CFLHorsemen Update: REDBLACKS Expansion Mock Draft

[Childress]

I know every CFL fan can't wait to see what is going to happen for the upcoming REDBLACKS Expansion Draft. I am no different, and as soon as I saw the release of the free agent lists, almost uncontrollably, I started to assemble the protected lists for each team and conduct a draft. You can see all of my work here. It took several hours to compile and I hope you appreciate the effort.

I suspect that there will be different ideas that what I presented and so I encourage you to let me know how I did in my first ever Expansion Mock Draft. Hopefully we will have a few more of these in the upcoming years.

http://www.cflhorsemen.ca/redblacks-moc ... intro.html

I think Demarco gets selected...

[B.C.FAN]

Thanks, Childress. Your projections for the Lions are pretty close to the lists that some of us came up with in another thread.

I am angry that Mark Cohon acceeded to the wishes of the clubs by keeping their protected lists private, rather than opening up the process to fans and making it a public event. He seems to have lost appreciation for the fact that fans drive the league and pay everyone's salaries. The CFL offseason is long and painful for those of us who follow the league closely. The expansion draft, free agency, the CFL combine and CFL draft are offseason milestones that help maintain fan interest during the long seven months between games. The league is doing a disservice to fans in Ottawa and elsewhere by keeping much of the process hidden from the view of the paying customer.

[Sir Purrcival]

Do the players know who is and isn't protected? If they don't, then I could see some reason to keeping the lists private. It might be very hard for some players to play for their team if they don't get picked up in the draft but knew that they weren't considered essential enough to protect either. It strikes me as this is kind of a delicate circumstance. You know players can get cut and traded but sometimes when you think you are solid ground, finding out that maybe you aren't might not be universally well received.

[B.C.FAN]

The players and fans have a pretty good idea of who is likely to be protected. Most of them have probably been told of their status by their teams. It's been speculated that some potential free agents have already signed 2014 contracts with their teams but the contracts aren't yet registered with the league. The players are officially listed as potential free agents in the teams' hopes that they slide through the expansion draft unprotected and undrafted. The teams and players know a lot more about the process than the fans. It's a sham.

[sj-roc]

Do the players know who is and isn't protected? If they don't, then I could see some reason to keeping the lists private. It might be very hard for some players to play for their team if they don't get picked up in the draft but knew that they weren't considered essential enough to protect either. It strikes me as this is kind of a delicate circumstance. You know players can get cut and traded but sometimes when you think you are solid ground, finding out that maybe you aren't might not be universally well received.

I mentioned earlier that disclosure could hamper locker room chemistry where you get feuding teammates throwing "I was protected, you weren't" at one another. I don't have a big problem with this non-disclosure. People are talking about how it doesn't serve the fan, that it's going to hamper analysis of who Ottawa will draft, like it's a big impediment to drawing up a mock draft. Um, guys, you can make up mock protection lists, too. If you want stuff to talk about, then this non-disclosure only adds another degree to the discussion. The OP has undertaken this extra step and is to commended for this. Media complaints over this just come off to me like whining that the league is giving them too much homework.

Moreover, I know some people here have voiced the view — one with some merit that even Rick Ball once acknowledged — that there's a disproportionate amount of hockey discussion in our country's sports media. Do you mean to tell me that if this situation played out in the NHL, I'd be wrong to suggest that the Dan Russells of the nation would be only too happy to blather on with hours and hours of speculation on who the Canucks (let alone the rest of the league) would protect? So why is this suddenly a problem for the CFL?

As far as selection announcement procedures go, what I'd like to see is Ottawa announcing each pick one-by-one live — as opposed to having the names all released together in one fell swoop after the whole thing has wrapped.

Further on this protection list disclosure debate, what precedents are there? Not just in the CFL but other leagues? Were protection lists fully disclosed in these previous expansion drafts? I haven't heard any such precedent cited by critics but I could be wrong.

[notahomer]

Thanks Childress for all the work you put into that. I am really going to enjoy all of this discussion and the post-debate come December 16th.

IMO, from a fans perspective it WOULD be interesting.

I think we'd need to throw that out to the players as to whether they'd like the lists made public. Some probably would, others not. Its like what you hear from NHL'ers post tradedeadline day. They really are trying to not think about it but its natural to do so. Each player has his thoughts/wants but voicing them oneway/other doesn't really help. You kinda just have to deal with the outcome. I'm sure there have been some players 'shopped' that ended up being guys the team (Canucks) was unwilling to let know, once no deal was to be had.

I like the fact the RedBlacks are going to get a good choice, IMO, of available players. The free agent thing is interesting. Maybe you do take a flyer on a free agent...?

What is really hard to believe is that dubious honour that is NOT that far away.... Who will be the first 'cut' of the RedBlacks? May even happen prior to training camp......

[South Pender]

While we're in the realm of complete speculation here, of the three Lions on Childress's RedBlacks' depth chart, the one guy I hope we don't lose is Keynan Parker. I don't mind seeing Thomas DeMarco on the depth chart, or even Ernest Jackson (if that's the "Jackson" he means). Of course, this is all conjecture at this point.

[Hambone]

While we're in the realm of complete speculation here, of the three Lions on Childress's RedBlacks' depth chart, the one guy I hope we don't lose is Keynan Parker. I don't mind seeing Thomas DeMarco on the depth chart, or even Ernest Jackson (if that's the "Jackson" he means). Of course, this is all conjecture at this point.

