We all understand that people have different opinions and we at CFL Daily Dose are no different, which is why we started CFL Point/Counterpoint. For each CFL Point/Counterpoint, two authors will present their cases and you decide who’s right.

After a dismal showing thus far for the Edmonton Eskimos, the firings have started. We ask: Is it time for the Eskimos to bench quarterback Ricky Ray?

Ray isn’t the problem in Edmonton

by Chris Powell

There are two very distinct problems in Edmonton, but Ricky Ray isn’t one of them. Even though the firings have started and the threat of being benched is always looming, benching one of the best quarterbacks the CFL has ever seen is not the answer.

Cory Boyd rushed for 164 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Eskimos in Week 6.

Edmonton has two problems keeping them from winning, one of those problems is the offensive line.

It is impossible for a quarterback to succeed when he spends more time on his back than on his feet. He has been sacked a whopping 15 times in six games. That means that he gets sacked two to three times EVERY game. If that keeps up Ray will end up on IR.

The issue with the offensive line extends beyond protecting Ray. With a suspect line, Arkee Whitlock doesn’t have room to run, putting all of the pressure to win on Ray and the receivers.  Even though the CFL is a pass-heavy league, a team can’t win without some semblance of balance.

Despite the sack totals and the mediocre performance from Whitlock, Edmonton’s offence is one of the most explosive in the league, having racked up ,2391 yards, a 398.5 yard per game average, which is third in the league.

Ray himself has the second highest completion percentage in the league (68%), is fourth in passing yards (1701), and is fourth overall in QB Rating (93.2). Statistically, Ray is doing everything he can to help his team win.

The second problem is the rush defence. It’s rare to see the worst rush defence and the best pass defence on the the same team, but that’s what’s going on in Edmonton.

The Eskimos pass defence has allowed 1,386 yards (231 per game) and has the second highest interception total with seven on the year, while the rush defence is allowing an astonishingly high 164 yards per game. That is a 7.7 yard per carry average and is simply unacceptable.

It’s hard for a team to win when their defence can’t get off the field,and when teams can shred a defence for 160+ yards on the ground it’s no wonder the Esks are 1-5-0. It’s impossible for Ray, or any quarterback, to lead their offence from the sidelines.

Until the Eskimos have addressed the issues on the offencive line and learn how to stop a running back, there’s no logical reason to assume that benching Ray would lead to different results.

Benching Ray would be a knee jerk reaction and one that would lead to more losses than wins over the course of the season.

The Eskimos haven’t been winning enough games with Ray under centre

by Jonathan Hamelin

Ricky Ray has obviously had a successful career for the Edmonton Eskimos. He has routinely lead the league in many passing statistics.

The Eskimos should try starting a quarterback with more mobility than Ray.

However, a statistic I am more interested in is wins. TSN’s Glen Suitor made a good point last week when discussing the progression of Toronto Argonauts quarterback Cleo Lemon. He noted that while Lemon’s stats weren’t pretty, he had led the team to a 3-2-0 record.

Since their magical Grey Cup run in 2005, Edmonton has had its share of struggles. In 2006, they posted a record of 7-11-0 and missed the playoffs. The next year, the Eskimos posted an even worse record of 5-12-1 and missed the playoffs again. In 2008, they posted a record of 10-8-0 and crossed over to the East Division for the playoffs, where they eventually lost to Montreal in the East final. Last season, they managed to get in the playoffs with an 9-9-0 record, but fell to Calgary in the West Division semifinal. Flash forward to 2010 and the Eskimos have a record of 1-5-0 through six weeks.

For those keeping score at home, that is a total record of 32-45-1.

Since 2005, there have been changes to Edmonton’s offence. The receivers have changed, the running back has changed and the offensive lineman have changed. Ray has been the constant.

Can a quarterback be blamed entirely for a team’s struggles? No, but he is the player on offence that has to take on the responsibillity for helping his team improve. The simple fact is, with Ray under centre the Eskimos haven’t been winning enough games lately. Edmonton started to make slight improvements after missing the playoffs in both 2006 and 2007, but now find themselves poised to miss the playoffs again.

For a team that is hosting the Grey Cup, this is a huge disappointment. Something drastic needs to be done to shake things up and turn this season around. What better then benching the starting quarterback?

