Guest Writer

Regular reader Ray did up an article on a few different topics including Tebow and the CFL draft and asked if I'd post it up on my blog. The beauty of having 7.3 readers is that you can grant their requests pretty easily. Also, this whole having other people write stuff for me is way easier than doing it myself. What's the best kind of sourcing? Outsourcing.

Any way have a read...

CFL : Tebow in CFL(?), CFL 2013 Draft, Kyle Quinlan Canadian Quarterback 

By: Ray Beauregard

  The CFL’s all-time leading passer, Anthony Calvillo, is coming back for another season with the Montreal Alouettes but he is 40 so it’s time the Alouettes start seriously thinking about grooming a replacement. Calvillo though, is like fine wine, he doesn’t look like he is even close to being done but age indicates otherwise even if he can keep playing, there comes a day to retire form football. Montreal owns the rights to former Heisman winner, Denver Bronco, New York Jet, and first round draft pick, Tim Tebow who was just released from the New York Jets. He only threw eight passes this past season and in 2011 had a horrid 46.5 completion percentage, but did have 12 touchdown passes compared to six interceptions and an eye-popping 660 yards rushing and six rushing touchdowns while also leading the Denver Broncos to that playoff upset of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Maybe Tebow will get one more shot in the NFL but the chances are really up in the air, 50/50 that an NFL team will take a chance on him. The CFL on the other hand would welcome him with open arms, although he would obviously have to compete for the back-up job behind the future hall of famer Anthony Calvillo but he would be great trade bait for Montreal and a team like the Winnipeg Blue Bombers could really use him and would give up a lot in a trade if Tebow was 100 percent playing in the CFL. I think he would be great for the CFL, his name alone sells tickets, and I think he would do great in the CFL even though CFL and NFL great Warren Moon doesn’t think so. Moon told a Houston radio station KILT-AM that Tebow wouldn’t succeed in the CFL because of his weak arm strength. Moon’s argument that the field is bigger but if anything I think that would be a huge advantage for a player like Tebow. The CFL’s bigger field will be easier for Tebow to throw the ball, he would have way more room to maneuver on a bigger field which in turn will give him more time to make the right throws.

--- Well if the whole Tebow thing doesn’t work for the Als, they still signed Canadian quarterback Kyle Quinlan this past off-season, which is an interesting topic. Quinlan was in camp with the Als after going undrafted in 2012. He went two for four for 45 yards in his only action but was released during the team’s final training camp cuts. Quinlan re-signed with the Als this off-season after a terrific 2012 CIS season where he took McMaster to their second straight Vanier Cup and won the Hec Crighton Trophy awarded to the best football player in the CIS. With the Als signing of Quinlan, he becomes just the second Canadian quarterback in the CFL, the other being Brad Sinopoli of the Calgary Stampeders and he is the team’s third quarterback. The Alouettes signed Quinlan for two-years so they obviously have plans of grooming him behind Calvillo and who better to back-up and learn behind than the professional football’s all-time leading passer.

--- Calgary Dinos defensive tackle Linden Gaydosh is getting a lot of hype as the potential first overall pick in the upcoming 2013 CFL Draft. The Hamilton Ti-Cats could draft the 6-foot-4, 314 pound Gaydosh from Peace River, Alberta with the first pick on Monday. Alberta has a lot to offer in the 2013 draft. Minor football through High School football is just amazing in Alberta. There’s some fellows in the CFL that I played with and against including stellar Eskimos LB Corbin Sharun, super skilled B.C Lions WR Marco Iannuzzi, B.C Lions kicker Hugh O’Neil, and Montreal LB Curtis Dublanko. When Dublanko gets his shot in this league, he is going to be one hell of a player, nobody ever hit be nearly as hard as Dublanko did. Then there are some guys I played with and against that deserve their respected shots this season either as draftees or free agent signees including Saint Marys talented receiver Kevin Wuthrich. The former CJFL Edmonton Wildcat was signed as an undrafted free agent with the Edmonton Eskimos in 2009 and scored a receiving touchdown in the only game action he seen during the pre-season before being released in the final cuts. Well after a couple years of maturing into a very solid receiver for the Saint Marys Huskies, the speedy Wuthrich would be a valuable non-import receiver for any CFL club. Another fellow is another Saint Marys player, Safety Neil King. King is the younger brother of LS Ryan King of the Edmonton Eskimos and was a 2011 AUS All-Star. Both Wuthrich and King played on the Sherwood Park high school football powerhouse Bev Facey Falcons. And a sleeper to

---  K well here is my First 5 pick 2013 CFL Mock Draft

1, Hamilton -- DT, Linden Gaydosh, Calgary – If D’Aguilar didn’t just receive two NFL tryouts, I’d say Hamilton should draft him or maybe they should anyway. Lots of Canadian players that sign in NFL and get drafted anyway eventually come to CFL after a couple NFL seasons mainly on the practice roster. Argos could get Cory Greenwood after he was released by Kansas City, Toronto drafted him 3^rd overall in 2010. Gaydosh will provide good Canadian depth on the defensive line and will be a beast one day along with Laval’s Arnaud Nadon-Gascon.

2. Winnipeg – OL, Matt Sewell, McMaster – Sewell is too good to pass up here even though he just signed with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans. Again, Sewell could be one of those players to get into the CFL a few seasons after being originally selected. Blue Bombers are in dire need of help on offensive line, just look at all the sacks and injuries to Buck Pierce. If they want immediate help on offensive line then they should select Eastern Michigan’s Corey Watman or Regina’s Brett Jones.

3. Montreal – WR, Seydou Junior Haidara, Laval – Might as well stack up at either offensive line or receivers, can never have too much Canadian talent in the CFL. Can’t argue with the Rouge et Orr Vanier Cup winner Haidara at this spot.

4. Saskatchewan – DL. Stefan Charles, Regina – Offensive line is a priority and again, I’ll go back to Greenwood argument and add to it with Matt O’Donnell, who is now an Eskimo after a couple seasons in the NFL and after being drafted in the 2^nd round, 15 overall of the 2011 draft.  Charles, who played his college ball at Regina, signed with the NFL’s Titans. If that happens not to work out, Charles would be a great fit in Riderville.  

5. Montreal – DL, Andy Mulumba, Eastern Michigan – Finding a defensive tackle should be a priority and Popp doesn’t seem to care if they already signed in the NFL judging by his pipeline of picks which include the Broncos Phillip Blake and the Dolphins Vaughn Martin. The Montreal product Mulumba has too much talent to bypass at this spot, even though he signed the NFL’s Green Bay Packers. It will either be Mulumba or Ben D’Aguilar at this spot.