The other Jackson was Paris. They can't take both Demarco and E.Jackson. In all due respect to him if Ottawa takes him given his age and high probability he'd retire instead of report. There's been so much talk about Pending FAs. There's probably going to be a group of players you can class as Pending RT as in retirement. Dean Valli already publicly stated he'd retire if selected. Paris would likely fall into that category.

[Toppy Vann]

The players and fans have a pretty good idea of who is likely to be protected. Most of them have probably been told of their status by their teams. It's been speculated that some potential free agents have already signed 2014 contracts with their teams but the contracts aren't yet registered with the league. The players are officially listed as potential free agents in the teams' hopes that they slide through the expansion draft unprotected and undrafted. The teams and players know a lot more about the process than the fans. It's a sham.

I too don't see a lot of downside to the release of the lists and I do think making this public would be more helpful than not to the CFL. It could produce a bit more talk but nothing like hockey where any moron can discuss potential line and def combos ad nauseum. Putting together an entire OFF, DEF and ST group of players is much more complex and that is harder for the average fan to relate to.

Each team and GM has their own style but my advice to a team like I give to businesses would be as part of the season review with each player that they explain the situation with respect to the draft and why/why not they are being protected.

Some GMs like to keep players guessing and others will straight up explain what they are doing and why. Pros know the risks here.

[cromartie]

Players understand, or they should, at least, that this is a business. The NFL made the expansion drafts for Cleveland, Jacksonville, Carolina and Houston public events that served as a tent pole event to stoke interest in the offseason. There's no reason the CFL shouldn't now. Every column inch and television eye counts, particularly when trying to rebuild the Ottawa market.

[notahomer]

Players understand, or they should, at least, that this is a business. The NFL made the expansion drafts for Cleveland, Jacksonville, Carolina and Houston public events that served as a tent pole event to stoke interest in the offseason. There's no reason the CFL shouldn't now. Every column inch and television eye counts, particularly when trying to rebuild the Ottawa market.

I agree, I'm just think that are parts of this you'd like to keep underwraps. From my perspective, GREAT, let us know. From the players/GM's, some probably would like to, others wouldn't. I definitely think next time (hope there is ) I hope they get a sense from the GM/Players opinions. If most of them don't care or WANT the lists released, DO IT, for the fans.

[Hambone]

Players understand, or they should, at least, that this is a business. The NFL made the expansion drafts for Cleveland, Jacksonville, Carolina and Houston public events that served as a tent pole event to stoke interest in the offseason. There's no reason the CFL shouldn't now. Every column inch and television eye counts, particularly when trying to rebuild the Ottawa market.

I agree, I'm just think that are parts of this you'd like to keep underwraps. From my perspective, GREAT, let us know. From the players/GM's, some probably would like to, others wouldn't. I definitely think next time (hope there is ) I hope they get a sense from the GM/Players opinions. If most of them don't care or WANT the lists released, DO IT, for the fans.

From the GM and coach's perspectives if they released the lists on December 9th they'd probably all want to get the hell out of town until the draft is over to avoid being inundated with questions from media in fans. Why did you protect this guy? Why didn't you protect that guy? Even the REDBLACK management group would probably like to work on their draft plans without constantly getting hounded by media for hints of who they will be taking. From the players' perspective is it fair for those not protected, and their families, to effectively be left hanging in the wind for the week preceding the draft?

[notahomer]

From the GM and coach's perspectives if they released the lists on December 9th they'd probably all want to get the hell out of town until the draft is over to avoid being inundated with questions from media in fans. Why did you protect this guy? Why didn't you protect that guy? Even the REDBLACK management group would probably like to work on their draft plans without constantly getting hounded by media for hints of who they will be taking. From the players' perspective is it fair for those not protected to effectively be left hanging in the wind for the week preceding the draft?

Exactly, all those points make sense. My gut tells me that GM's/Players would care. I wouldn't want to be left hanging, so I wouldn't be surprised if Players wouldn't either......

[Hambone]

Exactly, all those points make sense. My gut tells me that GM's/Players would care. I wouldn't want to be left hanging, so I wouldn't be surprised if Players wouldn't either......

There's also players' families who would be hanging in the wind along with them. I think it's one thing to know there is a possibility of being unprotected, a possibility most have lived with for the past few seasons. It's quite another to know that you are indeed unprotected and potentially relocating. Another factor to be considered is how much more difficult Ottawa's job might be if players know in advance that they are not protected and can start publicly making threats to not report if chosen. Some threats could be quite sincere as I believe Dean Valli's was a couple weeks ago. Others would be idle threats that might only muddy the draft waters.

[sj-roc]

Exactly, all those points make sense. My gut tells me that GM's/Players would care. I wouldn't want to be left hanging, so I wouldn't be surprised if Players wouldn't either......

There's also players' families who would be hanging in the wind along with them. I think it's one thing to know there is a possibility of being unprotected, a possibility most have lived with for the past few seasons. It's quite another to know that you are indeed unprotected and potentially relocating. Another factor to be considered is how much more difficult Ottawa's job might be if players know in advance that they are not protected and can start publicly making threats to not report if chosen. Some threats could be quite sincere as I believe Dean Valli's was a couple weeks ago. Others would be idle threats that might only muddy the draft waters.

I don't have strong views one way or the other on this issue, each side has its merits but I think you've given some of the best pro-confidentialty arguments here, Hambone. Sekeres has been very outspoken on the other side of the coin to the point that it would probably make for some good radio to hear you two debate this on air.