I think we've just about made it. We're now less than a month away from rookie camp and less than two months away from the 2010 CFL season starting. I don't even want to talk about a potential lockout so let's just ignore it.
I don't think there are too many sad faces in the Rider Nation over the CFL draft. Shomari Williams looks as if he is ready to live up to his status as a number one overall pick. Jordan Sisco could be a young Jason Clermont, and both Bruno Lapointe and Patrick Neufeld are guys that could be diamonds in the rough. Time will tell.
Its always hard to tell who wins the CFL draft, but one thing is for sure and that is we are seeing more and more quality Canadian talent coming out. It makes me wonder why the league would even consider reducing Canadian content. If anything, they should be increasing it. By the way, TSN did an outstanding job in covering the draft. Doing something like that really increases the league's profile and I thought for the most part they once again aced it. I loved Chris Schultz's line on number 2 overall draft pick Joe Eppele. Schultzie saying "He's been in the weight room since the day he was born."
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The formula for the Montreal Canadiens in these Stanley Cup playoffs appears to be simple. Get outshot badly and ride your goalie. Once again, Jaroslav Halak stole the show as the Habs edged Pittsburgh 3-1 to even the series at one. Sidney Crosby detractors are quick to point out that he threw a tantrum in the 3rd period by breaking his stick across the Montreal net. You can't do that Sid!
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I was out for the Detroit-San Jose game and the waitress asked me if I would like to try a "White Russian". I didn't know what it was, but I said what the hell. She brought me a drink in a plate. I asked her what it was and she said its an Ovechkin. No ice, no cups and the same ingredients as a White Russian.
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The poll question this week asks who the MVP of these Stanley Cup playoffs have been after Round 1. While Jaroslav Halak has been outstanding, I might seriously vote for Joe Pavelski. Yes, I know we are in Round 2, but Pavelski has perhaps been the best skater in these playoffs. In fact, San Jose might be spectators if it weren't for Pavelski. With all apologies to TSN's Ray Ferraro who gave constant verbal fellatio to Joe Thornton all night, it was the other Joe that led the way. Pavelski has come through when the big three haven't and that is why San Jose is where they are at. As for Thornton scoring a big goal in the 3rd, I could have scored that when the rebound comes right to my stick with a wide open net. While San Jose is two games away from the conference final, they still need a lot more from Joey T and Heatley if they are going to win this thing.
Getting back to Thornton's winner, it all happened because Nick Lidstrom's stick blew up. I hate the graphite sticks and the more that happens, the more I wonder why teams don't go back to the old-fashioned sticks late in the game. I guess coaches are willing to trade the harder shots for the risk that a stick will shatter at the wrong time. There is no way the Sharks score on that play if Lidstrom's stick stays intact. A bad break at a bad time, and one the Wings could not afford.
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Why is "The Cleveland Show" still on the air?
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I don't know about you, but I found last nite's Family Guy extremely disturbing.
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I said I had no problem with Friday's Sunshine Girl. The same goes for yesterday's.
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The weather may have been crappy this weekend, but at least that meant you didn't have to do any yardwork. Then again, it meant no trip to the golf course either.
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The Blue Jays are actually going into the 2nd month of the baseball season with a 500 record. Didn't see that one coming. Really, I didn't.
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Congrats to Regina's Simon Bairu. The 28 year old broke a nine year old record by being the fastest Canadian to run the 10-thousand metres. He did it at a race in California by finishing with a time of 27 minutes 23.63 seconds. One has to think he will be on Canada's team for the London Olympics.
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Have a good Monday and remember
Love means never winning at tennis!
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Sisco Goes To Riders
Add Jordan Sisco's name to the list of University of Regina Rams that have been taken by the Riders in the CFL draft. He goes to the Riders with the first pick of the 2nd round.
The Pick Has Been Made
The Riders have made Shomari Williams the number one pick in today's CFL draft. He is in Regina and will be speaking to Regina media later today.
PS: Rider great George Reed presented Williams with his jersey today. He will wear #99. Are Canadian athletes allowed to wear that number anymore?! ITS A JOKE!!!
