Oakman and Marion released

[paulwoods13]

It seems fairly clear that Brinkman and Ceresna are gonna be the two main DTs, and I guess Williams and Knight are now the primary backups. Surprising nonetheless to see Oakman cut loose. Someone (Edm?) will pick him up, I imagine.

Marion was likely going to play only on STs. He was seldom of ever assembled with the d-linemen on the sideline on Sunday. I assume they have decided other guys are better suited to kick coverage, etc.

[AngeloV]

It seems fairly clear that Brinkman and Ceresna are gonna be the two main DTs, and I guess Williams and Knight are now the primary backups. Surprising nonetheless to see Oakman cut loose. Someone (Edm?) will pick him up, I imagine.

Marion was likely going to play only on STs. He was seldom of ever assembled with the d-linemen on the sideline on Sunday. I assume they have decided other guys are better suited to kick coverage, etc.

It's too bad. I really like Oakman even more than Brinkman. I wonder if he asked for his release after being a healthy scratch Sunday. Marion is a good player too. Knight will likely take his place in the line up

[Ryan52]

disappointing, but not surprised at all about oakman. with the depth showing on sunday with knight and oakman out it was clear a tough cut had to be made. getting rid of the older and (assumingly) more expensive player is how sports works. he shouldnt be out of a job long

[ARGO57]

Perhaps the writing was on the wall once they traded for Jake Ceresna.

[Nick_Small_38]

Obviously I'm only speculating, but from what I saw during Training Camp it seemed like Oakman was receiving a lot of attention from the medical tents during that time. I wonder if he has some nagging injury and freeing up cap space by releasing him might be part of the reasoning if he wasn't well enough to play the full season. The performance of the other D-Linemen also didn't help his case. It reminds me of Sam Acheampong last year where he didn't get much playing time and eventually got traded to Edmonton. Too many guys and not enough roster spots. It's disappointing for sure but a fact of football. I wonder if this frees up a spot for another defensive back?

[ArgoRavi]

I suspect that the issue with Oakman is his consistency. He can still be dominant but maybe isn't as consistent as he was during his first couple of years in the league. He is older now - on the wrong side of 30 - and the Argos are seeing a bit of a decline. As I recall, he wasn't signed quickly in free agency this past off-season so other teams may be seeing this also. I think he can still be useful for some team but the Argos have obviously decided that they have what they need along the defensive line and that Oakman is expendable.

I will add one more thing - the Argos have been very good with their personnel decisions the past few years. By and large, players that they have moved on from have had limited success elsewhere and the players they have retained have been better.

[bluto]

Hate to see a favorite go, but with the depth we have at DT and the lack of it at OT and Corner... this seems obvious.

Hate to see him show up in Montreal or Hamilton. For about 4 or 5 plays per game he's completely unstoppable.

[Will]

As good as Brinkman was in Sunday, and has shown promise in both '22 and '23, one game a superstar doesn't make. I'm curious how this already made Oakman expendable or whether there was something behind the scenes not related to on-field that led to his departure.

[paulwoods13]

Worth remembering that Oakman was a healthy scratch last year in Game 1 as well. If Brinkman hadn't been injured early, he might not have seen much action. I think it's safe to assume Brinkman is seen by the coaches as better, and the two depth pieces are adequate and cheaper.

[Scooter McCray]

Difficult to see all star players leave. After they overcome odds to establish themselves and then star in contributing towards a championship.
He can still play and be on a team that needs depth. I hope my second favorite team Ottawa picks him up.