How do teams like Montreal, BC, Winnipeg, and Toronto attract the best receivers in the CFL? Is there a serious problem assessing talent and signing talent? Is there a serious drop off scouting American and Canadian talent in Hamilton? Austin Mack, Kenny Lawler, Justin McInnis, Jevon Cottoy, De Various Daniels.
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He does seem to have his up and down daysâŚ
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Thanks for the reply but it doesnât really answer my question?
I would think that Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver are more âattractiveâ destinations for young American players, and Winnipeg has been in the GC 4 years in a row. The first three cities may be the only ones Americans have actually heard about.
These organizations also donât play games with their pending Free Agents - never mind their active QBs - which has been Hamiltonâs case for FAR too long.
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Tim White says hello.
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In Montrealâs case, Iâll say that Maciocia, Edme, and Deslauriers had 0 choice but to go out and scout like maniacs, given how many free agents we had lost due to ownership issues. No joke, we started the season with exactly one of our 2022 starting receivers healthy and playing (Keion Julien-Grant). Lewis and Wieneke left. White spent the whole 2023 season on the IR. Philpot started the season on the 6-game. Sure, Maciocia signed Ellingson in desperation, but he wasnât healthy to start the year, and only appeared in one game for us, where he caught one pass for like 10 yards.
So it was the receiver squad of Unknowns. 
In the end, necessity forced the Als to beat the bushes for new talent. Adarius Pickett was probably the costliest departure and we went through two SAM linebackers (Najee Murray, then J.R. Reed) before we found Stubblefield, and even then, it was injuries that gave Stubbs a chance to win that job.
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The point being that your team DID find AND sign that personnel - as well as Lemon and Sankey.
Hamilton had Figs, Saxelid, Ternowski, CVZ, Wynne, JaâGarred Davis, etcâŚ
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Our starters, when healthy would have been a pretty potent group IMO.
McGriff out for the year, Bayless hurt.
White, Bayless, Godwin and Walker make a good group.
Our Canadians have been shaky. Smith was up and down, Osei-Kusi couldnât catch a cold, Ternowski often hurt.
If we could find a couple of Canadian studs we would be looking strong. A Gittens would be a show stopper.
This needs to be our next priority at receiver.
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McGriff - he of the mysterious injury in training camp while also catching only about 50% of his targets = no great loss except that you cannot coach height.
Chapman, Burt, Ternowski. Three absolute swings-and-misses as draft pics.
Smith, Osei-Kusi, Sindani, Durant. Four absolute swings-and-misses as Free Agents.
What gives one the confidence that Hamiltonâs Front Office (ie: El Presidente and the three blind mice co-Assistant GMs) can actually improve upon this track record?
Donât get me started on the O-Line and the Kicking/Punting situations since 2019 - those were called third strikes right down the middle in a T-Ball gameâŚ
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Replace the Front Office would be a great start.
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Why not dump the stadium while weâre at it ? Down by the harbour in a natural bowl that is completely inaccessible would be great . Matt Canada is available for our head coach .
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Matt Canada is an American born in New Palestine, Indiana.
Let that all sink in. 
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The Steelers just dumped him as OC .
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Funny that the OP picked receiver as a recruiting weakness.
I would say that of every position on the field the Ticats have done better bringing talented receivers than any other position.
Speedy B
Tim White
Dunbar
Addison
Acklin
Ellingson
Tasker
Bakari Grant
Chris Williams
Marquay McDaniel
And I am sure many I am forgetting.
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I agree that the Ticats have always found great receivers. The latest one is Bayless, who played lights out whenever he was given playing time/thrown to.
The issue with our offence has always been pass protection, especially at OT (both sides). The team tried to correct that this year by throwing money at Figs, but he was brutal in the first few games, and hurt for the last three quarters of the season. And Iâm not sure Jordan Murray made much of a difference after he was signed late in the season, either.
OT is where the Ticats need to seriously upgrade, IMO.
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And all of them, save for Timmeh, had left the team in Free Agency, or were unceremoneously dumped.
This current Front Office are essentially responsible for White and Dunbar, and couldnât/wouldnât keep Dunbar, and probably over-paid Timmeh.
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Time to get a new front office. Somebody like Pinball or Maciocia plus some good scouts.
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Nobody has ever suggested thatđ
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who is this Timmeh you are talking about. I am unfamiliar with that name on our roster.
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