GCn20

I really liked Ayers in his rookie year, and at a low salary I'd bring him back for his ST work, but realistically after 2 years if he hasn't been able to supplant WIlson then I don't realistically see him as being a starter anymore. I think Vanterpool is still a must sign, as both our LT and RT futures need to be in place this year. I am OK with Tony Jones coming back but I agree that recruitment needs to find our next MIKE asap. LB is the least of our concerns right now though. Sterns I wouldn't bother with, go FA and replace him, There are half a dozen guys who are as good or better that will be available for a similar price point and we really need to flip the script on our receiving corps and get some 50/50 ballers.

Mack is a big game performer, and Keeshaun would be a great pair of signings Why would I apologize? To S27 who has been acting like a 12 year old all offseason? To Mike who only shows up here a couple times a month, not to discuss football, but to do drive bys on members who actually contribute to the football conversation? No thanks. I admitted I was wrong, but im not going to apologize because KW fed us misinformation. I trusted his explanation for not spending the extra SMS in FA last year. That was a mistake. I should have known better considering it appears he decided not to fo his job last year.

It's nice that we learn about the SMS being finalized well after the season. You guys can mock me all u want but I was going off what KW said directly about it at the time. It's unfortunate that it seems he had all season to spend an extra 400k but decided not to do so. So, sorry for thinking our GM was a little smarter than that and trusting him at his word.

Source? Because that is not at all what Kyle Walters said. That may be the most coherent sentence I have seen from you in months. https://www.facebook.com/groups/881244089318526/posts/1845080409601551/

KW told us last year that the 400k was not pegged directly to salary increases. It counts against the cap, but was earmarked by the CFLPA to player benefits, So yes, the SMS went up 400k per team but so did the cost of player benefits that are included in the SMS. This really isn't that hard of a concept to understand. Stuff like housing allowances, etc. etc. were all increased across the board with that money.

It's incredible the douchiness you show on a daily basis on subjects you are clearly uninformed on. Mike, before being an ass why don't you look things up.

The CFLPA got final say on how last years money was allocated. It went to increasing player benefits etc, which are still included in the SMS but are not available directly for teams to allocate individually to players. So yes technically the SMS went up last year but the entirety was allocated already and therefore not usable to increase salaries.

I consider him a longshot as well. I mean realistically only a few guys a years from the 30 or so new guys we bring to camp make it.

There was no 400k increase to SMS last year.

Because it's very possible his physical size kept him out of the lineup, or that he has physical attributes that don't lend well to 4 down football but might translate well to our game. However, he is someone that would probably be a project.

I certainly agree that we need to do some big game hunting in FA.

Yep. just about all these kids are insanely good athletes so you go with the ones who you trust to have the experience handling the situations. Unfortunately that kind of blacklists CDN developed players. The only reason Elgersma even got an NFL camp is because he has a huge arm and being a one trick pony is probably why the NFL will never look at him seriously again.

Yep and it worked for many years.

We will agree to disagree

Good, I'm glad he is back and I hope we use him better

Willie J is still a very good DE. The system takes him out of a traditional DE role.

This is going to be a thoroughly unpopular take here, but I think that Elgersma may even be lucky to be a CFL starter and that may never happen. I want to sign him, but for the life of me I don't think anyone should be thinking he's a shoe in for anything. He will need a ton of development. When I used to coach I went to several coaching clinics down in Texas and California. I got to see the QB factories up close. The kids at these "factories" begin development at age 8. By the time they are in high school they are technically better than any QB in the CIS. They get top notch development by ex pro coaches and players and even their schooling is formatted around their QB development. It's a different world of football in the US compared to Canada. Not comparable in any way. That was just one of many 'QB factories" around the USA

The second the CFL starts marketing what coaches/players in the NFL are saying about the CFL is the second the NFL sends out a memo to all teams to tell all personnel to shut up about the CFL while throwing out a press release saying that the CFL is not comparable. The NFL has spent billions and billions of dollars on maintaining their elite and untouchable status. They aren't going to let another league suggest that they are even close in level of play. even if it is the truth. I have zero issues with any person pursuing their dream even if it is a pipe dream. At the end of the day you don't want to be 50 years old wondering if you could have made it. He will be here eventually.

I think a lot of CFL fans don't realize that the CFL is viewed as league with a very high level of play by the NFL. It's a league where guys who have slipped through the cracks can get a legit 2nd chance. The UFL just isn't at that level of play because they are usually a rag tag bunch of whoever will show up so it's just really ugly football.

I would sign UFL as well. Players can opt out of their contracts for any other league anyway,

If the league doesn't fold mid year, or cheques start bouncing and you can motivate yourself to play well in a big stadium with 140 fans playing in a league that literally no one cares about. Trust me, the XFL left a sour taste in a lot of mouths a few years back when it left players high and dry when it folded. Guys literally were hitch hiking home.

A lot of people do not realize that NFL rosters are as much political as they are skill based. There is a massive bias against skill players coming out of the CIS. Trenches are trenches, the big men are big men in any league but receivers/QB/RBs coming out of the CIS are rarely anything more than TCF.

He will understand the CFL game more than almost all the Amerk QBs. The timing and speed of the game will be the issue.

Elgersma, and probably other NATs as well, would already be here if the CFL didn't have the ridiculous 3 year contract for crap money on NATs. UFL pays QBs up to 100k USD iirc. EDIT: 64k minimum contract with some making 200-400k. I would think Elgersma would be on the lower end. However, we just saw the UFL MVP sign with us to be at best 2nd string. I can't imagine that Elgersma has more earning potential that he does in that league.

I'm not against moving on either. Like I said depends on contract. IF Schoen gets clearance, wants no upfront money, and is willing to play on a prove it contract with a low base salary the risk/reward is in our favor. That being said it is highly improbable he is ready to go anyway so the whole premise is really moot.