Well .. the Combine list of participants is out. Pretty weak showing, to be honest. Lots of top prospects not attending.

NOT ATTENDING: Auclair, Senior, Gray, Herdman, Ankou, Ekakitie, Simonise ... that's all of the top 5 prospects, as well as a handful of other ones.

Notables that ARE attending ... Alex Singleton's brother is coming, I'm curious to see how he does. Bladek, Mulumba, Luke, Woods, Boateng

http://www.cfl.ca/2017/02/09/rosters-set-cfl-reveals-list-2017-combine-participants/

so why do guys choose to not participate? Are they focusing solely on the NFL?

Guessing they will all have there own pro day

35 minutes ago, Noeller said:

so why do guys choose to not participate? Are they focusing solely on the NFL?

probably. Still it sucks. Kinda surprised how far down the list they are no showing. 1st pick and we may be looking at a guy whose 7th or less over all. Feels bad man. 

47 minutes ago, Noeller said:

so why do guys choose to not participate? Are they focusing solely on the NFL?

If they are already a top prospect, the only place to go is down.

How many 3-tech DTs are in this draft... is it only Ankou that stands out?

CFL doesn't do itself any favours by using a timing system that makes players look .2 seconds slower than they would in the States 

1 hour ago, wbbfan said:

probably. Still it sucks. Kinda surprised how far down the list they are no showing. 1st pick and we may be looking at a guy whose 7th or less over all. Feels bad man. 

Just because they don't show doesn't mean we don't pick them.

And Josiah St. John no-showing and going first overall only makes it more attractive to skip the Combine.

Does not stop bombers from bringing guys in to work them out in house either

In some ways it isn't too bad.  The well-known guys are...well-known and they've been doing combines with lots of eyes and info for 2 years.  This will give teams a chance to see guys who are a little more distant in the radar and find some players.

Wonder if it being in Regina plays a role? 

You realize that all this talk involving a combine will make the Rider fans here all moist and tingly.

4 hours ago, Mike said:

Just because they don't show doesn't mean we don't pick them.

No of course not. But a good chunk off the top of this class couple be in camp in the NFL this year. 

The big loss in not having the top guys at the combine isnt the loss of scouting them, but how they stack up to other guys. Like rupert butcher last year tearing through every one in 1on1s. 

20 hours ago, Goalie said:

Wonder if it being in Regina plays a role? 

Yes. A brand new facility I'm sure has everything to do with why they aren't coming. And I'm sure last year's combine was a turn off to. 

18 hours ago, wbbfan said:

The big loss in not having the top guys at the combine isnt the loss of scouting them, but how they stack up to other guys. Like rupert butcher last year tearing through every one in 1on1s. 

That is the biggest loss.  But like JBR said, this will increase exposure for some of the other guys who might not have gotten it.

There is a lot of tape out there on the top guys.  The GMs will still be able to look at how they handled their 300 or so in-game battles from last season and have a pretty good idea of how they stack up.

46 minutes ago, Kluchk said:

Yes. A brand new facility I'm sure has everything to do with why they aren't coming. And I'm sure last year's combine was a turn off to. 

Of course not.

 

 

It's the people.

1 hour ago, Kluchk said:

Yeah cause the City of Winnipeg is such a thriving place to live. 

In the last 5 years 48000 people have moved to Winnipeg and the GWA.   That is higher than anywhere else in Canada. So.. Suck It 

Edited February 11, 20178 yr by Goalie

1 hour ago, WBBFanWest said:

Sigh... the flatbilly troll returns.  Come on admins, put him out of our misery, please?

That's not trolling. I responded to another person's comment. Grow a pair already and get off my case. 

So it's a thin enough draft class, and many of the gooders are going to be looking south?  While I still think the Willy trade was dumb on Baker/Milanovich's part, maybe montreal and toronto had a better grasp of just what (or lack there of) this 2017 draft would produce at the time they were firing off draft picks for assets they wanted

5 minutes ago, Taynted_Fayth said:

So it's a thin enough draft class, and many of the gooders are going to be looking south?  While I still think the Willy trade was dumb on Baker/Milanovich's part, maybe montreal and toronto had a better grasp of just what (or lack there of) this 2017 draft would produce at the time they were firing off draft picks for assets they wanted

Wouldn't that make the higher picks more valuable relatively?  I think they were just that desperate, and that's kind of confirmed considering both of the guys who made those deals are unemployed.

Just now, JuranBoldenRules said:

Wouldn't that make the higher picks more valuable relatively?  I think they were just that desperate, and that's kind of confirmed considering both of the guys who made those deals are unemployed.

could be, but if they felt even with a high draft your not going to get much,  then FA might be the better route to shore up any NI holes and acquire what they wanted at the time.  If it was a deep draft then I would think the more picks you have the better. but I guess we will see how the draft goes

First round will still be very good...  second as well... 

Herdman, Bladek, Woods and Ekakitie will all force their way into first round consideration

I'd still like to see Gray or Bladek as our first overall... then best DL or Herdman at 5th

Then BPA with our 2nd round pick regardless of NFL options

I agree with Taunted, if the draft is poor it might have been wise for them to make the move they made.  It doesn't make it any worse for Winnipeg, because well we got TJ Heath and a Draft pick while giving up a player we honestly no longer wanted.  It just means that perhaps Montreal didn't get burnt as hard as people initially thought, nothing wrong with that idea it was still a great trade for Winnipeg.

The nice thing is we could pick a future with one of our first rounders because of this trade, and this years draft choices the futures might be the only picks worth choosing.

26 minutes ago, Tehedra said:

I agree with Taunted, if the draft is poor it might have been wise for them to make the move they made.  It doesn't make it any worse for Winnipeg, because well we got TJ Heath and a Draft pick while giving up a player we honestly no longer wanted.  It just means that perhaps Montreal didn't get burnt as hard as people initially thought, nothing wrong with that idea it was still a great trade for Winnipeg.

The nice thing is we could pick a future with one of our first rounders because of this trade, and this years draft choices the futures might be the only picks worth choosing.

Now you're just making fun of Taynted.....

To be fair, there is a theory among some managers in the  CFL that it's better to trade draft picks for "proven veterans".  Of course, those who espouse that technique are unemployed, but it's still a theory.