CFL Draft 2014 Team Preview: Montreal Alouettes

The Als are one of the hardest team to predict in terms of the draft. Just a quick look at some of the recent top picks of Jim Popp will tell you just how all over the map he can be: 2011 – kicker, 2012 – fullback, 2013 – used second of two 1^st rd picks on a RB.

Picks: 8 picks, first selection is 4^th Overall

2013 Draft Assessment: Getting Mike Edem at #4 made the draft worthwhile on its own. They also got Steve Lumbala who has already earned some playing time early in his career and potentially 2 solid DL prospects in Hosin Shahin and Jesse Joseph (assuming they end up in Montreal), so overall it was a really good draft for the Als.

Potential Pipeline: DL Hosin Shahin (college), DL Jesse Joseph (college), DL Vaughn Martin (Detroit), OL Phillip Blake (Arizona), DL Tyrone Crawford (Dallas… assuming the Als still have him on their neg list)

Current Strengths: The hallmark of the Als for many years has been their all-Canadian OL. The combo of Perrett and Bourke at tackle is something a lot of teams would love. On defense they have talented players like Mike Edem and Marc-Olivier Brouillette. Sean Whyte struggled a bit last year but overall is a solid kicker than can fill all 3 jobs. If players like Mike Klassen and Bo Adebayo can develop into contributors and prospects like Shahin and Joseph end up on the team, the Als could have a very solid group of Cdn DL.

Current Needs: The Als much envied Cdn depth took some big hits this offseason. Shea Emry left via free agency, Andrew Woodruff retired, Scott Flory will likely retire and the Redblacks took Patrick Lavoie. The Als have the talent to still have 7 solid Cdns starters but depth has to be a rising concern at pretty much every position.

Prediction: As previously mentioned, hard to predict Jim Popp but I think he will go with either a LB like Jesse Briggs or a DB like Adam Thibault to add depth behind Edem and Brouillette. Antoine Pruneau is another player who may be on their radar. The Als may even make a rare move and draft a WR before the end of the draft. Their all Cdn OL has allowed them to be unlike other teams and not need (or care for) Cdn WRs. But depth concerns at other positions and the addition of Dave Stala may bring Cdn WRs back into consideration in the earlier rounds. Also Popp has shown no aversion to drafting NFL-bound players just in case (e.g. Martin, Blake) so I would put Montreal among the teams most likely to take a flyer on OL Laurent Duvernay-Tardif.

CFL Draft 2014 Team Preview: Edmonton Eskimos

Picks: 5 picks, first selection is 3^rd Overall

2013 Draft Assessment: It was a year of big potential but little that was tangible… at least in the short term. Their first pick was used on DL Stefan Charles who may yet be a stud Cdn DT but is currently on the active roster of the Buffalo Bills. LS Jorgen Hus was also drafted and also is still trying his luck in the NFL. They got good late value in DL Elie Ngoyi in my opinion and I would also keep my eye on OL Chris Mercer who they drafted in the 3^rd round. He could develop into a pretty good OL.

Potential Pipeline: DL Stephan Charles (Buffalo), LS Jorgen Hus (Seattle), OL Austin Paztor (Jacksonville), K Shuan Suisham (Pittsburgh), LS LP Ladouceur (Dallas), DL Israel Idonije (Chigago)

Current Strengths: With Chambers, Coehoorn and Foster, they have a very strong group of Cdn receivers. The loss of Ted Laurent hurts but I still think Oramasionwu and Steele give them a decent enough pairing to start a Cdn DT.

Current Needs: O-line was an embarrassment last season (both on the field and Hervey’s off-field handling of the matter). They tried their best to address it in the offseason but the market was thin so the improvement was minimal. Priority #1 needs to be improving that line… otherwise all of Mike Reilly’s promise/talent may go to waste on the IR.

The Esks will also need to look at rejigging their ratio. They released starting safety Donovan Alexander and also lost DL Ted Laurent and Justin Capiciotti. If we assume they will go with 3 Cdn OL, 2 WR and 1 DT, they are still short one Cdn starter. One option is Hinds/Rwabukamba at CB but I really don’t see that with Joe Burnett and Pat Watkins on the roster. Other options include keeping safety Cdn, playing a Cdn OT or starting 2 Cdn DTs… all of which would require the Esks to bring in players to shore up the respective positions.

Prediction: As crazy as Ed Hervey is, I think he is smart enough to realize that taking an OL at #3 is the right call. Much like Stefan Charles last year, I think Hervey will be willing to risk NFL interest and take OL David Foucault. They don’t pick again until the 3^rd were I think they will look to build depth either at OL or DL as that is the most likely place their 7^th Cdn starter will come from.

