BC Lions Reciever Shawn Core, Middle Linebacker Solomoan Elimimian & Jovan Olafioye will all test their luck getting NFL shots this offseason before considering coming back to the Lions.
Elimimian trying again in the NFL makes no sense. He had a go at with the Bills, the Vikings and the Cleveland Browns. I can't see a team in the U.S. interested in him anymore.
Gore, I'm not so sure either.
Can't comment about Olafioye.
The Miami Dolphins have interest in Elimimian. Gore will draw interested from many teams including the Colts. While Olafioye still draws interest from the Rams.
Gore will never make the NFL, because he is not a natural football player-- GORE is fast, but thats it-- He has no natural football ability---
GORE is good in the CFL because of his speed-- NFL everyone is FAST--- GORE cannot run routes, does not have great hands and is just not a NFL player---
Gore to be honest struggles in the CFL at times-- You dont hear GORES names about MVP in the CFL or even in the top 10 receiveers in the CFL---- IF he is not top 10 in the CFL, i doubt it he will make the NFL--
Eliminean is overrated-- He cannot play in the NFL- he is way to slow and not athletic enough--
Then we can look forward to seeing Shawn Gore back in the line-up sooner than later.
you’re awesome
I guess you missed all of last season.
Many forget that Gore was in an NFL camp his rookie season in 2010 and made it to last cuts but as a Canadian chose to play in the CFL for two full seasons instead of practice roster. Has an excellent shot to make the NFL. The souts have been watching and he said he would only go if he had a legit offer from someone and not just a camp roster filler. Has not gotten much attention due to Simon and Bruce but once they went down more balls finally came his way and he made a nice Number 1 receiver.
Olafioye no doubt has a great shot at the NFL as the only thing that kept him away was medical issues but after being two time west Lineman and top Lineman this year great shot especially with the amount of injuries that pile up.
Elimimian deserves to give it one more shot as last year got to last cuts and was on a practice roster then dropped and had to return by rule under the old option rule year this year he is better known and teams will be looking.
All three a good chance
What's the latest with these guys?
Elimimian definitely has NFL potential but only for a special teams role and not as a starter. He is what is called a "tweener," as his physical build even with his speed is between positions.
He will not be starter at inside linebacker in the NFL, for MLB/ILB is a position in the NFL for which a weight less than about 250 is considered small.
As for OLB less than 240 is considered small too, and there is only one strong safety that comes to mind who is over 230 (Kam Chancellor of the Seahawks who is also a top DB).
Unless he wants to moonlight for special teams somewhere and still make good money at the NFL minimum, Elimimian will stay in the CFL. Note that only what is paid upfront is guaranteed too.
It sounds to me from what GridironGuru says that Gore has to improve his game in the CFL before he even thinks about the NFL if his hands and routes need that much work. He better make the most of his chance now with Lulay there in BC for three years.
This will be Gores last shot at the NFL. Round one came his rookie year in 2010 and was sent back to the CFL to improve all of the things that were mentioned above.
As for Elimimian he will need the right situation. He will not be a starting MLB as mentioned above but is he can find his niche as a OLB rush specialist and special teamer for a team that may be short of a rookie that can fill that role with the potential to be a starter. So it could be a year or career of bouncing from Practice rosters to 53 man rosters for him with injuries and under achieving draft picks dictating his time on rosters. With him being a true free agent this year with no return clause expiration date he will spend at least this season in the NFL circles tha could include jobless weeks or best case Practice roster starting the season waiting for those injuries or under acheivers to take their course
Well I sure hope Elimimian does not end up as practice roster and special teams journeyman as explained below by CFLSteve.
They'd probably give him the run-around for a season or two only as they wind in and out draft picks and free agents.
If your size and play at LB don't scream "STARTER!" from the start in the NFL as a free agent, putting you in at least the path to spell a starter by being a backup, that's the route you have to go even if your play is equal to that of higher-paid picks and free agents. That facts sucks but that is the playing and business reality of the NFL.
On the flip side if the team has such players who have been around for 3-4 years but are not starters or solid backups, Elimimian is the the kind of player to replace such players all things being equal but often that is not the case given the NFL experience for those guys.
Working in Gore’s favour though is the lack of depth at WR in the draft:
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospectrankings/2013/WR
We have two years in a row of lame draft classes at wide receiver.
Last year’s class was lame overall, and this is probably the lamest class I have seen since I began tracking the draft more in depth in 2010.
And when you look at NFL draft history,http://www.drafthistory.com/index.php/positions/wr , I think you have to go back all the way to 2004 to find a class this lame (Larry Fitzgerald was its only star and only a few other average names were in that class).
Speed is key on which to build. If he really has better hands and routes in workouts, Gore would be fighting it out with rather second or third year WR who have not played that much or that well.
Unrestricted free agents coming off contract, as well as restricted free agents, are terribly expensive. NFL teams avoid them unless they are top 25 or so receivers or otherwise will play for less than anticipated.
If Andrew Hawkins could make the switch, and beat my expectation to still be in the NFL, we’ll see on Gore.
Those players will definitely be replaced but usually to make room for newer younger rookie players as they would take on a rookie MIN salary. Thats how you see so Many rookie FA making NFL rosters the 390K rookie min. Elimimian plays the wrong position as MLB. with DLine rotations and rush OLBs coming from the CFL are gold for NFL teams. Pro experience at a rookie salary. It will be up to Elimimian because there are undersized MLBs or ILBs in the NFL that start or fit a specialized defense he will just need to find the right team and earn it. He keeps getting tryouts and went to final cuts last year and got PR offers but having a 10 day experation date last year hindered him. With no Limit if he does not fit with the team he goes to camp with there will be some good odds that one of the other 31 will look at him.
