Edmonton signs former CFL All-Star Derrick Moncrief

EDMONTON — The Elks have added some more star power to an already stingy defence.

Edmonton has signed linebacker Derrick Moncrief, the team announced announced Tuesday ahead of the club’s September 11 Labour Day rematch against the Calgary Stampeders.


This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.cfl.ca/2021/09/07/edmonton-signs-former-cfl-star-derrick-moncrief/

Keep up the fine work GM Brock Sunderland. The addition of former Rider-Derrick Moncrief is a welcome addition to your linebacker position. I hope to see him as a full-time starter ASAP. :star_struck:derrick-moncrief


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This is a HUGE signing for the Edmonton Football Team I wonder if he starts on the rematch or how long he must quarantine for before he can play

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With Edmonton starting to come together as team, this addition of Moncrief is a huge bonus for Edmonton! Their defense has played fairly well last 2 games, and will only be better with this signing. I think this will give the Elks the chance to compete for 1st in the west with Sask and Winnipeg. A player of this magnitude can make a huge difference on the field and in the locker room. Beware of the Elks! They just got alot better.

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I'm thinking this is a real big mistake by O'day. Moncrief was going to Sask. first but they let him go for 20G?

Well he’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. It’s a big mistake if he misses out but if he pays a little extra to get him then he gets crucified for ‘going over the cap’. Every time that the Riders sign anyone the haters always scream ‘over the cap! over the cap!’.

Take Moncrief and cut the last string linebacker on the roster. That should cut into half of the overage. I'm thinking and hoping most teams save a little cap room for NFL castoffs.

Well, dog, that’s inside the box thinking which O’Day is good at. He let Judge walk, telling him he couldn’t afford him according to some accounts. Dunk says he wouldn’t outbid Elks for Moncrief. How’s that work with the CAP? Here’s the thing. SirVincent, among others is on the 6 game &, if he stays there for 2 more, his salary doesn’t count vs the CAP. Amanti Edwards was capably replaced by the younger Edwards in the LDC. Amanti’s on the 6 game. Is he likely to come off early? No. More money saved & so it goes. Since Jones left, so has Jefferson, Judge & Moncrief to name a few. If O’Day keeps saying he has no money then (1) Regina will not be a destination point & (2) he should adjust his way of thinking IMO. When you let good, even great, players get away who just want you to give them a reason to come back, you’ve got to step up & find a way. I don’t think it’s rocket science. Am I missing something here?

I'm not sure if It's just my imagination but players released late from NFL do not play well upon returning to the CFL at least at first. They also seem to be heavier and perhaps let down, disappointed. Not knowing what he signed for I won't blame O'Day automatically. I'm sure these are difficult decisions shared by many on Rider staff.

Moncrief wants to play so isn’t sitting around waiting for a PR spot down south. Fact is, many were surprised he made himself available. He should be fully ready to go after his quarantine period which leaves him out this week. Plus it gives him a full week to study the playbook. So the disappointment factor is clearly outweighed by his anxiousness to play football. And I would doubt he is out of shape.

'Moncrief'?

Mon dieu! That's a terrifyingly good signing by the Elks.
They're starting to think like us. :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

I’m not saying that O’Day did well or did poorly. I don’t think he is the best GM, I don’t think he is the worst either. I think he listens to coach Craig and takes his input a lot, I could be wrong there.

My point was simply that there are enough Rider haters around here that whatever O’Day does one way or another, a handful of people are going to lambaste him for it. And that’s fine, but I can take it with a grain (or a whole sack) of salt.

Which reminds me, I gotta pick up salt for the water softener.

Bottom line, Moncrief is a good player and they lost out. You win some, you lose some. I’m a bit disappointed, but it’s not like they lost Gainey or Purifoy who would be harder to replace. It’s not like they lost Labatte to the Bombers or something. It’s not a disaster. It’s a minor setback and that hardly makes O’Day a bum as much as many want to believe that it does.

Are they up against the cap? No idea. No one knows, not even those who scream about the Riders and the cap, because the numbers are never disclosed. The SMS has never had transparency. But the haters will scream it anyway.

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If O'day is worried about the haters hating to influence his decisions, Riders are in big trouble moving forward. Coach Dickenson clearly stated that Moncrief is a game breaker and was very disappointed they didn't get him. Even stated Edmonton will be a "tough out" now with him in the lineup. Sounds to me like Dickenson was all in for him and O'Day shuttered the idea, so I'm not sure how much he values Dickenson input.

Who’s saying O’Day is a bum? Not me. I just question some of the decisions. Defensive 2019 Western All-Stars? Hughes, Moncrief, Elimimian & Edem. Judge was up for Top Cdn award. Hughes is gone & that’s OK. He’s 37 - I get it. Elimimian retired. Two big salaries from 2019 gone. You can’t bring back Moncrief & Judge? As I said before, there’s ways to make room for them in your CAP structure. These are young All-Stars with plenty of up-side. Gainey is 31, Edem is 32. You drafted Lokombo first round for a reason. You brought over Onyeka who started for the Elks on a D that allowed the fewest passing yds. You have Bouka. You gotta start them at some point or, like Bladek, after 3 years backing up & not promised a starting role, you lose them. You, in essence, have developed talent over multiple years like Judge & Moncrief into All-Star starters &, in the prime of their careers you choose not to spend money on them. I’m not dissing on O’Day. But IMO too conservative - no offence intended. Are the Riders in the business of developing players & when they become All-Stars, letting them go? I don’t get it. Personally, I’d come to see Judge or Moncrief play - Teitz, not so much. There’s going to be a lot of pressure on O’Day, I believe, when the Cup is held in Regina next year. I suspect he’ll have to empty his wallet. We’ll see what happens.