Thread for the Team that Cannot Be Named

[gilthethrill]

is PRIME on the team!!

Fullback C.O. Prime was not offered a contract by the Hamilton franchise of the Canadian Football League.

[argolio]

So now it's official. Let the fun begin.

I had hope for Vernon Adams, but three pro teams in three years is not a good sign. Hard to see him stay in the league for long if he can't earn the confidence of his coaches.

[jerrym]

Manziel, Jones and Masoli talk about the first day of TC in the videos in this url.

http://3downnation.com/2018/05/20/vi...-cfl-practice/

[ArgoRavi]

I agree Ron. May he lead his team to an Eastern Final heart breaking defeat.

Seriously, I get why people don't like him. He has acted like a jackass at times, but he's young. Who of us haven't? The difference being that we all didn't have media following us around and reporting it. Give the young guy a chance. This league is built on 2nd chances in which many people were able to turn their lives around. Clean slate as far as I am concerned.

Agreed with both Ron and AV. After listening to several interviews, it is clear that Manziel is a bright, articulate guy; maturity and his bipolar disorder appear to have been the issues with him in the past. Time will tell if he has his act together or not but he is no less deserving of that opportunity than anyone else.

[rdavies]

Manziel takes his first full team reps at Ticats training camp
Dan Ralph, Canadian Press May 22, 2018

A small step forward for Johnny Football.

Johnny Manziel took his first team reps at the Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ training camp Tuesday. The former Heisman Trophy winner spent much of the first two days of workouts watching incumbent Jeremiah Masoli and the other quarterbacks call and execute plays.

Once again, Manziel, 25, threw to receivers prior to position drills. But this time, he took snaps against a full defence as well as during the seven-on-seven session at Ron Joyce Stadium.

“The first day I came out and was just looking over everything, learning from the guys, just kind of watching to see how they progress through things,” Manziel said. “Now we’re just kind of piecing it together, a couple of team reps here, more seven-on-seven reps so you see it without the pass rush and the whole thing coming together.

“(On Wednesday) we’ll take some more team reps and get more live reps because at the end of the day we’re pretty close to the first time we’ll get out there and actually play.”

Hamilton hosts the Grey Cup-champion Toronto Argonauts on June 1 in the first exhibition game for both teams.

The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner completed his first two passes of the team segment with the second offensive unit. The six-foot, 210-pound Manziel rolled out to his left on his second play then threw the completion.

Head coach June Jones reiterated Hamilton is taking it slow with Manziel.

“When he opened up the playbook it’s like learning Chinese, it’s all different,” Jones said. “He’s trying to put what’s similar to what he’s done before and categorize all those things as he goes.

“Obviously he’s a few weeks away from really feeling comfortable, I’m sure, but every day he’ll get more reps.”

Jones is hopeful Manziel will play against Toronto.

“I would think he’ll get in there,” Jones said. “Obviously you don’t want to put a player in a situation where he can’t have success if he’s not really comfortable with what he’s doing.

“We’ll see how that is when we get to that first game.”

Manziel showed a definite feel for receiver Brandon Banks, hitting the speedster in stride. But he said it will take time to develop a rapport with all of his new teammates.

“It’s just reps,” Manziel said. “That’s the thing coach Jones and I have been talking about.

“Just continuous reps to get it down and then it becomes second nature.”

Masoli showed Tuesday why he’s clearly Hamilton’s starter. The 29-year-old, who’s entering his sixth season with the Ticats, looked very comfortable making his progressions and threading the needle in tight coverage.

But that’s nothing new to Jones, who watched Masoli lead Hamilton to a 6-4 record last year after making Masoli the starter after becoming the Ticats’ interim head coach. However, what’s impressed Jones more is Masoli tutoring Manziel.

“It just confirms to me he’s who I thought he was,” Jones said. “He’s just a first-class person on top of being a great quarterback.

“I’m excited for him to get that opportunity to be a starter.”

Manziel has shown he can be a quick study. After red-shirting at Texas A&M in 2011, Manziel became the first freshman to capture the Heisman Trophy as U.S. college football’s top player.

The Cleveland Browns took Manziel in the first round, No. 22 overall, in the 2014 NFL draft. But Manziel was released in March 2016 after posting a 2-6 record over two tumultuous campaigns.

On Monday, Manziel spent an hour going through many of Masoli’s camp reps on a virtual reality unit. It’s an experience that proved very beneficial.

“You can look down and see his feet,” Manziel said. “Then you can see the progression of the route, what person we’re keying on and the reason why he made certain throws.

“This is my first time really having that detailed and high quality of a VR like that. You can definitely take reps without having to be out on the field every time.”

Still, Manziel faces an uphill battle and that’s not just about getting to know new teammates and Hamilton’s playbook. There’s adjusting to a vastly different game played with three downs on a longer, wider field, 12 men aside and unlimited motion.

But Manzeil has spoken to Doug Flutie, another former Heisman Trophy winner who won three Grey Cups and six outstanding player awards during his illustrious eight-year CFL tenure (1990-1997). After leading Toronto to a second straight league title in ’97, Flutie played another eight NFL seasons with Buffalo (1998-2000), San Diego (2001-2004) and New England (2005).

“He (Flutie) thought this game would translate to what I do very well,” Manziel said. “He spoke very highly of everything up here and how it shaped him and where he is in his life.

“I’m very appreciative to have somebody like that who I could reach out to any time.”

[jerrym]

HC June Jones talks about Masoli's and Manziel's performance in practice today.

