If you were the GM & Coach of the Cats what would your thoughts be heading into the evaluation camp and subsequent draft?
Would you look for strong defenders such as Barker or Arakgi or would you look for a fast receiver to develop and challenge the returnees?
Or is there some other position that you would look at where there is an outstanding player available?
Would you trade off your #1 pick for a top player to enhance the nucleus of the team and hope you can still luck out at the #9 pick?
Or would you use the #1 pick and trade off the #9 & #17 picks to grab a quality player or two?
Another possibility is to trade a top pick with another roster player (Chang for example) for a top calibre player.
Barker will be the first overall pick
In my opinion, Beveridge and Gauthier are special teams players, not starting safeties. This Barker kid sounds like the next coming of Hitch. I'd take him first overall and start him at safety...unless another team wanted to trade us a starting safety, corner, linebacker or DT for the pick.
One of the things I don't understand is that Obie has stated publically that our secondary "needs a lot of work," yet we haven't really done anything so far to improve it but re-sign guys who "weren't good enough" last year (Beveridge, Gordon, Bradley), and brought in some cuts from BC, as well as a DB from Edmonton who wasn't going to start there in 08 anyway. At least Barker would bring some fresh, new blood into the picture in the Ticat secondary, which is sorely needed, in my opinion.
IF we Keep the Pick this is who I Grab too.
I Rather Trade it though
I don't see how the Ticats can not select Barker with the first pick. He's a blue chipper at a position we desperately need to fill. Sounds like a no brainer.
If Barker lives up to his potential, we have an impact safety for the next decade or so.
honestly with the addition of Barker the secondary wouldn't be looking so bad. Gordon and Bradley at corners, Mitchell and Thompson at DB's, and Barker at safety. It would also give us the ratio we want, because Obie wants a Canadian safety. We could use another solid DB, but as of now, it's definetely an improvement on last year. And if the Mays signing is true thats great as well.
The best thing we can do to improve the play of the secondary is to improve the pass rush.
that will be done through scouting
I don't know anything about this Barker guy but I do know that safety is of major concern for the Cats. A stud there would improve the D.
We need to really beef up the interior of the D-line. Should be interesting to see what Obie and the scouting staff can come up with.
Trade the #1 Pick away for a starting DB, there has to be someone who is looking to unload a DB or safety.
I would then package the 9/17 picks with Chang, and see what I could get from Winnipeg.
In my honest opinion, the CFL draft is terrible and only a handful of people play the first year and after that it's a crap shoot. I don't want to waste 3 years developing a guy. Let's take the role of the Argos or Lions and build an immediate winner.
I do agree that there are guys like Fantuz and Braidwood who turn out to be jems but the draft in the CFL is not like the NFL.
Look at Mike Morreale, drafted by the Lions and cut. Waits a year and is signed by the Argos. Doesn't make a contribution so they let him go, he comes to Hamilton and is phenominal.
This is how the draft in Canada and Major League Baseball work. More often that not, you draft terrible, they go to another team and excel.
This my friends is called LIFE!
This Barker guy may be a stud in CIS but if you check out beveridges stats he was a stud in CIS as well. He (beveridge) just needs the chance to play. Several time last year he was the best safety in one game and the next he wouldn’t get any time. Now that the coaches have changed he should get a fair shake at the starter spot and I’m sure he can take it. Trade the first pick and get a vet receiver or even D line.