Best Surprises/Most Disappointing

[Blitz]

Looking back at 2010, its been a disappointing season over all, but there have been a number of players who have suprised with their performance and a few who have also disappointed.

Here are my picks for best surprise performances and most disapointing as well. I'm leaving the coaches out of this one.

Best Surprieses

1. Stanley Franks-playing inside halfback is a tough spot to play and Franks has shown tremendous ability as a rookie.
2. Korey Banks-we all know what Korey Banks can do but playing nickel for his second season, Banks is tied for most sacks on our Leos, he's made some huge plays, and should be in the running for Defensive Player of the Year.
3. Eliminien-"Aluminan" has been a force on defense all season long-he's blazing fast and brings attitude with every hit.
4. Yonus Davis-We all had to wait patiently, when we all saw his stuff in training camp, until Game 6 to see what this retuner/tailback could bring. He can create and break on punt returns and his tailback play has also added ann extra dimension to our offence.
5. David Hyland-We've only seen him for two games but its obvious this guy is smart and he's a hitter. We've waited a long time to have this type of safety.

Honorable Mention: Paul McCallum..what he's accomplishing at the age of 40 is amazing. Dante Marsh has quietly had an excellent season. Jovan Olafioye, wasted at guard, looks like a long term Leo at this point and he's only going to get better when he gets used to playing left tackle. James Yarichuk is tied for second in special team tackles.

Biggest Disapppontments

1. Tad Crawford-we all knew Barrin Miles would be very hard to replace but Crawford looked like he had much more potential than what he's shown this season. It's forced us to use an import at safety in his place.
2. Donninie Pittman-when we lost Ricky Foley in the off-season we knew we had to address the issue of adding an excellent pass rusher. Pittman never stepped up and gave us what we so desperately needed and still need.
3. Anton McKenzie-this free agent has never given us what we needed...an experienced linebacker who could 'scrape and explode' and also play the pass well. McKenzie has often looked slow, gets blocked too easily, does not read well, and has also not been great in pass defense either. He's a big contract player who hasn't addressed our need in this area.
4. Ryan Phillips-Ryan was moved to shortside halfback and he's struggled there, in comparison to his old wideside halfback role, where his recovery speed enabled him to make a lot of 'picks' and his tackling at times has been suspect.
5. O'Neil Wilson-this wide receiver has never given us the impact this position provided when Ryan Thelwell played here. Wilson is not a deep threat and has never provided the YAK yards that playing this spot should provide.

[Lion Guy]

Looking back at 2010, its been a disappointing season over all, but there have been a number of players who have suprised with their performance and a few who have also disappointed.

Here are my picks for best surprise performances and most disapointing as well. I'm leaving the coaches out of this one.

Best Surprieses

1. Stanley Franks-playing inside halfback is a tough spot to play and Franks has shown tremendous ability as a rookie.
2. Korey Banks-we all know what Korey Banks can do but playing nickel for his second season, Banks is tied for most sacks on our Leos, he's made some huge plays, and should be in the running for Defensive Player of the Year.
3. Eliminien-"Aluminan" has been a force on defense all season long-he's blazing fast and brings attitude with every hit.
4. Yonus Davis-We all had to wait patiently, when we all saw his stuff in training camp, until Game 6 to see what this retuner/tailback could bring. He can create and break on punt returns and his tailback play has also added ann extra dimension to our offence.
5. David Hyland-We've only seen him for two games but its obvious this guy is smart and he's a hitter. We've waited a long time to have this type of safety.

Honorable Mention: Paul McCallum..what he's accomplishing at the age of 40 is amazing. Dante Marsh has quietly had an excellent season. Jovan Olafioye, wasted at guard, looks like a long term Leo at this point and he's only going to get better when he gets used to playing left tackle. James Yarichuk is tied for second in special team tackles.

Biggest Disapppontments

1. Tad Crawford-we all knew Barrin Miles would be very hard to replace but Crawford looked like he had much more potential than what he's shown this season. It's forced us to use an import at safety in his place.
2. Donninie Pittman-when we lost Ricky Foley in the off-season we knew we had to address the issue of adding an excellent pass rusher. Pittman never stepped up and gave us what we so desperately needed and still need.
3. Anton McKenzie-this free agent has never given us what we needed...an experienced linebacker who could 'scrape and explode' and also play the pass well. McKenzie has often looked slow, gets blocked too easily, does not read well, and has also not been great in pass defense either. He's a big contract player who hasn't addressed our need in this area.
4. Ryan Phillips-Ryan was moved to shortside halfback and he's struggled there, in comparison to his old wideside halfback role, where his recovery speed enabled him to make a lot of 'picks' and his tackling at times has been suspect.
5. O'Neil Wilson-this wide receiver has never given us the impact this position provided when Ryan Thelwell played here. Wilson is not a deep threat and has never provided the YAK yards that playing this spot should provide.

That is an excellent list.

[almo89]

Have to agree with your list. Besides recovering a couple of key fumbles, Wilson hasn't done much as a receiver. He hasn't been the only receiver with a case of the "dropsies", but he hasn't done much. Am I the only one that misses Clermont's sure hands and YAK yards? Even the Riders aren't using him much. Has his skill depreciated that much??