🎥: @CoachJuneJones speaks to the #HamOnt media on Day 4 of #TicatsCamp.#Ticats | @nissancanada pic.twitter.com/JjAq2iwkPq

— Hamilton Tiger-Cats (@Ticats) May 23, 2018

[jerrym]

Doug Flutie warns Manziel about taking it easy in the CFL:

The No. 1 thing, especially in Johnny’s situation, very similar to me, there’s a learning curve that goes on up there. And you’re competing against guys that are veteran players in that league and know what they’re doing. You can get away with it short term as far as just being athletic, and you can win some games, but really have to learn that game and get efficient at it to win championships and be at that calibre or that level that you want to get to. ,,,

There’s guys up there that are NFL calibre guys and you don’t just go in and take over. The blessing is that Johnny or for me my athleticism carried me early where you could scramble, take off, get away – there is more space on the field.

http://3downnation.com/2018/05/24/do...-get-lazy-cfl/

[jerrym]

First overall pick Mark Chapman and the Tiger Cats are very far apart in contract negotiations.

First overall CFL draft pick Mark Chapman and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are “light years” apart in contract negotiations, per league sources.
Every player from the 2018 CFL Draft is now under contract – with the exception of those who signed in the NFL or are going back to school – Chapman remains the lone unsigned selection.
The second overall pick, Montreal Alouettes offensive lineman Trey Rutherford, inked a three-year pact worth a total of approximately $285,000 in “hard money” – essentially what a player can earn without hitting performance or playtime bonuses. That’s in line with what Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive lineman Faith Ekakitie, last year’s top selection, garnered on his deal: around $290,000 in hard money for three seasons.
Multiple sources say Chapman wants a deal in line with what Rutherford and Ekakitie received while Hamilton is trying to get a below-market contract.

http://3downnation.com/2018/05/24/ti...-negotiations/

[jerrym]

An update from HC June Jones' view of the Ticat TC so far.

🎥: "There's two types of QBs, one that gets better in the game, and one that doesn't." - @CoachJuneJones #Ticats | @nissancanada pic.twitter.com/s77EM6ySvJ

— Hamilton Tiger-Cats (@Ticats) May 24, 2018

[jerrym]

Steve Milton discusses why the Ti Cats traded International DL Davon Coleman and a sixth round pick next year to the Lions for a fourth round 2019 pick. A shouting match on the sidelines on Thursday likely was part of the reason.

In his first Ticat season he also had a strong nose for the ball and was effective at pressuring opposing quarterbacks.

But the Ticats have put a much higher premium on draft choices than international interior linemen in recent years and also have Jason Neill and Bobby Richardson as possible replacements for Coleman, who was taking first-team reps most of training camp. Whoever takes Coleman’s place—and that could include two-way player Nikita Whitlock for a few snaps per game—would line up most of the time beside homebrew star Ted Laurent.
Neill played eight games for the Ticats last season and Richardson made 11 starts for New Orleans three years ago and has been on practice rosters of three other NFL teams. Both are 25, two years younger than Coleman.

Coleman was involved in an increasingly loud, and quite extended, shouting match on the sidelines with Whitlock in training camp on Thursday.

[argolio]

Dissension in the ranks!

[gilthethrill]

Steve Milton discusses why the Ti Cats traded International DL Davon Coleman and a sixth round pick next year to the Lions for a fourth round 2019 pick. A shouting match on the sidelines on Thursday likely was part of the reason.

I thought Coleman played very well last season. Glad he is out west.

[jerrym]

Breaking news: the missing "consultant" Kent Austin has been spotted - at a U2 concert in Nashville.

[rdavies]

[jerrym]

The Tiger Cats have suspended International RB Alex Green who gained 447 yards in just six games last year. They have also signed International DB Daquan Pace who was with Ottawa last year but did not get into any game action after attending Cincinnati Bengals' TC.

[R.J]

As expected, Manziel's been named the #2 for the Ticats.

[R.J]

Manziel and Masoli's supposed contract terms.

Manziel's CFL contract: $122k base, $10k sign bonus, $18k housing stipend, $10k if active 6 games, $10k for 10 games active. $10k for 14 games active. Another $120k if plays half of snaps. March 1 $75k offseason bonus. 2018 $202k base w/same incentives

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) May 19, 2018

Masoli extended with the team in January for two years for over $700,000 and included a signing bonus of $125,000. The first year contains $235,000 in “hard money” with $90,000 in playtime incentives while the second features $335,000 “hard money” plus $45,000 in playtime incentives.

[R.J]

Breaking: long-awaited #HamOnt stadium settlement is finally formalized. Unsurprisingly, most details confidential.

— Matthew Van Dongen (@Mattatthespec) May 31, 2018

Would be nice if some info came out. I'm always interested in Stadium projects, and Tim Hortons Field was a doozy.
http://3downnation.com/2018/05/31/ha...-grey-cup-bid/

[jerrym]

Shamawd Chambers, who was likely to be a starter for the Ticats, has torn his ACL and is gone for the season.

[Flutie]

Shamawd Chambers, who was likely to be a starter for the Ticats, has torn his ACL and is gone for the season.

That really messes up the Ticats plans to start 2 national receivers. Chambers started 7 games for the Ticats - 26 receptions and they took Chapman as the number 1 pick. Chapman is in a contract dispute and he's unproven and no training camp. Having 2 national starters is one reason why they traded away Bomben to the Als, they could afford an extra import on the O-line.