Worst Kept Secret Made Official
The Saskatchewan Roughriders announced today they have acquired Toronto’s first overall pick in today’s CFL Canadian Draft, along with their second round selection (8th overall).
In return, the Argonauts will receive the Roughriders two first round selections (2nd and 4th overall) in today’s draft along with non-import punter Jamie Boreham.
· The last time the Roughriders selected first overall in the CFL Canadian Draft was in 2001 when they picked defensive lineman Scott Schultz.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Oh How The Debate Changes
Just one Twitter from Sportsnet's Arash Madani caused the conversation to do a complete 180 in Saskatchewan on Saturday. The debate had centred on what the Riders would do with their two first round picks (2 and 4) in Sunday's CFL draft, but when Madani let us know that the Riders had secured the number one pick and would take Queens linebacker Shomari Williams along with acquiring the number eight pick from Toronto for numbers 2 and 4 and a veteran, the conversation changed. While many people guessed--and for good reason--that an offensive lineman was on their way to Toronto, many also debated just who the team will now look to grab at eight. Could it be Rams receiver Jordan Sisco? Will it be a defensive lineman? An offensive lineman? The best player on the board? We won't know the answer until the Riders pick at eight if they indeed do. There's nothing saying they couldn't trade down again or perhaps trade up.
Later news came out that the veteran player heading to the Argonauts was Jamie Boreham. This isn't really a surprise. Boreham is the most intense s-o-b you want to see on a football field. He is a punter trapped in a linebacker's body. His demeanour on the field is eventually what cost him his job in Saskatchewan, but fortunately not his career. The neck injury he suffered last year resulted in Louie Sakoda coming in and taking his job away. It didn't end his career though as he will get a chance to keep it going in Toronto. Good luck Jamie!
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The draft's drama has now been downgraded somewhat as we appear to know the first four picks. Williams will go first with Toronto then taking offensive lineman Joe Eppele. The Lions and Argos are then swapping picks with Toronto going at 3 and BC at 4(Did David Braley have anything to do with this?). The Argos will take linebacker Cory Greenwood(the guy I thought the Riders would take at 2) and then BC will take receiver Shawn Gore. Calgary is expected to take a kicker at 5, but no one really knows. Just a reminder, (as if I have to tell you) that TSN will have draft coverage starting at 10 AM our time.
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Was anyone watching ESPN's E:60 last night on TSN? They featured the longest and highest Par 3 in the world. Its some place in South Africa where you tee off from the top of a mountain. Its called the extreme 19th. It takes 26 seconds for the ball to hit the ground once you have hit. If anyone gets a hole in one, its worth a million bucks. Padraig Harrington is the only PGA player to have played the hole---a hole in which a helicopter takes you to the tee box. The guy in charge of the hole wants Tiger to play it to see what score he will get. Would you want to play that hole?
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Game 1 of the Bruins-Flyers series was tremendous. I don't know if I have seen a more exciting overtime period. I was starting to wonder if NBC's Mike Emrick was going to have an aneruysm as he called the O-T.( I love Emrick's call by the way)In the end, Boston won it 5-4 on Marc Savard's winner. You had to feel good for Savard (unless you're a Flyers fan) as it was his first game back since being crushed by Matt Cooke two months ago. It just dawned on me that we could see Boston and Pittsburgh in the East final. Have feelings over that hit waned any? Oh man, that could be a rugged battle.
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Game 1 of the Hawks-Canucks series was a disappointment(unless you're a Canucks fan). Vancouver came out flying in the opener and crushed what looked to be a disinterested Chicago team 5-1. Vancouver got a complete game from all four lines while Chicago never really seemed to get going. I expect a lot better performance from the home side in Game 2.
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The Penguins and Canadiens meet in Game 2 this afternoon in Pittsburgh. This is going to sound off the wall, but if I am the Habs, I start Carey Price. Jaroslav Halak has to be tired after saving Montreal in the first round with his back to back efforts in Games 6 and 7 against Washington. He didn't really have time to top up the tank as Montreal got right back into it Friday and it showed. Playing Sunday afternoon doesn't help his cause any. I would hope if your Jacques Martin that Price can steal one and then you have a healthy and revived Halak for Games 3 and 4 at home. That's just my two cents.
