I thought he made a strong contribution to the Argo's D last year. He'd look good in Hamilton. Definitely worth a look.
An Argo-Cat fan
Barney,
I think you missed the point, The Arblows released KM to persue an NFL position. Kent Austin will bring in a few DT to compete in TC without the likes of KM.
I like the thinking on this cuz ur not gonna give 100 percent if ur minds in the nfl plus I believe when he was traded to the argos he said he wouldn't report so mayb his release was takin as a good riddance n here's ur tiket out
Just the opposite IMO. A player who still has NFL aspirations and who may be on the NFL’s “radar” is more likely to work to showcase his talents to the highest level in the CFL to draw the most attention and interest from NFL scouts and GMs.
Mitchell did that last season - he was a CFL all-star at defensive tackle (also in 2011) and one of the best DTs in the league.
Apparently, when he signed with Argos, the understanding was he would be released after the season if serious interest developed from the NFL. If he fails in the NFL, in theory at least, he will be more likely to return to the Argos since they treated him fairly when he wanted to pursue his NFL opportunity.
There is no sense in trying to hold back a player who has a genuine chance to better himself by playing at the highest level of the sport and earning the money that comes with it. You will end up with a PO’d player who doesn’t want to be here and/or possibly trigger another Chris Williams scenario.
I suppose the psychology of the thing can work either way, but I think seymour's slant on it is the more likely one.
If you're a CFL player and you want to attract interest from the NFL and get the big pay cheque, you need to showcase excellent performance in Canada to earn that shot. Giving less than 100% performance isn't likely to yield the great yardage and TDs, lots of tackles, or bunches of hits that will impress the scouts down south. Not to mention that a lackadaisical approach to play won't leave a favourable impression about work ethic.
Mitchell is a multiple year an all-star. That's what gets him his shot. Whether it gets him a job remains to be seen. Even a PR spot in the NFL can generate more income than a starter role in the CFL.
For many American CFL players, when thinking of the NFL scenario the story is the same... higher pay, lower taxes, playing in your home country before bigger audiences, the chance to make a permanent roster with much higher pay... what's not to like?
If you think you can do it, go for it, and use the CFL to showcase your skills and potential. For those who can't achieve that, or who are doing well in the CFL and feel their chances to make it in the NFL are small or have passed them by, they can stay here and can do very well in football and afterwards. But staying and playing in the CFL with a bad attitude is unlikely to get you to the NFL. Even Chris Williams knew that much--rather than play unhappily in Canada, he didn't play at all, and bided his time waiting for his chance to come up. Which it eventually did. (I know there were lots of complexities in his case).
So good luck to Mitchell.
I like the thinking on this cuz ur not gonna give 100 percent if ur minds in the nfl plus I believe when he was traded to the argos he said he wouldn't report so mayb his release was takin as a good riddance n here's ur tiket out
and I like the idea that he's gone from the CFL..period.
Isn't he the F..up who bent a players arm backwards and dislocated it when playing for BC?
If I'm right then not only do I never want to see him in a Cat jersey but never to play in the CFL again.
You’re right - it was Mitchell who deliberately injured ex-Ticat Rottier (who has not played as well since) and then tried to pass it off as a “football move”! He managed to keep his nose clean in Toronto last season and I wonder if it was a condition he had to meet in order to get an early release from his contract.
Regardless of his talent, I too would never want to see him in a Ticats jersey and am glad that he is gone from the CFL - at least for now. If he doesn’t make an NFL team, I suppose there is the chance that he would return - IF he could find a team that would sign him. I can’t imagine that Austin ever would though.
Because Austin would never sign a bad dude? Seriously? Coaches are in it to win – if a guy can help you win, there isn’t a coach in this league who would turn up his nose at the guy.
Austin has already signed a couple of players with past charges and/or convictions. I'm sure he's taken steps to assure himself that behaviour problems are truly "past", but once satisfied on that account, I wouldn't say he'd avoid a player he thinks can contribute.