2015 Season Player Transactions Thread

[OV Argo]

There are around 3500 eligible players available for the NFL draft every year. Only 7% or around 250 actually get drafted. Our great kicker Swayze was undrafted. The numbers churning out of the states are sometimes mind boggling. It's hard for any GM not to be focused on trying to find the gems in all that talent down there.
Great players can come from anywhere, but as you mentioned, mathematically, we just can't compete, not even close.

I guess you realize that the NFL signs and employs a huge majority of the best American kickers out there; and that all sorts of other decent kickers from the States might have no interest in coming to the CFL; sure - be great to find another Waters and keep looking - just don't assume based on that good ole "numbers game cliche" stuff that some like to trot out; Medlock is an excellent place kicker, but the Ticats can have him as a punter - he's mediocre at best there and has about the worst average in the league for a guy who has had lots of punts; I'd take undrafted Pfeffer over him if it was just the punting job up for grabs.

[AngeloV]

And surely you realize that punting & place-kicking has some subtle differences between the 2 games; and American kickers are often one job only specialists.

Now - name me all the very good American punters out there who are willing to sign up in Canada and are going to be able to handle kicking in a different style game and are going to be upgrades on the Argos current situation - got any names ?

I can't name all the good available American punters, but I don't have 15-20 scouts and contacts watching these players working for me. Sorry about that. I think you really over rate the differences of punting in the 2 games. CFL punters just like NFL punters are more successful by punting the ball high and towards the sidelines. Some of the best punters in the league the last few years have been American in Waters, Leone, Ricky Scmidt, and call him Canadian if you want, but Prefontaine grew up and learned his football as an American.

I'll say it again, if a Canadian is good enough to be the starter, he would be. There is no advantage in keeping an American over a Canadian if they are of equal performance levels.

[1971GreyCup]

I can't name all the good available American punters, but I don't have 15-20 scouts and contacts watching these players working for me. Sorry about that. I think you really over rate the differences of punting in the 2 games. CFL punters just like NFL punters are more successful by punting the ball high and towards the sidelines. Some of the best punters in the league the last few years have been American in Waters, Leone, Ricky Scmidt, and call him Canadian if you want, but Prefontaine grew up and learned his football as an American.

I'll say it again, if a Canadian is good enough to be the starter, he would be. There is no advantage in keeping an American over a Canadian if they are of equal performance levels.

And last time I checked, Jon Ryan from the University of Regina Rams and now the Seattle Seahawks punter isn't too shabby either!
Must be something put in the water out their in Regina.

[AngeloV]

And last time I checked, Jon Ryan from the University of Regina Rams and now the Seattle Seahawks punter isn't too shabby either!
Must be something put in the water out their in Regina.

And you just proved my point. Last I checked Jon Ryan was the starter on his CFL team before leaving for bigger bucks.

I don't get why it's so hard for people on here to admit that numbers wise, there are just way more quality American football players than there are Canadian. They have over 300 schools playing football at the collegiate level compared to less than 30 in Canada.

That doesn't mean we don't want Canadians to succeed.

[OV Argo]

And you just proved my point. Last I checked Jon Ryan was the starter on his CFL team before leaving for bigger bucks.

I don't get why it's so hard for people on here to admit that numbers wise, there are just way more quality American football players than there are Canadian. They have over 300 schools playing football at the collegiate level compared to less than 30 in Canada.

That doesn't mean we don't want Canadians to succeed.

I think that EVERYBODY gets that the US has wayyyyyy more football resources and churns out wayyyy more football players from their college system than Canada does - is that not obvious ?

However - I was replying to the good ole cliched "numbers game" or mathematics cliched schtick that those who like to under-rate Canadian football talent (both quantity & quality) often trot out on the matter; and how they fail to mention that little thing called the NFL that employs hundreds & hundreds of top football players or the factor of some US talent having no interest in playing in the CFL (and for whatever reason); so you see, with those factors thrown in, it's not a simple matter of "math" that they have 10x as many college programs as Canada does = note - the CFL does not have unlimited access to the US football talent pool. But they can still find plenty of good American players and it's nice to see them get a chance to play in the CFL.

[Wobbler]

None of the recent posts have much to do with 2015 player transactions. Any further posts here should pertain directly to that topic.

[Wobbler]

Behold - actual transactions!

ACTIVE 21-Oct-15
TOR ADD INT Fou FONOTI (OL) Michigan State
TOR ADD INT Jake ROGERS (K) Cincinnati
TOR DEL INT Detrick BONNER (DB) Virginia Tech
TOR DEL NAT Jerod ZALESKI (FB) Simon Fraser

Interesting that we've activated Fonoti; I wonder if Campbell is a bit banged up.

[ArgoRavi]

Behold - actual transactions!

ACTIVE 21-Oct-15
TOR ADD INT Fou FONOTI (OL) Michigan State
TOR ADD INT Jake ROGERS (K) Cincinnati
TOR DEL INT Detrick BONNER (DB) Virginia Tech
TOR DEL NAT Jerod ZALESKI (FB) Simon Fraser

Interesting that we've activated Fonoti; I wonder if Campbell is a bit banged up.

Van Roten, Van Zeyl and Wayne Smith are all banged up, according to Milanovich:http://argonauts.ca/video/index/id/118467

[Wobbler]

Interesting. Well, I admit I'm curious to see more of Sewell and to find out if Fonoti can help us on the right side.

[Wobbler]

So, after showing Jake Rogers the door, we've also jettisoned our Week 18 right tackle Rishaw Johnson. Upgrading the OL should be our #1 priority in the off-season, in my opinion, and I'm a bit concerned that we may not have found any good new guys this year.

[ArgoRavi]

So, after showing Jake Rogers the door, we've also jettisoned our Week 18 right tackle Rishaw Johnson. Upgrading the OL should be our #1 priority in the off-season, in my opinion, and I'm a bit concerned that we may not have found any good new guys this year.

No question that the o-line needs to be looked at. Remember that their first round pick out of Calgary, Sean McEwen, will hopefully be with the team next year and could jump into a starting position (provided that he doesn't go to the NFL). If Sewell is ready to challenge for a starting position next year, they could upgrade this unit in large part from within although I am sure they will be looking at various imports too.

[Wobbler]

I don't want to derail the Transactions thread, so I'll reply elsewhere.