It’s not like Ray’s stats warrant him staying in. He has thrown for only six touchdowns (much less than Henry Burris, Anthony Calvillo, Kevin Glenn and Darian Durant) and five interceptions (tied for third). Ray’s completion percentage is not bad and his yardage total is nothing to complain about, but those turnovers really hurt.

Another problem is, Ray isn’t a mobile quarterback. Sure, he may surprise the defence on occasion and run for a first down, but he can’t really escape pressure to buy his receivers time. If a defensive lineman gets a clean run at Ray, it is usually a sack. Ray has been sacked 15 times this season. Only Calvillo has been sacked more times. Quarterbacks like Burris and Durant are good at buying more time for their receivers.

Not being mobile isn’t always a bad thing for a quarterback, as Calvillo himself is a pocket passer. However, the Montreal Alouettes are 5-1-0 and haven’t had the same struggles Edmonton has.

Edmonton should try backup quarterback Jared Zabransky for a game. As we saw in their 29-28 loss to Toronto this past week, he can run with the ball. Maybe the Eskimos need a more mobile quarterback at the helm? Optimistically, Zabransky could shine if he was just given a chance. The Eskimos didn’t realize Ray’s potential until Jason Maas got injured and Ray was shoved into action.

The move doesn’t have to be permanent. If Zabransky struggles, the Eskimos can go back to Ray. But, the move might light a fire under the team. The players would realize that if Ray can be benched, anyone can. It could make them want to prove themselves and raise their play.

The Eskimos need to win ball games and Ray isn’t getting the job done. Edmonton needs to try a change before its too late and they are watching the Grey Cup in the stands.

(Jonathan Hamelin is leading CFL Point/Counterpoint debates 3-1-1).

We all understand that people have different opinions and we at CFL Daily Dose are no different, which is why we started CFL Point/Counterpoint. For each CFL Point/Counterpoint, two authors will present their cases and you decide who’s right.

After disappointing losses in Week 1, Edmonton and Hamilton both look to rebound in Week 2. Who will bounce back this week, Edmonton or Hamilton?

Edmonton has what it takes to bounce back.

by Chris Powell

Last weeks loss to B.C. was as good a wake up call that any team could hope for. Giving up 194 yards rushing on 19 carries (10.21 yards per carry) is terrible. There’s really no way to hide that stat, or even attempt to downplay it’s importance. Jamal Robertson put a toothless Lions team on his back and carried them up and down the field.

We won't see this happen again this year, but the Esks and their fans will have something to celebrate after this week.

On the upside, for Edmonton, is that they only gave up one offensive touchdown. The Lions scored six field goals in a game that featured sloppy play from most of the guys on the field, sealing their victory by keeping Edmonton out of field goal range when they had the ball.

The bright side out of all of this is that running back Arkee Whitlock had a decent game: 116 yards on 16 carries (7.25 ypc) and a touchdown and towards the end of the game Ray looked to be more trusting of his receivers than he did in the first part of the game.

While that is all well and good, they have to 1) score more than 10 points to beat the Alouettes and 2) keep Ricky Ray on his feet. Ray, who is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, can’t do any damage if he is constantly getting knocked down. For the Eskimos to bounce back Ray has to stay clean, which means the boys up front have to get on the same page, and protect him.

Now to this point, I know it looks like all I’ve done is pick the Eskimos apart and essentially I have. They did little last week to praise, but that will happen this week. Will they beat Montreal this week? Maybe not, but they will be much better than they were last week. This week presents a tough test for the Esks, but they will pull through valiantly.

Hamilton has fought through adversity before

by Jonathan Hamelin

This week, the Edmonton Eskimos are welcoming in an angry Montreal Alouettes squad that scored 51 points last week. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are welcoming in the Calgary Stampeders, a team who failed to earn a convincing victory over the woeful Toronto Argonauts last week.

You’ve got to love Hamilton’s chances to rebound in Week 2.

The big three of Arland Bruce III, Kevin Glenn and De'Andra Cobb won't be stopped this week against Calgary.

Last season, Hamilton fell 30-17 to the mediocre Toronto Argonauts at home in Week 1. It was not a promising way to start the season, but the Tiger-Cats bounced right back the next week and stunned the B.C. Lions 31-28 on the road then downed the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 25-13 at home in Week 3.

The only difference here is that instead of having to rebound on the road, Hamilton gets to go home, where they had success against Calgary last season.

