Extra Draft Selection

[Sir Blue and Gold]

I'm pretty sure the OP is worded badly.  It's not "the most NAT snaps", it's "the least number of FAKENAT (DNA) snaps".  That's not the same thing.

Otherwise they'd also be rewarding a team for being on O more (i.e. getting more snaps overall)!

I find it funny/ironic that almost-surely-250K-over BC is sneaking in this extra 2nd rounder to offset their insanity.

I'm pretty sure WPG/BC tied for this "award" by having 0 (zero) FAKENAT snaps.  I would really love to see the final tally of every team!  It would be useful to see what HCs are making heavy use of this "cheat code".

I have no idea what you're talking about. I think they're just counting Canadian snaps in aggregate.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

There always other players that can sub in as a returner. Mitchell might be used at times and or in emergency situations. He did that in Edmonton.

If Cobb can't show something as a receiver, his days will be numbered. I don't expect to see him on coverage teams. I don't expect him to become a starter but do expect him to be useful in rotation and for in game injury situations. He has to be more than a pylon so to speak.

Either way, I think we draft a receiver that will be more of a longer plan and that could even bump him off being the immediate back up?

Strangely enough I noticed Cobb last year playing for the Elks and my ears perked up when I heard he played at the U of M.  He may surprise a lot of people, he plays with a lot of energy and could become the next JFG.

[CrazyCanuck89]

How strong a draft class is this year's?   I wonder if we keep all our ranked choices or make some sort of trade as we did in 2024. 

I'd like to keep that 1st round pick this year, but hard to know what we'll do. An extra pick can't hurt. Aside from picking the best available I'm thinking OL and WR needs for our first two depth needs. Whether those available as our choices fit into those categories will be the discussions going forward.

Note the comment on the other sites that the expectation is that the Lions will forfeit their 1st round pick for being excessively over the cap and it will fall to the Stamps. That would give the Stamps 2 1st round picks.

I've heard it's a good defensive draft, especially on the Dline.

The defensive back group is highley underrated.

Don't forget the CFL draft is more than one round.  The Ti-Cats found two starters in the fourth round.

You guys snagged Kramdi and Tyrell Ford in the second.  Neufeld was a 5th round pick and look at the career he's had.

[Blue In BC]

I've heard it's a good defensive draft, especially on the Dline.

The defensive back group is highley underrated.

Don't forget the CFL draft is more than one round.  The Ti-Cats found two starters in the fourth round.

You guys snagged Kramdi and Tyrell Ford in the second.  Neufeld was a 5th round pick and look at the career he's had.

Sure. The draft is a bit of gamble trying to fill a need as well as looking for best available at the same time. We seem to have a few too many DL but if we can improve our depth then we should consider that. I don't know how those we have rank and what coaches feel is an upside. Just be sheer numbers, some of them won't make the roster.

[TecnoGenius]

I have no idea what you're talking about. I think they're just counting Canadian snaps in aggregate.

No.  The extra 2RDP is a "reward" for not making (much) use of the 2023 rule to allow 2 designated IMPs (1 on each side: O/D) to take up to 23 snaps a game (each).

Just giving rewards for most NATs each snap in aggregate is silly.  Every game has a different number of snaps, and different teams tend towards more or less snaps based on their style (like how aggressively they chew up clock like WFC does).

You don't remember all the copious thread space devoted to the FAKENAT (my term), aka DNA (designated national(ized?) american, the CFL's term) boondoggle topic?  '23 was filled with it.  No one seemed to care in '24, but the rule and "cheat code" is still there and some teams are making heavy use of it.

The best example of DNA use/abuse was in '23 (I think) Tim White was listed as a DI and DNA most games, even though he's clearly the superstar starter.  Then he took the spot of a NAT (Ternowski?) on 23 snaps (like > 50% of most games).  Thus "cheating" the ratio and normal DI substitution rules, thus (hopefully!) gaining HAM an "unfair" ratio advantage.

Surely you remember the game (wasn't against us though) where booth guys were saying they were getting notification White was going to have to come off for the rest of the game (or get subbed in for a normal IMP) because he reached his 23 snaps.  It was memorable because the game was on the line near the end and losing their "cheat code" at that moment really sucked for them.

I hope with Ambrosie disappearing that the whole FAKENAT thing is thrown in the garbage where it belongs.

[TecnoGenius]

Strangely enough I noticed Cobb last year playing for the Elks and my ears perked up when I heard he played at the U of M.  He may surprise a lot of people, he plays with a lot of energy and could become the next JFG.

You mean Woli! (or Demski!)

We really don't want the next JFG...

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

You mean Woli! (or Demski!)

We really don't want the next JFG...

Never thought of JFG as a bad player, he played pretty well as a 5th receiver and was shifty enough to fill in at punt returner occasionally.

[blue_or_die]

Never thought of JFG as a bad player, he played pretty well as a 5th receiver and was shifty enough to fill in at punt returner occasionally.

I agree. He wasn't a superstar but was never thought to be that. He came in and did what was asked of him and often did so impressively given he wasn't a prime target. Played basically like a Woli.

