Posts
The
Stamps have been the model of drafting and developing as a means of long-term
success. Of their 32 Canadians just 2 were not draft picks or players
originally recruited by the Stamps.
Picks: 9 picks, first selection is 8th Overall
2017 Draft Assessment: A bit of a mixed bag.
They traded up to grab Randy Colling in Round 1 only to have him only play in 2
games. He should see a bigger role this year. In Round 2 they grabbed Julan
Lynch which in and of itself was not a bad thing except for the fact that it
was far from an area of need. The big positive came I Round 3 where they got
Tunde Adeleke who made an immediate impact as a kick returner as well as seeing
time on defense. Not a bad draft but nothing spectacular either.
Potential Pipeline: OL Laurent
Duvernay-Tardiff (NFL - Kansas City, though I don’t expect to ever see him up
north)
Current Strengths: Alex Singleton is one of
the best LBs in the League. His Canadian passport is just a bonus. Colling and Mrabure should have them
solid to start a Cdn at DL (I would include Junior Turner in there but injuries
have kept him to just 13 games over the past 2 seasons so health is a concern
with him). Throw in the emerging
Adeleke and they likely will be starting 3 Cdns on defense. The OL trio of Wilson, Begrman and Erdos all 30 years or young is
an asset. One thing I find weird is that they have ridiculous amount of highly
drafted Cdn WRs. Durant, Parker, Lynch and Brescacin all taken in Rounds 1 or 2.
Paredes and Maver remain the best kicking combo in the league. Also have to
mention a couple decent special teamers in Power and Langlais.
Current Needs: Two straight years of
not drafting an OL in the first 3 rounds plus some pretty bad luck with a bunch
of their previous high picks have then in need at OL. Of the 10 OL they have
drafted in the past 5 years only 2 remain with the team. None of the 6 they
drafted in the first 2 rounds are left. The
presence of Quinn Smith somewhat helps given his ability to play OL when needed.
Regardless the Stamps need to restock the shelves. They also could use some
depth behind Singleton. That’s really it. Not surprising that a team that made
it to back to back Grey Cups has few needs. For the sake of Stampeder fans I
won’t mention the result of either of those Grey Cup games.
Prediction: Can’t see them taking anything but an OL
first. I don’t see them having the same tolerance for guys with NFL shots so
they may look for a safer option, more likely to be in camp Day 1. In round 2 they
could very well go OL again. Or they could target a guy like Micah Teitz (one
of the few bright spots in an overall weak LB class). Part of me wonders if
they are crazy enough to add another WR in round 2.
1 comment:
Really good series of appraisals on the teams. OL as usual will be a popular option for a lot of teams with Stamps no exception. Agree with your comments on National receivers & got a trio of real BIG guys. Maybe they start 2 in 5 receiver sets, wear down the defence. Stamps look good again this year.
Post a Comment