In their meeting in Hamilton last season, the Tiger-Cats won 24-17. Joffrey Reynolds had a solid game for Calgary, rushing for 127 yards, but the Tiger-Cats valiantly shut down the rest of the offence. Henry Burris was 10/25 for 114 yards and Calgary only scored two touchdowns.

Also, it is hard to imagine Hamilton’s big three of Kevin Glenn, De’Andra Cobb and Arland Bruce III being held in check for a second week in a row. In Hamilton’s opening week loss, Glenn only threw for 197 yards, Cobb only had 22 yards and Bruce only had three catches for 44 yards.

These three players are very talented and will step up in Week 2 against Calgary and help the Tiger-Cats produce a lot more points on offence. Last time they played Calgary at home. Cobb had 85 yards rushing and Bruce III had 105 yards receiving and two touchdowns. Glenn did not play.

Fired up from their poor performance in Week 1, fans can expect a big game out of Hamilton’s defence. Also, there is always a chance that returner Marcus Thigpen will return a kick for a touchdown.

Calgary is a team that still has some questions to answer following their performance against Toronto in Week 1. They are a good team for a struggling Tiger-Cats squad to play.

Edmonton faces a much tougher task. They are facing a potent Montreal offence. In Week 1, the Eskimos allowed 168 rushing yards to Jamal Robertson of B.C. The Alouettes didn’t use Avon Cobourne much in their Week 1 loss to Saskatchewan, but if they establish him against Edmonton the Eskimos will be in trouble. Unlike B.C., Montreal will have success going to the air, giving the Alouettes two ways to hurt Edmonton.

Both Edmonton and Hamilton will improve as the season goes on. Unlike Edmonton, Hamilton will get on track this week.

We all understand that people have different opinions and we at CFL Daily Dose are no different, which is why we started CFL Point/Counterpoint. For each CFL Point/Counterpoint, two authors will present their cases and you decide who’s right.

Every time preseason rolls around in the CFL, people always seem to question whether the length is appropriate. With that being said, we decided to tackle the question: is two preseason games enough?

Two is enough

by Chris Powell

CFL fans don't care about the preseason. In Toronto, there were only 12,514 fans on hand to witness the team's 13-10 victory over Hamilton during the first week preseason play.

Every year, in both the NFL and CFL, coaches, players and pundits rant about the preseason being too long, while in the CFL people go on and on about it being too short.

The NFL plays four preseason games and the CFL plays two, so does that mean that they should both play three preseason games? To be honest, I don’t care what they do in the NFL, but the CFL’s preseason is perfect at two games.

Extending the preseason would become very risky to the player’s health. The reason players, and coaches/owners in the NFL want a shorter preseason is to protect the players. With an 18 game schedule in the CFL, adding any games to the preseason increases the risk that a team’s season could end before it even begins. There are risks of injury with only two games, of course, but they are minimized by the fact that coaches rarely play their starters, opting to use the games to evaluate their newer talent in real game situations.

Adding more games does nothing for the league. It does nothing for the players. It does nothing for the fans. Why extend something that is meaningless to the outcome of the season?

It also doesn’t make much sense for the league to put on any more preseason games. With only four games per week, none of those selling out, the league’s income from the preseason doesn’t make it viable to extend the preseason.

The icing on the cake is that fans just don’t care about the preseason games, with only a few fans even showing up. The games count for nothing, so what’s the point to delay the inevitable. Just bring on the games that count.

Three preseason games would help teams shed the off-season rust

by Jonathan Hamelin

Teams in the CFL are often rusty when the regular season starts. Adding an extra preseason game could help them prepare better.

Adding one extra game onto the CFL preseason schedule would help teams be better prepared for the start of the regular season.

During Week 1 of the CFL regular season, we often see teams play very rusty. This is because the starting unit does not see much live action time during the preseason. If anything, the opening week of the season can seem like a preseason game at times.

The solution to this problem? Add one more preseason game for a grand total of three.

With only two preseason games, coaches have to try to get their recruits some playing time, while also making sure their starters get some time to shake off the rust. This is not always an easy task. It often means that a) rookies don’t get enough time to prove themselves and b) the starting unit doesn’t get enough time.

With three preseason games, the first one could almost serve as a rookie game. There might be a few starters thrown in, but for the most part, it would be the young players and new recruits that would see the most playing time. The players that stood out to the coaching staff could move onto the next preseason game, which would have a mix of starters and rookie playing in it.

