Feoli-Gudino doing well, 8th in catches

[jerrym]

​Julian Feoli-Gudino is doing well in Winnipeg. After two years with the Argos and no receptions, he currently ranks tied for eighth in receptions with 14. Although he is only 29th in reception yardage with 105 yards, it does raise the question of whether the Argos could have used his skills more effectively.
His number of receptions reflects the fact that he has good hands, as demonstrated throughout his CIS career and especially in the 2011 Vanier Cup where he won the Most Valuable Player Award and made some outstanding catches.
On the other hand, his lack of major speed means he is rarely going to be a deep threat as can be seen in his total receiving yardage.
Nevertheless, it seems to me the Argos could have used him in second and short yardage situations, thereby taking advantage of his good hands to keep drives alive. By substituting him for Watts, who is more of a deep threat but does not have Julian's hands, or for one of the internationals without great hands in second and short, the Argos might have been able to sustain more drives, something that has been a problem in the last two years. While Owens definitely fulfills this role and has the added bonus of being able to take a short gain deep because of his speed, having another sure-handed receiver to toss to in such situations might have helped sustained drives and forced defences to either cover Feoli-Gudino as he established himself as a short threat, thereby taking some of the pressure off Owens to make such completions, or leave Julian open to make such catches.
It also shows once again O'Shea's skills at assessing players and getting the most out of them.
If the Argos ever replace Milanovich, O'Shea should be given prime consideration. With his long ties to the Argos and Toronto, there is a good chance the Argos could get him.

[OV Argo]

No surprise he is getting a shot with the Bombers, IMO. O'Shea, Walters, Miller - have also given playing time to some other CIS all-stars who got little opportunity with former regimes they played for" Teague Sherman at LB and Jake Thomas at DT are starting or playing lots for the Bombers too and doing quite well with the opportunity. Glad to see some Canadian football people in charge of a CFL team (not just one or two guys at the lower coaching levels, but key decision makers) = should mean some Canadian talent will get more chances in the good ole "radical" CFL. (O'Shea also went to Feoli-Gudino as his prime punt returner when injury struck their main guy last game - something you will rarely see nowdays - a Canadian getting to play a position that is usually reserved for imports only).

[Argo]

Imagination and nimbleness don't seem to be Milanovich's strong points.

[gilthethrill]

The Bombers were so thin in National Talent guys like JFG were given an opportunity. Good for him for responding well. I was expecting the Argos to be criticized for releasing him sooner than this.

[Argocister]

It's good to see Feoli-Gudino get a chance. With the Argos, behind Owens,Watt,Bradwell ..... There were always other options for Milanovich.
O'Shea was familiar with JFG so he knows what he's capable of.... I think it was JFGs work on specials that got him the initial look.
It is nice to see Canadian management, but I will believe the balance to Canadians when Winnipegs roster and starting nationals are more than the minimum. But give it a year or two....
Don't know if anyone noticed but Alexandre got his first start out in Edmonton with Jones Defense .... We didn't seem to fit him in either.

[Wobbler]

"8th in catches" is true but somewhat disingenuous. JFG is also 29th in receiving yardage, behind Durie and Watt and Coombs... and Owens and Adams and Chiles.

I'm happy that Feoli-Gudino is doing well and I hope he keeps it up. I haven't yet seen good reason to believe that we made a mistake by releasing him, though.

[paulwoods13]

I agree with wobbler. JFG looks OK but he also dropped a sure TD pass last week when he was wide open. I'd rather have Watt's speed and Bradwell's special teams play, assuming all three couldn't be kept.

[argolio]

If 7.5 yards per catch is the best he can do, then it's not a big loss at all.

[Stevoman]

O'Shea had a great start in his first year coaching with the Argos too. After that, the last 2 seasons especially, the special teams weren't too special. I am happy O'Shea is off to a great start but am still very happy Milanovich is our coach and do not want it to change any time soon even if we have a disastrous season. There were many changes on this team, including in coaching, and time is needed for chemistry to take place there as well. But yes, down the road, it would be cool having O'Shea as head coach.

