Larry Taylor has been released from Jets practice roster as per Jets website and David Naylor on TSN.com. He has 10 days to find another NFL opportunity.
Let`s selfishly keep our fingers crossed that he returns!
This is the only positive Als news I have read in the last two weeks. Too bad for Larry- very very few CFL players successfully make the jump. I guess Larry will be getting only half a football salary this year.
If he decides to come back to the CFL is he still our property?
Answered my own question, just saw the clip on tsn.ca. Hope he comes back and extend him. Teach him how to catch a bit more and he can be another threat to our offence for years to come.
I was all set to start a thread about Leroy Vann.
And now I see this.
Well here are the stats on returns this year:
punts: http://www.cfl.ca/statistics/league/sta ... m/montreal
kickoffs: http://www.cfl.ca/statistics/league/sta ... m/montreal
field goals: http://www.cfl.ca/statistics/league/sta ... m/montreal
On punt returns, Maypray has proven only that he can be mediocre over the long hall.
Vann has almost broken a couple...despite being thrown into the maelstrom...against 2 teams who really came to play...needed a win. Funny game this is. If he hadn't stumbled on that one return last week we'd be saying Larry Who? Personally I hope they keep Vann around...give him a real chance to make the team next pre-season. You can never have enough talent.
Speaking of talent...anyone who doubts the Alouettes are in dire need of some coaching on special teams...check out Andrew Hawkins' 0,8 yard average on punt returns. Someone should tell the talented young man that running "north-south" doesn't mean you have an option...go north young man!!!
On Kick returns Vann is only a little behind Maypray (20.2/23.4) Again...it would be nice if Leroy Van would be given a chance to prove what he can do against a team that isn't living in the returners' pockets. I don't know what is up with the Alouettes on special teams...I did watch the Calgary and Winnipeg games over...and paid special attention...watched as favorites like Chip Cox and Diamond Ferri jogged around, facing a swamped returner and ignored any kind of blocking assignment. Anyone taking exception to my accusing the Alouettes of "coasting" should try it. That's no kind of football I've ever heard of.
I know Vann is sitting down because of ratio issues with the Lambert injury. Once again the Alouettes go with the "lazy-fare" instead of trying to shake things up a bit. Frankly...if I were Larry Taylor's agent I'd suggest the UFL or something. His great reputation with the Alouettes will be toast the way the team is playing.
:oops: 8) :oops:BTW If Ronald McCohon wants 10Million to celebrate our national game...maybe he could make (at least) the Grey Cup available to all Canadians over the airwaves....Just a thought
The offense has had a 25 percent turnover from last season and I think it explains the ups and downs, also the terrible dynamics surrounding the Als practice regimen.
The whole "Double dutch bus coming down the street" is another huge screw up. Why can't they fix that ? Why can't they park themselves for a couple months going down the stretch. There is at least 10 sites I can think of that they could use. I wonder what it will do for player retention too... When you look at how many people are on the Als payroll on the business side, this is unnacceptable situation. The least Smith could do is get them situated for the run down the stretch.
When you look at the job Mike O'Shea is doing with ST in Toronto you realize how much of a disadvantage this bad hire/fire has put us in. Not too sure why Trestman had to go to the States to hire a ST coach. This is a very intricate part of the Canadian game and I'm sure they could have found someone with experience of our game.
Regarding Larry Taylor, I also agree that it won't matter who's back there returning kicks.
.
Taylor, Maypray ou Vann, le gars qui retourne le botté ne peut pas ouvrir le chemin en même temps. On tasse la neige avant de faire circuler les chars. Le problème n'est pas tant en arrière comme en avant.
Taylor, on sait ce qu'il peut donner. Hawkins aussi. Maypray, on en a une vague idée. Vann, on ne le sait pas encore. Mais de toute façon, on ne le saura réellement que lorsque les gars d'en avant sauront empêcher les autres de noyer le receveur avant qu'il n'ait pu faire trois pas.
