https://www.cfl.ca/2024/05/28/argos-sign-special-teams-ace-janarion-grant/
And here I thought he maybe just didn't wanna play anymore. Very tough loss
Well, boo.
Are you sure it is the same Janarion Grant?
"The five-foot-10, 173-pound returner" as per press release.
He used to be:
Height 5'9
Weight 157 lbs
New "heights" of stretching the truth out of Argoville. I am sure he'll do well there, wouldn't mind knowing what they paid though.
Grant was the magic solution to the return problems that challenged the team for many years, oh well back to the days of struggle and mediocrity.
Ouch! This really sucks!
Good signing for the Argo's if he can stay healthy.
Pinball spending some of the Kelly 9 game $SMS savings...
Guessing MOS/Walters assessed that we have enough talent in camp that matching Pinball's offer wasn't worth it.
Time will tell if this was a wise signing by Pinball, he seems to like signing ex-Bombers. I guess he's also saving on Clements "retiring"...
I really wish we could've signed him. He's going to be good for the Argos unfortunately.
That's a bit of a blow. He should have been a Bomber for life. It's too bad he never became a bigger part of the offence.
Not sour grapes, but....
Grant, when in the lineup, was great.
Staying healthy was not his strong suit.
Only 8 games last year...
Quote from: Jesse on May 28, 2024, 05:08:00 PMThat's a bit of a blow. He should have been a Bomber for life. It's too bad he never became a bigger part of the offence.
I can see why considering the receiver talent and depth this team has had for a number of years now.
Special teams insofar as the return game is what's concerning for me right now with no proven commodity at a pretty crucial position.
Quote from: theaardvark on May 28, 2024, 05:51:23 PMNot sour grapes, but....
Grant, when in the lineup, was great.
Staying healthy was not his strong suit.
Only 8 games last year...
Had he not been used stupidly on offense for one play, maybe he has a similar season to 2022.
Hard to fault him for the team mismanaging the roster, IMO.
Quote from: theaardvark on May 28, 2024, 05:51:23 PMNot sour grapes, but....
Grant, when in the lineup, was great.
Staying healthy was not his strong suit.
Only 8 games last year...
2019: 11 games played. Looks like we didn't sign him until late July, so that explains a few games missed.
2021: 6 games played (14 game regular season). Started the season injured, made it back at end of September.
2022: 16 games played. Missed a couple of games due to injury.
2023: 8 games played.
Quote from: Jesse on May 28, 2024, 05:08:00 PMThat's a bit of a blow. He should have been a Bomber for life. It's too bad he never became a bigger part of the offence.
That's becoming more of a thing from the past, even Brandon Banks had difficulty filling both roles, it's one or the other.
Quote from: blue_gold_84 on May 28, 2024, 05:53:05 PMHard to fault him for the team mismanaging the roster, IMO.
It's pretty much expected that your returner will take some reps on O. Almost every team does it.
A) You want to see if they can be the next Speedy B.
B) You want to get more bang out of your DI.
C) You want to mix things up on O to keep DCs guessing.
I'm not sure treating them like they are glass is the best strategy, even if it may have worked out for us better in 2023.
Grant always signs late. This is nothing new. However, the extreme timing of this signing hints that it was a buyer's market for Grant. I bet he got nowhere near his ask. But clearly he got above ELC.
We're now back to early 2023 "no clear returner" in Winnipegland. We need to get "2019 lucky" that someone randomly steps up.
Plus, now we have the double problem of having to have our cover ST be good enough to stop Grant from getting TDs in the 2 games we face them, plus a possible GC match. That would be embarrassing indeed.
On the bright side, Grant clearly had lost a step when he returned in '23. He basically did nothing after that. He gets a slightly better average because teams give him respect and thus a wider halo and different contain strategy. But he didn't break any out. He may have lost his mojo (as Alford and Lucky did).
I loved Grant when he was here and wish him all the best; no sour grapes. He was the best returner we've seen in a looong time and was great fun to watch. I hope he can string out the career a bit, with whatever team, and does well: except against us.
Quote from: TecnoGenius on May 28, 2024, 08:11:52 PMIt's pretty much expected that your returner will take some reps on O. Almost every team does it.
A) You want to see if they can be the next Speedy B.
B) You want to get more bang out of your DI.
C) You want to mix things up on O to keep DCs guessing.
I'm not sure treating them like they are glass is the best strategy, even if it may have worked out for us better in 2023.
Throwing Grant in for one play when the offense wasn't generating, only for him to get hurt on said play which was also ineffective, comes across to me as roster mismanagement.
That decision hampered special teams for the duration of Grant's absence.
To bad so sad. This will really suck if we can't get a good returner replacement.
I'm sure he was another cap victim for us.
Sad to see him go as he was very exciting to watch. Although it did seem like he lost a step or maybe was maybe not fully recovered when he returned from injury last year. Time will tell if age/injury is catching up with him.
Quote from: blue_gold_84 on May 28, 2024, 05:53:05 PMHad he not been used stupidly on offense for one play, maybe he has a similar season to 2022.
Hard to fault him for the team mismanaging the roster, IMO.
Was he supposed to be wrapped in bubble wrap and not used on offense? Healthy is healthy, if you can't be used as a WR then what are you? Can any team have a DI spot reserved for a 100% returner? And if you get injured on an offensive play, are you saying that the most violent of plays is safer and less likely to end in injury?
He never played a full season.
Yes, 7 TD's in 41 games in 4 years. When he was on, he was electric. And would I love to have a healthy Grant on the team for 18 games this year? Of course. But it is obvious the Canadian Mafia decided that the chances of that vs. the a$king price wasn't the proper bet.
Pinball, on the other hand, decided different.
We have a lot of guys that can win that job. And coaches that can coach them up, like they did Janarion.
Quote from: theaardvark on May 28, 2024, 10:13:06 PMPinball, on the other hand, decided different.
Actually, clearly Pinball decided the same, but changed his mind when $300k of cap space magically appeared...
I bet if the same happened to us, we would have re-signed Grant.
Quote from: TecnoGenius on May 28, 2024, 08:11:52 PMIt's pretty much expected that your returner will take some reps on O. Almost every team does it.
I would argue that specialization is the best way though. As the game evolves all we see is more and more of it. Sure, the player wants touches because it equals more money.
As far as his injury being a bad call, I think it was epically bad. If Buck can't make this offense work without using a 157 pound running back he needs a serious talking to.
Janarion was probably the Bombers best returner since Keith Stokes. Unfortunately he sort of missed 30-40% of his potential regular season games in the Peg. Last season he had one td return and looked at times to be back to his old self, but not really when you look at the whole. He probably wanted more cash than Walters and company were willing to pay.
Now a last minute signing with the Argos? Seems like he grabbed anything offered to him at this late stage or his WELAUGH/USFL try outs went nowhere. Considering the cost of living in Toronto vs Winnipeg he is probably worse off than taking a lower salary in Winnipeg. Who knows? I don't know the inner workings of his life. Best of luck to him. Argos reeling with the controversy around their team. Might not be a happy locker room he walks into.
I noticed last year after he returned from his injury, he was hesitating and not running full speed to the hole or through the defenders covering downfield. It was as if he was running timid, trying not to get injured, you can't be an effective returner running like that. We shall see how he does in Toronto.
Quote from: theaardvark on May 28, 2024, 10:13:06 PMWas he supposed to be not used on offense?
Yes. He was the team's best returner in years and the return game suffered considerably without him.
Losing or not re-signing a veteran always comes with risk. It's not new and every team goes through this process.
We won't know until we see who our returner is and how Grant does in another city.
Next man up...plain and simple.
Hawk