What's the story with this if anyone knows. :?
I would guess that maybe he does not block well. Maybe doesnt catch as well either.
No surprise to me at all. This was expected. Nothing against Whitlocks ability, but Import RB are very interchangeable. He was behind the 8ball with his injury and with Daniel porter's play in addition to Jerome Messam he was deemed expendable.
i was half arguing with paolaX about whitloc. i felt he almost blew the game against Calgary. This is a smart move by edmonton. the only team i see potentially picking him up is maybe, as a designated import, is BC.
Can't slam Whitlock, he is a good runner. Just a numbers thing. I bet he gets picked up by another team and has a good game vs. the Esks.
im not hacking on him. i just dont feel he is the best back in Edmonton. Im not sure where, if anywhere, he will re-surface.
Is the guy where in his first start there was a bunch of fumbles, but they stuck with him and he turned out pretty good?
I understand why he's expendable. Messam is playing well, and McCarty is a capable back-up, and Whitlock is an import. However, did Edmonton at least attempt to trade him? I don't understand just outright releasing him.
That’s part of it, however I will comment a touch further in the Eskie forum later - all in all this will not be a knock against Whitlock by no means.
Nobody really needs him unfortunately. BC is would be my guess if he ends up anywhere, but they rarely run the ball anyways and Robertson is a much better back at catching the football. Similar deal in Saskatchewan, Cates may not be the runner Whitlock is, but he blocks better and has better hands down the field. If he’s lucky maybe he gets a shot at training camp somewhere next year.
I’m sure Tillman shopped him around and simply had no takers.
They didn’t run the ball much in the first 3 games but they have run it much more in the past 2 (first 3 games combined - 27 running plays, game 4 - 22 and game 5 - 24). It may depend on how injured Robertson is (they said during the broadcast that he’s still hampered by an achilles injury) whether they would bring in another back or not. They did use Tim Brown more on offence but I have no idea whether he would start if Robertson couldn’t play.
I’d say this move was a result of Messam, McCarty, and Porter having more success when they’ve been given the ball to run with or catch out of the backfield.
Most teams wouldn't be interested in making a trade if they're pretty sure the player will be released anyway. They'd rather take their chances trying to sign him as a free agent than give up a decent player to get him. Plus, after that really good rookie season (excluding game 1) that he had, I'm sure the contract he has with the Eskimos is more than any team wants to pay.
Running backs have zero trade value. Look at Messam, he was picked up off the street and he's a NI. Even Pringle was released. It's really a passing league.
Messam was trade to Edmonton for a late round draft pick
depending on how long Cates is out you have to wonder if the Riders might go after him.
Running back is the deepest position in football. There are way too many out there and not much to choose between them. There's tons of great backs out of work.
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Lions are/could be interested.
Yeah, I posted that in the Edmonton board. Good luck to him.
Yes, 5th rounder, but that turns into a 3rd rounder if Messam plays 9 games with the Esks this year (a foregone conclusion at this point I think you could say?).