CFL Draft Thread for May 6, 2013 ... Picks & Comments

[WestCoastJoe]

I've been leaning towards Jabar Westerman for the Lions first pick.

Add this one to the prospective list: Bo Adebayo, D End 6'3" 257 lbs. Just made eligible for the draft.

[TheLionKing]

Haven't personally never watched any of the prospects play I'll reserve judgment to Buono and his staff who we should draft.

[joe kapp22]

Other league got a couple of the top guys, Crawford and Pasztor etc.

Otherwise the draft class is in really good shape.

[Toppy Vann]

I don't get too excited about the draft despite these things being the life blood of most leagues. I am always more intrigued by the CFL free agent camps where players who are passed over in their draft get to showcase for the coaches what they can do.

Certainly not knocking the CFL draft and the fan interest or the media coverage as it is all good for the game and the team with the best Canadians should be competing for a Grey Cup.

The college game is just so much different than the pro game it is hard to make a direct line connection from top performance in college to even making a pro team and being a success.

[B.C.FAN]

The good news is that so far Virginia OL Austin Pasztor appears to be the only CFL draft-eligible player to have signed an NFL contract as an undrafted free agent. Aside from Pasztor and a pair of defensive ends drafted by NFL teams, Boise State DE Tyrone Crawford and Georgia State DE Christo Bilukidi, the rest of the CFL draft class is intact.

Undrafted free-agent deals for all 32 NFL teams

[WestCoastJoe]

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=394687

Bo Adebayo has a new lease on his football life.

When the six-foot-three, 265-pound defensive end began his senior season at Western Kentucky last fall, it was with the knowledge he might be playing football for the last time. Although eligible for the 2012 NFL draft, Adebayo figured if he didn't make it there he'd have to hang up his cleats and get a real job.

After being bypassed in last week's NFL draft, Adebayo can set his sights on a pro career in Canada, thanks to his roots.

The 24-year-old was born in Edmonton and spent eight years in Alberta before moving to the U.S, and growing up in Georgia. At Western Kentucky, Adebayo's top goal was to reach the NFL and the idea of returning to Canada to play football was nowhere on his radar.

But when he did learn that the CFL was a viable option, Adebayo successfully applied to the league for non-import status at this year's draft, which will be held Thursday.

"The biggest thing for me is I want to keep playing," Adebayo said via telephone from Bowling Green, Ky., on Monday. "I feel like I still have so much more I can do and show on the field.

"To be honest, I never really thought about (playing in CFL) because I was so focused on trying to make it to the NFL. My coaches used to talk to me about it in practice and that's when I started thinking I should look into that as maybe a backup plan but now it's going to be the main plan."

Adebayo's mother was attending nursing school in Edmonton when he was born while his father worked as a university professor. He's the youngest of four boys but the only member of his family to be born in Canada.

And Adebayo can't wait to return.

"I've been looking forward (to the CFL draft) for a very long time and having the opportunity to return to Canada and play football," he said. "It's just a great opportunity.

"I still have friends and people who used to hang out with my family when we lived there."

Adebayo was an honourable mention all-Sun Belt Conference player last year after posting career highs in tackles (31), sacks (four) and tackles for a loss (8.5) in nine starts, meaning more than a third of his stops came behind the line of scrimmage. Although he was granted non-import status too late to be included on the CFL Scouting Bureau's top-15 list, Adebayo is expected to go in the first two rounds of Thursday's draft.

With Adebayo only recently receiving his non-import status, CFL teams are busy familiarizing themselves about him heading into the draft. Saskatchewan Roughriders GM Brendan Taman has the first pick overall and while it's very unlikely he'll use it on Adebayo, Taman isn't sure Adebayo will still be available when the Riders pick again at No. 15 to open the third round.

"He's definitely a draft pick, how high or low depends on teams' needs and opinions on him," Taman said. "But he's in the process of being a pretty decent prospect, that's for sure."

Saskatchewan Huskies guard Ben Heenan remains the consensus No. 1 pick and Taman said Monday he has spoken to other CFL GMs about the top selection. Taman said he hasn't received an offer that matches his asking price of a 2012 first-round pick, a future selection and-or Canadian player.

