If unsigned by Montreal. Adrian will be a free agent so unless his agent is a total idiot. He will be free to negotiate after the draft if it is indeed held next spring. His ability to negotiate will be even higher. He could sign with Ottawa as a FA or wait it out and be even more valuable to teams who lose one of their QB. The situation could be the same for Reilly, not sure when his contract expires. Signing a couple good QB’s on the free agent would be great for Ottawa as it would allow them to dig deeper in the expansion draft at other positions.
I agree as time draws closer the picture will become more clear who is singed not signed and indeed who Ottawa may be interested in as they do get a shot at two Back up QBs with only one QB per ream being able to be protected. According to the Expansion draft Rules as the Ottawa franchise selects a QB or other position players that team will be allowed to place more players on the protected list.
In reading over the rules it will give Ottawa a lot of players who are starting in 2013 available but will be fairly spread out among the all 8 teams.
It will also help that the swing toward NFL free agents coming to the CFL for the first time and being able to succeed has really upgraded the quality of import coming to the CFL. They are more familiar with the CFL due to the extended coverage in the US via NFLN now NBCSN and ESPN3 webcast and have quite a bit of pro experince in the NFL mostly 4-5 seasons
Saskatchewan was able to turn their fortunes around with such players as Korey sheet, Xavier Fulton LT and quite a few more.
Toronto has brought in an almost entire new D back field with the likes of Pat Watkins and an aging yet still productive Ahmaad Carrol that were not practice squad players but played Key roles for their NFL teams.
The CFL has again become viable options for better talented imports with a stable league ensuring them paychecks (unlike the UFL) and the building and upgrading of first class football venues for every team ( again unlike the UFL ) . Most likle will also have a signifigant salry cap bump with some fresh TV revenue coming in.
Everything about the CFL just is better now do to a well thought out plan after the US expansion quick money scheme put the league in a bind for quite a few years.
It is a great setup for Ottawa some are even grumbling that it is TOO good. Teams will find all kinds of loopholes to hide and retain their talent. Having a good GM will be key to identifying the guys that are on the upswing and not getting sucked in to bad trades that are always offered up in exchange for keeping hands off, keeping the decision as to which season the team suits up as late as possible would also be smart. You want to give the 8 teams as little time to “prepare” if I am Ottawa. Just the way it is…
indeed some do think the expansion draft for Ottawa is too good a deal but looking a little closer you can see that there are a lot of fail safes in they system which ensures that the expansion draft will be spread evenly among the 8 existing teams. Indeed also a Good GM will come in handy as their will be loopholes and teams will have to be thinking two years in advance with Ottawa partcipating in the 2013 Canadian is less than a year away and their full focus will be on redshirt juniors eligible for the 2014 season.
After the what seems like forever Ottawa’s return is suddenly upon the CFL. Very exciting as teams will not be able to take as many chances in the draft and will look for players who will be ready to make an impact now as opossed to waiting 4-5 years down the line. Saskatchewan has already proven that scouting NFL free agents a year before they are ready to make the jump to the CFL can turn a team to a worst to first scenario with some good scouting. Toronto alos has put together a all NFL free agent DB’ aside from younger. Losing two CFL allstars have been able to still have a top Backfield in the CFL.
However you look at it it is an exciting time for the CFL with expansion lots of new stadiums.I for one Can not wait!!!
I’ve always enjoyed going to Ottawa for games and I can’t wait to go agaion. I think it will be a smashing success. They need to do a good job as well on the eastern side of the river. Lot’s of football fans in that part of Quebec. Ottawa would be smart to offer flex packs with the Als two or three games in them. It will also be a popular destination for the Montreal fan train and a good rivalry with Montreal would be great assuming there are even tickets available :thup:
That is an awesome idea something that the CFL needs in the east for sure. Certainly the new Landsdowne stadium will have room and plans for temporary seating for just such kind of games. Something that Toronto and Hamilton should be doing now. Rogers Centre is large enough where a post labor day game package could be included in the Hamilton season tickets. Havint 15,000 Hamilton faithful from the steel city all clumped together in their own section behing the teams bench would add to an electrifying atmosphere.
With the OSEG group having the forsight to connect the CFL football, the NASL soccer, and the Carleton Ravens Old crows corp for football I could see this as a reality where Montreal fans are invited into Landsdowne park for the game.
On the other note they are planning to promote their product across the river in Gatineau which is a very smart idea. RDS showing Ottawa games would also be inclined to pull the french football fans from Gatineau into Ottawa.
Just so many possibilities and ways to make thing happen and the OSEG is doin it
There are more than enough Canadians to fill another 21 NI spots on a roster a look at this years draft alone and you can see the number of impact players that are already starters in their rookie season and that number will continue to grow. The CIS players are getting better and more prepared to start right away in the CFL. The old rule of having to wait and play three years of special teams is quickly changing. Footall in Canada is just better overall especially within the last 10-15 years with the growth of football in Quebec alone the numbers are stagering. Wher 15 years ago the number of French speaking player in the CIS was very low do to the language barrier but since the inception of Laval and then Montreal and Sherbrooke these three schools alone are producing players that 20 years ago would have given up playing football in college as it was considered primarily for the Anglo athletes in University. The fact that these three schools have also become perenial top ten teams makes even more quality players then 20 years ago.