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Two sports that used to be popular were on centre-stage Saturday. Did anyone watch the Kentucky Derby? At one time, that used to be a big event. The same with boxing. I didn't hear a lot of hype over the Mayweather-Mosley fight....one that Floyd Mayweather won rather easily from all accounts. I know that boxing has been supplanted by MMA, but why is there no longer a lot of interest in horse racing? If there is interest, I'm not seeing it.
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The World's biggest garage sale went in Regina on Saturday. I have never been to that. Is it basically people trading in their crap for someone else's. I've never really understood the allure of the garage sale? How some people can make a weekend of it by going from place to place is beyond me! A few years ago, the wife and some girls she works with had one at our house. Come to my driveway and see what things are going to the dump if you don't buy them. I think together the four of them made around 200 dollars. As I watched people pull up and pick through everything, I just wondered why and if the next car would have Ricky, Julian and Bubbles in it.
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I watched Roy Halladay for the first time in a Phillies uniform on Saturday as he delivered a complete game 3 hitter against the Mets. It didn't look right seeing him in Philadelphia colours. It just didn't.
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Could Calgary win the WHL final in four straight? They have just looked to be a level or two higher than Tri-Cities in the first two games. Calgary took Game 2 4-1. They had back to Kennewick for Game 3 on Tuesday.
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The RBC opened up Saturday in Dauphin with the La Ronge Ice Wolves winning their first game. The SJHL champs beat Oakville 3-2 in overtime. Regina's Joel Danyluk was the star as he stopped 43 shots from the Ontario rep to keep his team in it.
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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell must just sit down and shake his head wondering what's next. He just gets finished dealing with a Super Bowl winning quarterback who has strayed off course by suspending Ben Roethlisberger for six games and now he has a Super Bowl coach to potentially deal with. A story out of New Orleans suggests Saints head coach Sean Payton has been stealing painkillers from the club's drug locker. On the surface, it just sounds like a disgruntled team employee is making up some stories, but its a story that investigators feel is worth taking a look at.
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I almost forgot to mention. If you want a great read on the CFL draft and if you want to follow along, check out this from the website CFLdaily.com.
http://www.cfldaily.com/DraftGuide.pdf
I don't know who is responsible for this site, but its a great one. If you do download that PDF, you will see that Kris Hadesbeck has done a tremendous write-up on the Riders. Kris is the son of Rider sideline guru Joe Hadesbeck. I now know where Joe gets his information. :)
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Enjoy the draft, but do me a favour. If you are about to become a parent, don't go naming your child Shomari. Let the guy establish himself first before doing that. Stay dry and have a good Sunday. Remember....
Great food is like great sex -the more you have the more you want.
Later news came out that the veteran player heading to the Argonauts was Jamie Boreham. This isn't really a surprise. Boreham is the most intense s-o-b you want to see on a football field. He is a punter trapped in a linebacker's body. His demeanour on the field is eventually what cost him his job in Saskatchewan, but fortunately not his career. The neck injury he suffered last year resulted in Louie Sakoda coming in and taking his job away. It didn't end his career though as he will get a chance to keep it going in Toronto. Good luck Jamie!
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The draft's drama has now been downgraded somewhat as we appear to know the first four picks. Williams will go first with Toronto then taking offensive lineman Joe Eppele. The Lions and Argos are then swapping picks with Toronto going at 3 and BC at 4(Did David Braley have anything to do with this?). The Argos will take linebacker Cory Greenwood(the guy I thought the Riders would take at 2) and then BC will take receiver Shawn Gore. Calgary is expected to take a kicker at 5, but no one really knows. Just a reminder, (as if I have to tell you) that TSN will have draft coverage starting at 10 AM our time.