Working in Elimimian's favour as far as rookies go is that the draft classes at ILB and OLB are not terribly talented and very shallow respectively.
At ILB behind Te'o and Minter is a no-man's land though all the guys projected to be drafted are still bigger than Elimimian:
[url=http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospectrankings/2013/ILB]http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/pros ... s/2013/ILB[/url]At OLB you have elite talent in Jarvis Jones and Mingo but then quite the drop:
[url=http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospectrankings/2013/OLB]http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/pros ... s/2013/OLB[/url]It's the same for Elimimian as for Gore to shoot it out with relatively inexperienced and/or under-performing free agents for the most part, and like you explain Steve he may find himself a niche on the right defence as would have to be a 3-4 as well in my opinion. He won't be an every-down LB I do not think.
Well if that research is accurate Gore and Elimimian should have a good shot then. The success of the Rush DE/OLB coming out of the CFL over the past few years have proved to be bargains as they have gotten a lot of production at diferent levels from All pros like Wake to rotational guys like Hunt with the Eagles.
Gore being 3rd or 4th slot receiver is not out of the question and Elimimian being a situational ILB and special teams stud can be very likely also. One thing about the CFL is that with only a 42 man game day roster your starting MLB is usually also on Coverage special teams as well which would bode well for Eomimian going up against a rookie or 2nd year guy out of college who did not play special teams and is not projected as a possible starter.
Jamal RIchardson, SJ GREEN, Fantuz, Geroy, Arland Bruce all are very good CFL receivers. None of them could even compete in the NFL.
Granted GORE has some speed, but thats relative to the slower CFL players. In the NFL the routes are different, there is no running starts, there is less space, more press coverage, more slant routes, faster passes, tougher catches.
The CFL and the NFL receiving games are completely different. To make the NFL as a receiver from the CFL you would have to be either REALLY big or super fast and be able to BEAT NFl DBs consistently--
Gore realistically could be a GUNNER in the NFL on punt coverage teams- This is his best shot- BUt I am not sure he could make the tackles--
Comparing the level of athletes in the CFL and the NFL is a big difference- THE NFL has serious athletes--
I would guarantee that GORE does not ever play a down in the NFL as a receiver- He may get a PRACTICE roster spot, or make a team on special teams which is doubtfull also.
The NFl gives all kinds of CFL players a chance and then usually cuts them--
ARcenaux has not come close to seeing the field yet, and I feel he was much better than GORE ever was--
Before GORE leaves the CFL, he might want to win a MVP and dominate the CFL first--
Gore is an athlete, but he is more FAST than a football player-- I seriously doubt that GORE has the " IT FACTOR" getting open in the CFL is not that hard with the big field and some of the weak DBs that most teams employ--
In the NFl there will not be dbs like Chancey Muamba, and Korey Banks, Ryan Phillips running around-- Its not even close the level of DBs in the NFL-- They would dominate GORe both physically and from a technique standpoint
Gore is getting his follow up shot at the NFL. As a rookie the NFL saw enough potential in him to invite him to main camp where he got down to final cuts. He basically was most likely told to go back to Canada and we will be watching and we will see if you have improved enough to come back for a futures contract to start. If he impresses enough he can get another invite to training camp with a practice roster spot or a bargain final receiver special teams spot on the roster or a combo of both. Jordan Sisco also out of that 2010 class also invited to NFL Main Training camp making it to last cuts but will not be getting the second look.
for 390K and a successful year in 2012 in the CFL where he had to play 3rd fiddle to simon and Bruce before that got hurt but a strong second half got him this chance. If he does make it at any spot he will be a bargain at the NFL rookie Minimum of 390K.
Gore himself said that if he feels that there is not a real interest that he will be in a CFL training camp on time as he is realistic about the situation. If he sees that he may be a 4 year PR player like Giguere than he will not stay
Given your stunningly self-contradictory (in retrospect) and inconsistent analysis of CFL talent and Lions players in particular, I will predict:
- Jamal RIchardson, SJ GREEN, Fantuz, Geroy, Arland Bruce will each lead their teams in yards receiving this season
- Gore will make it in the NFL and win some sort of award
- Arcenaux will return to the Lions and lead the team in receiving
- Chancey Muamba, Korey Banks, Ryan Phillips will combine for the all-time league record in interceptions
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: That was exactly the laugh i needed this monday morning. I'm with you on most of that, but Dressler will probably still lead Ssk., Richardson and Bruce are on the same team so only one can lead the team (unless there is a tie), and I'm not sold on Cauchy Muamba being able to do much.. plus, unless the Lions re-sign him by the 15th he probably won't be back next season. But I'm with you 100% on the spirit of the comment. :thup:
Some people seem to be underestimating Gore. Simon and Bruce took the spotlight in 2011 but in 2012 when both went down with injury it was Gore who led the team in receiving. Be it only 700 yards BC spreads the Ball out and the first part of the season Bruce and Simon both had there number called a lot before they were injured. Courtney Taylor also got a big game or two in when activated before the rest of the league figured him out.
Elimimian now being a free agent will spend the year in the NFL Circles whether he lands a spot or not won't be back in the CFL in 2013. If he does not land somewhere he will come back in 2014. Olafuiye with the odd stuation not passing his physical enabled BC to get another All Star season out of him and I do not see him back in the CFL.
Gore will weigh his situation he will only stay with the NFL if he gets a legit chance and not a training camp roster filler. He is still young and was in NFL training camp rookie year to get experience and that is what he got A bargain at league min 390K has a better than good shot at making a roster as a slot rec off the bench and specials. The NFL needs 5 receivers to dress on game day in this day in age. so that is 160 rec on a roster each week.