Hey Folks , I was just looking at the depth chart/ injury list/pr from last years East Semi final roster and I was kinda surprised to see and count 26 players already including current unsigned FA’s that are no longer on the team. It’s interesting to note though that half of the 26 were either on the 1 gm or 6 gm IL at the end of last season. So breaking it down further another 2 players were on the PR and 11 were on the active roster and of those 11 only 3 were starters in the ESF game against Edmonton. The team to date has had 11 players sign elsewhere in FA , a further 9 remain currently unsigned FA’s , 2 have been traded , 3 released and 1 has retired.
15 of the departed 26 have found new homes and have signed elsewhere in the league. 11 via FA , 2 by trade and 2 on waivers so far .
Here is the list of the 26 to date departed Cats and their status at years end last season . I have also listed where they are now and how they got there :
26 Players so far gone from last years team
Free Agents signed elsewhere and status at end of 2016 season (11)
M. Coates - wr (1gm IL)…Winnipeg
J. Harris - qb (6 gm IL)…Montreal
B.Landry - lb (6 gm IL)…Calgary
K.Lawrence - rb (1 gm IL)…Edmonton
J.Mathews -qb(active bu)…Toronto
R.Murray -lb/db(6 gm IL)…Toronto
D.Nevis -dt(active s)…Winnipeg
R.O’Mara - de/lb(active bu)…Ottawa
C.Owens - wr( 6 gm IL)…Saskatchewan
J. Sears - db(6 gm IL)…Toronto
A. Woodson - rb(active bu)…Calgary
Unsigned Free Agents (9)
J. Adams -cb (1gm IL)
J. Chiles - wr ( active r )
A. Fantuz -wr ( 1 gm IL)
S. Hebert -db (6 gm IL)
B. Maher - k (active )
K.Raymond -lb (active s)
L.Richardson -de (active bu)
J. Robinson -lb (active bu )
D. Scott - rb (6 gm IL )
Traded / Released / Retired ( 6)
F. Plesius -lb (active bu ) traded…Montreal
B. Simmons -ol (6 gm IL) traded…Montreal
P.Dyakowski -g (active s ) released…Toronto
T.Campbell-ot (practice ) released…Saskatchewan
W. Smith -lb (practice ) released
B.Archembault -lb (6 gm IL) retired
Nice job bobo! Nevis is the only great loss to other teams.
On your UFA list, I would like to see these guys back
Maher - Should come cheap as he has had no offers from other teams and knows the swirling winds at THF.
Fantuz - no explanation needed!!!
Keon Raymond - I liked what he brought in the final weeks(sure tackler), seasoned vet at a position of need that could come cheap as no teams have showed interest
Thanks Grover I think that a lot of fans will be surprised when looking over that list . A lot of players jettisoned who were basically just spare parts and bit players, many of who were also just clogging up our bloated IL from last season , most of them replaceable or already replaced . I agree by the way with your wish list of Maher and Fantuz but I’m currently on the fence when it comes to Raymond. The reason for this is not because I don’t like Raymond as a player but because to me any ways it seems like the team is going in a different direction in regards to the SAM lb spot this season.
Let’s face it SAM was a total tire fire last year for this team with no continuity to speak of and no less than 6 different players starting at one time or another all season long at that position. I’m thinking that Austin and Reinebold are looking at other alternatives thus the letting go of both Murray and Sears and the so far not re-signing of either Raymond or Robinson for that matter.
I have a funny feeling that we might just see a ratio change at that position with a now fully healthy Butler back and quite capable of playing in that spot plus the Shortill trade now gives the team an additional Cdn who adds depth behind Butler if the team chooses to go with this scenario.
Of course another route the team could go to shore up the vacant SAM position would be to try out one or two of the numerous DB’s currently on the roster ( 17 at last count ) and see if any are capable of becoming a hybrid type of player such as Murray was and the dearly departed and still not adequately replaced Erik Harris was while here. The scuttlebutt I hear from Alouette fans is that the newly acquired Ethan Davis was possibly being groomed to eventually take over from an ageing Chip Cox in Mtl before being traded here . I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if Davis emerges from T.Camp as our new starting SAM lb thus the reason for the trade with Montreal. Time will tell I guess but it’s definitely going to be interesting to see how things shake down this season at our currently vacant SAM lb position.
Oh ya I'm all in on Butler as SAM, I just liked Keon because he was by far the best SAM we had last season, if whoever gets that new SAM position doesn't work out well, it would be very nice to have a proven seasoned vet like Keon to come in.