"We've had emails or calls from some teams . . . and some of it has been somewhat serious, some has been exploratory and some hasn't been very serious," Taman said. "The price might be steep for most teams if not all of them, and that's fine.

"We're the ones in the driver's seat here so we'll control what we control and right now we control the No. 1 pick."

Adebayo would certainly fill a need for the B.C. Lions, who are thin at defensive end with the recent retirement of veteran Canadian Brent Johnson. Adebayo said he worked out this off-season for the defending Grey Cup champions, who have three picks in the first two rounds (the fourth, seventh and 14th).

"I've worked out for B.C. and Hamilton and have talked to just about every team except Edmonton," Adebayo said. "The CFL is a passing league and pass rush is my specialty so that's exciting to me."

Adebayo wasn't invited to either the NFL combine or CFL evaluation camp but posted a 40-yard dash time of 4.79 seconds at Western Kentucky's pro day. He also had a vertical leap of 32 inches and 18 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press.

Adebayo has the long arms (33 3/4 inches) many scouts like defensive linemen to have so they can create separation from opposing offensive linemen and dictate the flow up front. Adebayo also has a long reach (78 inches), which can be an asset both against the run and rushing the passer.

However, Adebayo will have some ground to make up in a CFL camp, adjusting not only to life as a full-time pro as well as the many nuances of Canadian football, most notably lining up a yard off the ball.

[WestCoastJoe]

http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/duane_forde/?id=394693

Duane Forde looks at the Lions ...

Current Non-Import Roster:
Adam Baboulas, OL, St. Mary's
Jon Hameister-Ries, OL, Tulsa
Jesse Newman, OL, Louisiana-Lafayette
Angus Reid, OL, Simon Fraser
Dean Valli, OL, Simon Fraser
Akeem Foster, WR, St. Francis Xavier
Shawn Gore, WR, Bishop's
Marco Iannuzzi, WR, Harvard
Paris Jackson, WR, Utah
Tim Cronk, RB, Bishop's
Stuart Foord, RB, Regina Thunder Jrs.
Andrew Harris, RB, V.I. Raiders
Rolly Lumbala, RB, Idaho
Sean Ortiz, DL, UBC
Joash Gesse, LB, Montreal
James Yurichuk, LB, Bishop's
Jason Arakgi, DB, McMaster
J.R. LaRose, DB, Edm. Huskies (Jrs.)
Hamid Mahmoudi, DB, Montreal
Cauchy Muamba, DB, St. Francis Xavier
Kwasi Nkansah, DB, St. Francis Xavier
Davis Sanchez, DB, OregonPaul
McCallum, K, Surrey Rams (Jrs.)
Hugh O'Neill, K, Alberta

Of the 24 non-imports on the roster, 14 of them (58.3%) were acquired via the draft.

Key Canadian Additions: RB Stu Foord

Key Canadian Losses: DE Brent Johnson, OG Andrew Jones, RB Jamall Lee

In The Pipeline: In theory, former first round picks DB Oshomogho Atogwe and Danny Watkins could one day wear out their welcome in the NFL and join B.C…in theory. Also, interestingly, 34-year old DL Rob Meier, whom the Leos chose first overall way back in '99, is looking to return to pro football after a two-year retirement. While he would ideally like to be back in the NFL where he had previously played for ten seasons, the Vancouver native hasn't completely ruled out his hometown Lions as an option.

Potential Non-Import Starting Positions: 3 OL, 3 WR, RB, LB, FS

Most Pressing Need: The last few offseasons have seen the Lions lose defensive ends Ricky Foley (free agency) and Brent Johnson (retirement) so acquiring a D-Lineman who can become a rotation player is a must. Adding depth to the O-Line and receiving corps are also priorities.

