In December 2013, Ottawa selects 3 players from each of 8 teams. Total of 8 imports and 16 non-imports. Unless your team loses a quarterback, the loss of easily replaceable import players won't hurt teams too much. However quality Canadians are usually harder to replace than Americans. So loss of non-imports probably have a bigger impact since teams can only protect 6 Canadians.
But they get to add to those six for the second round and free agents don't count. So if a team has let's say five NI free agents. So that could equal 6+5+1 If the kicker is a non import, so Ottawa might have to settle for a very young or very average player. They will score a prospect on about half the teams IMO.
You are right, there is a lack of quality Canadian players and one more team dipping into the talent pool will not be good for the teams next year. The CFL should reduce the non import ratio by two and raise the import ratio.
I think they should up it if anything...it will create more hype long term from up and comers who would see a better chance of making it, and that would increase the pool. If they want to lower it...fine, drop it below 50%, just please drop the C from the league's name first please.
They upped the number of NIs on the PR this year. A good place to start would be to keep the increased number of NIs on the PR to help develop some guys and build the pool up. They should've increased that PR number a couple of years ago when Ottawa was first introduced as an expansion team so by now the talent pool might've been deeper.
It's the nature of the beast, everyone needs to gut check and have a plan in place to replace unprotected players. If that means replacing them with an import and finding another non-import somewhere else so be it. If that means offering more cash for non-imports still chasing the NFL dream, so be it. If it means having to improve and adjust your CIS scouting, so be it.
I think this is who Hamilton protects.
Andy Fantuz, Peter Dyakowski, Brian Bulke, Samuel Giguere, Greg Wojt and either Tim O'Neil or Marwan Hage (depending on how healthy he stays). Protect the O.Line, partially protect the recieving corp, protect the best NI Defensive Lineman.
As much as I like Josh Bartel (our Aussie non-import) and Lucca Congi, kickers tend to be expendable sadly and Sean Whyte, Grant Shaw, Noel Prefontaine and possibly even Swayze Waters are all better options for a non-import kicker since they can do double duty. That means Dave Stala, Simon Charbonneau-Campeau, a Centre, Frederic Plesius, Arnaud Gascon-Nadon and Matt Bucknor seem like likely draft picks.
Agreed about the kickers, unfortunately. The only change I see is that they protect Plesius instead of one of the centres, and then protect whichever centre is left in the second round (maybe both if they aren't taken?). I'm thinking Plesius is a long term project with the team.
I doubt very much Hamilton would protect Hage. They have too many young guys to protect and will lose one of their better young players.
Don't you ever get tired of regurgitating the same things over and over?
The Canadian quota exists, no matter how much you hate it. It's part of the CFL. If it bothers you so much then don't support the CFL. Very simple.
Do you have nothing better to do with your life than promote anti-Canadian ideals?
Maybe you should live in Florida full time. Leave Canada and it's sports to the people who love it. Canada doesn't need people like you.
Guess that means newly signed CO Prime would also also be exposed to the draft? Recently returned from spending some time with the Indy Colts, looks like he'll get to play some special teams this year, could be a tantilizing choice for Ottawa. It'll be interesting to see what type of player Ottawa targets - mostly vets, mostly youth, or a mix of both. I'd probably target the younger players and try sign a few vets in FA and/or attempt to leverage a younger NI player in trade.
Teams with much depth in talent probably wouldn't be affected too much by Ottawa drafting (stealing players). Also if teams like to keep drafted players, they can negotiate alternatives with Ottawa. Unlike previous return to CFL, Ottawa has a better deal to start with a more competitive team.
Problem with Plesius is position. He's a linebacker, and the Cats have plenty of depth there. Johnson, Lawrence, Issac, Beswick, Plesius, CO Prime and Bussey. While some are clearly better then others, I wouldn't say any of them are unfit to replace a starter. Same problem Prime has. Plenty of depth at the position that the team can afford to lose. Not so sure about that on the line.
Hage is only 31 years old, sure he's been a bit banged up, but if you saw him making blocks in that BC game, I would say he has plenty of game left. Good centres are hard to find and tricky to train since they have to do the line calls. Good non-import centres are even harder to find. Every play starts with the snap. The next guy on the depth chart is Tim O'Neill and he's 34. I would protect Hage, so long as the doctors are saying he's healthy.
The community work he does, and the 9 years of loyalty to the team is are side benefits to that choice.
I disagree here. Teams with depth are likely going to be targeted. No team is likely to protect a backup or a prospect in place of a starter, no matter how solid they are unless the starter has injury issues, locker room issues, cost way too much towards the cap or is close to the end of his career. That means those teams are then robbed of that depth, unless it's incredibly deep (at which point, you sorta got to question why you have that much depth at that position and how shallow some of the other spots are) and makes you one injury away from a bad spot. The is more important in the non-import draft then the import draft.
On the other hand, if I'm Ottawa, and I see a position with a shallow talent pool in the East division on a team, and a solid guy unprotected at said position, you bet I'm going to select him, if only to hurt that team. If I find a player that will royally screw with my rival's ratio, it's another factor to consider. This draft can be used as a weapon as much as a recruitment tool.