Parker odd man out as Stamps cut receivers
Acquisition of American Rogers sealed fate of seven-year Canadian veteran
After seven years, Anthony Parker’s time with the Calgary Stampeders is over.
Early Sunday morning, the Stampeders announced a number of roster moves in advance of the CFL’s end-of-training-camp deadline.
It was a brutal day for receivers with Parker the biggest casualty.
For most of camp, it had appeared that the Stamps would go with a starting lineup that saw them play three American and two Canadian receivers.
Had that plan remained in place, Parker surely would have had a role with the team this season. Late this week, though, the Stampeders acquired former allstar Eric Rogers and it suddenly became apparent that they will head into the season with a plan to play four Americans and one Canadian receiver.
“It’s one of those things,” Parker said Thursday. “Ideally, I assume, as a team they want to get everyone out there and if you can have Eric and (DaVaris Daniels, Kamar Jorden and Marken Michel) out there and everyone out there at the same time, it means there’s one less spot for a Canadian, theoretically.”
The Stampeders have a decent amount of depth at Canadian receiver, especially when Lemar Durant returns from injury. Juwan Brescacin is a strong option, as well, and both Julan Lynch and Richard Sindani are on the rise.
The Stamps chose to keep Sindani around this season instead of returning him to the University of Calgary Dinos for his final year of eligibility.
With that much depth and with Rogers’ salary now on the books, keeping Parker was going to be difficult.
The former U of C Dinos standout played 108 regular-season games over seven seasons with the Stamps, also appearing in seven playoff contests and three Grey Cup games, winning the championship in 2014.
He had 178 career catches and 2,245 yards and 15 touchdowns during his time with the Stamps.
“These are always very difficult decisions, especially when it’s someone who has been with the club for so long and has contributed so much on and off the field,” said Stampeders president and GM John Hufnagel in a news release.
“I thank Anthony for everything he has done for the football club and wish him all the best for the future whether he chooses to continue playing football or focus on his real-estate career.”
I thank Anthony for everything he has done for the football club and wish him all the best for the future ...
Parker was the biggest name on the list of players the Stamps chose to release, but the Stampeders also released 2017 first-round draft pick Randy Colling.
The defensive tackle got off to a slow start last season, but did play late in the year, including in both the Western Final and Grey Cup.
With Junior Turner and Derek Wiggan ahead of him on the depth chart, though, it was always hard to see how the Stamps would keep Colling around for a second season.
Other notable cuts included basically every first-year American receiver who was brought into camp except for Markeith Ambles, who was added to the practice roster.
Rookie quarterback Larry Brihm Jr. was also added to the practice roster, the first time the Stampeders have kept a QB there in years.