Then, the final preseason game could basically be the entire starting unit playing for the whole game. The game might not count for anything, but it would give the starters a chance to work together for a whole game and they would be better prepared for the regular season.

Of course, a counter argument would be that preseason games are boring and just delay the start of the regular season.

This may be true, but the preseason games could always start a week earlier if a third was added. In accordance, training camp could also open a week earlier. This way, the games would not push the start of the regular season back any further.

With three preseason games, it would also mean that some teams would play more away games then home games.

To solve this problem, teams could switch off each year or the third game could be hosted at a neutral location. This would help the CFL expand their market and give cities that don’t have a CFL franchise the chance to see a game, even if it is preseason.

Adding another preseason game would not significantly increase the risk of injury. The veterans might not even play much in the added preseason game. Besides, it is just as likely that a player will get injured during the regular season as in the preseason.

Love them or hate them, preseason games are important for coaches because it helps them evaluate their roster. Adding an extra game would ensure that they have a proper chance to do so.

And, hopefully, it would lead to less rusty play in the regular season.

CFL Daily Dose can be followed on Facebook and Twitter. If you are a fan of the CFL, and would be interested in writing about the Montreal Alouettes, Toronto Argonauts, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, B.C. Lions, or the CFL in general, contact Chris.

We all understand that people have different opinions and we at CFL Daily Dose are no different, which is why we started CFL Point/Counterpoint. For each CFL Point/Counterpoint, two authors will present their cases and you decide who’s right.

With CFL training camps inching closer, we decided to tackle a topic that is sure to come up as the season approaches: Will the Montreal Alouettes repeat as Grey Cup champions?

Without a doubt!

by Chris Powell

What does it take for a team to win a championship? Talent, poise, good coaches and great leadership are all necessary components of a winning team. Montreal has all four.

Many fans, especially those in Saskatchewan, will argue that the Roughriders should have won the Grey Cup last year, but they are only partially right. The Roughriders should have won, yes, but the Alouettes deserved the win as well. Despite going into half time down 14 points. The Als didn’t lose focus and came out to win the game in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. They fought back, despite the Riders’ momentum, and put themselves in a position to win.

The poise that they showed, even when the game seemed out of reach was inspiring. They never gave up. The offence, led by veteran quarterback Anthony Calvillo and running back Avon Cobourne, maintained their composure and led the team to several fourth quarter scoring drives, including the game winning drive.

While they were impressive last season, past successes aren’t always indicative of future successes, especially in leagues with a salary cap where teams tend to lose some of their best players due to increasing salaries. Montreal has not only avoided a lot of turnover, but they have also added several very talented players during the off season, both through the draft and free agency. This has lead to a team that is even better than they were last year.

The Alouettes have been quite good for several years, and despite their past post season struggles, they will be looking to win the Grey Cup again, and they will be striving to do it in a more convincing fashion than last year. Winning by one point in one of the most dramatic Grey Cup finishes in recent memory wasn’t what the Alouettes were trying to do. Entering the game as the heavy favorites they struggled to keep up with the Riders who had an answer for everything they tried. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the Als started looking like the Als . I expect that they will not only win the Grey Cup, but it will be the convincing win that everyone expected in 2010.

The question isn’t “Can Montreal win the Grey Cup in 2010?” but, “Can they win a third straight Grey Cup in 2011?”

History says that Montreal will fail to repeat

by Jonathan Hamelin

History doesn’t bode well for the Montreal Alouettes.

The Montreal Alouettes, like the 2007 B.C. Lions squad, will not repeat.

The Alouettes, who defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders 28-27 in the Grey Cup last season, will be hard pressed to repeat this season. No team has won the Grey Cup in back-to-back years for over ten years. The Toronto Argonauts, who won the Grey Cup in 1996 and 1997, were the last team to accomplish this feat.

During this time, there have been many solid teams who have failed to repeat. The B.C. Lions of 2007 are a perfect example of this. In 2006, the Lions boasted a record of 13-5-0. They finished first in the West Division, the preceded to knock of Montreal in the Grey Cup game by a score of 25-14. Heading into the playoffs next season, with an even better record of 14-3-1, it appeared like B.C. had a great chance to repeat. Then the Roughriders, the Cinderella team of the season, shocked the Lions by beating them 26-17 in the West Division final. B.C.’s hopes of a repeat were over.

