CFL Point/Counterpoint: Did the Riders compromise talent by picking home-grown players?
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 11th 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.
Related Posts:
Category: Top Stories
About the Author
Chris and Jonathan are two devout CFL fans who debate a particular point, and then it's up to YOU, the reader, to decide who won the debate.View Author Profile
Jonathan forgot to mention the natural advantages a homegrown player has: he already knows the market, he (presumably) grew up loving the team, he lives in Sask all year around so is available for special events without a plane ticket, he won't want to go to another team for more money,(that's all I can think of right now). I think these add up to enough to compensate for a slightly better player but not enough to compensate for drafting a reciever when they need linebackers or for passing on a really good player.
I note that they drafted the best available at a position they were suffering in.
Ronbo – You make several good points, but did the Riders really need another WR?
Rombo,
I didn't mention the natural advantages, becasue that's not my point. Sure those things help, but those alone aren't enought to pick a player. THe point is, the Riders picked these home-grown players because
A) They were the best options out there.
B) There recent success with home-grown players.
Thanks for the comment.
Considering that plane flights home and for bringing the wife in counts towards the SMS, being local can be a consideration when faced with a choice between two guys that have otherwise similar level of skills.
Plus local guys likely have had a chance to be seen by the coaching staff. This gives them a chance to look at skills and character, which can be a real issue when making a choice.
who did Chris think the Riders should have drafted?
@Perry Given the Riders losses during the off-season, I expected them to focus more on the defense in the draft.
It's because the Riders have such great Canadian talent in the receiving core that they need to draft Canadians at that position. Our defense has lost many talented Americans each one of the last four off-seasons, and each year a new talent steps up. I hope Shomari can start on the D-Line some day, but to find someone later in the draft who could replace Chick or Baggs this year? Impossible. But to have a Canadian receiver to replace Claremont when he retires, or to step in for an injury later in the season is priceless. Canadian starters need to be backed up by Canadians, or an injury could possibly affect the ratio, and you end up juggling players at another position in your lineup.