Five-Year Draft History:
YEAR, OVERALL, NAME, POS, SCHOOL
2011, 6, Marco Iannuzzi, WR, Harvard
2011, 11, Hugh O'Neill, K/P, Alberta
2011, 19, Michael Carter, DB, Maryland
2011, 37, Yannick Sage, OL, Sherbrooke
2011, 42,Chris Hodgson, DL, Saint Mary's
2011, SD6, Alex Ellis, DT, Wilfrid Laurier

2010, 4, Danny Watkins, OT, Baylor
2010, 10, Shawn Gore, WR, Bishop's
2010, 16, Joash Gesse, LB, Montréal
2010, 20, Hamid Mahmoudi, DB, Montréal
2010, 24, Nate Binder, WR, Tusculum College
2010, 25, Akeem Foster, WR, St. Francis Xavier
2010, 34, Cauchy Muamba, DB, St. Francis Xavier
2010, 41, Adam Baboulas, OL, Saint Mary's
2010, 42, Matthew Chapdelaine, WR, Simon Fraser

2009, 3, Jamall Lee, RB, Bishop's
2009, 4, James Yurichuk, LB, Bishop's
2009, 5, Matt Carter, WR, Acadia
2009, 21, Matt Morencie, OL, Windsor
2009, 29, Tang Bacheyie, S, Kansas
2009, 37, Jonathan Pierre-Etienne, DE, Montreal

2008, 5, Justin Sorensen, OL, South Carolina
2008, 9, Rolly Lumbala, RB, Idaho
2008, 18, Justin Shaw, DL, Manitoba
2008, 20, Jason Arakgi, LB, McMaster
2008, 22, Mike McEachern, DB, Western Illinois
2008, 38, Brady Browne, DB, Manitoba
2008, 46, Hubert Buydens, OL, Saskatchewan

2007, 8, Adam Nicolson, WR, Ottawa
2007, 16, Josh Bean, LB, Boise State
2007, 17, Tad Crawford, S, Columbia
2007, 24, Andre Sadeghian, RB, McMaster
2007, 32, Andrew Jones, DL, McMaster
2007, 40, Kyle Kirkwood, OL, Ottawa
2007, 47, Nic Edgson, DB, Idaho State

Implications of Past Drafts: It was a desire to eventually move to an all-Canadian offensive line that led the Lions to draft tackles Justin Sorensen and Danny Watkins in the first round in '08 and 2010 respectively. The fact that those picks didn't pan out has opened the door for young Canucks like Andrew Harris and some combination of Cauchy Muamba, James Yurichuk, and/or Marco Iannuzzi to become starters.

2012 Selections (5): 4th, 7th, 14th, 37th, 38th

Pretty good summary of the Lions' draft situation ...

Now if they would just give Duane a different announcing partner ... Ha Ha

(Sorry, Rod, stick to figure skating.)

[WestCoastJoe]

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/

Excellent TSN panel discussion of various teams' needs ... Chris Schultz, Duane Forde, Dave Naylor ...

Riders ... Schultz says Shamawd Chambers, Forde says Ben Heenan. I can't see Taman doing anything but the local kid, Heenan.

Eskimos ... Schultz and Forde figure Eskimos will take the one the Riders leave alone.

TiCats ... lots of flexibility since 2011 was spent on futures now coming home to roost. O Line this year probably.

Lions ... D Line says Forde: Bilikudi off to NFL. Lions might go with Adebayo or Westerman. Schultz says they will go with best player available.

Looks to me like Schultz had to play the counter arguments role, not recommending the logical picks.

[Hambone]

The one thing BC has over others is flexibility in the early rounds. They have 3 picks in the top 14. Getting a DL is probably their top need but with picks at 4 & 7 they don't necessarily have to take a DL there. They can play things by ear taking the best player available at #4. If no DL is taken in the first 3 and they take another position odds are pretty good one of the top 2 DL prospects would still be there at #7.

[B.C.FAN]

Mike Benevides was on Team1040 Monday and stressed that the organization has always believed in taking the best player available, although they have adjusted their philosophy to some extent in the wake of the Danny Watkins experience. Still, he mentioned offensive and defensive linemen and receivers as the three areas of greatest strength in this draft and as the three positions the Lions will be targeting. He repeated that view in an interview with Lowell Ullrich in The Province.