[ArgoRavi]

​Julian Feoli-Gudino is doing well in Winnipeg. After two years with the Argos and no receptions, he currently ranks tied for eighth in receptions with 14. Although he is only 29th in reception yardage with 105 yards, it does raise the question of whether the Argos could have used his skills more effectively.
His number of receptions reflects the fact that he has good hands, as demonstrated throughout his CIS career and especially in the 2011 Vanier Cup where he won the Most Valuable Player Award and made some outstanding catches.
On the other hand, his lack of major speed means he is rarely going to be a deep threat as can be seen in his total receiving yardage.
Nevertheless, it seems to me the Argos could have used him in second and short yardage situations, thereby taking advantage of his good hands to keep drives alive. By substituting him for Watts, who is more of a deep threat but does not have Julian's hands, or for one of the internationals without great hands in second and short, the Argos might have been able to sustain more drives, something that has been a problem in the last two years. While Owens definitely fulfills this role and has the added bonus of being able to take a short gain deep because of his speed, having another sure-handed receiver to toss to in such situations might have helped sustained drives and forced defences to either cover Feoli-Gudino as he established himself as a short threat, thereby taking some of the pressure off Owens to make such completions, or leave Julian open to make such catches.
It also shows once again O'Shea's skills at assessing players and getting the most out of them.
If the Argos ever replace Milanovich, O'Shea should be given prime consideration. With his long ties to the Argos and Toronto, there is a good chance the Argos could get him.

The Argos have had problems sustaining drives the last two years, Jerry? I do not agree with that premise. As for Feoli-Gudino, I can't think of anyone on the Argo receiving corps currently, especially among nationals, who I would replace with Feoli-Gudino. Having said that, good for him that he has shown a bit of progress this season.


No surprise he is getting a shot with the Bombers, IMO. O'Shea, Walters, Miller - have also given playing time to some other CIS all-stars who got little opportunity with former regimes they played for" Teague Sherman at LB and Jake Thomas at DT are starting or playing lots for the Bombers too and doing quite well with the opportunity. Glad to see some Canadian football people in charge of a CFL team (not just one or two guys at the lower coaching levels, but key decision makers) = should mean some Canadian talent will get more chances in the good ole "radical" CFL. (O'Shea also went to Feoli-Gudino as his prime punt returner when injury struck their main guy last game - something you will rarely see nowdays - a Canadian getting to play a position that is usually reserved for imports only).

Feoli-Gudino did some punt returning during the game in Regina last season and was, to put it kindly, terrible.

[AngeloV]

Please...give me a break. If Cory Watson wasn't injured, he would still likely have no catches. Who is he better than on the Argos recieving core? Was he going to start over Owens? Durie? Barnes? Spencer Watt has 1 less catche and 40 yards more despite playing the wide side reciever position. Feoli-Gudino is playing slot. He's a below average pro receiver, who will go back to getting no playing time on offence once Watson returns.

[jerrym]

Please...give me a break. If Cory Watson wasn't injured, he would still likely have no catches. Who is he better than on the Argos recieving core? Was he going to start over Owens? Durie? Barnes? Spencer Watt has 1 less catche and 40 yards more despite playing the wide side reciever position. Feoli-Gudino is playing slot. He's a below average pro receiver, who will go back to getting no playing time on offence once Watson returns.
I described his as a specialist role as one of second and short yardage, something Watt, who has the speed to go deep, rarely is used for as he often drops balls.

[AngeloV]

I described his as a specialist role as one of second and short yardage, something Watt, who has the speed to go deep, rarely is used for as he often drops balls.

I don't know what you've been watching, but last year and this, I haven't seen Watt dropping balls. I did see Feoli-Gudino drop his share when he was given the opportunity in pre-season, and I realize pre-season isn't the be all and end all, but it certainly means a lot to bubble players, which is what Feoli-Gudino is.

Having said all that, my respose wasn't really towards your post, but in general to the Milanovich doesn't know what he's doing thoughts.