-----
Was anyone watching ESPN's E:60 last night on TSN? They featured the longest and highest Par 3 in the world. Its some place in South Africa where you tee off from the top of a mountain. Its called the extreme 19th. It takes 26 seconds for the ball to hit the ground once you have hit. If anyone gets a hole in one, its worth a million bucks. Padraig Harrington is the only PGA player to have played the hole---a hole in which a helicopter takes you to the tee box. The guy in charge of the hole wants Tiger to play it to see what score he will get. Would you want to play that hole?
-----
Game 1 of the Bruins-Flyers series was tremendous. I don't know if I have seen a more exciting overtime period. I was starting to wonder if NBC's Mike Emrick was going to have an aneruysm as he called the O-T.( I love Emrick's call by the way)In the end, Boston won it 5-4 on Marc Savard's winner. You had to feel good for Savard (unless you're a Flyers fan) as it was his first game back since being crushed by Matt Cooke two months ago. It just dawned on me that we could see Boston and Pittsburgh in the East final. Have feelings over that hit waned any? Oh man, that could be a rugged battle.
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Game 1 of the Hawks-Canucks series was a disappointment(unless you're a Canucks fan). Vancouver came out flying in the opener and crushed what looked to be a disinterested Chicago team 5-1. Vancouver got a complete game from all four lines while Chicago never really seemed to get going. I expect a lot better performance from the home side in Game 2.
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The Penguins and Canadiens meet in Game 2 this afternoon in Pittsburgh. This is going to sound off the wall, but if I am the Habs, I start Carey Price. Jaroslav Halak has to be tired after saving Montreal in the first round with his back to back efforts in Games 6 and 7 against Washington. He didn't really have time to top up the tank as Montreal got right back into it Friday and it showed. Playing Sunday afternoon doesn't help his cause any. I would hope if your Jacques Martin that Price can steal one and then you have a healthy and revived Halak for Games 3 and 4 at home. That's just my two cents.
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Two sports that used to be popular were on centre-stage Saturday. Did anyone watch the Kentucky Derby? At one time, that used to be a big event. The same with boxing. I didn't hear a lot of hype over the Mayweather-Mosley fight....one that Floyd Mayweather won rather easily from all accounts. I know that boxing has been supplanted by MMA, but why is there no longer a lot of interest in horse racing? If there is interest, I'm not seeing it.
-----
The World's biggest garage sale went in Regina on Saturday. I have never been to that. Is it basically people trading in their crap for someone else's. I've never really understood the allure of the garage sale? How some people can make a weekend of it by going from place to place is beyond me! A few years ago, the wife and some girls she works with had one at our house. Come to my driveway and see what things are going to the dump if you don't buy them. I think together the four of them made around 200 dollars. As I watched people pull up and pick through everything, I just wondered why and if the next car would have Ricky, Julian and Bubbles in it.
------
I watched Roy Halladay for the first time in a Phillies uniform on Saturday as he delivered a complete game 3 hitter against the Mets. It didn't look right seeing him in Philadelphia colours. It just didn't.
-----
Could Calgary win the WHL final in four straight? They have just looked to be a level or two higher than Tri-Cities in the first two games. Calgary took Game 2 4-1. They had back to Kennewick for Game 3 on Tuesday.
-----
The RBC opened up Saturday in Dauphin with the La Ronge Ice Wolves winning their first game. The SJHL champs beat Oakville 3-2 in overtime. Regina's Joel Danyluk was the star as he stopped 43 shots from the Ontario rep to keep his team in it.
----
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell must just sit down and shake his head wondering what's next. He just gets finished dealing with a Super Bowl winning quarterback who has strayed off course by suspending Ben Roethlisberger for six games and now he has a Super Bowl coach to potentially deal with. A story out of New Orleans suggests Saints head coach Sean Payton has been stealing painkillers from the club's drug locker. On the surface, it just sounds like a disgruntled team employee is making up some stories, but its a story that investigators feel is worth taking a look at.
