By: Darren Cameron
I walked into General Manager Kyle Walters’ office this morning, eager to hear about the future of our league. He was fresh off a week of carefully studying prospects at the CFL Combine, and we quickly got talking. Within a minute of starting our conversation, in walked Mike O’Shea, and together they took me through the weekend. To sum up their thoughts in a few words, it would be safe to say the confidence about improving the roster on May 12th (CFL Draft day) is exceptionally high.
I tried my best to keep up with the names and attributes they were rattling off, and every time a player’s name would come up in an excited tone, the next would follow with even more animation.
I wish I could tell you who we will take with the second overall selection. Heck, even which position. The truth is, I wouldn’t be able to even if it was already decided, but let me run down few scenarios that Kyle and Mike tossed around on this Monday morning after the hectic Combine weekend.
Offensive Lineman
This has been our mantra since Kyle took over: Almost always take a lineman with your top pick, and another later on in the draft. We did this last year with Matthias Goossen, who we feel is going to be a solid player in our league. This year may buck that trend, though. As Kyle pointed out, “the draft is so deep, we could most likely grab a solid offensive lineman at 11, because there are five or six very good ones”. The idea of taking a lineman at number two overall isn’t out of the question, but with the offseason acquisitions of Stanley Bryant and Dominic Picard to drastically improve our offensive line already and the abundant talent at other valuable positions, it will make for an interesting debate here at Investors Group Field as May approaches.
Wide Receiver
This position is really what has changed things from our perspective heading into the draft. Kyle told me empathically that “Nic Demski (Manitoba), Addison Richards (Regina), Lemar Durant (Simon Fraser), and Jake Harty (Calgary) are all great football players.” This became even more evident when I looked up at Kyle’s whiteboard in his office and saw all four names circled under the receiver category. By the sounds of it, it is entirely possible that any of these four players could come in, start, and make an impact quickly. Solid Canadian pass-catchers are valuable assets, and with the thinking that a top offensive lineman will likely still be available at 11, do you add a dynamic playmaker to your roster and bolster an offence that has lacked consistent production from Canadian receivers for years? “Demski is the best pure athlete, but he’s not alone. Durant, Richards, and Harty are very, very interesting,” noted Kyle.
Defensive Player
Adding a defensive, ratio-changing player is of much intrigue to our staff, and has not been discussed very much to this point. Chris Ackie, a defensive back from Wilfrid Laurier, was one of the first players to be raved about this morning. First in the Broad Jump and Vertical Leap, and third in the 3-Cone Drill, Ackie is one of the defensive players who is making this decision even more difficult. There are others too, but the thinking here would be to take a ratio-changing defensive player at two, and again look to the depth of lineman and receivers for the next two picks (11 and 15).
One of the decisions I do believe has been made is that the number two selection will not be moved. “Obviously you never say never, but it is unlikely we will move that pick,” Kyle said. “There are just too many good football players at so many different positions to trade that away. With three in the first 15, we’re very confident we can add some depth and immediate impact-type players with the positions we are in, pick-wise.”
It’s starting to feel more and more like football season, isn’t it? In just a few short weeks we will be in Bradenton, Florida to evaluate the off-season free agent signings. May 12th is CFL Draft Day, and our rookie camp will open just over two weeks after that. As I was leaving Kyle’s office, I mentioned to Kyle and Mike the fast approaching season, and all eyes lit up. “Let’s go!” smiled the coach.
If you have any blog ideas or thoughts on what you want to hear about from Florida’s mini-camp (April 19th-21st) feel free to contact me on Twitter @darren_cameron.
Until next time.
Darren