[OV Argo]

Please...give me a break. If Cory Watson wasn't injured, he would still likely have no catches. Who is he better than on the Argos recieving core? Was he going to start over Owens? Durie? Barnes? Spencer Watt has 1 less catche and 40 yards more despite playing the wide side reciever position. Feoli-Gudino is playing slot. He's a below average pro receiver, who will go back to getting no playing time on offence once Watson returns.

We shall see - let's track F-G's progression with the Bombers this season - maybe he is just in for Watson as an injury replacement and will be back to the bench with little playing time when Watson returns; he has at least, IMO (maybe not to you) flashed some talent this season, including a great catch for a game winning TD. We should also maybe track the progress of Argo NI receivers like Watt or Bradwell or Adjei. Wonder if the likes of Kohlert or F-G will end up with more receptions & yardage then the Argos `bubble`NI receivers, eh.

[AngeloV]

We shall see - let's track F-G's progression with the Bombers this season - maybe he is just in for Watson as an injury replacement and will be back to the bench with little playing time when Watson returns; he has at least, IMO (maybe not to you) flashed some talent this season, including a great catch for a game winning TD. We should also maybe track the progress of Argo NI receivers like Watt or Bradwell or Adjei. Wonder if the likes of Kohlert or F-G will end up with more receptions & yardage then the Argos `bubble`NI receivers, eh.

Honestly OV, I don't think he has great hands. Watch that game winning TD again. He really bobbled that ball before he hauled it in, and he was behid the defender, so it's not like he had to worry about a hit coming. To call that a great catch is a serious exaggeration.

[OV Argo]

Honestly OV, I don't think he has great hands. Watch that game winning TD again. He really bobbled that ball before he hauled it in, and he was behid the defender, so it's not like he had to worry about a hit coming. To call that a great catch is a serious exaggeration.

It was an over the shoulder catch, with the pressure on / game winning situation and a defender was close by = great catch IMO.

Maybe you want to defend every single personnel decision the Argos' brass make as beyond scrutiny and that's fine. F-G did not fit in the Argo plans and a coach who knew him brought him over to his new team = new opportunity, and happens in sports all the time. The guy is an all-time CIS receiving leader (I saw him play a bunch for Laval and he was impressive IMO), and just maybe he has some pretty decent receiver talent. Again though, we shall see if/how he progresses with the Bummers. Greg Alexandre is with the Esks now at DT - again, a coach who would have seen him in Jones, has given him a chance with another team. I hope the Argos can bring in some other young NI talent who didn't pan-out with their first CFL team and maybe they help the Argos too. This Argo team signed any young NI free agents for TC? - Gillanders is one i guess.

[paulwoods13]

Maybe you want to defend every single personnel decision the Argos' brass make as beyond scrutiny and that's fine.

OV, you don't have to jump to such obviously exaggerated/erroneous conclusions every time someone disagrees with you on a player. It is possible to agree with an Argo personnel decision without agreeing with all of them. I assume you have likely experienced that yourself.

[OV Argo]

OV, you don't have to jump to such obviously exaggerated/erroneous conclusions every time someone disagrees with you on a player. It is possible to agree with an Argo personnel decision without agreeing with all of them. I assume you have likely experienced that yourself.

Sure - i agree. I'll bet you or AV have disagreed with the odd Argo personnel decision too; let us know the next time that comes up, especially to do with a NI player.

[AngeloV]

Sure - i agree. I'll bet you or AV have disagreed with the odd Argo personnel decision too; let us know the next time that comes up, especially to do with a NI player.

For the record, I've said on here many times that Matt Black should have been looked at as a field side corner. I would prefer to see him there over safety because I think he has great cover skills, but IMO is too small to play boundary side or half, let alone safety. You can also go back over my posts for the last 2 years. Having seen Feoli-Gudino drop balls in pre-season games I was never impressed with him even as an Argo.