From what I remember, Nevis lost his job to Mike Atkinson about halfway through last year. Maybe that was a ratio move or an injury to Nevis kind of thing, I don't know. But if it wasn't, that's your answer as to why Austin let Nevis walk.
Well it’s true you may have nothing in the cupboard “ArgoT” it really doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to sign a guy who is north of 30 and destined to most likely miss three quarters of the season on the IL.
Your right about Toronto desperately needing receivers but they need guys who can come in and play and start immediately . Not much sense in signing a guy like Fantuz who really can’t help you out from the get go and unlike the Cats who already have an established group of receivers, I really feel that the Argos don’t have the luxury of waiting around until Fantuz fully heals to risk signing him to a contract.
My guess is that Andy eventually re-signs back here in Hamilton but with a incentive laden moderately decreased 1 yr contract for the 2017 season. Just another guesstimate but if he does re-sign I’m thinking that the earliest we might see him suit up might be for the Labour Day game, but I think realistically that might be a little too optimistic and wishful thinking on my part.
Average recovery time from ACL surgery is 9 months
Fantuz had his surgery the 3rd Week of NOV,
9 months recovery time = 3rd week of AUG(Week10)
Week 10 = our last Bye week
Week 11 = LDC :rockin:
I understand that if he is not under contract that he doesn’t get paid. But who pays for his rehab and recovery program? if a player is under contract the team would be putting him through physio etc
Do they sign a re-sign a guy and pay him to sit around for 8 months and pay for his recovery?
Maybe since we was an “employee” of the Cats when injured that there might be something to the equivalent of Long Term Disability insurance. Very prevalent in private industry. This would cover all the costs until rehab is completed.
Not sure how this works with pro sports. Would be interesting to find out.
This is from the previous CFL CBA contract(2014), I suspect it is the same now
Medical Treatment After Injury Medical coverage has been extended to one year from the date of injury. The previous agreement terminated coverage on the date of the following year’s training camp regardless of when the injury may have occurred during the season.
It remains to be seen if the Argos do indeed have a great coach . In the world of “What have you done for me lately” Trestman hasn’t really been that great . You might get a difference of opinion about Trestman’s greatness if you talk to some fans of the Chicago Bears or the Baltimore Ravens . These were Trestman’s last two stops in the coaching world that frankly produced less than stellar results. As HC of the Bears for 2 seasons (2013-14) he was a combined 13-19 with a .406 % winning percentage. Not surprisingly he also failed to get the Bears into the playoffs in his 2 seasons there and was subseguently fired for his efforts . Trestman then went on to become the Ravens OC ( Jan 20/15) and held the job for a year and a half before being let go halfway through last season on Oct 10/16 . The reason for the Ravens letting him go was mostly due to the fact that the team had one of the most feeble and unimaginative offences at the time in the NFL and were at or near the bottom in pretty much every Offensive category with Trestman at the controls.
I’ll hold judgement on Trestman’s greatness until I see how he fares coaching a team like the Argos who last time I looked didn’t have an Anthony Calvillo at the controls and nowhere near the talent level that Trestman was afforded and inherited when he last was a HC in the league . Trestman basically took over a ready set veteran laden powerhouse Alouettes team that had already made 5 trips to the Grey Cup in the previous 8 years before he arrived on the scene.
Now don’t get me wrong , he might do alright in Toronto but I think that Trestman will find out rather quickly that it’s quite a different kettle of fish coaching a rebuilding team with very little to no talent on the roster as opposed to coaching the talent laden Alouettes of the mid 2000’s .
Lastly just as a comparison to what I just said I leave you with two words to prove my point above…Charlie Taffe… name ring a bell ? remember him ? remember where he coached before coming here ? Enough said . :cowboy:
I hope that the Cats do the right thing and re-sign him so he is not only ours but at least has income during rehab. After all, they seemed to find a way in the past few years to have what seemed like the largest IR list in the league with some marginal players being protected. Now is the time for them to step up for Fantuz.
I think that a lot of fans will be surprised when looking over that list . A lot of players jettisoned who were basically just spare parts and bit players, many of who were also just clogging up our bloated IL from last season , most of them replaceable or already replaced . I agree by the way with your wish list of Maher and Fantuz but I’m currently on the fence when it comes to Raymond. The reason for this is not because I don’t like Raymond as a player but because to me any ways it seems like the team is going in a different direction in regards to the SAM lb spot this season.