I find it surprising that the Lions would be keen to draft offensive linemen, given that they didn't have room to keep Andrew Jones and Nick Hennessey this offseason. I just hope a mock draft conducted by Miles Gorrell for cfl.ca doesn't come true. He has the Lions picking offensive linemen with both of their first-round selections.

Miles Gorrell's 2012 CFL Mock Draft

[WestCoastJoe]

It seems to me there is a lot of pressure on Tillman with the Schmos.

He "gave away" Ricky Ray IMO. Now he needs to make that 2nd overall pick count. And that could be tricky. It seems both Heenan and Chambers have some interest from the NFL. I don't think Tillman can afford to have his 2nd overall pick not show up to TC this year.

I recognize that Tillman has had a lot of success building teams in the CFL, but I have to say I am not a fan of his. I thought he did a solid job with the Lions back in the day, but started to grow disenchanted with him about the time Cal Murphy called him a "little red-headed pissant." So pressure on him is not a bad thing from my point of view.

Just IMO ...

[The_Pauser]

My draft wishlist:

1.4: Austin Pasztor (can never have enough NI depth on the O-line, and this guy seems like a gem)
1.7: Bo Abedayo (seems like he has the potential to be a gamebreaker)
2.14: Arnaud Gascon-Nadon (can't have enough NI depth, given right now we have none)
5.37: Mathieu Bouvette (wouldn't be a bad receiver to take late)
5.38: Kyle Quinlan (why not? at this stage the majority of the players get cut anyways, why not see what this kid has? Could be a hidden gem)

[MexicoLionFan]

I agree Joe, Tillman is already on the hot seat in Edmonton with the RR deal...so he will need to have a productive day tomorrow. Also, Taman in Saskatchewan...he needs to make the right choice at #1...

As for the Leos, ALWAYS BPA...always...in the case of the kids playing at US colleges, you have to be very careful to ensure you avoid another Danny Watkins situation. Clearly the Leos need DLine help, but if the right guy simply isn't there, then the Lions should NOT REACH and go ahead and select the BPA...you can always trade them after the draft.

It should be an interesting day tomorrow.

[The_Pauser]

I agree Joe, Tillman is already on the hot seat in Edmonton with the RR deal...so he will need to have a productive day tomorrow. Also, Taman in Saskatchewan...he needs to make the right choice at #1...

As for the Leos, ALWAYS BPA...always...in the case of the kids playing at US colleges, you have to be very careful to ensure you avoid another Danny Watkins situation. Clearly the Leos need DLine help, but if the right guy simply isn't there, then the Lions should NOT REACH and go ahead and select the BPA...you can always trade them after the draft.

It should be an interesting day tomorrow.

Well Tyrone Crawford will be the best player available, but he won't be drafted in the first three rounds.

[WestCoastJoe]

http://www.cfl.ca/article/2012-cfl-cana ... ft-preview

2012 CFL Canadian Draft preview

Posted: May 02, 2012 09:00 PM

THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO -- The months of uncertainty and anxiousness are almost over for Ben Heenan.

The spotlight has been fixed on the Saskatchewan Huskies offensive lineman since he opened the 2012 season as the CFL draft's top-ranked prospect. Although he has dipped to No. 2 in the rankings, the six-foot-four, 310-pound Heenan remains the overwhelming favourite to go first overall in Thursday's draft.

"It has been very, very busy for me and my family and the media has kept me on my toes,'' Heenan said Wednesday. "For the most part I'm just trying to enjoy it and soak it all in.

"I just want to go to a place that wants me and whatever team drafts me will want me. It will be interesting to see how things unfold.''

The Saskatchewan Roughriders hold the No. 1 pick and many of their fans have made it clear they want the club to select Heenan, a native of Grand Coulee, Sask. Trouble is, the offensive line isn't a top priority for the Riders after signing free agents Dom Picard and Brendon Labatte and re-signing veteran Chris Best this off-season.

That allowed Roughriders' GM Brendan Taman to entertain trade offers for the No. 1 pick. But as of Wednesday no club had met Taman's asking price of a 2012 first-round pick, a future selection and/or a Canadian-born player. So unless Taman receives a stunning, last-minute offer, he'll open the draft by calling Heenan's name first overall, which would suit Heenan just fine.

