Staff Writer Justin Boone provides immediate reactions from the draft.
12:01 p.m. EST: Welcome to the first Live Draft Blog on Ticats.ca. In the next few minutes the Tabbies will officially be on the clock and Dylan Barker’s name seems to be the most popular among experts to be the first overall pick. Each team will have ten minutes to make their selection, so don’t rule out an eleventh hour trade out of 1 Jarvis St. Don’t forget to log on to Ticats TV to see general manager Bob O’Billovich interviewed during the second round.
12:03 p.m. EST: Let the games begin. The Ticats are officially on the clock.
12:08 p.m. EST: Before we get into the thick of the draft, let me take a minute to give kudos to TSN for covering the days events. The NFL draft has blossomed in the last 30 years into an all out spectacle, and there’s no reason why the CFL draft shouldn’t be on the same level here in Canada. The only thing that’s missing is Rod Black’s moustache.
12:13 p.m. EST: With the first pick the Ticats select Dylan Barker. The University of Saskatchewan product has tremendous potential, and will likely come in right away and contribute on special teams. Perhaps Barker’s greatest attribute is the intelligence he brings to the field, something that could help him get more playing time as a rookie. He will catch on to schemes quickly, but also has the athleticism to learn on the fly.
12:18 p.m. EST: The Eskimos are on the clock and the consensus is that they will select offensive lineman Dimitri Tsoumpas. No one would be more excited to go to Edmonton today than Tsoumpas, who was born and raised there.
12:24 p.m. EST: Our first trade of the day. The Stampeders trade OL John Comiskey, WR Kevin Challenger, the 11th pick and the 19th pick to the Eskimos for the 2nd pick and the 16th overall pick. A bold move by Calgary who loses an offensive lineman, something they can’t afford to do. Perhaps their looking to pick up Tsoumpas who could bring young talent to their O-line. If not expect them to look to their offensive line later today.
12:30 p.m. EST: With the second overall pick Calgary does indeed take Tsoumpas. The Alberta-grown lineman will help to rebuild the Stamps offensive line and will definitely be happy going back to Alberta’s after spending four year’s in Utah at Weber State. Zoom-pus, as it’s pronounced, won three city championships and two Provincial championships on teams that went 31-1-1 during his high school career in Alberta.
12:35 p.m. EST Calgary is still on the clock as they hung on to their third overall pick despite making the trade up. They certainly gave up a lot for Tsoumpas, but upgrading their offensive line must be one of their goals today. Henry Burris is the star of this team, and can definitely use some protection to guarantee he stays healthy.
12:39 p.m. EST: With the third pick Calgary takes another offensive lineman, Jesse Newman. The 6-foot-4, 309-pounder was a four-year starter in college and along with Tsoumpas should give Calgary’s offensive line a shot in the arm.
12:47 p.m. EST: Saskatchewan is the first team to benefit from Montreal losing their pick, as the Roughriders move into the fourth pick and are next up. The Green Machine has had a tough off-season losing several players, the curse of many Championship teams. Defence could be the pick here to help replace Fred Perry or Reggie Hunt.
12:50 p.m. EST: The Riders take Keith Shologan at number four. With no pressing needs they are willing to wait for a specimen like the Central Florida product. Despite signing a contract with the San Diego Chargers, the defensive lineman will have a home in Saskatchewan if he returns to the CFL and could cause fits in the future for interior offensive lineman in the West.
12:53 p.m. EST: Another note on Shologan. Don’t assume he will be back in Canada anytime soon. The Chargers have a history of taking undrafted free-agent D-lineman and turning them into contributors on their defensive front. Jacques Cesaire, who currently plays for the Chargers is a perfect example.
12:58 p.m EST: Another O-lineman goes off the board as the B.C. Lions select Justin Sorenson out of South Carolina. It’s a case of the rich getting richer here as the Lions are a talented club from top to bottom. I wonder if Wally Buono had a more difficult time making his selection this year without Bob O’Billovich.
1:02 p.m. EST: Out of the first five picks, four of them have come from U.S. programs, which is unusual for the CFL draft. Next up on the clock is Winnipeg, who will be picking in the first round for the first time since 2000. Will they take WR Samuel Giguere to replace Milt Stegall, who is likely in his last season?
1:08 p.m. EST: The Blue Bombers go off the board for their first round pick selecting OL Brendon Labatte. The Regina product has been sky-rocketing up draft boards for the last few months and looked like a stud at the E-Camp. Most people had him rated as a second round pick, but with a flurry of linemen already off the board, Winnipeg might have panicked and taken Labatte a bit early, worried that he might not be around when they pick next.
