Roster Player Categories

[Jesse]

Eli hasn't practiced in a week and hasn't been in a game since 2019, so might want to see if he can get on the field first.

[theaardvark]

Eli is on the one game... until he is 100%, I can see him staying there.  He was effective in the jumbo package, and I don't think he will have an issue playing any of the inside positions, with the bonus of being a natural C. 

As long as Neufeld is on the roster, I can see us having 5 Nat Olinemen on the AR. 

[Blue In BC]

Eli hasn't practiced in a week and hasn't been in a game since 2019, so might want to see if he can get on the field first.

There is no immediate need for him to be on the AR. That's true whether he's nicked or just out of game shape. Dobson is going to be a very good OL. Being placed on the 1 game IR is just roster management. He could come up at any time when either he is ready or a need occurs.

[Jesse]

There is no immediate need for him to be on the AR. That's true whether he's nicked or just out of game shape. Dobson is going to be a very good OL. Being placed on the 1 game IR is just roster management. He could come up at any time when either he is ready or a need occurs.

Agreed. Techno was just suggesting he might be on the week one roster and, at the moment it seems unlikely.

[TecnoGenius]

Agreed. Techno was just suggesting he might be on the week one roster and, at the moment it seems unlikely.

Ah, I didn't know he was on the 1GIR, wasn't practising, doing TC, nor dressing for PS games.  That does change things.  I guess it'll be Dobson in week 1 then.

So then is Eli back on the "development" train, maybe back to station #1 -- purely as a catastrophic injury insurance?  Say like a Spooner?  Or will he be a contender for 4th NAT when he's off the IR?

I just gathered from his signing announcement that we were more gung-ho on him than a lowly 8th OL depth guy.

[Blue In BC]

Ah, I didn't know he was on the 1GIR, wasn't practising, doing TC, nor dressing for PS games.  That does change things.  I guess it'll be Dobson in week 1 then.

So then is Eli back on the "development" train, maybe back to station #1 -- purely as a catastrophic injury insurance?  Say like a Spooner?  Or will he be a contender for 4th NAT when he's off the IR?

I just gathered from his signing announcement that we were more gung-ho on him than a lowly 8th OL depth guy.

I think he's just being given more time to get into game shape. He may actually have a minor injury as well. He signed a multi year deal, do he's in the plans.

[CrazyCanuck89]

...He was drafted in the 8th round. He has almost zero chance of doing anything.

Tell that to STE, Hunchak, Sandani, Labbe, etc.

[theaardvark]

Tell that to STE, Hunchak, Sandani, Labbe, etc.

Or the undrafted Rene Paredes...  he never did much.. oh wait...

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Tell that to STE, Hunchak, Sandani, Labbe, etc.

Almost zero isn't zero. Would you like the list of late round draft picks over the years that didn't anything? Even the guys you mentioned were mostly special teamers...which I said is the ceiling. Kickers are a bit different than the skill positions as they often go lower or not at all (especially historically)

[CrazyCanuck89]

Almost zero isn't zero. Would you like the list of late round draft picks over the years that didn't anything? Even the guys you mentioned were mostly special teamers...which I said is the ceiling. Kickers are a bit different than the skill positions as they often go lower or not at all (especially historically)

Well almost O is 1-4 percent.

[pdirks67]

I was just reading another thread that included a discussion on how the new "nationalized American" rule might apply to someone like Bailey and Wolitarsky.

The more I read about the "nationalized American" concept, the less I think that it makes sense. Who is benefitting from this rule? In the case being discussed, I don't see how either Wolitarsky or Bailey benefit. Do the clubs somehow benefit? I'm not sure who it's helping. And isn't it going to be very difficult to police?

[TecnoGenius]

I was just reading another thread that included a discussion on how the new "nationalized American" rule might apply to someone like Bailey and Wolitarsky.

The more I read about the "nationalized American" concept, the less I think that it makes sense. Who is benefitting from this rule? In the case being discussed, I don't see how either Wolitarsky or Bailey benefit. Do the clubs somehow benefit? I'm not sure who it's helping. And isn't it going to be very difficult to police?