----
I almost forgot to mention. If you want a great read on the CFL draft and if you want to follow along, check out this from the website CFLdaily.com.
http://www.cfldaily.com/DraftGuide.pdf
I don't know who is responsible for this site, but its a great one. If you do download that PDF, you will see that Kris Hadesbeck has done a tremendous write-up on the Riders. Kris is the son of Rider sideline guru Joe Hadesbeck. I now know where Joe gets his information. :)
----
Enjoy the draft, but do me a favour. If you are about to become a parent, don't go naming your child Shomari. Let the guy establish himself first before doing that. Stay dry and have a good Sunday. Remember....
Great food is like great sex -the more you have the more you want.
Riders Drafting #1?
Sportsnet's Arash Madani says so. Read on!
BY ARASH MADANI
sportsnet.ca
Queen’s Golden Gaels linebacker Shomari Williams, in most CFL circles regarded as the best player on the board going into the 2010 Canadian college draft, will be the first pick taken on Sunday afternoon.
But it will not be by the Toronto Argonauts.
Sportsnet has learned that a series of trades involving three teams are ahead leading into Sunday’s draft. The Argonauts have agreed to trade its first overall pick, as well as the top selection in the second round (No. 8), to Saskatchewan. The Roughriders will give up both of its first round picks (No. 2 and No. 4) as well as a veteran Canadian player in return, to take the versatile Williams, 25, who anchored the Gaels defence in their run to the 2009 Vanier Cup title last fall.
Williams’s agent, Darren Gill, declined comment Saturday, but a source aware of the negotiations indicated that the University of Houston transfer has already come to terms on a three-year contract (including an option) with the Roughriders.
Toronto plans on taking Washington State offensive tackle Joe Eppele second, addressing an immediate need. The Argonauts also have an agreement in principle with B.C. to acquire the Lions’ No. 3 selection, swapping third and fourth picks. The Argos will then draft Concordia’s Cory Greenwood third overall, less than a week after the linebacker received faint NFL interest from the Kansas City Chiefs.
It is believed the Lions will make that move so long as they can still select wide receiver Shawn Gore, which would make the 23-year-old Toronto native the third Bishop’s Gaiters player drafted by the Lions over the past two drafts. Gore received a mini-camp invite from the Green Bay Packers last Saturday, but has yet to ink a contract with the NFL club.
A spokesperson for the Argonauts said head coach Jim Barker was unavailable for comment Saturday.
No trades have been registered formally with the CFL, sources said, which means no deal is official. It is believed the Argonauts will wait until they are on the clock Sunday to pull the trigger on the move with Saskatchewan. The Lions are set on taking Gore, so B.C. will likely sit until the top two picks move before agreeing to flip No. 3 and No. 4 with Toronto.
The Argos had been fielding calls from teams across the league regarding the top pick, but it was last week when discussions began to heat up with clubs who were legitimately interested after initial inquiries were over.
By Friday, a deal was in place between Toronto and Saskatchewan, two sources confirmed, and the Argonauts were already negotiating with Eppele’s new agent, former CFL defensive lineman Tim Fleiszer, yesterday.
Williams is expected to arrive in Regina Saturday, accompanied with his wife, to be unveiled as the newest Roughrider on Sunday afternoon.
BY ARASH MADANI
sportsnet.ca
Queen’s Golden Gaels linebacker Shomari Williams, in most CFL circles regarded as the best player on the board going into the 2010 Canadian college draft, will be the first pick taken on Sunday afternoon.
But it will not be by the Toronto Argonauts.
Sportsnet has learned that a series of trades involving three teams are ahead leading into Sunday’s draft. The Argonauts have agreed to trade its first overall pick, as well as the top selection in the second round (No. 8), to Saskatchewan. The Roughriders will give up both of its first round picks (No. 2 and No. 4) as well as a veteran Canadian player in return, to take the versatile Williams, 25, who anchored the Gaels defence in their run to the 2009 Vanier Cup title last fall.
Williams’s agent, Darren Gill, declined comment Saturday, but a source aware of the negotiations indicated that the University of Houston transfer has already come to terms on a three-year contract (including an option) with the Roughriders.
