Lions signings for 2020

[Lion Guy]

Carter had a bad drop on the first pass to him in the 1st quarter, but otherwise, I thought he played quite well against the Stamps. But I don't understand why, if they knew they were going to release him just over a week later, would they not see what they have in Augustin (or another PR player) in live game action?

The patience they showed with Duron in 2019 was truly remarkable.


DH

In the post game, Duron was quite proud of the fact that he dressed for all 18 games, for the first time in his career (IIRC). I suppose that is something, but I cannot think that it would be a career highlight when he looks back on it 10 years from now.

Laze around the field half-assed like he did and I could have played 18 games as well. Never pleased with the signing and very pleased with his release. Probably a nice guy, but what a clown and a distraction on the field.

[B.C.FAN]

According to cfl.ca, the Lions added five nationals and an American linebacker to their offseason roster on Tuesday.

SIMMONS, Joshua WR N Prairie View A&M
PEIRSON, Andrew OL N Gannon
OLUGBODE, Kenneth LB A Colorado
NWOYE, Charles DE N UBC
HUTCHINS, Gregory K N UBC
HARRY, Jamie DB N Ottawa

Simmons, a native of Houston, was a wide receiver and return specialist at Prairie View A&M in 2016 and 2017, where he caught 52 passes for 696 yards and four touchdowns. In 2016 he was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference's Newcomer of the Year. He signed a tryout contract with Buffalo in 2018. (I'm not sure how he would qualify as a national. That may be a mistake.)

Peirson, 24, spent most of the 2019 season on the practice roster after starting the final five games at centre in 2018.

Olugbode, 24, played two games for Calgary in 2017 after being released by the Cleveland Browns in training camp. He later went to San Diego in the AAF. In college he started 36 games at inside linebacker for Colorado, where he had nine career tackles for loss, 10 pass breakups, and three interceptions. He was named an honorable mention All-Pac 12 as a senior in 2016.

Nwoye, 23, was drafted by the Lions in the sixth round of the 2019 CFL draft but was cut in training camp and did not spend time on the practice roster.

Hutchins, 22, was an undrafted kicker/punter from Nova Scotia who transferred to UBC after spending a year at New Mexico State. He was added to the Lions' practice roster in October after first signing with Edmonton as a free agent. In 30 games at UBC, he made 50 of 67 on field goal attempts (75%) while averaging 37 yards on punts and 55 yards on kickoffs.

Harry, 25, was drafted by the Argos in the fifth round of the 2019 CFL draft but was cut in training camp. He was added to the Lions' practice roster in September and was activated for one game against Saskatchewan in October.

UPDATE: The Lions have confirmed the signings and clarified that Simmons is an American, not a national.

[B.C.FAN]

The Lions have re-signed RB John White for 2020. White, 28, set career-highs in rushing yards (1,004) and carries (192) and seven rushing touchdowns along the ground. He added another 341 receiving yards and a TD on 46 catches.

LIONS RE-SIGN JOHN WHITE IV FOR 2020

[Hambone]

Simmons, a native of Houston, was a wide receiver and return specialist at Prairie View A&M in 2016 and 2017, where he caught 52 passes for 696 yards and four touchdowns. In 2016 he was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference's Newcomer of the Year. He signed a tryout contract with Buffalo in 2018. (I'm not sure how he would qualify as a national. That may be a mistake.)

CFL.ca does tend to muddle those things up at times. He's listed as American on the Lions site though. Similar with Isiah Bennett. He shows as N in CFL.ca transactions but is listed as American on the Lions site.

[B.C.FAN]

The Lions, who already had five quarterbacks on their roster, have announced the signing of former Colorado State and Washington Husky QB K.J. Carta–Samuels. I take that as a sign that pending free agent Danny O'Brien, Mike Reilly's lone backup for most of the 2019 season, likely won't be back next year. Brandon Bridge, who was signed as a late-season injury replacement for Reilly, is also a pending free agent. Reilly, Grant Kraemer and Ricky Lloyd are already under contract for 2020.

The Lions also announced the signing of former New Hampshire linebacker Quinlen Dean.

LIONS SIGN PAIR OF INTERNATIONALS FOR 2020

[Hambone]

Quantity of QBs now is almost irrelevant, BC can't possibly be thinking of retaining O'Brien and for that matter Bridge. At his point they have to be thinking about the future and neither of them are it. Reilly has 3 more years left on his deal. That is also about how long it should take to develop another QB to be a serviceable starter with upside to grow into an elite QB.

