TORONTO — The Hamilton Tiger-Cats announced Monday that the football club has acquired national linebacker Jordan Williams in a trade with the Toronto Argonauts.
It looks like this was a salary dump as Hamilton gave up very little.
I don’t follow Jordan very close, but I have to wonder why a recent rookie of the year and apparently very good player is unable to stick with one team early in his career.
Here we go. Start of what should be an exciting & busy week going into the FA “window” next Sunday.
I Like the trade. The 'Cats get a starting National LB on a depleted LB corps, having already stated Edwards isn’t coming back - & likely moving on from Simoni. Argos have no less than 5 young National LB’s including Cassar who’s been there 3 yrs after being drafted 11th. Should be someone there they like. In essence the teams change draft positions & the Argos lose a former 1st round pick for a pick in the 1st round this year. Good trade both ways IMO.
Makes cap room for Schoen to TOR
Jordan is not a top paid player and I definitely don’t consider that a salary dump by the Argos; on the other side, I do think that Hamilton is moving from a well paid A LB Jameer Thurman and creating cap space in order to sign both Tim White and Dalton Schoen.
Richard
Richard
In 2023, I don’t even know if Jordan Williams was paid $100,000; in Hamilton Jameer Jordan made $145,800 in hard money.
If you assume that Jordan’s Williams’s contract is at $108,000 for 2024, Hamilton sees a salary reduction of $37,800. -Thurman+Williams.
In 2023, receivers Tim White and Duke Williams made respectively $187,000 and $175,000 in Hamilton, for a total of $362,000. If you add the savings of $37,800, you now have $399,800 for 2 A WRs. Hamilton needs at least 2 A WRs and they can afford to pay White and Schoen a total of $450,000.
Richard
Thurman’s only 29 so not sure why you would move on from him - & he has played WIL with Calgary - IF they can re-sign him replaces Simoni. Edwards is also gone so what happens to your LB core? It makes sense to keep both of them to me.
As for both White & Schoen. History & the pundits say they’ll be commanding in the 250-300K each. TiCats could make the $$$ work with the Bo Levi contract freeing up a lot of cash but, as reported earlier, they have the most expensive OL in the CFL with 4 of them top 11 highest paid last year. I don’t see how spending north of $500K those 2 WR’s likely get is the most efficient use of your money. But, hey, who knows?
Apparently $35K has already been paid to Jordon Williams by TOR
Blink & you miss something. Argos just re-signed Jonathan Jones as we speak so, you’re right, salary dump & not giving up anything. Jones is 26, 230 & had 7 sacks last year splitting time with Williams @ WIL.
Argos just have so much depth. It will be tested in FA but the Ceresna trade was made I’m sure in anticipation of losing one of their 3 studs @ DT.
Yes IMO Jones is a better line backer than Williams but Williams has the “National” tag. That’s two Nationals capable of starting the Argos have given up so far. But as you say they have so much depth. They still have to annouce the signings of Pickett and Hendrix, but assuming they will I really like their front 7 again this year. Number 5 in the draft is a Center at Boston College Kyle Hergel who could maybe step into the Argo lineup if Ciraco doesn’t re-sign. History has shown the Argos seem to make good picks in the 3rd round and this again IMO is a good draft for the first 3 or 4 rounds. So a good trade for both teams. Hamilton gets a pretty good starting National and Argos are stronger with Jones at MLB and maybe getting a player at the 5th pick they want.