"I'd have no problem staying here to play football,'' he said. "It has been very, very encouraging to hear about fans lobbying for me to an extent.

"That's obviously incredible and not a lot of places get that. To have the fans behind me is a great feeling.''

Heenan certainly isn't the only top draft prospect available but is one of the few who'd be able to report to Saskatchewan immediately. That's important considering the Riders only currently have 24 Canadians on their roster.

Four of the top six players on the final scouting bureau rankings list have either been drafted by NFL teams or offered mini-camp tryouts, with Heenan and Laval linebacker Frederic Plesius (No. 5) being the exceptions.

"I don't think we can wait for a guy we may see in a year,'' Taman said. "I think you need a guy who's going to be in camp and around your team for the next two, three years.''

And with Taman having already said he wouldn't take Plesius first overall, all signs point to Heenan being his man.

Edmonton Eskimos GM Eric Tillman, who tried dealing with Taman for the top pick, has two first-round selections (second and sixth, overall) and much pre-draft talk had him taking Laurier receiver Shamawd Chambers at No. 2.

But with Chambers, the fastest player at this yea'r's CFL evaluation camp, reportedly heading to the Philadelphia Eagles' mini-camp next week, there's talk Tillman will take the six-foot-one, 245-pound Plesius, who began his college career at Baylor before transferring to Laval, second overall.

The other top prospects heading to NFL camps include top-ranked Boise State defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford (Dallas Cowboys draftee), No. 4 Austin Plasztor, an offensive lineman from Virginia (Minnesota Vikings free agent) and No. 6 Christo Bilukidi, a defensive lineman from Georgia State (Oakland Raiders draft pick).

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have the No. 3 selection, followed in order by the B.C. Lions, Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton again before the defending Grey Cup-champion Lions round out the first round.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers were scheduled to pick seventh overall but forfeited the selection after taking Central Michigan receiver Kito Poblah in the 2011 supplemental draft.

Offensive line seems to be a need for Hamilton, which could look to the six-foot-seven, 305-pound Plasztor as a future pick or select the six-foot-six, 295-pound Kirby Fabien of Calgary to join the team right away.

B.C. is in an enviable position of having few needs and with two first-round picks can use one on an immediate player and another on a future prospect. The Lions do need a Canadian defensive lineman to replace retired all-star Brent Johnson and either Western Kentucky's Bo Adebayo or Jabar Westerman of Eastern Michigan could fill that bill.

Calgary is another team with few needs and could look to either Westerman or Adebayo on the defensive side at No. 5 or Calgary Dinos offensive lineman Carson Rockhill.

That would allow Edmonton to pick up Chambers at No. 6 or possibly look to Adebayo if he dropped that far.

The Lions finish up the first round at No. 7 and could use the pick on an offensive lineman like Plasztor if he was still on the board.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Argonauts and Montreal Alouettes don't have opening-round picks. The Bombers' first pick will be at No. 8 to open the second round, with Toronto following at No. 9 and Montreal at No. 11.

But Toronto GM Jim Barker says he'll continue working the phones into the draft to move up or down, depending on the circumstances. Barker added he remains in the mix for the No. 1 pick but truthfully is longshot to secure the first overall selection considering he doesn't have a 2012 first-round pick to offer Taman.

"You're always in the mix,'' he said. "Does that mean we're going to get that No. 1 pick? Probably not.

"We're always pursuing making our team better. The key is can we come up with a deal that they feel makes them feel good about giving up the No. 1 player in the draft.''

However, Barker hasn't talked solely to Taman. When asked if he had other irons in the fire, Barker responded, "Quite a few.''

"The experiences I've had, you just never know,'' he said. "To say I'm out of anything is probably not accurate.''

If Barker can't move up, he says he'll still get a quality player at No. 9.

"You're going to get a guy who is a good player and our goal is to maximize that pick,'' Barker said. "We aren't drafting expecting to get a player that's going to be the difference-maker in us winning the Grey Cup.

"With that said, you take the player that's going to be in the best interests of your club long-term in building your Canadian talent base.''