paopao who excites him in the receiving corps. Sekeres said everyone knows about Arceneaux, leading Paopao to name someone else. His answer, without hesitation: "Kito." Paopao also complimented the young guys trying to crack the roster, including Adekolu. He said Haidara is their utility guy, who backs up all the positions. (That's a role that Paris Jackson filled in recent years and, before that, Bret Anderson.)

On the practice field, the coaching staff can see that the Lions' national receivers show great potential. We just haven't seen enough of them in game situations for fans to see their talent.

[notahomer]

He didn't get the first down, but Kito certainly got the Lions close (after CATCHING the ball) late in the Redblacks game. Got them close enough that the Lions were able to convert on third/short.

[peeby]

Had to weigh in on this one as I have strong opinions on this. I noted Lowell Ullrich saying something to the effect that the switching of the CDN Poblah for Ernest Jackson was a failure and I (once again) was thoroughly ticked at the guy. I am not an LU fan whatsoever. There was no significant drop off there, mainly because Jackson is not that good. Poblah? Don't really see it myself, but why not try and find a Getzlaf or Bagg among your CDNs? The guys on the practice roster are worth a look. On Jackson, I would go further and say take a look at one of the import WRs on the practice roster.

Shawn Gore: Always puzzled me as to why he doesn't break out. Finally dawned on me last game that he may be a little small. Think his wt is around 185 or less. Still like him, but I'd look at Adoulei (spell).

TE: Agree with poster that we should have one. Don't know that we have a candidate on the current roster, however. The SFU TE didn't look too bad!

Back to the two CDN receivers on the practice roster.. I am reminded of a CDN guy who stood out in the Lion's last Abbottsford camp. He looked as good as Martel Mallett to me. But not to Wally. Not only did he go onto a practice roster, they were suggesting he'd have to switch to receiver to have any chance of making the team. His name? Andrew Harris. I still maintain we missed one good year of his running for what boils down to bias against NIs.

Okay, so most of the imports are pretty good, but even when they are not, they get more chances than the locals. I'm just say in'.

[South Pender]

Shawn Gore: Always puzzled me as to why he doesn't break out. Finally dawned on me last game that he may be a little small. Think his wt is around 185 or less. Still like him, but I'd look at Adoulei (spell).

I've wondered too just when Shawn Gore is going to emerge as a true threat. It's not his size (6-0, 200 lbs.) that's holding him back, and his measurables at the 2010 Canadian combine were mostly really good: 4.50 in the 40; vertical jump of 39.5; broad jump of 10' 3"; 15 reps bench press. He's a great physical specimen--right up there with guys who light it up in the NFL. However, he hasn't taken a game over and dominated the way we would hope. Not sure why....

[Rammer]

Shawn Gore: Always puzzled me as to why he doesn't break out. Finally dawned on me last game that he may be a little small. Think his wt is around 185 or less. Still like him, but I'd look at Adoulei (spell).

I've wondered too just when Shawn Gore is going to emerge as a true threat. It's not his size (6-0, 200 lbs.) that's holding him back, and his measurables at the 2010 Canadian combine were mostly really good: 4.50 in the 40; vertical jump of 39.5; broad jump of 10' 3"; 15 reps bench press. He's a great physical specimen--right up there with guys who light it up in the NFL. However, he hasn't taken a game over and dominated the way we would hope. Not sure why....

Name me the last Canadian reciever that did take over and dominate the way we hope. That is part in part of our N OL players as well, it is difficult to impress the N GM/Coaching staff we have. At least we can fool the opposition by throwing it to Taylor on 2nd and long...yet we can't find a National during that time, when everybody knows who we are targeting.

[South Pender]

Name me the last Canadian reciever that did take over and dominate the way we hope.

Not sure of your point. Is it that Gore could be that guy, but bias or incompetence on the part of the coaching staff have conspired to deny him the opportunities? There have certainly been Canadian receivers--Andy Fantuz being one currently playing--that have dominated a few games with a lot of catches. I don't think it's unreasonable to hope that we can have the same success with one or more of our N receivers. I think that when Shawn Gore first joined the Lions, many were hoping he'd be one of these. I know that I was.

[Rammer]

Name me the last Canadian reciever that did take over and dominate the way we hope.

Not sure of your point. Is it that Gore could be that guy, but bias or incompetence on the part of the coaching staff have conspired to deny him the opportunities? There have certainly been Canadian receivers--Andy Fantuz being one currently playing--that have dominated a few games with a lot of catches. I don't think it's unreasonable to hope that we can have the same success with one or more of our N receivers. I think that when Shawn Gore first joined the Lions, many were hoping he'd be one of these. I know that I was.

I was referring to the Lions receivers. The last great Canadian was Clermont IMO. Gore should have been the next one, but he gets limited touches, so he will never be the next one the way this offense deploys him. Lions are all about slots, if you don't play in the slot, you get a lot of wind sprints.

[South Pender]

I was referring to the Lions receivers. The last great Canadian was Clermont IMO. Gore should have been the next one, but he gets limited touches, so he will never be the next one the way this offense deploys him. Lions are all about slots, if you don't play in the slot, you get a lot of wind sprints.

Got it. But Gore does line up in the slot most of the time--as a third SB. I think we'd find that the main targets in the CFL in general--not just with the Lions--are slotbacks.

[notahomer]

I was referring to the Lions receivers. The last great Canadian was Clermont IMO. Gore should have been the next one, but he gets limited touches, so he will never be the next one the way this offense deploys him. Lions are all about slots, if you don't play in the slot, you get a lot of wind sprints.

Oh yeah! Sometimes it seemed like he ENJOYED getting smacked and/or delivering a SMASH when you went to tackle him. Loved watching him play in Lions colours.... I sure hope Gore gets that chance to be better involved. He's a really nice guy whose obviously confident. It would be nice to see him be used as a bigger asset....

[sj-roc]

I was referring to the Lions receivers. The last great Canadian was Clermont IMO. Gore should have been the next one, but he gets limited touches, so he will never be the next one the way this offense deploys him. Lions are all about slots, if you don't play in the slot, you get a lot of wind sprints.

Oh yeah! Sometimes it seemed like he ENJOYED getting smacked and/or delivering a SMASH when you went to tackle him. Loved watching him play in Lions colours.... I sure hope Gore gets that chance to be better involved. He's a really nice guy whose obviously confident. It would be nice to see him be used as a bigger asset....

I don't think anyone who was in the building that night could forget the time he took that hellacious hit from William Loftus and quickly sprung back to his feet like he was barely touched, punctuating the play with a defiant spin of the ball on the turf. The crowd went nuts; the video here doesn't really do justice to the reaction. He was rarely one for theatrics but he really picked his spot well on this one.
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