First, Woli is a full legit NAT.  My joke is that he's a NAT like Singleton was a NAT, by some fluke of some relative in Canada, but they played all their ball and grew up in the USA.

Bailey will benefit from the FAKENAT (nationalized american).  As would many of our other players, since we roster a very aged team.  However, like most teams we tend to have our vets / oldsters as the starters, never as the DIs.  The DIs are the young guys like McCrae, Agudosi, insert-new-db-here.

To make it work you need to start the young guy and then have the FAKENAT vet sub in for some less-than-stellar NAT.  That's where Bailey subbing in for Woli or Demski (or BOO if either is injured) comes into play.  It also helps sub in a potential Lemon for Fatboi.

KW has already stated he's not bothering to get creative with any of this yet.  But other teams will have their braintrust on this and we'll see it applied.  C.Jones "the Canadian-hater" will just love this.  He'll use every one of those 49% snaps for IMPs you can bet money on it! 

I can think of other ideas like starting Neuf at tackle (assuming Eli or Dobson can be a Gray-level guard).  Then have Yoshi or Stan play 49% of Neuf's snaps (especially if one is nicked).  We lose a DI but gain an IMP starter elsewhere in that scenario.  However, unless you want Agudosi to start over Woli, I don't see any gain.  Our roster is heavily structured to the normal NAT ratio.  It may take years for us to tune it to take advantage of FAKENAT status.  More "dynamic" rosters like EDM might have a more rapid uptake.

You missed all the copious and crazy threads about the FAKENAT stuff last year.  Not sure if they're still around.  Lots of fun reading.  Thinking too much about this will give you a headache though!  Let's hope KW's head-in-the-sand approach (which I somewhat agree with) doesn't put us at a massive disadvantage to a team like EDM!  I think we will make use of it a bit as injuries pop up and we can see an immediate and simple benefit, though.

[pdirks67]

Bailey will benefit from the FAKENAT (nationalized american). 

It seems to me like he stands to lose snaps, not gain snaps if he's a possible candidate as a 49%er?

KW has already stated he's not bothering to get creative with any of this yet.  But other teams will have their braintrust on this and we'll see it applied.  C.Jones "the Canadian-hater" will just love this.  He'll use every one of those 49% snaps for IMPs you can bet money on it! 

I'd be surprised if the Canadian Mafia aren't thinking very carefully about this already. All three of them are grandmasters in CFL rules, and I expect them to be up there in maximizing the hazy benefits of this rule.

I'm still pretty doubtful about this goofy new rule, but I won't put everyone through another round of debate on it.

[the paw]

It seems to me like he stands to lose snaps, not gain snaps if he's a possible candidate as a 49%er?

I'd be surprised if the Canadian Mafia aren't thinking very carefully about this already. All three of them are grandmasters in CFL rules, and I expect them to be up there in maximizing the hazy benefits of this rule.

I'm still pretty doubtful about this goofy new rule, but I won't put everyone through another round of debate on it.

I hate this rule, but the Bailey example isn't a good one.

Using this rule, you could match a guy like McRae with an H-back/fullback like Burtenshaw to fill the 7th Canadian starter.  You put McRae in for plays where he might get targets, you use Burtenshaw for protection assignments.  That eliminates the need for a player like Wolitarsky, who is harder to find and costs more.

You could also do something similar with Cameron Lawson and an experienced American DT.  That would allow you to retire Jake Thomas and a veteran salary.

[pdirks67]

I hate this rule, but the Bailey example isn't a good one.

Using this rule, you could match a guy like McRae with an H-back/fullback like Burtenshaw to fill the 7th Canadian starter.  You put McRae in for plays where he might get targets, you use Burtenshaw for protection assignments.  That eliminates the need for a player like Wolitarsky, who is harder to find and costs more.

You could also do something similar with Cameron Lawson and an experienced American DT.  That would allow you to retire Jake Thomas and a veteran salary.

So - a minor benefit to clubs. And really no benefit to players in terms of more snaps or whatever.

This seems to be a complicated solution to a problem that doesn't exist.