So, though history clearly is against them, why else do I feel Montreal will come up short?

Frankly, the pressure is off in Montreal. Before last season, the Alouettes have had to listen to claims that they can’t win the big game. After all, since 1996, Montreal had only won one Grey Cup in six attempts. They notoriously came up short when it mattered the most. Still, these past disappointments seemed to motivate the Alouettes to prove their doubters wrong. Now that they have won the big game, there isn’t as much motivation driving the Alouettes forward.

The Hamilton Tiger Cats and the Roughriders are two more big reasons that Montreal won’t repeat.

Hamilton has finally emerged as a dominant threat in the East Division and should challenge Montreal for eastern dominance this season. The Alouettes may be oozing with offensive talent, but so is Hamilton. Kevin Glenn is a solid quarterback and Quinton Porter is a reliable backup. Running back DeAndra Cobb, as well as receivers Arland Bruce III, Maurice Mann and Marquay McDaniel, gives Hamilton plenty of offensive firepower. On defence, Hamilton has a fierce front seven led by linebacker’s Jamall Johnson and Markeith Knowlton.

Will Hamilton finish first in the East? Not necessarily, but they will give the Alouettes a run for their money and make it harder for them to represent the East in the Grey Cup.

Saskatchewan, who is still haunted by their tragic Grey Cup loss, desperately wants another shot at the Alouettes. It would not be a stretch to say we could very well be in for a Grey Cup rematch this season. If that is the case, the Roughriders are better prepared then last season.

After their impressive off-season, the Riders have a revamped roster. They added speedster Dominique Dorsey, who will help in the running game, wide receiver Prechae Rodriguez, who will help stretch the field for the Riders much like Kerry Watkins has for the Alouettes, and solidified their offensive line. Led by quarterback Darian Durant, who has more experience under his belt, the Riders offence should be just as good as the Montreal offence.

On defence, despite the loss of defensive end’s John Chick and Stevie Baggs, the Riders defence doesn’t have many wholes. New middle linebacker Barrin Simpson will help shutdown Avon Cobourne, who ran effectively against the Riders in the Grey Cup, particularly down the stretch.

Finally, there seems to be a misconceived notion that Montreal is “invincible”. Sure Montreal posted a record of 15-3-0 last season and finally won the Grey Cup, but they are not unbeatable. If the Riders had not had too many men on the field, Montreal would have lost the Grey Cup to a team many thought they would destroy.

A lot can happen in a season. A couple of untimely injuries could end the Alouettes season, they could be playing poorly come playoff time, or some team could simply outplay them when it matters most.

A team has not repeated as Grey Cup champions since 1997, and it is not going to happen for Montreal this season.

We all understand that people have different opinions and we at CFL Daily Dose are no different, which is why we started CFL Point/Counterpoint. For each CFL Point/Counterpoint, two authors will present their cases and you decide who’s right.

This week we tackle an issue that has been the subject of much debate: Who will the Argos sign: Kenton Keith or Jesse Lumsden?

Kenton Keith is the man

by Chris Powell

To me the choice here is obvious. The Argos need a running back and Kenton Keith is the man they need. Keith has been in the CFL for the same amount of time that Lumsden has and has two times the yards and touchdowns that Lumsden has. The choice is clear, the Argos need Kenton Keith.

Kenton Keith is the obvious choice for a team, especially the Argonauts, looking for a starting running back.

Keith would go in as the obvious starter and would also be an excellent mentor for the Argos young RB corp. His presence immediately upgrades the offence by giving them a 1,000 yard back to take the pressure off of the passing game.

Currently the Argos best (most prolific) running back is Jeff Johnson who has 771 yards over his 10 year career, for an average of a whopping 77.1 yards per season. Stats aside, Johnson is 33 years old, which for a running back is practically ancient. Their other five backs combined have 9 years of experience between them and a total of 138 yards. The Argos NEED a starting running back. They can’t afford not to sign Keith.

Keith is also an asset in the passing game with over 1200 yards receiving (averaging 250.4 receiving yards per season).

Keith’s quickness and speed have allowed him to burn past defenders rather than powering through them as Lumsden has done in his career, leaving him in good shape to rack up several more solid seasons before Toronto needs to start shopping for a replacement, if one of their rookie RB’s doesn’t stand out as a solid starter.