Toronto plans on taking Washington State offensive tackle Joe Eppele second, addressing an immediate need. The Argonauts also have an agreement in principle with B.C. to acquire the Lions’ No. 3 selection, swapping third and fourth picks. The Argos will then draft Concordia’s Cory Greenwood third overall, less than a week after the linebacker received faint NFL interest from the Kansas City Chiefs.
It is believed the Lions will make that move so long as they can still select wide receiver Shawn Gore, which would make the 23-year-old Toronto native the third Bishop’s Gaiters player drafted by the Lions over the past two drafts. Gore received a mini-camp invite from the Green Bay Packers last Saturday, but has yet to ink a contract with the NFL club.
A spokesperson for the Argonauts said head coach Jim Barker was unavailable for comment Saturday.
No trades have been registered formally with the CFL, sources said, which means no deal is official. It is believed the Argonauts will wait until they are on the clock Sunday to pull the trigger on the move with Saskatchewan. The Lions are set on taking Gore, so B.C. will likely sit until the top two picks move before agreeing to flip No. 3 and No. 4 with Toronto.
The Argos had been fielding calls from teams across the league regarding the top pick, but it was last week when discussions began to heat up with clubs who were legitimately interested after initial inquiries were over.
By Friday, a deal was in place between Toronto and Saskatchewan, two sources confirmed, and the Argonauts were already negotiating with Eppele’s new agent, former CFL defensive lineman Tim Fleiszer, yesterday.
Williams is expected to arrive in Regina Saturday, accompanied with his wife, to be unveiled as the newest Roughrider on Sunday afternoon.
Mock Draft From The National Post
I wouldn't mind this scenario playing itself out.
2010 CFL Mock Draft
1. Toronto Argonauts: Joe Eppele (OL - Washington State)
The Argos allowed more sacks than any other team last season and Eppele can likely help right away. He is versatile and can play a number of positions on the offensive line. Eppele has family in Toronto and has said he is excited by the prospect of being able to help turnaround the Argos.
2. Saskatchewan Roughriders: Shomari Williams (LB - Queen's)
The departure of John Chick and Stevie Baggs means the defending CFL West champions will be looking to plug some holes on the defensive line. Williams, who is the top-ranked prospect according to the CFL scouting bureau, can bring talent and versatility to Regina.
Williams played as a defensive end at Queen's last season, but worked out as a linebacker at the CFL's evaluation camp in March. His ability to play both positions makes him an attractive choice for the Roughriders as defensive co-ordinator Gary Etcheverry is known for liking to throw a number of different schemes at offences.
Want further proof that Williams is destined for Saskatchewan? Just refer to Rider Nation. In an online poll on the team website Williams is picked as the prospect Roughriders fans are most excited about.
3. B.C. Lions: Shawn Gore (WR - Bishop's)
Last year the Lions selected two players from Bishop's (Jamall Lee and James Yurichuk) in the first round and that trend should continue. Gore's positive attitude off the field is said to have endeared him to coach Wally Buono.
4. Saskatchewan Roughriders: Cory Greenwood (LB - Concordia)
The Roughriders are the only team with two picks in the first round, which allows them to replace Chick and Baggs very quickly. The 6-foot-2, 235-pound Greenwood has all the physical attributes necessary to make a difference right away for Saskatchewan.
5. Calgary Stampeders: Danny Watkins (OL - Baylor)
Calgary signed kicker Warren Kean on Friday as they attempt to find a replacement for Sandro DeAngelis, who signed in Hamilton during the off-season. The move seems to take Calgary out of the Rob Maver (K/P Guelph) sweepstakes.
Instead, look for Calgary to improve their depth at the offensive line. The departure of Dmitri Tsoumpas and Derek Armstrong needs to be addressed.
Watkins is heading back to Baylor next year, but because of the depth in this year's draft Calgary should be able to grab Watkins early and get some contributors for the upcoming season in the later rounds.
Also, the return of Matt Sheridan and John Comiskey via free agency means Calgary is not desperate for immediate help.
