Cuts announced.

[Hambone]

wally would have 6-gamed him if he thought it was worth saving.
I think they came to the conclusion that Guy wasn't worth it versus what they had. maybe his injury is more of a long-term issue that will be a ceiling on his level of play

If his knee was indeed bothering him then the 6 game was definitely a viable option. That they didn't do that would indicate his knee is totally fine. In that case what do they gain by placing him on the 6 game? It becomes a bit of a Catch-22. Obviously he needs development and practice time but once on the 6G he's ineligible to get that practice time he needs to continue with development.

[B.C.FAN]

Wally is being Wally. It's been 24 hours since the CFL 46-man cutdown deadline but the Lions still list 60 players on their roster, with no injury lists or practice roster announced. The only changes are the Dillon Guy and Ese Mrabure-Ajufo have been removed from the roster.

[David]

At a minimum, the Riders violated an unwritten agreement among CFL teams. You should check out this piece by a couple of CFL insiders. They think it's dirty pool too, although not illegal.



I have a hard time believing Wally and Neil aren't steamed by this. No one wants to lose to two young National assets on the same day to a rival organization.


DH

[CardiacKid]

I don't think it's so much as given up on as having no roster spot for him. Come to think of it at camp I didn't notice him at all. However I also wasn't looking for him either.

Fair enough. It just seems to me that we need to do a better job of protecting our assets. A few weeks ago, he was the steal of the draft. Today we give him away for nothing. Gotta give a good prospect more than 1 training camp to make an impression. If he's good enough to steal away, he should be good enough to protect or trade if necessary.

wally would have 6-gamed him if he thought it was worth saving.
I think they came to the conclusion that Guy wasn't worth it versus what they had. maybe his injury is more of a long-term issue that will be a ceiling on his level of play

If his knee injury was the tipping factor in his staying or being left "unprotected" then my question is "how thorough was his pre-draft medical"? When the Leos drafted him, I am fairly certain one of the first questions Wally faced regarding Guy was the state of his ACL. Wally said it checked out and he was good to go; in other words they didn't waste a draft pick on him.

If indeed his knee is not good, why was that not caught? Why waste that draft pick?

I can appreciate that the Leos only have so many spots available and that it is a juggling act when it comes to filling up the AR, PR and IR. But just when it seems the team has turned the corner on buidling a solid, long-term future for Canadian talent on the o-line, there is what is IMO a step backwards. Something about this rankles me and there is bit of an "odour" about it....just seems fishy.

The other really odd thing about the Riders scooping these guys to potentially fill 2 of the 3 vacant spots on their roster. I mentioned earlier in this thread that the Riders are big-time hurting at QB, only Durant with CFL experience and a potential china doll when he steps foot on the field. Coleman barely has QB experience of any shape or form and Tubby Sims is on the 6 game IR to shed a couple of jersey sizes. They need a QB X 2; why use up roster spots for guys who are more than likely not going to be starters any time soon? I would have thought McGhee or Boyd from Montreal would be far more likely candidates to fill those spots.

[B.C.FAN]

It's not quite tit for tat, but the Lions have added former Saskatchewan LB Nehemie Kankolongo to their practice roster. He was an early cut of the Riders this year.

Added to practice roster:

WR Brett Blaszko (N)
WR Shaq Johnson (N)
WR Devonn Brown (I)
RB J.C. Coleman (I)
DL Andrew Hudson (I)
DL Kache Palacio (I)
DL George Uko (I)
OL Antonio Johnson (I)
LB Nehemie Kankolongo (N)

Released from roster:

OL Dillon Guy (N)
DL Ese Mrabure (N)

There are still 52 players listed on the active roster at bclions.com, including Terence Jeffers-Harris, and no injury lists.

[maxlion]

At a minimum, the Riders violated an unwritten agreement among CFL teams. You should check out this piece by a couple of CFL insiders. They think it's dirty pool too, although not illegal.



I have a hard time believing Wally and Neil aren't steamed by this. No one wants to lose to two young National assets on the same day to a rival organization.


DH

I don't think there is anything wrong with this as it gives an opportunity to two young players to make a full salary and get a full time roster spot. If Wally and Neil are steamed, all they would need to do is provide a roster spot and they would be able to protect their assets.

Keeping Ese at his salary on the roster all year might be a hard sell, but I would have thought that Wally would figure out a way to keep Guy.

Seems odd that the Riders would be willing to pay Ese but not a similar amount for their own first overall pick.

[CardiacKid]

At a minimum, the Riders violated an unwritten agreement among CFL teams. You should check out this piece by a couple of CFL insiders. They think it's dirty pool too, although not illegal.



I have a hard time believing Wally and Neil aren't steamed by this. No one wants to lose to two young National assets on the same day to a rival organization.