Keith’s downside is that he wants to play in the NFL, and has signed with both the Jets (cut before the season in 2004) and with the Colts (where he was the third back in a talented backfield in 2007). This could cause the Argos to look to Lumsden but that would be a mistake.

Kenton has also worked up a bit of a reputation as a bad boy, with rumors of a bad attitude while he was in Saskatchewan, and his arrest in Indianapolis, but over the course of his career those tendencies have been the exception rather than the rule and shouldn’t factor much in Toronto’s choice to sign him.

Durability is also a factor in this choice. Why would you pay someone to be your starting running back when they can’t finish a season? Granted, Keith missed most of last season due to injury, but what football player doesn’t get hurt. I would rather have a running back that has missed a season once rather than a running back that has yet to finish a season in his entire career.

Who would you choose, a two-time West Division All-Star, and the 2006 West Division Most Outstanding Player, or a one time East Division All-Star coming off shoulder surgery?

I’ll take Keith, and the wins he brings, over Lumsden, and the hospital bills he’ll rack up.

Jesse Lumsden is worth the risk, Kenton Keith is not

by Jonathan Hamelin

Kenton Keith may have had more success in the CFL in the past, but Jesse Lumsden offers the Toronto Argonauts the greatest hope for the future.

With both running backs released recently, many wonder who the Argonauts, who need a star running back, will sign. I believe this running back should be Lumsden.

Though he has been through a lot of injuries, Lumsden clearly still has the will to play, as evident in his comments here. This means that Lumsden would not cost a lot of money to sign, and with his NFL aspirations all but dead, he would be dedicated to helping Toronto win ball games. Can the same be said about Keith?

It has been speculated that Keith wasn’t exactly a team player in Saskatchewan. Furthermore, Keith was arrested outside an Indianapolis nightclub in 2008. When the police told him to quite down, Keith reportedly said that he would not be quite because he played for the Colts. For an Argos squad looking to develop a team mentality, is Keith really the type of player they want to bring in?

Of course, the hardest argument to face when defending Lumsden is his injury problem. Thanks to injuries, Lumsden has struggled to play a whole season. But, Keith has done no better recently. After returning from the NFL in 2008, Keith only rushed for 102 yards for the Hamilton Tiger Cats in 2008, and then sat out most of the 2009 season due to injury. Lumsden, in contrast, had 584 yards and five touchdowns in 2008 for Hamilton.

Yes, Keith does have an advantage in career numbers. Keith has 3,913 and 21 touchdowns compared to Lumsden’s 1,802 yards and nine touchdowns. However, Keith’s great success came in Saskatchewan, who at that time relied greatly on the run. Keith was running behind lineman like Gene Makowsky, Andrew Greene and Jeremy O’Day. Lumsden was stuck behind Hamilton’s horrid offensive line, yet still managed an impressive 6.3 yard average. Lumsden is better suited for what Toronto is looking for. Keith would struggle running behind Toronto’s average offensive line, while Lumsden’s power would help him shed tacklers.

Toronto has seen first hand what Lumsden can do when healthy. In 2008, Hamilton won two out of three games against Toronto. Lumsden rushed for 293 and two touchdowns in the two games he played in, racking up 189 yards in the week two win. He averaged over eight yards a carry in these games. If Lumsden can get back to this form, he could do great things in Toronto.

The great thing about Lumsden is Toronto does not need to rush him. They are clearly going nowhere this season. If Lumsden is not 100 percent ready, he can spend the year as a backup. If he is never 100 percent, the Argos still will not have wasted a lot of money. If he does get to 100 percent, he will offer Toronto a bigger threat than Keith.

I guess the big question is, what kind of running back does Toronto want? Keith, a running back with a bad attitude whose best success was in the past? Or Lumsden, a running back who wants to play and is one injury-free season away from achieving great success in the league?

It’s got to be Lumsden.

The Riders drafted plenty of home-grown talent on Sunday during the CFL draft. Was this the best move?

We all understand that people have different opinions and we at CFL Daily Dose are no different, which is why we are starting a new series called CFL Point/Counterpoint. For each CFL Point/Counterpoint, two authors will present their cases and you decide who’s right.

This week we tackle an issue that came up a few times in the draft earlier this week concerning the Saskatchewan Roughriders: Did the Riders compromise talent by picking home-grown players?

