Ferguson: A few roster questions for Ticats ahead of camp

If you were asked how to define the last 16 months, what word would you choose?

Confusing? Challenging? Revealing?


This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.cfl.ca/2021/07/07/ferguson-roster-questions-ticats-ahead-camp/
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Minor point - Unamba spent the 2019 season in Edmonton so doesn't factor in. At this point we are still going through a lot of retirements etc & until the final rosters are set after training camp, it's difficult to really get a handle on things. I'd be shocked if the TiCats aren't in the big game as East reps. I have to think that Hallurajhah & Murray, of the guys you mentioned, may be the key positions. With all the talent @ import receiver, I'm not crazy about the National talent. Jones & Coombs, the top 2, are gone. I know you're high on Ungerer & you know better than I, but I have a wait & see attitude there. I'll be the 1st to concede I'm anything but an expert, so I hope you're right. In any case, always look forward to your insights here & on the Sportscage. Very interesting, as usual.

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It was discussed in another thread, with only 3 rookie Canadians, they have given up on National receivers, it’s obvious they are going with all American receivers

Agree. Banks, Addison, Acklin, Posey. Also Marcus Tucker and Jalin Marshall showed promise last year. Which of those guys would you sit? Not to mention about 13 other American receivers they are bringing to camp.

Canadian receivers might only see some spot duty, and fill in for injured Nationals on offence. I think you’ll see some rotation with Kalinic/Burt coming in for STE/Maleek Irons at rb to get at least 5 National starters on offence.

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True could see the national recievers getting some reps but unlikely they would start unless injuries happened

If people are wondering why there’s so many national players retiring, let me give you some insider info,the league minimum which a lot of draftees get is $55,000, now reduce this by 30% because the season has been reduced from 18 to 14 games,now that player is down to $38,000 ,take off income tax, cost of living,and this player makes nothing,also announced was that if the owners cannot have at least 35% people in the stands they will reduce the players salary by a further 20%, what a bloody joke

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Still more than I made working 55 hour weeks for 12 months of the year.

Also all teams are going with vets to start the season because there is no preseason games for the younger guys to show what they have, rosters have been reduced from 48 to 44 and practice rosters from 12 to 6, the players have also been told that if the delta virus takes hold they will shut down the season,the league is 80 million in debt because of no football last year, why would anyone with a head on there shoulders quit a good paying job to get beaten up in one of the roughest sports in the world, or get cut at training camp, the only ones will be the top paid quarterback, o-line,etc and the rest will come from the US, people who have no education or other income

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Have you played football or had a son play? You work out year round , take physical abuse that you wouldn’t understand, for what? $10,000 grand take home?

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Was it a physically demanding job? Yes. Did I suffer workplace injuries? Yes. Did I get paid to go to the gym year round? No, believe it or not most normal people do that for free, and it actually costs them money.

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Thank you - this view is so dreary yet with the evidence mounting in Europe and the UK after Asia now, along with Los Angeles, like it’s February 2020 (see those threads), this is my greatest fear and I don’t doubt for a second that many players weighed this reality in before making a decision or as they decide after showing up to camp.

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Okay, this is my last reply to you because you obviously have no clue about what it takes to be a football player,what I’m saying is it isn’t worth it to most national football players to quit the job they have now, because they played university football and have a degree, to go to camp with a hope and a prayer to maybe make the practice roster that pays $700 a week, or play and have they’re brains scrambled for life , is it worth it now? Genius

Thank you for the thank you :blush:, you don’t see this in any of the news especially the cfl,they don’t want this getting out but it’s all true, trust me I have a son who was drafted two years ago , sent back to his university team for his last year and was named first team all Canadian, the best at his position in the entire country, after getting all this information from the players association he obviously used his degree to get a job that pays more then was offered at the cfl level,it’s really sad what has happened to our great national football league

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Rookies / non vets will need to play some positions if teams don’t have vets at all positions but no doubt Mainly Vets will play at Oline and Defense

Exactly, and the rookies still get paid nothing to put there bodies on the line, that’s why there’s a huge exodus of national players

if a rookie is a high draft pick they get a bit more than rookie FA signings though

What happened with 1st overall draft pick Burt being this potential big impact guy on offence? They used a first overall pick to take a guy who maybe plays a few snaps a game and when they already had Kalinic who could do that ?

they likely will have some plays for nationals still just likely won’t start