[Rammer]

Looking back at 2010, its been a disappointing season over all, but there have been a number of players who have suprised with their performance and a few who have also disappointed.

Here are my picks for best surprise performances and most disapointing as well. I'm leaving the coaches out of this one.

Best Surprieses

1. Stanley Franks-playing inside halfback is a tough spot to play and Franks has shown tremendous ability as a rookie.
2. Korey Banks-we all know what Korey Banks can do but playing nickel for his second season, Banks is tied for most sacks on our Leos, he's made some huge plays, and should be in the running for Defensive Player of the Year.
3. Eliminien-"Aluminan" has been a force on defense all season long-he's blazing fast and brings attitude with every hit.
4. Yonus Davis-We all had to wait patiently, when we all saw his stuff in training camp, until Game 6 to see what this retuner/tailback could bring. He can create and break on punt returns and his tailback play has also added ann extra dimension to our offence.
5. David Hyland-We've only seen him for two games but its obvious this guy is smart and he's a hitter. We've waited a long time to have this type of safety.

Honorable Mention: Paul McCallum..what he's accomplishing at the age of 40 is amazing. Dante Marsh has quietly had an excellent season. Jovan Olafioye, wasted at guard, looks like a long term Leo at this point and he's only going to get better when he gets used to playing left tackle. James Yarichuk is tied for second in special team tackles.

Biggest Disapppontments

1. Tad Crawford-we all knew Barrin Miles would be very hard to replace but Crawford looked like he had much more potential than what he's shown this season. It's forced us to use an import at safety in his place.
2. Donninie Pittman-when we lost Ricky Foley in the off-season we knew we had to address the issue of adding an excellent pass rusher. Pittman never stepped up and gave us what we so desperately needed and still need.
3. Anton McKenzie-this free agent has never given us what we needed...an experienced linebacker who could 'scrape and explode' and also play the pass well. McKenzie has often looked slow, gets blocked too easily, does not read well, and has also not been great in pass defense either. He's a big contract player who hasn't addressed our need in this area.
4. Ryan Phillips-Ryan was moved to shortside halfback and he's struggled there, in comparison to his old wideside halfback role, where his recovery speed enabled him to make a lot of 'picks' and his tackling at times has been suspect.
5. O'Neil Wilson-this wide receiver has never given us the impact this position provided when Ryan Thelwell played here. Wilson is not a deep threat and has never provided the YAK yards that playing this spot should provide.

That is an excellent list.

Tough to add to this thread when it is covered closer than a receiver is by Dante Marsh.

On Banks, is he the only remaining Ottawa dispersal draft selection that is contributing large to the CFL still?

[B.C.FAN]

Great thread, Blitz. I agree with most of your assessments.

I would add Davis Sanchez to the list of best surprises. At his age, I didn't have high expectations but he's probably been our best DB all season and second best defensive player, after Korey Banks. What impressed me the most is his open-field tackling ability. He has purrfect form, hits hard and seldom misses. I wish him a full and complete recovery from his elbow injury.

On my list of disappointments, No. 1 is the player who used to wear No. 1 and whose name I have vowed not to mention again this year. My high hopes for his performance this season didn't materizlize. It's time to move on.

I disagree that McKenzie has been a disappointment. His numbers are down from last year, in part due to injury, but he reads the run and shoots the gap well. I've mentioned before that I would take Eimimian, McKenzie and Banks over any linebacker trio in the league, last game aside.

[David]

Great work Blitz.

I disagree with Anton McKenzie in that I think he's provided a solid presence at linebacker. All world? No. I would think we need the speed of a Joe Henderson next year, but I have him rated higher than you do. Also, I can't say Dominie Pittman was a disappointment as nothing was expected of him coming in. Jeremy Geathers would have been a great addition until he blew his knee out.

However, I don't think you can ignore the biggest disappointment this year in Casey Printers after an excellent finish to 2009. Casey Version 2.0 was supposed to pick apart defenses, run and create havoc....the new and improved Casey. But even in preseason something wasn't there. Even before he hurt his knee in the Montreal game (Week 2), the magic was missing, with the only TD pass being the great grab in traffic by Geroy in Week One against Saskatchewan. After the knee injury things went south, with some encouraging signs in the middle, and then finally the 'fumble-itis' which lead to his benching and eventual release.

I agree with the surprises (honorable mention to Reddick and Sanchez), but here's my list of disappointments:

1. Casey Printers (see above)
2. Tad Crawford - lots of chances, but too slow to react and doesn't hit hard enough
3. Keron Williams - lots was expected but he's been hurt by not having an effective bookend
4. Manny Arceneaux - dropped pass in T.O. was a killer. Some flashes of brilliance, but too many dropped balls
5. Justin Sorensen - if you can't crack our O-line's starting line-up with all the injuries and protection issues, holy smokes!!!
6. Paris Jackson - slow start, but has come on lately

I expected more from Jamall Lee, but it's not his fault. I just think he was totally misused this year. Let's get a new O-coordinator next year that can actually utilize his size and speed!