With the annoucement coming out today that 2014 looks like a go now, it time to start looking at who Ottawa will have available for their red shirt draft this coming off season.
I don't know all who will be on that list but I found a half dozen or so who could turn out to be good pros. The problem will be who is NFL material and who might be more suited for the CFL.
Two Ottawa players OT Brander Craighead 6'6 290 at UTEP and DE Connor Williams 6'3 270 at Utah State would be interesting being local guys.
LB Boreko Lokomoko 6'3 225 at Oregon is the top ranked right now. OT Nolan McMillan 6'6 290 at Iowa and WR Stephan Ali 6'6 225 at Florida are also rated in the top fifteen by CFL scouts. So Ottawa should have a good shot at getting one of these three with their first pick as I can't see them all going in the first round.
DL Kalonji Kashama 6'4 275 at Eastern Michigan and DL Hoam Shakin 6'3 290 at Rice are another couple who could be available for Ottawa's second pick, along with the Ottawa natives Craighead and Williams.
After that it will be a gamble trying to find some lesser rated players who could develop into special teams players.
Well, the offensive line was an area of weakness for the Renegades. Getting some quality o-linemen could make the quarterbacks job easier. Or at least marginally safer.
haha, those that say Ottawa is getting too good of a deal in this draft haven't really looked at what Ottawa is likely to get in this draft.
With a couple minor tweaks to the setup in 2014 then yes Ottawa could potentially be competitive, but under the current setup I wouldn't expect them getting a lot of quality NI talent, especially if they want the guys they draft to last more then 1-2 seasons.
Now with the expansion draft in December 2013, there is a big issue in that teams can avoid re-signing their potential FA's(like Brink/Elliot in Winnipeg) and wait until after the draft to re-sign those guys that have a decent shot at being drafted. Now obviously that's not a risk a team would make with their top NI like a Cornish or Muamba, but where is the incentive for a team to extend their 7th-10th best NI's if they are set to be 2014 FA's before the December 2013 draft.
Now one way to fix that is make it so that Ottawa can get an exlusive period to talk to any pending FA's after the draft. Say the draft is December 1st, have a 5 day period where no extensions can be given and where Ottawa can talk to any 2014 FA, after that Let Ottawa and the players 2013 team be able to sign players. That would definitely limit the amount of players teams enter the expansion draft not having under contract for the 2014 season.
I still also say Ottawa should be given most if not all of the 2013 redshirts. Simply make it so current teams get the first round to draft redshirts and then Ottawa gets 5 straight picks to end the 1st round(picks 9 to 13) and the 2rd round(22 to 26) and give Ottawa the rights to any redshirts not selected after the draft is complete.
That still gives current teams the ability to draft say Bo Lokombo but they would need to in the first round or else Ottawa will grab him and the next top 5(in their mind) to end the first.
This is simply giving Ottawa a lot of young NI talent to work with, it won't turn them into a 2014 GC team, but it will give them the foundation for a team that will be competitive.
You are right about the lack of NI talent with Ottawa coming into the league. The CFL has to address the ratio problem by 2014, just not enough NI’s available to fill 9 rosters.
HaHa what ? First you don’t even know how the draft works.
Simply make it so current teams get the first round to draft redshirts and then Ottawa gets 5 straight picks to end the 1st round(picks 9 to 13) and the 2rd round(22 to 26)
. Ottawa draft 9,18,27,36. they have the last pick of round 1 through 4, They also have the right to make trades and acquire or give up these picks.
Also Ottawa is not burdened with contracts. They will be coming in the league with a lot of wallet flexibilityf and agents know it.
We don’t know how the the fine details of these expansion drafts will play. The league is still monitoring things and has the ability to tweak things and said they would. Also Ottawa is not impeded
everyone will look to manuever and find loopholes to especially with the free agents. I think a lot of people are underestimating the depth of the NI talent it has really surged over the past 5 seasons. O lineman are coming in ready to make an impact in the 1st and second seasons. The Salary cap will be higher and the perception of the CFL has changed for NFL free agent Imports. this year alone there are several new imports in there mid 20’s who have played in the NFL and are having all star seasons. there are a slew of up and coming young import receivers1st and second year guys that wil be hitting their stride in 2014. New imports will be the key so scouting will be inportant for Ottawa during next seasons NFL training camps. This was the strategy the Riders used. Many of their current new imports they have been in contact with since the 2011 shortend training camp and those who did not get a mid season call during the NFL season signed with the Riders early this year. Sheets, willy, O’ sullivan, xavier fulton, taj smith Jay Alford, macho Harris. They will be keeping tabs on such 3-4 NFL players in next years camp