Monday Morning Sentimonies: Forgot About O’Day

Nowadays, everybody wanna talk like they got something to say

But nothing comes out when they move their lips

Just a bunch of gibberish

And people act like they forgot about O’Day

In the wake of free agency there is an epidemic of amnesia going around. Somehow people who just 3 months ago were praising Jemery O’Day for building a championship roster are now complaining that he doesn’t know what he’s doing. I assume I am preaching to the choir here, as if you are able to tolerate my drivel it means you are most likely an educated fan (or a gluten for punishment, I appreciate your support either way). But I feel like I need to put a reminder out there to the football world that O’Day does in fact know what he is doing.

Do I like the outward migration of talent we just endured? Absolutely not. Tough to see starters like Allen, Carney, and Reavis or role players like Baldonado and Nield go. But maybe we can just breathe for a second before mashing the panic button like me when I used to play Mortal Kombat. We have our work cut out for us to replace what we lost. But O’Day and his team have a pretty solid track record of scouting talent. 

Don’t believe me? Consider this…

-        Half of the Grey Cup roster was guys that O’Day brought to the CFL.

-        Half of the starters on the Grey Cup roster were guys that O’Day brought to the CFL.

-        16 of the 21 Canadians we dressed in that game (5 of which were starters) were O’Day draft picks.

I’ll note that this doesn’t include O'Day guys who were on IR like K Johnson, D Johnson, Duncan-Busby, Avery, Korte-Moore and Robustelli who have contributed significantly.

We have had a consistent pipeline of American talent under O’Day’s watch: Reavis, Milligan, Reid, Collins, Brammer, K Johnson, Myers, Saunders, Brooks, Miller, Lanier, Avery, Sterns, Robertson, Marino (yeah he was a douche but he had talent through the roof). 

O’Day has drafted well. Emilus, Korte-Moore, Wiebe, Busby, Saad, Ford, Fry, Lokombo (I mean he starts), Kian Schaefer-Baker, Allen, Dalke, Bertrand-Hudon, Straker, D Johnson, Ajou. The last 7 names on that list were drafted in the fourth round or later. 

Hell, O’Day has even found top end global talent like Korsak and Baldonado.

Still don’t believe me? Look across the league at how many guys that O’Day originally recruited now fill the rosters of other teams. 

BC

-        James Butler

-        Justin McInnis

-        Deontai Williams

Edmonton

-        Joe Robustelli

Calgary

-        Miles Brown

-        Tevin Jones

-        Damon Webb

Toronto

-        Demarcus Christmas

-        Jake Herslow

Hamilton

-        Charbel Dabire

-        Jake Dolegala

-        Braxton Hill

-        Trevor Reid

Montreal

-        Alexander Gagne

-        Jereth Sterns

Ottawa

-        AJ Allen

-        Habakkuk Baldonado

-        CJ Reavis

-        CJ Coldon

-        Amari Henderson

This list doesn’t even include free agents that O’Day signed when they were so-so and he turned into hot commodities like Tommy Nield, Malik Carney and Jake Maier.

So, while there are definitely some holes currently on our roster, we should have at least a shred of faith in the guy running the team. 

Let’s end how we started.

Now you wanna run around talkin' 'bout scouts like I ain't got none

What, you think I fired 'em all 'cause I stay well off?

Now all I get is hate mail all day sayin' O’Day fell off

What, 'cause I been on my phone with guys that find the endzone

Tryna get this damn repeat off?