Des choix ont été faits, et il va falloir vivre avec ces choix cette année. Mais il faudra combler les lacunes avant la saison prochaine, et ça, ça veut dire embaucher un coordinateur des unités spéciales qui peut faire le travail sur un terrain de 65 verges par 150 verges.
LeStaff: I agree that the team must have a special teams coordinater for 2011. If Larry Taylor returns- the job is his. Meanwhile before LT returns one more look at Vann could be accomplished. The puzzle would then be figured out at training camp next year.
Absolument!
Is there not anything that can be done in the meantime?
Special teams are not my “specialty” admittedly
But we’re heading into the home stretch and Maypray is still running into walls
Coverage was pretty good this week
No doubt the general air of snarly revenge influenced the whole team
But if we can’t get it done on returns
We’re going to be at a serious disadvantage against (gulp)
Toronto in those home/home games.
I could be wrong,but I expect Larry Taylor to be back with the Als in the next day or so.
Richard
Wow
Great news!!!
Merçi Richard
Taylor a jusqu’au 16 pour se trouver une autre équipe dans la NFL. Il confirmerait son retour avec les Alouettes avant cette échéance?
C'est mon intuition; pour moi, il sera de retour cette semaine et pourrait même jouer dimanche; si non de retour pour demain,il ne jouera pas dimanche.
Je serais extrêmement surpris si un autre club de la LNF fait appel à ses services.
Richard
I agree that his services will probably not be required by any other NFL team.
Still…it seems a little premature to think Taylor will be in for the Winnipeg game.
It would be cool…another weapon for the playoff run would be welcome.
And it might just answer the vexed question of which is lesser:
the Blocking or the Maypray
Besides…with Taylor in there…blockers may just step it up a notch.
Losing Chad Owens and his subsequent success with the Argos
May well have put a psychological “chill” on our return blocking
We’ll see soon enough…I hope.
Jim Popp told CJAD that Larry Taylor could return with the Als this week; now that he can no longer sign-this year- with an NFL team,he-Taylor- expressed to Jim Popp that he would like to come back.
Richard
Popp: "He cannot go back to the NFL. If he's going to play this season then he would have to return to the Alouettes. He has shown interest of that being a possibility but until he shows up we don't know"Not exactly a done deal...from the way I read it. Hopefully Taylor is missing the game and his old teammates and he'll run up here if he has to.
Excellent news. However, given the parlous state of our blocking on kick returns (especially punt returns), I’m not sure that Taylor will make that much more of a difference. Next season, though, assuming we have a dedicated special teams coordinator, I’m expecting big things from LT. :rockin:
Je ne crois pas que la présence de Taylor va changer en profondeur le problème de couverture et blocs sur les retours de bottés. Ce problème est systémique et découle plus de l’absence de personnel pour encadrer cette facette du jeu plus que de l’effort des joueurs eux-mêmes.
Par ailleurs, je ne suis pas certain que Taylor va revenir. Si c’était son intention, il me semble qu’il y aurait eu une annonce, un peu comme ça a été le cas avec S. J. Green. Peut-être que Taylor voulait jouer dans la NFL plus que jouer au football, et qu’il va passer à autre chose maintenant. Avec son gabarit, il aurait fallu qu’il fasse des choses extraordinaires pour percer dans la NFL. Ce n’est pas arrivé.
Since no one's mentioned it
There is an issue about Taylor coming back that might be holding his hand.
Despite getting a "look" down south, Taylor's reliability...specifically in holding on to the ball was a problem last year.
As we move into the playoff run, one is reminded of Taylor being replaced by Brian Bratton on returns
He's got a rep as high risk/high reward...
It may just be that the Alouettes have been luke-warm in anticipation of Taylor's return
It might also be true that Taylor holds a little resentment at his "replacement" in key situations, especially in the playoffs.
Either way...while Maypray has been low risk/low reward...the Alouettes may just have decided to stick with the status-quo.