Exact science? Definitely not
But, having a strong roster in place gives the Tiger-Cats ‘freedom and flexibility’ in the CFL draft
It must be a source of both joy and frustration to Hamilton Tiger-Cats fans that their team can approach Thursday night’s Canadian Football League draft with a rare luxury: freedom to be flexible.
Joy because it reflects a well-constructed winter of strategic free agent signings and two-year re-signings of some key players from a 15-win season, especially across the defensive line.
The Tiger-Cats could open the season tomorrow with the players they currently have and be a favourite to reach the Grey Cup game, maybe next year’s, too.
And there’s the source of fan frustration. The season will not open tomorrow, nor next month, and perhaps not at all, should COVID-19’s widespread tyranny persist.
Under Orlondo Steinauer and co-managers Shawn Burke and Drew Allemang, Hamilton continues to stockpile athletes who can play multiple positions, enough good homebrews to create a variety of ratio-satisfying lineups and plenty of the new “tenured Americans.”
So, they don’t have to come up with a surefire starting “National” player at any position, perhaps not even at kicker to replace departed Lirim Hajrullahu or at wide receiver where Mike Jones has been uninvited. They don’t have to land highend backup insurance to even critical Canadians such as defensive tackle Ted Laurent and offensive tackle Chris Van Zeyl.
That doesn’t mean they won’t be able to land all four types, but the Ticats can also look well beyond the present and that’s how good teams stay good. Most of the way through their nine choices — their own picks at eighth in every round, plus Montreal’s No. 5 overall from the perpetually giving Johnny Manziel deal — the Ticats could select their highest-graded player, without regard to position depth.
“You’re trying to marry team needs and best player available as best you can without swaying too far away from the best player,” says Allemang, who heads a Canadian talent department that has had great success of late, including 13 of their most recent 17 picks still on the roster and 2017 eighth-rounder Sean Thomas-Erlington becoming a legitimate starting running back.
“We’re excited about the returning players and the players we added, but it’s also our job to add competition at each position. And you always have to keep in mind that you’re developing for the future, too.”
Canadian wide receiver Chase Claypool and defensive lineman Neville Gallimore both went high in the National Football League draft and would be risky choices for anyone. Hamilton went that way with Linden Gaydosh first overall seven years ago and it didn’t pay dividends. Others on the CFL board have signed with the NFL, but the Ticats could invest in one of them, say receiver Rysen John or defensive back Marc-Antoine Dequoy.
“You have to evaluate whether you think that player will come back and then when you might see them,” Allemang says.
One of two good kickers, Western’s Marc Liegghio or Dante Brown from Fort Hays State, should still be there at the Cats’ third-round pick, but they also signed American Matt White in March.
And, while the current Canadian wide receiver corps doesn’t have much pro experience, the Ticats feel David Ungerer, No. 11 overall last year, is ready to start and hybrid sophomore Nik Kalinic gives them another Canadian receiving option. Somewhere in Hamilton’s opening picks, Dejon Brissett, Trevor Pinto, Brendan O’Leary-Orange or Hamilton native Tyler Ternowski should be available.
There are also four defensive linemen and three offensive linemen ranked among the top 17, where the Ticats have three picks.
The Ticats made a couple of sneakygood free agency grabs in former Toronto Argo Justin Herdman-Reed, who started the 2019 Labour Day game at middle linebacker, and returning defensive back Courtney Stephen. There’s a viable ifneeded option of two Canadians in the secondary, which could make Dequoy an attractive gamble. The Ticats look for a large number of positions over which to disperse the potential Canadian ratio, not just heavy depth at seven spots. But if they require HerdmanReed to start at times, a solid backup would be available early in Adam Auclair, Jack Cassar or Bailey Feltmate.
And linebackers are among the most important special-teams players, the focus of latter rounds but also early, too.
“They’re likely developmental players for offence or defence,” Allemang says, “so they’re going to need to do something initially for us until they’re up to speed there, mentally and physically.”
Which brings up Oakville’s Nathan Rourke, the quarterback usually ranked among the top 10 Canadian draftables. The Ticats have the best one-two pivot strength in the league, and perhaps Rourke could develop slowly behind them. But likely only if he could contribute somewhere on special teams.