6. Winnipeg Blue Bombers: Eddie Steele (DT - Manitoba)
With Doug Brown's career winding down the Bombers will be looking to fill a big hole on the defensive line. Steele could be Brown's heir apparent. The fact that he's a local kid, from Winnipeg, doesn't hurt either.
7. Montreal Alouettes: John Bender (OL - Nevada)
In the past Montreal has not shied away from taking players from the NCAA ranks. The Alouettes have made 37 draft picks since 2005 and 14 of the players selected have come from the NCAA.
Bender is returning to Nevada next season, but the defending Grey Cup champions don't need help right away. An aging interior offensive line will need to be replaced in the coming years and Bender is a great place to start.
Note: The Hamilton Tiger-Cats forfeited their first round pick (fifth overall) by virtue of choosing Weber State offensive lineman Zac Carlson in last year's supplemental draft. The Edmonton Eskimos also do not have a first round choice.
2010 CFL Mock Draft
1. Toronto Argonauts: Joe Eppele (OL - Washington State)
The Argos allowed more sacks than any other team last season and Eppele can likely help right away. He is versatile and can play a number of positions on the offensive line. Eppele has family in Toronto and has said he is excited by the prospect of being able to help turnaround the Argos.
2. Saskatchewan Roughriders: Shomari Williams (LB - Queen's)
The departure of John Chick and Stevie Baggs means the defending CFL West champions will be looking to plug some holes on the defensive line. Williams, who is the top-ranked prospect according to the CFL scouting bureau, can bring talent and versatility to Regina.
Williams played as a defensive end at Queen's last season, but worked out as a linebacker at the CFL's evaluation camp in March. His ability to play both positions makes him an attractive choice for the Roughriders as defensive co-ordinator Gary Etcheverry is known for liking to throw a number of different schemes at offences.
Want further proof that Williams is destined for Saskatchewan? Just refer to Rider Nation. In an online poll on the team website Williams is picked as the prospect Roughriders fans are most excited about.
3. B.C. Lions: Shawn Gore (WR - Bishop's)
Last year the Lions selected two players from Bishop's (Jamall Lee and James Yurichuk) in the first round and that trend should continue. Gore's positive attitude off the field is said to have endeared him to coach Wally Buono.
4. Saskatchewan Roughriders: Cory Greenwood (LB - Concordia)
The Roughriders are the only team with two picks in the first round, which allows them to replace Chick and Baggs very quickly. The 6-foot-2, 235-pound Greenwood has all the physical attributes necessary to make a difference right away for Saskatchewan.
5. Calgary Stampeders: Danny Watkins (OL - Baylor)
Calgary signed kicker Warren Kean on Friday as they attempt to find a replacement for Sandro DeAngelis, who signed in Hamilton during the off-season. The move seems to take Calgary out of the Rob Maver (K/P Guelph) sweepstakes.
Instead, look for Calgary to improve their depth at the offensive line. The departure of Dmitri Tsoumpas and Derek Armstrong needs to be addressed.
Watkins is heading back to Baylor next year, but because of the depth in this year's draft Calgary should be able to grab Watkins early and get some contributors for the upcoming season in the later rounds.
Also, the return of Matt Sheridan and John Comiskey via free agency means Calgary is not desperate for immediate help.
6. Winnipeg Blue Bombers: Eddie Steele (DT - Manitoba)
With Doug Brown's career winding down the Bombers will be looking to fill a big hole on the defensive line. Steele could be Brown's heir apparent. The fact that he's a local kid, from Winnipeg, doesn't hurt either.
7. Montreal Alouettes: John Bender (OL - Nevada)
In the past Montreal has not shied away from taking players from the NCAA ranks. The Alouettes have made 37 draft picks since 2005 and 14 of the players selected have come from the NCAA.
Bender is returning to Nevada next season, but the defending Grey Cup champions don't need help right away. An aging interior offensive line will need to be replaced in the coming years and Bender is a great place to start.
Note: The Hamilton Tiger-Cats forfeited their first round pick (fifth overall) by virtue of choosing Weber State offensive lineman Zac Carlson in last year's supplemental draft. The Edmonton Eskimos also do not have a first round choice.
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