Stats are pretty simple. 13 games in 2 years, and last year when he was in there he wasn’t very effective.
If he even makes the team and plays he’ll be surrounded by a much better unit which may help, but the idea Simoni is making under $100k and CVZ is somehow taking us for double is absurd.
This is the same braintrust that wasted 5 years of salary on Okafor.
That drafted and failed to sign Chapman.
That drafted and ended up wasting money on Burt (yes, it happens to all teams over the years, but it sucks that it happened so soon after the above failure).
That ignored the O-line to the point that we had to trade away a LOT of draft picks in order to shore it up - two years in a row.
That thought Durant was a key FA signing.
Too much at stake to get sentimental with a shot at winning a GC at home. You said sentimental . I didn’t . If Van Zeyl is ready to go this season, he is the right tackle .
So clearly it seems that you don’t have any faith in the signings that this “braintrust” makes:
Bo Levi Mitchell
Jameer Thurman
Duke Williams
Kwaku Boateng
James Butler
Ja’Gared Davis
Chris Edwards
Javien Elliott
Joel Figueroa
Terry Godwin
Casey Sayles
Fraser Sopic
Will Sunderland
Tim White
If you are going to criticize the signings that didn’t work out it only seems fair to acknowledge the signings that now make us the team to beat in the east.
Seems to me all the “Stein” and “three headed monster” haters can’t acknowledge anything but negativity. That’s fine… that is what the forum is for. Rehashing contracts that didn’t work out is choosing to be stuck in the past. Every single GM in the CFL has signed contracts that failed. Nothing unique here.
I prefer to look forward. I see a lot of effort put into this team to build a home town Grey Cup winner and I am thankful for all the work the Cats’ management has put in over this off season to do it.
Best roster I have seen in a long time. I am very optimistic about this season.
The TiCats are counting their Johnsons … 1 - Anthony, 2 - TaMarion (“DJ”), 3 - Moses. Moses Johnson, listed today on Transactions - Football Player Trades and Signings - CFL.ca as Hamilton’s latest signee is a tall Texan OL, at 6’5" / 300 lbs. He played '18 - ‘22, ninety miles from his hometown of Sugar Land, TX at Sam Houston State U. where, after 2 years on the D-line, he switched to playing RT on the Bearkats’ O-line.
I honestly feel that if Okafor would’ve been allowed to play the DT position he was originally drafted at that he most likely would still be on the team . He was ranked in the top 15 prospects in his draft year as a DT .
I happen to have it on highly reliable sources that Okafor was looking to sign somewhere in FA this season at his natural DT position . The only problem being that thanks to the organization switching him over to the O-Line he unfortunately doesn’t have any pro game tape of himself playing at his natural position .
Another clueless CFL move with Canadian players; Okafor might have been able to show something at DT for a team in need there out of his draft year. If he had been 6-7, 325, then maybe try the switch to O-line.
Unfortunately for Okafor he really didn’t have a choice in the matter . I mean when you are a rookie trying to make the team you do what you are told in order to secure a job . Trust me on this one , Okafor never wanted to convert to the other line and only did it as an ends to a mean . I have personally more respect for Okafor now since hearing this inside information about him and his unwilling but good for the team switch to the O-Line where he was clearly out of his comfort zone .
Dan Federkeil went from U Sports D-lineman (played there in the US Shrine game and looked good IMO) to O-lineman switch in the NFL; and then returned home to play O-line in the CFL.
Not many examples of good switches there - can happen, but very iffy IMO.
Chris Jones converted former EE pick (5th overall in 2021), big sized DT Cole Nelson, to O-line last season; we’ll see if he makes their roster again this year.