DH

The thing about violating unwritten rules is no one will trust you down the line or want to deal with you down the road. Yes, Jones wants to win now but he may have just sh*t in the CFL nest. Hope the Riders get frozen out for the remainder of this year......Jones is a winner but he is also a colossal Ass-Hat.

Next time the Riders play in BC Place, lets turn the amps up to 11 and give Rod Pedersen and all his new "buddies" in the Rider brain trust tinnitus.

[DanoT]

Wally has no reason to be steamed at the Riders as he could have prevented Guy from leaving, although we as fans have reason to be steamed at Wally for not finding a way to hang on to a highly regarded draft pick in Guy.

For Esa to stick with the Riders he might need to agree to take a pay cut.

[Hambone]

Wally is being Wally. It's been 24 hours since the CFL 46-man cutdown deadline but the Lions still list 60 players on their roster, with no injury lists or practice roster announced. The only changes are the Dillon Guy and Ese Mrabure-Ajufo have been removed from the roster.

I think you'll find that across the league. I was looking at Edmonton's roster this morning. They still have 55 listed on the active portion but no injury list. One guy on their active list, John Ojo, is done for the season and will wind up on the 6G. Calgary has 52 and Hamilton 57 currently "active".

I think typically the injured lists don't get updated until teams submit their game rosters later in the week. Lions roster now has 52 names plus the PR. I think you'll find once they submit the game day roster, probably Thursday, the 5 or 6 extra bodies will wind up on the 1G or 6G IR. Minter and Boldewijn I suspect will be in that group. I don't know if either are practicing yet. Neither were participating in camp when I was there 2 weeks ago and neither saw exhibition action. Bryant Turner I think has also been hobbling. Not sure why Jeffers-Harris continues to show on the roster if he was released.

[CardiacKid]

.... although we as fans have reason to be steamed at Wally for not finding a way to hang on to a highly regarded draft pick in Guy.

I am plenty steamed at Wally and Jones.....I tweeted out to Wally my disappointment with this turn of events and a response on his behalf would be appreciated.

[TheLionKing]

4 of this year's draft picks made the team.

[Qman]

i get 51

27 US
3 QB
21 Cdn

that means 4 US players are 1 or 6-gamed and 1 cdn is hurt

I suspect the two allens will be players 45 and 46 most of the season.

[Qman]

4 of this year's draft picks made the team.

3 from 2015 .... + boyko + covington in NFL

1 (menard) 2014 NOTE: Lochard is with WPG; T-dre player just released

2 (steward and bo) from 2013 NOTE: Cam thorn made CGY Albright is still with OTT (expansion draft)

2 (westerman & fabien) 2012 ... norman just retired

[Hambone]

i get 51

27 US
3 QB
21 Cdn

that means 4 US players are 1 or 6-gamed and 1 cdn is hurt

I suspect the two allens will be players 45 and 46 most of the season.

That adds up. When I counted 52 earlier today Jeffers-Harris was on the roster. He's gone now.

I'm getting:
25 US
3 QB
23 CDN

They still have Edem, Forde, Lokombo and Lumbala listed as INTs. You might've caught 2 of them and missed 2.

[CardiacKid]

At a minimum, the Riders violated an unwritten agreement among CFL teams. You should check out this piece by a couple of CFL insiders. They think it's dirty pool too, although not illegal.



I have a hard time believing Wally and Neil aren't steamed by this. No one wants to lose to two young National assets on the same day to a rival organization.


DH

According to a tweet from Justin Dunk, Wally was plenty steamed.....plenty, plenty steamed. Like, if I were EMA and Guy, I wouldn't be showing my face to him in any sort of context anytime soon.

I will be interested to see if he and Jones shake hands when the Leos and Riders next meet.

Putting aside all the opinions as to whether or not this was a legit move by the Riders, it makes one think there should be some sort of mechanism where a team can "protect" their current year draft picks. That way they are afforded a chance to further assess and develop them, whether it be on the PR or AR and not park them or hide them on the IR. Something above-board and regulated so we aren't left with the "gentleman's agreement" defense.

If a player still hasn't developed to the point of graduating the PR to the AR a year later, then a change of venue just might good for both player and team.

If Boyko makes an appearance in a Lions uniform this year, then the sting will be far less. But I got to say, a system where a 1st rounder like St. John basically is just going to sit and left to rot by the Riders (and his own actions) can then allow that same Rider team to sniff around another team in an attempt to fix a problem of their own making, is busted. Let's not forget that the Riders are the makers of their own problems in terms of their overall roster and in particular, their lack of National depth. Jones crapped in his own nest and now he is desperately attempting to extricate himself from it.

While the actions of the Riders weren't technically against the rules, they leave a rotten taste in my mouth and will probably come back to teach Jones the rookie GM, a lesson. I can only hope