[ArgoGabe22]

I have been to a ton of practices last year since it is was so close to me and I honestly was never that impressed with JFG. Good for him in getting a new opportunity in Winnipeg but if we could take him back today, he still wouldn't start over any of our "NATIONALS". I really think O'Shea initially brought JFG just for special teams but have since impressed on offence, especially with the lack of depth they have.

[OV Argo]

For the record, I've said on here many times that Matt Black should have been looked at as a field side corner. I would prefer to see him there over safety because I think he has great cover skills, but IMO is too small to play boundary side or half, let alone safety. You can also go back over my posts for the last 2 years. Having seen Feoli-Gudino drop balls in pre-season games I was never impressed with him even as an Argo.

Yes - i was exaggerating and i do recall you saying Matt Black could get a look at corner (his natural position) for the Argos - I agree - but not to be as the position is, IMO, pencilled-in for imports only by this Argo decision making brain-trust.

[paulwoods13]

Sure - i agree. I'll bet you or AV have disagreed with the odd Argo personnel decision too; let us know the next time that comes up, especially to do with a NI player.

I've disagreed with a number of personnel decisions over the years. I was (like you, IIRC) a strong advocate for Pottinger two years ago, to name one NI decision I did not agree with. I've also suggested that M Black get a crack at CB, with Gabriel at safety. I've been highly critical at times of how the offensive line personnel (both IMP and NI) we're being deployed. I'll be sure to let you (and everyone else) know the next time a decision is made with which I disagree. I'm confident it will continue to happen regularly, just as it has for years.

[AngeloV]

Yes - i was exaggerating and i do recall you saying Matt Black could get a look at corner (his natural position) for the Argos - I agree - but not to be as the position is, IMO, pencilled-in for imports only by this Argo decision making brain-trust.

I think the biggest issue we have in thought process is that you make it sound that I'm anti Canadian player. Trust me, I'm not. I'm very happy when a Canadian has success in the CFL, and I wish that more of them did. The only thing is that I'm not going to be biased to the point that I'm complaining about them not getting real shots to succeed. There have been many import players that have come in to this league, played one game and have it determined they weren't good enough and got sent packing without getting a "real" look. I have ex-teammates that have played in the CFL. A couple weren't given much of a look, played a handful of games and never once thought they were out because they were non imports. They understood that you have a short time to make an impression. A couple of others were long serving all star players (if I can name drop...Andrew Greene and Jamie Crysdale). I just don't believe that Canadian players don't get a fair shake.

[OV Argo]

I think the biggest issue we have in thought process is that you make it sound that I'm anti Canadian player. Trust me, I'm not. I'm very happy when a Canadian has success in the CFL, and I wish that more of them did. The only thing is that I'm not going to be biased to the point that I'm complaining about them not getting real shots to succeed. There have been many import players that have come in to this league, played one game and have it determined they weren't good enough and got sent packing without getting a "real" look. I have ex-teammates that have played in the CFL. A couple weren't given much of a look, played a handful of games and never once thought they were out because they were non imports. They understood that you have a short time to make an impression. A couple of others were long serving all star players (if I can name drop...Andrew Greene and Jamie Crysdale). I just don't believe that Canadian players don't get a fair shake.




And I respect your right to your opinion here.

I played HS ball with a couple of guys who made the CFL (with the Ottawa Rough Riders) - they were superb HS players who went on to be very good college ball players too (one in the CIS and one in NCAA) - they did not establish themselves as solid CFL starters, which showed to me IMO) how much talent it could take to play in the CFL. Did they get a "fair shake"? - I don't really know, but i can guarantee you the coaching/personnel staff making the calls was mostly American.

However - I DO believe that Canadian players often do not get a "fair shake" to play in the CFL - especially at certain positions that CFL decision makers prefer to hand playing time to import players instead. You do realize that current CFL rosters now feature more import players than NI players? The great CFL hey-days that I grew up watching featured more NI players than imports on the rosters. Yet now - when many are saying that the NI/Canadian talent pool is better than ever - more and better CIS programs, more Canadian players getting fine US college ball training - the CFL has moved to increase American content with less Canadian players getting to play?