DH

[Tighthead]

Keron Williams would be my number 1 disappointment by a long shot.

I never expected much from the likes of O'Neil Wilson.

Williams was supposed to have an impact and hasn't.

[Bosco]

I would list Keron Williams and Tad Crawford as the biggest disappointments on defense. Injuries early in the season hampered Williams' productivity, and he just hasn't provided the impact that many people expected. As for Crawford - he has been caught flat footed on pass coverage far too many times to mention.

On offense - again, injuries play a factor, but on many nights, Paris Jackson has been a non factor for the Lions.

[TheLionKing]

The play of the offensive line has been a disappointment.

[swervynmerv]

Great topic and list Blitz!

I echo your choices for most suprising. Banks we knew he was a good player, but he really seemed to take it up a notch this year.

Player to add to most dissapointing:

Jason Arakgi. Penalty after penalty and has regressed in his third year.

I too am not a fan of O'Neil Wilson. When the Riders can dress impact Canadian recievers like Bagg,Getzlaf and Fantuz, this guy just does not get it done. I would rather play Shawn Gore and let him develop.

[Blitz]

Have to agree with your list. Besides recovering a couple of key fumbles, Wilson hasn't done much as a receiver. He hasn't been the only receiver with a case of the "dropsies", but he hasn't done much. Am I the only one that misses Clermont's sure hands and YAK yards? Even the Riders aren't using him much. Has his skill depreciated that much??

In terms of Jason Clermont, he did have sure hands and if he was given a vertical pattern, he could do damage on YAK yards. However, we used him way too often on crossing patterns, which is the way to get a receiver killed, if you're dealing with underneath zone. The problem with Clermont is that he just didn't have enough speed and the CFL game right now is based on speed.

In terms of David's comments and others, I'm just not seeing what you're seeing with Anton McKenzie and I focus a lot on linebacker play. Perhaps I have it wrong but from my eyes McKenzie does not scrape well, gets angle blocked way too easliy, and just doesn't have the quicks. I really hope that Henderson or Leonard can replace him next season..McKenzie is paid huge bucks for a linebacker and he's not been the impact guy we expected at that position.

I also think. like B.C. Fan, that Sanchez had a very good season at wideside corner and it looks like we'll extend him another season. We have a non-import in Hamid Mahmoudi that I hope will develop in the future at that position because its a real bonus to be able to play a non-import at wideside corner-giving the roster flexibility.

I dont' see Printers play as a disappointment at all because a quarterback mostly has to work with the tools that are given to him in an offence. I didn't see Jarious's play as a disappointment in his one start either although that wasn't mentioned. When you look at all the factors..from Printers knee injury (which was a significant factor in his play) to how all our quarterbacks played during our 1-7 start, it was indicitive of not only Chap Ball but the reflection of our offensive line mis-experiment, no running attack, rare swing passes or screen passes during that time, and an almost non-existent anti-blitz package. It just wasn't conducive to quarterback success and none of our quarterbacks got off to a good start due to those factors.

I'm surprised that Sorenson couldn't crack the lineup but right now i like our offensive line for the future. Hameister-Rees has stayed healthy, Sherko is an excellent guard, and now that we're not wasting an import at the guard position (which was a joke) Jovan Olafioye is a speciman who could really develop into a top notch tackle. McGrath has been solid, if not spectacular at right tackle. Center is the only position right now that needs help and Valli will return. I wish we could utilize Newman more..the guy started as a rookie and played very well for a Grey Cup championship team and he' can play both guard and tackle. This is an offensive line , if we've finally stopped screwing around with it, that could become very good.

I'm a bit disappoitned in Araki but he's still fourth in the league in downfield tackles.

[notahomer]

I agree with others for the most part, I would like to add Whyte. He's done this "you are the backup until we are desperate" thing (with almost no sulking) a couple seasons now. Paul has been money but I wonder how much a guy like Whyte has helped him pick his game up. Don't get me wrong, I haven't forgotten the days of McCallum's predecessors but maybe its time to let Whyte be our kicker?

[Coast Mountain Lion]

On Banks, is he the only remaining Ottawa dispersal draft selection that is contributing large to the CFL still?

The only one I can see of any note. Interestingly, ex-Renegades Kyries Hebert (Bengals) and Jason Armstead (god knows where he's been or cares) have both signed with CFL teams this week. Hebert should make an impact but Armstead? He's had more lives than a cat. Maybe Kerry Joseph is poised for a comeback.

Add my vote for K. Williams as flop of the year.

[WestCoastJoe]

Robertson surprised me with with his ability

Davis better even than expected

Messam nothing special, after the hype IMO and still a questionable character in the dressing room

Wilson continuing disappointment

Reid throws ex brother in arms under the bus

Offence

Arakgi brain dead penalties

McCallum. money

Stubler

K Williams

D Pittman underwhelming

Robert Jordan ahead of Davis for receiver depth

Aluminum

Banks

Crawford

Sanchez

Franks

Reddick

Benevides and Stubler both upstairs

Pass protection

Wally and Chap and Dan
........

If I got mixed up on any of these, blame it on the iPad. Keyboard does not execute well enough.