Home-grown talent doesn’t always lead to great results

by Chris Powell

I love football and I have for as long as I can remember, whether it’s CFL, NFL, NCAA, or Arena League, I love football. And, as anyone who loves football knows, it takes more than talented players to win a game. It takes a good coaching staff, good team chemistry, good players, and enthusiastic fans. Luckily for the Roughriders they have all four, but they run the risk of drafting themselves out of the playoffs if they continue to have drafts like they did this week.

I know, I know, I gave Saskatchewan a B for their draft choices. But, hear me out. The reason they didn’t get an A is because two of their four picks could have been better by selecting someone from out of the province. Their second and third picks (Jordan Sisco and Patrick Neufield) both came with more talented guys at their positions still available. However, the Riders went with the local guy. Not to take away anything from Sisco or Neufield, they are both talented football players, but the Riders propensity to draft (or sign as free agents) guys from Saskatchewan rather than more talented players from out of the province could be their demise.

Saskatchewan isn’t the only team guilty of this, but it came up quite a bit in this weeks draft, making them the most recent example. Drafting home-grown players happens all the time and not just in football, but it can have serious consequences, especially if the team doing it has struggled recently. Going after a good player rather than a great player should never become the practice for teams who intend to win.

A great player can lift a team from bad to good, but a good player will rarely stand out on a bad team excluding the rare occasions when the stars align and they make a brilliant play.

All in all, it is in a team’s best interests to take the best player at a position rather than a local guy just because he grew up three blocks from the stadium.

Home-grown products Sisco and Neufeld will shine for the Green and White

by Jonathan Hamelin

Sometimes, home can be where the best draft picks come from.

This was a point the Riders proved during the CFL draft on Sunday. With their second pick, eighth overall, the Riders selected Regina’s Jordan Sisco, a receiver for the University of Regina Rams. With their third pick, 33rd overall, the team grabbed Regina’s Patrick Neufeld, an offensive tackle for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

While selecting a home-grown player in the draft may not always be the best decision for a team, I believe the Riders made the right decision in drafting Sisco and Neufeld.

When it came to the Sisco pick, the Riders realized they were selecting one of the most talented receivers in the draft. Sisco’s numbers speak for themselves. He is currently sixth on Canada West’s all-time receptions list with 141 and is 11^th on the career receiving yardage list with 2,051. In the draft, he was one of the receivers with the most potential.

Sisco provides further Canadian depth to one of the most dangerous receiving cores in the CFL. While the Riders receiving core, with targets like Rob Bagg, Andy Fantuz and Weston Dressler, is already loaded, Sisco provides insurance in case a player gets injured or eventually leaves the team via free agency of trade.

Neufeld, a 6-foot-6, 300-pound lineman, was a solid offensive lineman for the Huskies. An offensive lineman is always a solid pick in the CFL draft, especially when you can pick up a quality lineman so late in the draft.

Many have stated that instead of drafting local, the Riders should have focused on more pressing needs, particularly the defensive line and linebacking core. I disagree.

The Riders had already drafted a defensive lineman, Shomari Williams, with their first pick in the draft. With defensive tackles Marcus Adams and Keith Shologan, plus five others coming into training camp, the Riders brass obviously felt safe at the defensive line position. As for the linebacking core, the Riders already have starting linebackers Tad Kornegay (74 tackles and three interceptions in 2009), Barrin Simpson (84 tackles and two sacks) and Sean Lucas (81 tackles and four sacks), as well as solid back-ups like veteran Mike McCullough and rising star Jerrell Freeman.

While some people may think most home-grown players aren’t “talented” enough, history says otherwise. Saskatchewan, for example, has plenty of local talent on their team. Gene Makowsky, Kelly Bates, Jason Clermont, Chris Getzlaf and Neal Hughes, are all Saskatchewan products, some of whom were drafted by the Riders. They have all had great careers.

The Riders did not simply pick Sisco and Neufeld because they are local boys, they picked them because they believe they can have a great impact on their team. Furthermore, they were arguably the best player available at the time. Sisco will be a solid receiver for the Riders if he does not stick in the NFL. Neufeld, who might not make an immediate impact, could still develop into a solid offensive lineman for the Riders. When it comes to talented home-grown players, you can never have too much of a good thing.