Riders Sign: Jamal Robertson

Riders sign Jamal Robertson…anybody happy about this?

Think he should be pretty decent. Cates and Griffin and Robertson. Should be great comp at camp. Childs trade was big mistake. Well maybe not. If Jones becomes a starting o lineman in a year or 2. Good Canadian o lineman are valuable. Brian Jones now key to trade being ok or bad.

im HAPPY! but only because its the first cfl story other than Ottawa (like the western world cares) in over a week. Now in his 33 NFL games his rushing average was only 4... granted NFL defenses are so much "bigger and better" i still dont think he'll make it high on the depth chart.

Robertson and Griffin are primarily kick returners to replace corey at less a third the cost.

Base on their stats I don't think either will challenge cates to much, unless his ankle is not healed properly.

If his ankle hurts we just give him a needle and he still runs like Forrest Gump, remember :stuck_out_tongue:.

I am thrilled!!
Well not really.
I thought it was interesting that ET felt the need to mention Jamal's one year backing up Kelvin Anderson.
As it turns out they have something else in common.
Jamal is the same age now as Kelvin was when he retired....can you spell cannon fodder? At best he is a stop gap/insurance policy. If Cates can't go for some reason, having a veteran to take the load isn't a bad thing. Still, as far as I can tell, he hasn't even played football in two years.

He played for Carolina in 2006. Went to Falcons camp in 2007. Riders brought him up in 2007. Late in year. He practiced with them. Must have liked what they saw Arius.

Yes I can spell cannon fodder. I can also spell this. Negative. How do you know what he is at best? Miller and Tillman must like him more than Holmes. They saw both. Picked Robertson over Holmes. Maybe we should do this. Wait and see what Robertson does. Before we say what he is at best.

I suspect that Salary was a big part of the issue related to Holmes.

Negative, smegative.
It is a realistic assessment of the guy.
It does appear he played one game for Atlanta in the last two years–he never played for Carolina , as he was cut before the pre-season began. And so he never played at all in 2007. As I said, at age 31, most RBs are looking to retire, not restart their career. Hey, if he can beat Cates out in camp, good for him. I doubt it though. That leaves the back-up position, and return guy. The return game is generally a young mans game, and it makes sense to have a guy younger than your starter, not 2 or 3 years older as the back-up. I have no problem with bringing a guy in and taking a look at him. As I said, a little insurance against losing Cates early on. Costs us nothing. Yes, they apparently saw enough last fall to take another look. Frankly, that was likely part of the package that got him here in the first place. His one saving grace may be that as he has played so little the last few years, his body has not taken the pounding that a RB normally takes, so maybe he is a young 31.

But I agree with Leeing. What they saw in Robertson, that made him look better than Corey, was a salary at likely half or less than that of the one Corey was going to make.

But there will likely be as many as half a dozen RBs in camp this year. I am hoping at least one of them isn’t a senior citizen…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaGTrMdlI-U

He does have experience in the CFL so I wouldn’t write him off yet. The guy can kick it into high gear and is very hard to bring down. He may be 31 but he has low mileage on those legs as he hasn’t been a full time starter very much down south. Combine that with his great receiving out of the back field and his skills as a returner and he could bring some very good competition to training camp as a RB and a returner.

A running back like Robertson is a senior citizen at 31. But a running quarterback like Joseph at 35 is not.

Exactly so.
Now you are starting to figure it out.
Only 2 of 8 starting QBs this year in the CFL will be younger than Robertson–Glenn and Ray.
If Robertson became our starting RB, he would almost certainly be the oldest starter in the league.
QBs sometimes play into their 40s, often play into their late 30s.
Very few RBs play past 35, most are done by 32-33.
Robert Edwards, I believe was the oldest RB in the league last year at 33 years of age. Corey Holmes is the same age as Robertson, and some think he is done. Ranek is younger. Avery is only a year older.
Troy Davis was only 32 last year. And so it goes.
Meanwhile, you want to stay on the “KJ is too old” line, when he is only 6 months or so older than the “spring chicken” that will replace him. In RB years, Robertson is in fact a senior. Kj might play 5 more years. If Robertson gets two, I’ll be stunned…

I was not for the Joseph trade. But I know this. If KJ is injured and not able to run. He is average. Or worse. Remember 2006. KJ is not Ricky Ray. He is not Kevin Glenn. He is not a passer. He was ok for Barrett. Much better for Austin. But play for 5 more years? No way. Age is a big factor with Joseph. Because if he cant run. He is not a good quarterback.

I would not have traded Joseph. But if Crandall plays good this was a good trade. Very good. Because Joseph at 35 is close to end. Not because of age. Because of style of play. No way he can stay healthy much longer.

Maybe Robertson only has 1 year left. Or 2. But if they are good it was a good signing. My point? Wait and see Arius. You may be surprised by Robertson. Crandall to. Me and you.

I would rather take Corey.

Once again, Crandell and Joseph are essentially the same age.
The difference is, one has proven he can be a starter in this league, the other, after twice as many years, has not. As for injuries, Crandell was a relatively mobile QB when he came up. Over 500 yards rushing in his only full year as a starter. Guess what–the guy spent as much time sitting on the bench because of injuries the next two years as he did playing. And hasn’t really been a starter since. More serious injuries than anything KJ has ever had. And he is now no longer a mobile QB. Runs like he has a wooden leg. Sure, if KJ is hampered and can’t run, he isn’t as effective. So? Any running QB needs to be healthy, regardless of age. Nealon broke his leg when he was in his late 20s. And he was never the same. So does that mean we shouldn’t have a running QB? Better cut Durant and Jyles now and save time. Or maybe a pocket passer like DD is the answer. Oh, sorry about his health. Football is an unforgiving game regarding injuries. A career can be over in a heartbeat.

