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Wait, so we're not signing anybody today? Mr. Garvey will not be doing intros at PAS next year? This day stinks.

Thanks you guys! Def going to be watching for the Big Stan Flop next season.

It's a combination of factors, and a big dose of good luck. Not having had catastrophic type injuries, especially to your knees and hips, goes a long way. Because you aren't cutting at speed or running/jumping nearly as much as any other position, you don't get the no-contact injuries very often. What really gets guys in a bad spot for their career is when someone rolls up on the back or side of the legs. That kills careers. But also, if you are the hammer far more often than the nail, you will play longer. By playing on more great teams, especially ones that run the ball, instead of constantly absorbing hits, you are the one dealing them out. And you are far more often playing exhausted DLS late in games. If you are a road-grading type, you are also able to play longer, even when you lose a step and can't dominate pass reps anymore. It doesn't hurt that, in football in general, the OL prototype has changed to a far more sustainable model, and the gap between replacement level and all-star is so vast. You can backslide a very long way without playing your way out of the league. Ol also has some of the best resources for off-season training. The level of trainers available and the camp out there is extraordinary. It's only beaten by QBs, and has passed DL imo. Teams and trainers at every level are so used to taking big kids with upside and a severe lack of polish, and trying to turn them into useful players, that not much scares people off linemen. Most young guys would prefer to play DL over OL as well. So the kids who want it will always find their way to help. But it also means that older guys who have been hurt, like Yoshi, have an endless string of resources and chances to fix what's wrong and get themselves where they need to be. This is a big part of why the CFL focuses the ratio on the OL, and why it is the cornerstone of every team's ratio. the fact. The normalization and modernization of Ol builds have made a huge impact on longevity. We don't see guys having to constantly go up in weight for TC, or see teams pushing guys to be bigger and bigger. Guys 6'3 walking around at 295-305 with an athletic build are just a whole lot healthier than the old standard of 325+ lbs guys on squat frames. The growth of the importance of wingspan is wild, but those long guys often have a much better frame to carry weight.

Technique and scheme intelligence plays a big hand in it...and self preservation too....also being smart Stan is known for his flop/fall to ground to protect his knees...gets a lot of good natured laughs about it from teammates doing it too....in heavy ttaffic pile ups and guys clamoring around after a play is executed when he feels or senses any hanging into his lower legs does the drop to the ground like he shot...if you actually watch for it you we see it at times....or wonder why a lot of the times he is on the turf....master of self preservation and never really had a severe knee injury in his career Now watch Kolo for techinque and intelligence.............. for sure...there a few I hope we already have written in...or should be...we have several ready for next step/step up

Agreed, but at some of the other positions we will have guys pencilled in, not every guy. but certainly we will have guys that are unlikely to be beat out in camp.

here's something I've always been curious about -- how on earth do OL play into their late thirties? how do Yoshi and Big Stan keep their footwork up to cope with freak 24-year-old speed rushing DEs? a guard like Neuf is getting heavy body contact on every play from jacked up DTs and generally will play the majority of snaps in a game. That's a lot of punishment to take over the course of a career and yet the dude is still doing it at a pro level (tho I guess opinions differ on this)

Not bad...you should turn professional

Yeah...I nade him up ...an amalgamation/hybrid of some kids I worked with recently hahaha....sounds good tho eh?

I'm sold just based on the name alone. Someone call Key and Peele with that one. If he stays healthy and keeps him self in shape, He will make a serious run at it.

JT i’m telling you right now. Never you mind. Look away, find a hobby or something. ahhhhhh, that clears that up.

Only those we can't

Yoshi says today on turd down he wants to play till 40......he just might make it

we gonna sign a kid ...Octavious Grabsemall 6'4" big bodied guy....Ran a 4.5 forty on his pro-day but played last 2 yrs of eligibility in Basketball....24 yr old

So who are we signing?

Right? The highlights, too. His build, especially in college, before leaning out, but also the way he rides guys into the ground and never gives up. If he ends up being half the player Yoshi was, or half the teammate, that would be a huge steal for us. But wow, they are dead ringers for each other on the field. We always muse on here about former great players becoming coaches, but Yoshi is the guy, more than the rest from the GC era, that I hope goes into it after he retires. That guy is such a fantastic person, leader, and field coach; he is exactly what the sport needs in the next generation of coaches. As much as I would love to have him end up here coaching linemen in the future as well, he could do so much good back down south coaching kids. The Tait article on Yoshi from years back is still my favorite of those articles. Such perseverance from him at so many points.

