Of all the elements that go into building a winning team, none is less appreciated or more important than the ability to mine the scrap heap for players who've been put out to pasture by others.
And no CFL team has done that better than the Hamilton Tiger-Cats whose roster is as much about handing second or third chances to players as it is about all those years of finishing last and being rewarded with the league's top draft pick.
Is Hamilton the CFL's own "Island of Misfit Toys"?
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It sure has worked out better during Obie's reign than a few years earlier. Half our roster was based on cast-offs or players who wouldn't otherwise be starting (Maas, Ranek, Vaughn, etc). And sure enough, they played like players who couldn't start anywhere else.
I guess a lot depends on who is pulling the strings, and how good they are at judging talent.
Well, we've had some luck in the distant past with it too. Remember Terry Evanshen? Picked up as a free agent after Montreal got fed up with his attitude, if I remember correctly. He worked out pretty well for us.
It’s a bit of a stretch to claim that Bruce was “unwanted”. The Bombers also tried to trade for him last year. Although it’s a bit of a surprise that the Lions would have traded Knowlton…and released Floyd for nothing…as well as Gibbs, Kirk and declined to sign Johnson when he wanted to return to BC after being released in the NFL.
I think Arland's injury is more seious than the Cats are letting on though. Not good. :?