Final Cuts - BC included

[Hambone]

BC hasn't announced theirs yet but in cuts so far there is some news regarding some former Lions.

Recently released LB Jordan Herdman-Reed managed to hang onto a PR spot in Calgary.
DBs Jamie Harry and Hakeem Johnson were both released by Edmonton.
FB Mario Villamizar was released by Toronto.

Calgary and Ottawa have announced their PR signings. Toronto and Edmonton have not.

[David]

I do believe there will be a cut or two by BC that will be sure to raise some eyebrows. In other words, there will be players who got playing reps last year that I believe the club will move on from. But that's really the job of mgt, to find newcomers to push the incumbents (and they've done a very good job of it this year).

While I hate to speculate on guys' employment, I do know that the club needs to see meaningful progress from rookie to sophomore year. I don't know that Nathan Cherry has taken that "next level" step in his game (I'd maybe put Quincy Mauger in the same category. Did he stand out that much more than Adrian Green that we burn an import spot there?).



DH

[B.C.FAN]

Former Lion Tanner Doll appears to have won the long snapper job in Ottawa.

[Hambone]

I hear you David and also think there will be a couple of eyebrow-raisers.

I think Cherry is safe.

As for Mauger I don't have him inked in at safety. At the same time they have more than enough options for NAT starters elsewhere that they don't need to use one at S unless they want to go all American across the LB core.....which is not necessarily out of the question.

I don't have a sense of whether they've settled on Edwards-Cooper or Jones at wide side corner. Bagayogo isn't ready for that yet.

Knevel could be one of those shockers. He and Peirson seem to be 1a and 1b but they also have Zerr and Packer. They might like to get one of them onto the 46.

I think Hatcher will have to start the season on the IR for his plantar fasciitis which buys a spot. Looking at Calgary and Ottawa's PRs both have 12 with 2 being globals. Robinson for sure will start the season there and so might Rouyer. I don't have Petermann as being a sure backup but if McInnis winds up starting in Hatcher's absence along with Cottoy then Petermann will be on the 46

I've played around with the roster trying to figure out some probabilities. Based on what generally has been the 1st units and givens like the 3 QBs, 4 specialists, Mackie, 4 backup DL for the 8 man rotation, 2 globals on the PR + 10 non-globals and Hatcher and Burnham (stashed) who I think will end up on the IR I have 41 starters and backups with 5 vacancies on the 46 + 9 on the PR.............with 26 names to choose from. No doubt a couple hangnail injuries will show up. After the guys I peg as amongst that 41 I only have 2 spots for NATS and 3 spots for Americans. T.Williams and Flintoft will use up 2 of the 4 DA spots.

Vulnerable guys I have?
I think one of Fox and Moore goes, likely Fox.
Tchangam
McCalister
2 of the 3 remaining backup OL; Schleuger, Norman & Wells
Daughtry or Eberhardt
1 DB out of Flowers, Reams and X.Williams

That still leaves 5 more to either cut, add to the 46 or stash.

Shocker speculation?
Knevel, Messam, Edwards-Cooper, Rugamba

[Hambone]

Former Lion Tanner Doll appears to have won the long snapper job in Ottawa.

I think that was a given once they signed him. Up until then they had 2 raw rookies competing with one of them being cut to make room for Doll. Not surprisingly the other one was let go today.

On that note while I didn't pay total attention to Pickett on every snap Thursday night when I did watch he seemed just fine. I think he's steadily improved since the early days of camp which is what one wants. It would be crazy to expect him, on the first few days of camp, to look like he's been doing the job for years when he's just starting to learn it.

[B.C.FAN]

Former Lion Tanner Doll appears to have won the long snapper job in Ottawa.

I think that was a given once they signed him. Up until then they had 2 raw rookies competing with one of them being cut to make room for Doll. Not surprisingly the other one was let go today.

On that note while I didn't pay total attention to Pickett on every snap Thursday night when I did watch he seemed just fine. I think he's steadily improved since the early days of camp which is what one wants. It would be crazy to expect him, on the first few days of camp, to look like he's been doing the job for years when he's just starting to learn it.

Agreed. Pickett has steadily improved since the start of camp. And he was better than others who tried king snapping in camp,mincluding Rouyer, St. Pierre and Menard.

[Gridiron Ernie]

It's a moot point now, but did anyone ever discover if it was a case of Tanner Doll wanting to move on elsewhere, or if the Lions didn't want him for whatever reasons?

Also, Hambone, did perhaps Christian Uphoff impress you enough throughout TC to have you speculating on Manny Rugamba as a shocker cut? Manny was no slouch last year. Energetic hitter. I see Uphoff is three inches taller which always helps. Anyhow, just curious on your thinking behind the speculation. Cheers.

[David]

Vulnerable guys I have?
I think one of Fox and Moore goes, likely Fox.
Tchangam
McCalister
2 of the 3 remaining backup OL; Schleuger, Norman & Wells
Daughtry or Eberhardt
1 DB out of Flowers, Reams and X.Williams

I feel bad for Daughtry. He had a couple of rough outings. I can't say he dropped any "gimmes" but at the same time, you've got to come up with some of those incompletions. Eberhardt for sure.

Moore is sticking around. Too big and powerful.

My guess is Reams stays of those three but maybe Flowers. Not sure.

And they'd have to really like what they've seen out of Schleuger or Wells to dispense of the Swiss Army knife, Norman.


DH

[TheLionKing]

Just checked the CFL website, with the exception of BC and Saskatchewan all teams have made their final cuts.

