2014-2015 Off-Season Player Movement Thread

[Mookie Fan]

Uncertainty in the secondary seems to be a yearly theme, Robinson had some decent games but at times looked lost, no big loss.

I don't think Robinson is a big loss, and we do need to get better in the secondary. That being said, I think the Argos coaching staff misused Jamie Robinson. When he first started playing and starting for the Argos, he started at cornerback and at first struggled. He eventually started to play pretty well at CB, and then they started moving him all over the place out of desperation. He is a versatile player, but they had him at safety, halfback, and even outside linebacker. He played everywhere. I can see why he never really settled into any position. He often seemed to be in a position to knock a pass down, but often seemed to be flailing at the ball and the receiver would usually come down with the ball. He may have never reached his potential.

[AngeloV]

I don't think Robinson is a big loss, and we do need to get better in the secondary. That being said, I think the Argos coaching staff misused Jamie Robinson. When he first started playing and starting for the Argos, he started at cornerback and at first struggled. He eventually started to play pretty well at CB, and then they started moving him all over the place out of desperation. He is a versatile player, but they had him at safety, halfback, and even outside linebacker. He played everywhere. I can see why he never really settled into any position. He often seemed to be in a position to knock a pass down, but often seemed to be flailing at the ball and the receiver would usually come down with the ball. He may have never reached his potential.

I liked Robinson too. It is very difficult to play a different position as often as he did, and I thought for the most part, he was solid wherever he lined up.

[jerrym]

I liked Robinson for his versatility. Considering the problems the Argos had with injuries last year, I thought the Argos might place greater value on such a player.

[Wobbler]

I was just speculating when I suggested that we planned to release him. It's quite possible that he's just tired of football, or has a job lined up, or had some other reason to leave on his own terms.

[gilthethrill]

I was just speculating when I suggested that we planned to release him. It's quite possible that he's just tired of football, or has a job lined up, or had some other reason to leave on his own terms.

With a weak Canadian dollar, the choice of retiring from the CFL is made easier for these guys.

[argolio]

I liked Robinson too. It is very difficult to play a different position as often as he did, and I thought for the most part, he was solid wherever he lined up.

I thought he was underrated. Didn't like that he got jerked around too much.

Good luck to him in whatever he does.

[ArgoRavi]

I was just speculating when I suggested that we planned to release him. It's quite possible that he's just tired of football, or has a job lined up, or had some other reason to leave on his own terms.

I don't see an advantage to him retiring if he really did not want to retire. If he wants to continue playing, he would be better off being released if the Argos do not want him. I don't think that there is anything deeper here other than that Robinson has decided to do other things with his life.

[Argo57]

With a weak Canadian dollar, the choice of retiring from the CFL is made easier for these guys.

That's a good point, CFL players are making 15-20% less this year than last simply due to the exchange rate.

[gilthethrill]

That's a good point, CFL players are making 15-20% less this year than last simply due to the exchange rate.

With the exchange rate what it is, it really takes away the salary cap increase from last hear for the US citizens who play interest league.

[Wobbler]

Congratulations Akeem Daniels for signing with Toronto Argonauts #CFL pic.twitter.com/Z55tHb5agP

— NIU Football (@NIU_Football) May 10, 2015

Daniels was a college RB who has had some injury problems and wasn't drafted (this year).

[Mookie Fan]

Daniels was a college RB who has had some injury problems and wasn't drafted (this year).

An intriguing signing, but yet another small international RB signed. He is 5'7 189. We clearly don't have room for all of the small RBs on our roster, no team would. That said, I wonder if he can return kicks? That would greatly increase his chances of making this team. We need some better kick returners on this team, that's for sure.

[Rich]

So WTF is going on? Today Argos released:

INT WR Mike Davis
INT WR Mike Thomas
INT WR Anthony McClung
INT WR Darryl Surgent

This amounts to a helluva lot of talent that we won't be seeing at the WR position. Their signings earlier gave me hope that one of them could emerge to be a really good one at a position we need a lot of help in. So why all released all at once? What a huge disappointment.

[ArgoRavi]

So WTF is going on? Today Argos released:

INT WR Mike Davis
INT WR Mike Thomas
INT WR Anthony McClung
INT WR Darryl Surgent

This amounts to a helluva lot of talent that we won't be seeing at the WR position. Their signings earlier gave me hope that one of them could emerge to be a really good one at a position we need a lot of help in. So why all released all at once? What a huge disappointment.

They probably didn't show enough at the recent mini-camp. Their releases will make room for other receivers who will likely soon be signed to audition at training camp.

CFL teams now use these mini-camps to evaluate off-season signings and look at other potential recruits.

[Rich]

I thought the recent camp in Florida was a tryout camp for unsigned players, no? Do you know that these players were actually there?

[Wobbler]

May 13 INT Re-Signed Brandon Isaac, LB, South Carolina
May 13 INT Signed Akeem Daniels, RB, Nothern Illinois
May 13 INT Signed Lyle McCombs, RB, Rhode Island
May 13 INT Signed Jarvis West, WR, Iowa State
May 13 INT Signed Martez Wilson, DL, Illinois

If you want to sign five guys, you need to release five guys. To my eye it looks like we kept all of the most promising receivers.

We have an awful lot of RBs on the roster right now, though. It'll be seven once Dillon Campbell signs, and eight if Kackert can go.

[ArgoRavi]

I thought the recent camp in Florida was a tryout camp for unsigned players, no? Do you know that these players were actually there?

It was actually a combination of a mini-camp and tryout camp, Rich. The Argos actually used it more as a tryout camp (meaning players that they have signed this off-season plus potential recruits) but did have at least one of their veteran players, QB Chad Kilgore, there as well. Other CFL teams tended to use these more as mini-camps with most of their vets showing up as well as new players. I believe that AngeloV speculated that Braley probably didn't want to spend money to get the vets to this camp so that is why it was mostly new signings and potential recruits that showed up for the Argos.

[Rich]

To my eye it looks like we kept all of the most promising receivers.

Not if you're looking at their resumes.

[doubleblue]

So WTF is going on? Today Argos released:

INT WR Mike Davis
INT WR Mike Thomas
INT WR Anthony McClung
INT WR Darryl Surgent

This amounts to a helluva lot of talent that we won't be seeing at the WR position. Their signings earlier gave me hope that one of them could emerge to be a really good one at a position we need a lot of help in. So why all released all at once? What a huge disappointment.

They obviously had to get down to the required 75 bodies (not counting first year Canadians) for training camp. I counted 77 before these 4 guys were cut, so there could be a couple of more signing before camp. These four would have been at the mini camp last week, so they must have been found wanting. The Mike Davis resume had sounded good.

[ArgoRavi]

Not if you're looking at their resumes.

There is no point keeping people around if you don't think that they will fit your system well or pick up the Canadian game quickly. I am guessing that is what happened with the four receivers released.

As I mentioned in response to OV on this forum last night, a lot of good players with good resumes don't make it or last very long in the pros for a variety of reasons.

[Wobbler]

Not if you're looking at their resumes.

I'll admit I was curious to see what Mike Thomas could do for us... but apparently he wasn't working out, for whatever reason. Oh well.