[TecnoGenius]

I agree. He wasn't a superstar but was never thought to be that. He came in and did what was asked of him and often did so impressively given he wasn't a prime target. Played basically like a Woli.

I'm not dissing JFG, but Woli provided way more production basically instantly, and could actually catch the deep routes.

JFG is what we think of when we think of most NAT WRs.  Woli is (was?) definitely above that level.

JFG was never a TD threat.  He was ignored in the red zone.  Woli was always a threat to score.

The fact we had 2 legit (and 1 superstar) NAT RECs is one of the reasons we won those 2 cups.  We didn't have any "dead spots" on the field that DBs could just ignore.

[blue_or_die]

I'm not dissing JFG, but Woli provided way more production basically instantly, and could actually catch the deep routes.

JFG is what we think of when we think of most NAT WRs.  Woli is (was?) definitely above that level.

JFG was never a TD threat.  He was ignored in the red zone.  Woli was always a threat to score.

The fact we had 2 legit (and 1 superstar) NAT RECs is one of the reasons we won those 2 cups.  We didn't have any "dead spots" on the field that DBs could just ignore.

Yeah sorry, I disagree. Woli could come up with clutch catches on occasion, including in the end-zone, but I wouldn't say he was "always a threat to score". I don't expect a drop off with Clercius.

I loved Woli and for sure get why he was a fan-favourite (myself included) but I think he was what he was. I feel this way about Bailey, too.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I'm not dissing JFG, but Woli provided way more production basically instantly, and could actually catch the deep routes.

JFG is what we think of when we think of most NAT WRs.  Woli is (was?) definitely above that level.

JFG was never a TD threat.  He was ignored in the red zone.  Woli was always a threat to score.

The fact we had 2 legit (and 1 superstar) NAT RECs is one of the reasons we won those 2 cups.  We didn't have any "dead spots" on the field that DBs could just ignore.

You're overplaying Woli's skill set a bit, he was a smart, tough, clutch receiver with reliable hands that read Zach well, but he was fairly slow so they didn't use him on deep routes often. You won't find any YAC video of him and most of his TD's were on broken plays or from DB's losing track of him.

[TecnoGenius]

Yeah sorry, I disagree. Woli could come up with clutch catches on occasion, including in the end-zone, but I wouldn't say he was "always a threat to score". I don't expect a drop off with Clercius.

Woli TDs:
2018 5
2019 4
2021 1
2022 1
2023 6
2024 1 (only played half the games)

JFG TDs:
2016 1
2017 3
2018 2 (only played half the games) (OTT)
2019 0 (only played half the games) (OTT)

In our big 2019 year Woli was a legit threat to score, as much as Demski (3 TD).  In '23 he tied Demski in TDs.  Only Schoen did better.

Yes, Woli wasn't Kenny, or even Demski.  But Woli has always been better than a JFG or guy like Ternowski, or the lesser Philpot brother.  The only NAT I've seen in a while better than Woli is McInnis (in the last 2 seasons), and maybe the greater (MTL) Philpot brother.

Remember, we're not comparing NATs to IMP superstars here: we're comparing NATs to NATs.  And usually teams hide at least 1 substandard NAT as WR in order to make the ratio.  Outside of FS, it's often the least costly (from a "screwups will cause us to lose" standpoint) way to get that final NAT spot.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Woli TDs:
2018 5
2019 4
2021 1
2022 1
2023 6
2024 1 (only played half the games)

JFG TDs:
2016 1
2017 3
2018 2 (only played half the games) (OTT)
2019 0 (only played half the games) (OTT)

In our big 2019 year Woli was a legit threat to score, as much as Demski (3 TD).  In '23 he tied Demski in TDs.  Only Schoen did better.

Yes, Woli wasn't Kenny, or even Demski.  But Woli has always been better than a JFG or guy like Ternowski, or the lesser Philpot brother.  The only NAT I've seen in a while better than Woli is McInnis (in the last 2 seasons), and maybe the greater (MTL) Philpot brother.

Remember, we're not comparing NATs to IMP superstars here: we're comparing NATs to NATs.  And usually teams hide at least 1 substandard NAT as WR in order to make the ratio.  Outside of FS, it's often the least costly (from a "screwups will cause us to lose" standpoint) way to get that final NAT spot.

This is a misreading of the data. First of all, even in your table it's pretty plain to see out of the last four seasons he's only had one where he has more than one TD on the season. Secondly, even if those numbers equal red zone target to you, he's only one because in no world are defenses giving him any added attention down there with all the actual red zone threats we had/have. Put it another way, there isn't a defensive coordinator anywhere scheming for Woli in the red zone. Other athletes can go and get lost in the coverage too. Put a yet another way, Wolitarsky isn't running Demski's corner route, Schoen's break ins or Lawler's jump ball flies and it's those routes and skillsets which enable a guy like Wolitarsky to be have a chance at success.

[Ridermania]

Gamble on QB Rourke with the extra pick.

[dd]

Gamble on QB Rourke with the extra pick.

I like that idea. No guarantee he sticks down south, so why not use your 'extra' pick on him. If he doesn't sign with us, do we retain his rights when he goes south for a number of years??