Lirim Released

The Cats may need a new kicker/punter if Hajrullahu makes an NFL roster this spring .

Perhaps the youngster we had at camp will have another opportunity this year .

Pat Lynch (le vieux)

This one catches me as a surprise!

I’m surprised by this, but when I think about all the NFL teams I’ve watched struggle to make field goals this year, it makes sense. Good luck to him down there!

I’ve never thought of him as great CFL kicker/punter but, he’s a National handling all kicking duties, and those advantages, to the team, won’t likely continue.

If he can handle the pressure, his leg is more then good enough for the NFL, but a few big legs have gone down there and some make it and some don’t.

He was commenting on twitter about not being able to try out for NFL teams. Could be a case of him asking for his release.

Edit. The team did specify for NFL opportunities

Is he a team first guy ? Need a ruling here.

Hmm? Is Lirium not signed for this year. Are we now a feeder system to the NFL ? This trend of releasing non free agents to pursue NFL opportunities has to stop. I really doubt that he will make it down there as they need punters that can pin the other team close to their own goal line thus requiring back spin. These are skills that Lirium does not have which counts him out as a punter not to mention the need for for high and long punts with hang time.

I think Lirium is a better punter than he is a place kicker…just ask June Jones. Most NFL teams will want to see a kicker with good university football credentials. In the NFL , each team has a punter and a place kicker. I think he is decent at both which is is what makes him valuable to the Ticats combined with his National status allowing us to dress additional import backups to play special teams.

Right now I would say the chances of Lirium making an NFL roster as a punter or place kicker is about 10 to 20 % chance in my eyes.

Gerbear raises an interesting point.

LH was not a pending free agent, and signed a 2 yr deal in April of 2019.

The new CBA was signed May 15 2019 which means LH did not sign his contract under the impression that the new CBA rules were in effect.

Unless I’m missing something I don’t agree with this release at all. It’s completely different than Addison and others and should not be allowed by the team

Maybe he will make the Cowboys…they like ex Ticat kickers.

A placekicker (not punter) named J.J. Molson of UCLA is ranked to go around 20th in the draft. Mediocre distance and accuracy.

The more I think about this, given he is not a free agent until 2021, I am guessing this was a mutual decision and the Cats have someone younger and cheaper in mind. What is the name of the young kicker they had on the PR and preseason in 2019?

Sinkfield?

Yes Sinkfield was his name! Weird eh.

Michael Domogala. Played in the 1st pre-season game.

What about Gabriel Amavizca? Wasn’t he the first International player to score a point in the CFL last year?

Sinkfield punted once in highschool. If we need to go american at K/P lets keep an open mind about this.

Sounds familiar.

Over time it would seem like an obvious way to make use of the Global roster spots. Although I thought I once read that there is a limit to how long they can be considered a “Global” on a CFL roster. I think they magically become American after a few years or something?

And players currently in the league Bartel can’t get Global status.
Weird.

Hi Frank,

Well I looked into kicker JJ. Molson. He is currently the 20th ranked prospect for the 2020 CFL draft.

He grew up in Montreal and was quite the star athlete in Golf, Football, Soccer and Tennis in high school. He has been working on his kicking and punting all through high school and once won the best kicker in a competion in the US that included all the best young kickers in the US.
His dad was quite an athlete as well.
He is from the famous Molson Beer family and the Als stadium was named after the family as well Percival Molson…

Well he played 3 years at UCLA as their primary kicker where he was known more for his place kicking than punting.

The bad news is that i noticed a website that had him ranked as the 6th top place kicker in the 2020 NFL draft.

There is a decent chance that he will get drafted in the NFL
.
Even if he doesn’t get drafted in the NFL , I am sure he will try to get invited to an NFL camp or even consider the XFL before the CFL.

One reason to draft him is that there are only so many kicker jobs out there and how many rookies beat out the current starter in the NFL.

I think the cats have the 5th and 8th pick in this years draft. If they want to go National at kicker and Lirium hasn’t come back then I could see them drafting this guy 8th overall or 16th if they want to take their chances.

I just hope we don’t see Davis or Wynn being released for NFL opportunities. We may get lucky with Davis as he is too small to play DE in the NFL and put on too much weight thus too slow to play outside Linebacker like he did at SMU University. I am sure June Jones in the XFL will take a crack at him.

With Addison and Lirium gone and Masolu signing for cheaper than expected, we should have enough money to keep our key free agents .

I can see the Ticats saving alot of money next year using imports being payed the league minimum in their 2knd year.

For instance:

  1. Chris Frey MLB
    2.Tevin Mitchell DB/ Sam
  2. Jalin Marshall SB
  3. Marcus Tucker WR
  4. Lorenzo Mauldin DE
  5. Tate OT
  6. Beverette LB
  7. Shumpert WR

Unable to ask June, I’m on my own in saying that I think the opposite.
I’d be very surprised if Hajruallahu makes an NFL team as its punter. However, I think his kicking stats, for this past season, other than the fact that his average KO wasn’t long enough to reach an NFL endzone, might be enough to impress some of the big league’s scouts. If he does suit up for an NFL team, I’d bet it’s as the FG and convert kicker, who’d also be a good back up for his teammate(s) who handle the punting and KOs.