[B.C.FAN]

The Lions have released 10 players and signed 11 others to the practice roster, including 2 players who didn’t attend training camp, WR Josh Pearson and QB Chase Brice.

There were no surprise cuts. The only vets among those released are second-year DT Miles Fox and second-year OL Noah Zerr.

I count 54 players still on the active roster, which likely means the Lions will have a long injury list this week. First-year Lions on the roster include 2 national draft picks, DB Siriman Bagayogo and DL Francis Bemiy, free agents Justin McInnis, Mike Jones and Jonathan Kongbo and Patrice Rene, and American O-linemen Chris Schleuger and Sidney Wells. Veteran American OLs Jarell Broxton, Kent Perkins and Phil Norman are also still on the roster. That gives them 9 active O-linemen, 5 Americans and 4 nationals.

With Antonio Williams and Dylan St. Pierre on the practice roster, RB Taquan Mizzell and FB David Mackie are the only remaining backs on the active roster.

Release from roster:

American WR Bryson Daughtry
American DB Josh Flowers
American DL Miles Fox
American DB Najee Reams
American DL Alex Tchangham
American DB DQ Thomas
American DB Christian Uphoff
American OL Sidney Wells
National WR Keiran Poissant
National OL Noah Zerr

Add to practice roster:

American WR Ayden Eberhardt
American DL Marcus Moore
American LB Brooks Parker
American RB Antonio Williams
American DB Xavior Williams
National LB Jack Hinsperger
National OL Tyler Packer
National FB Dylan St. Pierre
Global WR Jevoni Robinson
American WRJosh Pearson
American QBChase Brice

Lions active roster

[David]

Surprises for me: Smoke Mizzell beat out Antonio Williams for starting tailback (unless they move Williams to 1-game injured list as he was pretty banged up Thursday?).

Giving up on Noah Zerr (instead, it’s Tyler Packer whom they’re investing in as he goes to the PR).

Mildly surprised Marcus Moore didn’t make the starting roster rotation on the D-line.

They’ve brought back WR Josh Pearson.

(and B.C.FAN, just a correction. I show they released Sidney Wells)


DH

[David]

Also, what happened to K Keiran Burnham?

[Hambone]

Also, what happened to K Keiran Burnham?

He's on the active roster but as I've said before I'm confident Burnham gets stashed on the 1G with a bruised toenail. He looked solid enough in camp to be a future replacement for Whyte. At 37, with a new wife and career desires, and working on 1 year deals he may call it a career sooner than later. I don't know if he's full-time at WRFD yet but there could be a point where he juggling both careers doesn't work for him. Let's just say I don't expect to see him sticking around into their 40s like Passaglia and McCallum did.

Re: the PR currently BC is listing 54 players on the active roster meaning 8 might need to receive a kick in the shin to find their way onto the 1G or 6G. I think Burnham and Hatcher are sure to wind up there. Still need 6 more "injuries". No doubt there are a couple of guys who are experiencing some legitimate bumps and bruises from pre-season action. They are still listing 13 DL and 9 OL which points to likely "injuries" coming from those groups.

EDIT NOTE: David mentioned Wells being released as the 3D article indicated. In my next post I mentioned McCalister as being listed while possibly having been cut a week ago. If both are gone that reduces the number of excess players to be nudged to an injured list to 4 assuming Burnham and Hatcher are already as good as on the 1G or 6G.

[Hambone]

Surprises for me: Smoke Mizzell beat out Antonio Williams for starting tailback (unless they move Williams to 1-game injured list as he was pretty banged up Thursday?).

Giving up on Noah Zerr (instead, it’s Tyler Packer whom they’re investing in as he goes to the PR).

Mildly surprised Marcus Moore didn’t make the starting roster rotation on the D-line.

They’ve brought back WR Josh Pearson.

(and B.C.FAN, just a correction. I show they released Sidney Wells)


DH

If Williams was heading to the 1G he'd still be on the active roster allowing them to keep one of the cuts on the PR.

Re: Zerr - we now last year BC regularly dressed only 6 OL. If they continue that in 2023 then they'd likely have to put both Zerr and Packer on the PR. Perhaps Zerr declined the PR offer?

Pearson returning is a pleasant surprise. That probably didn't help Daughtry's cause.

CFL.ca being as it is during all the final cut-down mayhem can be a bit sketchy. Wells shows as being released but is still listed on the active roster. Similarly McCalister showed in CFL.ca transactions as being released amongst that earlier batch of cuts on May 31 but remains on the roster. He didn't play in the last pre-season game so I'm not sure if he's actually still with the club or remains on the active roster in error. It might take another day or so for the websites to be properly updated. Heck they still show Antonio Williams as being a NAT.

[B.C.FAN]

(and B.C.FAN, just a correction. I show they released Sidney Wells)


DH

There are some inconsistencies. Wells is on the list of cuts and on the active roster. That may be just a clerical error.

My biggest conclusion is that the Lions are going all in to win the Grey Cup this year, stacking the roster with veterans and quality depth players and willing to stash extra bodies wherever they can until they're needed due to injury or performance issues with those ahead of them.

Carrying 9 players on the O-line and 13 on the D-line suggests they aren't sold on their best rotation. But carrying just one RB and one FB is something I haven't seen before. Mizzell can make big plays by rushing, receiving and returning but I said in camp that I didn't think he had the size and durability to be an every-down back. We'll see how that plays out. I'd be happy if it resulted in more touches for David Mackie. As for Antonio Williams, he took a big hit on the last day of training camp and stayed down for a while. He later came back but the same thing happened in the Calgary preseason game. I'm not sure of the nature of either injury.