Who will be lost from this year's roster?

[AngeloV]

I’m a little surprised Polk slipped through the NFL’s fingers the first time around, given his huge talent and his one monster SEC season.

A pretty well, mostly, weak set of testing #s at his Pro Day may have soured some NFL expert scouts.

Just goes to show you combine testing numbers aren’t the best all end all, some guys are just really good football players.

True, but remember, there is no waggle to make up for speed down there. You need to be an exceptional route runner if your speed is a little slower.

[OV Argo]

A pretty well, mostly, weak set of testing #s at his Pro Day may have soured some NFL expert scouts.

Just goes to show you combine testing numbers aren’t the best all end all, some guys are just really good football players.

True, but remember, there is no waggle to make up for speed down there. You need to be an exceptional route runner if your speed is a little slower.

Sure and i'd add great hands along with smart route running help make a really good receiver. The solid or superb hands trait is vastly under-rated by some IMO. Allan Pitts, Ben Cahoon and Andy Fantuz are a few classic CFL examples - they did not rely on speed.

Interesting - compared to the CFL - how so many NFL offences now feature big tight ends who are key parts of passing attacks; a few of these guys are very athletic and some have very good speed, but it's mostly route running, plus hands AND size & catch radius that makes them so effective, along with where they are deployed. Very sad, IMO, that the current clique of CFL same old offensive thinkers can't grasp this type of receiver (with a few exceptions) and the position/formation as being valuable to an offence.

[AngeloV]

Interesting - compared to the CFL - how so many NFL offences now feature big tight ends who are key parts of passing attacks; a few of these guys are very athletic and some have very good speed, but it's mostly route running, plus hands AND size & catch radius that makes them so effective, along with where they are deployed. Very sad, IMO, that the current clique of CFL same old offensive thinkers can't grasp this type of receiver (with a few exceptions) and the position/formation as being valuable to an offence.

I think it's more matchups than great route running. TE's in the NFL are covered by LB's and not usually DB's unless the D is in zone.

[OV Argo]

Interesting - compared to the CFL - how so many NFL offences now feature big tight ends who are key parts of passing attacks; a few of these guys are very athletic and some have very good speed, but it's mostly route running, plus hands AND size & catch radius that makes them so effective, along with where they are deployed. Very sad, IMO, that the current clique of CFL same old offensive thinkers can't grasp this type of receiver (with a few exceptions) and the position/formation as being valuable to an offence.

I think it's more matchups than great route running. TE's in the NFL are covered by LB's and not usually DB's unless the D is in zone.

A lot of NFL TEs now get to line-up like a CFL slotback = often not tight to the line and they don't have to fight thru any traffic or jams - that old stereotype is long gone - mostly all clean releases, but they don't get the waggle head start; but a waggle head start for a big receiver who runs a 4.8 or so forty is not going to make the guy into a 4.4 burner. Great tight ends are not only usually big target, sure handed guys who present coverage mis-matches against smaller DBs or even average sized linebackers, but the element of where they line-up and what they are going to do (block or release downfield in a pass pattern) is something that presents a challenge to a defence - and the current clique of same old offensive play-callers just don't get this or else dismiss it as inferior to the same old slotback running waggle start (with so many drive or big play killing off-sides) that they think is the only way.

[paulwoods13]

We're fortunate that the football ops crew have been excellent at plugging in competent newbies each year, but it remains to be seen how much impact the loss of Magri and Russell will have in that regard.

And now Russell has been hired by Ticats as director of scouting. The only scenario for us that would be an even worse case than that would be the return of Vince Magri to another team in the CFL. It's incredibly disappointing that we keep developing excellent young (and Canadian) talent finders and then watch them move elsewhere.

[paulwoods13]

Polk, or Darkangelo or Holley could I guess possibly make NFL rosters; they are hardly irreplaceable superstars who would decimate the Argos roster.

That's true, of course, but there are positional vulnerabilities between the FA pool and the NFL window. If Argos were to lose Polk and Mital to NFL camps, and Coxie to FA, that would downgrade the receiving corps from one of the league's deepest to one of the thinnest. Same at DT with Holley looking at NFL opps and both Brinkman and Ceresna potentially leaving as free agents. I don't expect to lose all six, and it's even possible Argos will keep them all but I think we will probably lose about three out of that group. We're fortunate that the football ops crew have been excellent at plugging in competent newbies each year, but it remains to be seen how much impact the loss of Magri and Russell will have in that regard.

So far we have indeed lost three of the six. Mital and Darkangelo aren't going anywhere, so let's hope Ceresna stays on board. If not, we will be uber-thin at DT (at least until we see who the replacements are).

[RichK]

We got the best QB — by a big margin as RD likes to say — we got the best defensive player, the best special teams player and the best HC. We could replace every other player and still be contenders.

[ARGO57]

We got the best QB — by a big margin as RD likes to say — we got the best defensive player, the best special teams player and the best HC. We could replace every other player and still be contenders.

That’s how I see it Rich.

[paulwoods13]

Maybe not the right thread, but one piece of good news:

https://3downnation.com/2025/02/03/cfls ... nto-argos/