We're all entitled here to our own opinions on how the CANADIAN Football League should look or be run, no ?

[ArgoRavi]

Speaking of this national/international issues, how would you feel about the league bringing in a rule that teams must have a minimum number of nationals on the field at all times (i.e., in addition to a minimum of 7 nationals "starting", there should be at least two or three nationals on the field at all times)? I read this idea tonight on Facebook and my initial feeling towards it is quite positive.

Currently, we are seeing some defences loading up with internationals with the majority of teams using their nationals on offence. Some believe that this is one reason why we are seeing less scoring and offence in this year's CFL. If teams are forced to have a minimum of, let's say, three nationals on defence at all times, that might have a positive impact on scoring. I realize this last statement will in itself raise the ire of a few as it sounds like I am saying that nationals are inferior to internationals. I don't believe that to be the case but I do think that national players may need a bit more seasoning to start at the pro level than internationals do; however, nationals can be every bit as good as internationals.

[paulwoods13]

I think the way teams have deployed their NATs has definitely affected the game. Loading up fast INTs on defence and using as many NATs as possible on offence (especially the o-line) has been a factor in the erosion of scoring over the past decade or so. To me the best era for Cdn football was the early 1980s, when teams had to start 10 NIs and dressed only 34 players in total. We'll never go back to 34-man rosters, but we could increase the number of starting NIs from the current seven, and I like the idea of ensuring a certain number of NIs are on the field at all times -- say three of the current seven, and say four if we were ever to go back to 10 (which I admit is highly unlikely).

[OV Argo]

Interersting stuff there. But I don't believe the deployment of imports vs. NIs on O or D has one iota to do with some lower scoring games maybe now in the CFL (and BTW - and i'm probably in the minority here - some lower scoring games are fine with me as I like to see diversity in football and I love to see some 14 - 10 type defensive battles, or a dominant defence; there are still plenty of high scoring CFL games now). The reasons some offences look bad or iffy at times now is IMO everything to do with: weak, bland, homogenous style offences that all feature the same look and are easier to defend - this is all on coaching - same old /same old thinkers who all want to run the same basic 5 pack mostly pass offence with usually little applied ground game, not much deep or vertical passing game, no fullbacks, no tight ends = little diversity & smarts. Combine that with a time with some weak, mediocre, inexperienced or lousy QBs in the league now = you're going to see some poor offences a of times,

And besides, if anything, some CFL teams are starting to get that NIs can play D if you draft and give a chance to quality D players rather than just thinking NI O-linemen or little used receivers. MLBs like Emry and Henoc Muamba have been league best calibre. The Ticats have loaded up on lots of NI D talent and have played/started 4 or more this season; the Bombers are starting 3 at least, and other teams are giving situational or rotation reps to NIs on D. So just who / where are these teams now "loading up" with "internationals" on D now more than in the past decade or more? - the Stamps are about the only team doing so lately and they hardly have had even close to a dominant D in years of trying this now.

[jerrym]

Although JFG fumbled and lost one ball tonight against Hamilton, he had a good night catching six passes for 76 yards, including a 22 yard reception that he held onto despite a very hard hit with his arms extended. This catch set up the Bombers on the two yard line, from which Winnipeg scored the winning TD on the last play of the game. Although he was dressed he did not play in the last game because he was injured.

[paulwoods13]

Feoli-Gudino made a couple of big catches against Ham, and the last one was especially huge. I'm still not a big fan, but his performance last night has me thinking.

[AngeloV]

Although JFG fumbled and lost one ball tonight against Hamilton, he had a good night catching six passes for 76 yards, including a 22 yard reception that he held onto despite a very hard hit with his arms extended. This catch set up the Bombers on the two yard line, from which Winnipeg scored the winning TD on the last play of the game. Although he was dressed he did not play in the last game because he was injured.

Can't disagree. He had an excellent game except for the fumble and an offside. He just may have moved past Kolhert on the depth chart when and if Watson ever gets healthy.