I'd go as far to say any position this coming yr....open competition across the board...I not saying go all rookies/new guys, but nobody should be a defacto starter like previous yrs regardless if they were here last YR...2...3...4 YRS.....

We shouldn't be doing anything until we can sign the guys we can't sign. And if we can't sign the guys we can't sign yet, we should then sign the guys who we shouldn't be signing until we can sign the guys we can't yet sign. It's really not that complicated.

I would say no one playing in the trenches, or at IMP receiver should feel like they are pencilled in this year. What we saw from those groups was abysmal and if we don't pull out all stops to have our best camp competition in years at these positions we are not going to improve.

he got good feet and moves real well....like his second level work...does seem a bit like Yosh...but more athletic....and yeah Cant see Lofton back with Vpool...Randolph...possibly Big Stan and this fella and Yosh was a big load and in all honesty grossly overweight even for an Olineguy...This guy is not that....and sometimes chances and opportunity comes in right spot...maybe this is his spot

Yoshi was who came to mind when I read that article. They kinda trash Stewart for moving around from team to team but that's how Yoshi started too. He was with 4 different teams (2 CFL & 2 AFL) in 3 years before coming here in 2016.

I actually like the pick up of Stewart. He projects as a strong run-blocking RT. He hasn't played in the CFL in the regular season yet, but hes a big, mobile, nasty, strong pedigree in the run game, and is still young. I see a lot of Yoshi in Stewart, which I'm sure the other teams who've brought him in and had him around saw too. Love bringing this guy into camp to work with Marty. Maybe you look at sliding Rando to LT if big stan retires or moves inside. Probably means Lofton is done here. Sure makes it look like the OL will be more of a battle than it's been in a long time for camp. https://www.thedraftnetwork.com/2023/12/22/tairiq-stewart-scouting-report-nfl-draft-2024 https://ncataggies.com/sports/football/roster/tairiq-stewart/3801

of course....but early bird gets the worm....and if if anything it drives his price right through the roof to an unrealistic amount...it makes someone else eat it ...His buddy Hicks be a nice consulation price as a hybrid gy to play all over the line

Yeah officially we can't - and even if they get a jump on things like the other teams do, we wouldn't be able to announce anything until February anyway.

yeah...should have said defensive as thats what I meant...and some juicy bonus targets on top....we wanna be on top again...we need to spend a lil in key difference making areas. Easy to recycle areas where we been wayyyy overpaying....get back to scouting and entry level guys.... "technically" we cant....I know other teams get in the ears of our guys pretty much as soon as last sNap of year was done...Not sure how our sleepy trio work as they rest on laurels and just assiume guys are gonna magically sign here...at some on discount...but they need to play ball like the other teams.. I would too if one was available...But an import one works for me too...as it makes pretty much anyone else playing beside him that much better....and yup...If it means cutting ties with another established Canadian...warm fuzzy story player...local...what have you...You do it...Nice stories and hometown hero at a crazy price....doesnt get you the big prize gauranteed

Smith is making 276, and Betts is making 266. Then Ceresna was at 246. The next highest paid defensive player in the league is Ford at 236k. If you pay him as a top 3 DL, I think you are in the range. Which is equivalent to a top 3 defender. I actually think the chances of him taking a fat deal up here are pretty good. He's 6'0, he had major knee surgery after he completed his college career, and he's 300lbs. He is very fringy in terms of size. We saw Stove go through the same thing, though Stove was a solid inch shorter and a handful of pounds lighter. Stove couldn't catch much interest down south after 19/21, but he did miss the start of the 21 season. His dominance down the stretch of 21 was 100% NFL-worthy play. Average DTs in the NFL are around 6'3, and they target 310-ish for weight. Some guys play under that, but it's rare to be short and light. If a team running a 30 thinks he can play the 4i, or a team running an aggressive 30 thinks he can translate at 3t, I think he gets a camp invite. But I don't think anyone is going to give him guaranteed money going into camp, especially off 1 year's success. I would offer the guy a 3-year deal, with a 100k signing bonus, and a 100k roster bonus out of camp the following 2 years. Then I'd give a base salary of 160k a year, and incentives of 40k each year. Something like 10k for 9+ sacks, 10k for divisional all-star. 10k (555$ for each game where he starts) and 10k again, split in 555$ per game where he takes the most snaps at DT, or more than half the snaps. That way, if he hits the NFL window, you don't burn off-season bonus money. He earns 260-300k a year, and everyone is happy. If he gets hurt, you recoup even more bonus money than just the base from 6 game stints.