Who knows what the future might hold for Reilly when his current deal expires but there's no time like the present to develop his replacement. BC may not need a replacement come 2023. They might need somebody to step up in 2021 or 2022. Regardless it would be foolish to think Kraemer or Lloyd will be the "next one" so bring in Carta-Samuels. Maybe bring in another one if they think he has more upside than current incumbent backups. In the end they will bring 5 to camp and likely weed one out before or immediately after the 1st preseason game. I'm not even concerned about the idea of only dressing 2 QBs because normally #3 doesn't play unless the coaching staff wants to make him the designated sneaker which IMO does jack squat when it comes to development other than to develop a relationship between his hands and the centre's butt. When you are #3 your development takes place on the practice field.

[Sir Purrcival]

Given the way QB's dropped this year, it is a very safe bet that whomever #2 is going to be will need to be able to take the reigns partway through the 2020 season. The short version of the story for the wanna be #2's is "learn fast".

[DanoT]

Reilly has taken a pounding for most of his career and especially this past season, so there is a possibility of him retiring prior to end of his current contract. Lions need to find and develop the next QB NOW.

[Toppy Vann]

IIRC next year the CFL lets them only dress two QBs and that's all the Lions dressed this year.

I can't believe the CFL let the players win on this 2 QB issue as that is no way to develop QBs in a QB driven league. Talk about a step backward.

Signing 5 or 6 QBs for BC is a joke.

[ziggy]

Agree dressing only two QB’s seems shortsighted. Given the on field carnage last year, it seems foolish.

[DanoT]

The NFL with its huge rosters only dress 2 QBs.

Since the Lions do not have a backup QB with any experience to speak of, bringing 5 backups to camp and then choosing one from that group to dress and one on the practice roster doesn't seem like a bad idea to me.

[Hambone]

Agree dressing only two QB’s seems shortsighted. Given the on field carnage last year, it seems foolish.

Even with that carnage whomever was dressed as a #3 almost never saw the field unless they were the designated sneaker or holder for the kicker. Most of the playing time handed out to guys thought of as #3 when the season began happened after they'd been promoted to #2 due to injury to #1 or the original #2 or in what would be a meaningless season finale when the starter was rested or at most played a couple series before giving way to the backups.

[B.C.FAN]

The QB position is evolving in the CFL and NFL. It doesn’t make sense to dress three prototypical pocket passers and have two of them stand on the sidelines until injuries occur. I’d love to have a versatile athletic third QB who can be counted as a national or international and play special teams, RB or receiver in addition to QB.

[Gridiron Ernie]

The QB position is evolving in the CFL and NFL. It doesn’t make sense to dress three prototypical pocket passers and have two of them stand on the sidelines until injuries occur. I’d love to have a versatile athletic third QB who can be counted as a national or international and play special teams, RB or receiver in addition to QB.

Yes, like NFL utility player (QB) Taysom Hill who last game I watched the Saints play blocked a punt for a TD and also caught a TD pass. He's listed behind Drew Brees and Teddy Bridgewater. I just noticed yesterday 3DownN ran a story concerning NFL scouts' interest in Bomber's QB Streveler as a potential so-called utility player. However, outside of those examples, I admit I'm not too aware of many such arrangements elsewhere. Heck, so far as the Lions go, never mind a versatile athletic third QB, I'd settle for a second one, please and thanks!

[B.C.FAN]

The QB position is evolving in the CFL and NFL. It doesn’t make sense to dress three prototypical pocket passers and have two of them stand on the sidelines until injuries occur. I’d love to have a versatile athletic third QB who can be counted as a national or international and play special teams, RB or receiver in addition to QB.

Yes, like NFL utility player (QB) Taysom Hill who last game I watched the Saints play blocked a punt for a TD and also caught a TD pass. He's listed behind Drew Brees and Teddy Bridgewater. I just noticed yesterday 3DownN ran a story concerning NFL scouts' interest in Bomber's QB Streveler as a potential so-called utility player. However, outside of those examples, I admit I'm not too aware of many such arrangements elsewhere. Heck, so far as the Lions go, never mind a versatile athletic third QB, I'd settle for a second one, please and thanks!

Streveler and Hill are probably the best current examples in the CFL and NFL, respectively. Another recent example would be Jordan Lynch, a third-string QB and special teamer who covered punts and had 53 rushes for 228 yards while playing behind Mike Reilly and James Franklin in Edmonton in 2015 and 2016. I'm not sure if Brandon Bridge has the same athleticism but he would count as a national if used as a third QB and utility player, which increases his overall value. Bridge had 45 rushes for 237 yards and a 5.0-yard average in two full seasons in Saskatchewan in 2017 and 2018.