Anyway, back to Robertson. Never said there was a problem with the signing. The thread question is, “are you happy”
I am ambivalent. It isn’t good or bad. It is boring. Dime a dozen stuff. Robertson will have a cup of coffee with us, and two years from now he will be a trivia question. Doesn’t mean he can’t give us something. But the odds, frankly, are against him. There will be a couple of hundred 22 year old kids graduating in America this spring. Many of whom will be faster, stronger, and have far more potential than Mr. Robertson. And could play for us for a decade. Bring a few of those to camp, then I’ll get excited.

The irony continues to be, that when we released Corey, it was sad, but okay because he was old and had lost a step. Now we sign a guy the same age to replace him, and it is something to get excited about?
last year about this time we had released Nate Davis and some slug whose name I forget was the heir apparent. Nate was too old, too fat, too slow we were told. Turns out the “new” guy, was fatter, slower and funny enough, older. Lasted 3 days in camp. I see a parallel here…

If what we read is true then this is true. Old guy named Davis was making over a $100,000 with a big bonus. Big bonus BEFORE camp. New guy cant think of his name had no bonus and made something like $75,000. Old guy would have still been fat and old. And he would have cost Riders bonus money when he was cut. New guy didnt make team. Got cut cost nothing. Davis got cut by Bombers. No other team signed him. Right?

Same may be true with Robertson compared to Holmes. Parallel Arius? 1 has risk. Other 1 has no risk.

Arius a question for you. If Crandall plays good. Or Jyles. And Robertson makes team. Or Griffin. Maybe for half of what Holmes was getting paid. If January plays good. If Flemons plays good. What will you and Mike say then? Will we see parallel again. Still hear negative always.

Just for the record, here is the hoopla we had for Jermaine Haley when we signed him last year.

First,

“Jermaine can be a dominant player in this league again,? said Tillman. “He is a physical force because he plays hard every snap. John is a coach’s dream. He has great character, a relentless motor and runs really well for a big man. John and Jermaine will make an area of strength (our defensive line) very competitive at training camp.?
Then,
Haley will receive a birthday card, commemorating his 34th, on Feb. 13. However, age is not a concern to Tillman.

"Not in the least,‘’ he stated. "Come watch us practise in training camp. I think your worries will be alleviated quickly.

"He’s in great shape. (Tuesday) night, he told me he was weighing 285, which was down from the 310 he played at in the NFL. When he played for us in Toronto he was at 290, and he said he wanted to be in the 280-285 range because of quickness. He’s a guy who has a great work ethic.

"Age, with some people, is just a number. He’s the same age as guys like (Roughriders all-star offensive linemen) Jeremy O’Day and Gene Makowsky and I think they’re doing OK.‘’


And finally, a little reality:

Haley, who played five seasons in the NFL and three in the CFL, hadn't been involved with a professional team since being released in 2005 by the NFL's Washington Redskins.

Kent Austin, head coach of the Riders, said Haley’s lack of activity affected his performance during the team’s opening three days of training camp.

"When you’re at that age, you have to work very hard in the offseason to compete against the young guys,‘’ Austin said. "I don’t think he was in as good shape as he needed to be to play in this league. He just didn’t have the legs anymore.‘’


Now obviously, ET is always going to say something positive about anyone he signs–that is part of his job. And different players, different situation, anything is possible. But as we can see, when you roll the dice, sometimes they come up box cars. While not playing means Jamal’s body may not be beat up, it is also true that not playing for two years has a negative impact on conditioning, timing, general skills. Things which are not easily gotten back at that age. And at that age, he will get his one shot…no one will keep him around for a year hoping he can return to form. All of these things are real issues for a football player. And pointing them out when discussing the value of this signing is not negative–just realistic. Maybe Jamal will come to camp in the best shape of his life, he beats Cates out of a job and plays spectacularly for the next 4-5 years. Wonderful! Great! Kudos!
I just wouldn’t bet your kids college fund on it. ET brought this guy in to compete, to provide competition. But I doubt he believes that Wes Cates should lose any sleep over this signing…

As for this, I like Jyles, January seems like a good prospect. I honestly do not expect much from Flemens, but we will see. Griffin was a fine signing–we need a back-up/return guy. Both he and Robertson aren’t likely to make the roster. And if you are going to have a practice roster taken by a RB, is it wise to use it for a 31 year old?
The issues however never was whether these players may or may not pan out. The issue is, first, we had players with known skills–why roll the dice with the unknown? And second, in Jyles case, at that time, we had 0 need for a QB. Yet we trade an all-star for something we did not need. Then we trade another all-star, at the most difficult position to replace, and most important position on the team, for an unknown player at what is likely the easiest position to replace–an import offensive lineman. Maybe we’ll get lucky. Crandell will be brilliant, Jyles will be the next Warren Moon, January will be a perennial all-star, and Flemens will lead the league in sacks. And we’ll get Dylan Barker in the draft, and we’ll never get sick, and we’ll never die…
Paradise.
Unfortunately, none of those things will ever change the fact that ET took known assets and went to the casino and bet it all on black…just because sometimes you win, doesn’t make it the smart move.

Arius you are so smart. You should have been gm after Shivers. You know more than Tillman on Perry. And Joseph. And Jyles. And Robertson. I didnt like KJ trade. But not arrogant enough to speak in facts. You say everything as fact. Maybe Miller and Tillman dont think Joseph can keep it up. Best time to trade him now. While is value is high. Maybe same for Perry. What do they know? They should ask you 1st. Arius knows every thing. He can tell them and us what is smart. And what is not right?