Riders Exceed The Cap

In what is likely the least surprising news of the offseason, it was announced yesterday that the Riders exceeded the salary cap in 2013. To be accurate its not really a cap, there's just a maximum after which you must pay a luxury tax... but cap is just easier to say and type. We went over by $17,975 and will be fined an equivalent amount. It amounts roughly to 1 hour worth of booze sales at Riderville during the Cup so I'm sure we can dry our tears with stacks upon stacks of cash and of course Grey Cup rings. Seriously, $18k over is nothing (doesn't even amount to one player at league minimum) so its not like you can say we bought the Cup. If $18k was the selling price for a Cup any team that didn't spend that is dumb. Our bill for legal fees for 2013 was likely more than this fine.

And to heck with all this talk about the Riders not being true to the "spirit" of the Salary Management System (SMS). There are rules and those rules say that if you spend over $4.4M you get fined. We didn't circumvent those rules, we didn't hide any salary. We exceeded $4.4M and will pay a fine. Just like an O-lineman who gets called for holding. Its only cheating if he gets away with it. Besides, I would way rather my GM do everything in his power to win us a Cup (even if it involves a stupidly small fine) rather than spend under $4.4 and not win a Cup just to look good.

Back when the SMS was introduced I doubt anyone would have predicted the Riders would be the most penalized team under the system. Hell we were one of the biggest supporting voices. But this now marks the 4th time we have been penalized (compared to twice for all other teams combined). $76,552 in 2007, $87,147 in 2008 and $26,677 in 2010. But here's the thing to note: of the 4 times we've been penalized we have appeared in the Grey Cup 3 times and won 2 of them. If SMS fines are what it takes to get us Grey Cups, I'm all for it. I honestly am surprised more teams don't go over the cap. As long as you stay under 100K and don't lose picks, then the cost is pretty small.

Admittedly the small penalties don't give SMS much teeth and maybe the League should look at beefing up the fines if they really want to make it more than a salary guidelines. But overall I think the system is working at leveling the playing field compared to what it used to be back in the day. And as long as it results in a winning team I have no problem with the Riders (or any team for that matter) going over the cap and getting fined.

CFL Draft 2014 Team Preview: Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Picks: 6 picks, first selection is 2^nd Overall

2013 Draft Assessment: Predictably awful. The Bomber franchise spent years lamenting how Taman traded away anything resembling a top draft pick and then when Joe Mack started keeping the picks and using them they lamented the bad choices he made. They used last year’s second overall pick on DL Andy Mulumba, which talent–wise was a fine pick but everyone knew he was NFL bound and after seeing significant playing time in Green Bay I doubt he will be seen back in Canada anytime soon. Toss in major injuries to other 2013 picks like Kris Robertson and Mike DiCroce and the fact that Stephen Alli doesn’t sound like football is even in his future and that leaves Carl Fitzgerald as the only thing Winnipeg has to show for 2013. All of the sudden Taman’s “trade it away policy” while in Winnipeg doesn’t look so bad by comparison. Also consider that the only good thing they have done draft-wise in the Joe Mack era (Henoc Muamba) left for the NFL.

Potential Pipeline: DL Christo Bilukidi (Cincinnati), DL Andy Mulumba (Green Bay), WR Stephen Alli (college/med school)

Current Strengths: Cory Watson… seriously I’m struggling to find something else positive to say. It's sad when the new expansion team has better Canadian content. The addition of Donovan Alexander and Graig Newman likely strengthen the safety position that Cauchy Muamba currently occupies in a less than mediocre manner. (Side note: but I find it ironic that Newman bolted from the Riders to get more playing time and may end up being the 3^rd string safety in Winnipeg).

Current Needs: They have just 27 Canadians under contract which doesn’t give them a lot of room for error in finding the 20 that will make the roster. Simply put, you name it, they need it. It’s just a matter of which are the top priorities. They would be wise to put OL at the top of that list. Their big attempt to shore up that less than stellar group was the acquisition on Pat Neufeld and quite frankly if they are crazy enough to start him at tackle then great news for opposing defences and bad news for Willy. Either way they need to improve along the OL and have a good chances to do so at #2.

Priority 2 should be linebacker. The departure of Muamba leaves 1 Cdn LB on their roster. Even if you count Newman as an LB, 2 simply is not enough for a team. They will also likely be looking for a WR. There was talk at one point of them thinking 3 Cdn WRs was a possibility but then they ditched Poblah and Etienne (neither are starting material but at least provide depth). Even if the plan is to start Watson and Kolhert (as I expect) they will need more depth there.

Last but not least they may want to think about looking for a placekicker given that they only have 1 on the roster and he has never attempted a kick at the pro level. Unless O’Shea just plans on calling fakes in every kicking situation.

Prediction:

The second overall pick will be used on an O-lineman.  Under normal circumstances Winnipeg would go with David Foucault who is the more highly rated prospect, but this is a franchise that, based on previous drafting futility and the lack of a second round pick, can’t risk the NFL interest Foucault has drawn. They will likely look for a far safer option in Matthias Goosen. The remaining picks will likely be a mix of LBs, WRs and maybe a kicker. Above all new GM Kyle Walters will be looking to make solid picks to distance himself from the mockery that Joe Mack brought to the draft.