1:11 p.m. EST: Just a note, with Montreal on the clock at number seven WR Samuel Giguere and FB Rolly Lumbala, two of the top prospects coming into this draft are still available. While both guys are set to head to training camp with NFL clubs, Hamilton holds the eighth pick and could grab one of them.
1:15 p.m EST: What a run on offensive linemen so far with four of the first six picks being O-linemen. The combined weight of first round prospects must be off the charts right now.
1:19 p.m. EST: Montreal selects LB Shea Emry, a player who can come in and contribute right away at a position where Montreal needs all the help they can get. In the next couple years, Emry could bring an identity to the Als defence with his intensity. When he’s on the field, Shea Emry plays like a heat seeking missile, firing through gaps and chasing down ball carriers. He’s the type of player you want on your side going into battle.
1:22 p.m. EST: With the Tiger-Cats on the clock at eight, Giguere is still available and I can’t see the Tabbies letting this pick pass without adding him to their roster.
1:28 p.m. EST: At eight, Hamilton picks Samuel Giguere. The Ticats make, in my mind, a great selection by taking a receiver who can truly help this team when/if he returns to Canada. After signing with the Indianapolis Colts, some expected Giguere to fall to the bottom of the first round, and luckily for Steeltown fans, he did. Giguere has an aptitude for creating separation, and the strength to break tackles and pick up valuable yards after the catch.
1:33 p.m. EST: Obie just mentioned in his interview on TSN.ca that Barker and Giguere were the teams’ highest rated players coming into the draft, and had the top scores on the Wonderlic Test at the E-Camp. They are both great combinations of athleticism and intelligence.
1:38 p.m. EST: With the first pick in the second round B.C. uses the pick they acquired from Hamilton to select FB Rolly Lumbala. Out of the University of Idaho, Lumbala recently signed with the Miami Dolphins, putting his availability into question, but not his skills. He has all the intangibles to succeed in the CFL.
1:42 p.m. EST: With a pick that made quite the journey from Edmonton to Toronto back to Edmonton then finally to Saskatchewan, the Riders take OL Jonathan St. Pierre. That makes two linemen prospects (one offensive, one defensive) now for the Grey Cup champions
, who are clearly trying to revamp their trench warriors.
1:50 p.m.: Edmonton makes their first pick of the day, following their early trade, and select OL Greg Wojt out of Central Michigan. The Esks aging O-line needs help and with deep crop of offensive line prospects, Edmonton wasted no time addressing their need.
1:56 p.m. EST: Montreal takes yet another offensive line prospect, making it seven of the first twelve picks, as they select Andrew Woodruff from Boise St. The Argos, who have been relaxing for the first two hours, are finally on the clock.
2:02 p.m. EST: The Argos must have been sleeping through the first 12 picks because this is high for WR Mike Bradwell. A one-year star at McMaster, Bradwell needs to bulk up significantly in order to make an impact in the pros. The Argos could have done a lot more with this pick.
2:06 p.m. EST: The Ticats don’t pick until number 17 and it would be nice to see them get their hands on LB Tim St. Pierre, RB Mike Giffin, or DL Justin Shaw, who should all be available.
2:10 p.m. EST: Wally has been busy today, wheeling and dealing and it’s paid off as he picks up a first round pick in 2009 for the 14th pick this year. Clearly there is someone Saskatchewan is targeting, but it’s a dangerous game mortgaging the future.
2:16 p.m. EST: Eric Tillman sure isn’t shy, and it’s tough to second guess a guy who just build a Grey Cup winner, but I’m going to, as Michael Stadnyk is a defensive lineman that few saw going this high. As previously mentioned, the Riders need new blood on the defensive side of the ball, so hopefully Stadnyk can come in a season from now and help them.
2:20 p.m. EST: The Blue Bombers select a strong prospect, literally, in Aaron Hargreaves. At the combine he looks leaps and bounds above other receivers with his height 6-foot-4 and his size 215 pounds. With a little work he could give the Bombers a new option to replace veteran Milt Stegall when he decides to call it a career.
2:27 p.m. EST: With the final pick in the second round the Stamps take Fernand Kashama, the defensive lineman (who will likely play linebacker in Canada) from Western Michigan. After addressing the O-line in their first two picks, the Stamps get defensive and take a player who can perhaps replace Scott Coe in the linebacking corps. Next up, the Ticats will kickoff the third round with their pick. Look for the Tabbies to take either linebacker Tim St. Pierre or a running back like Mike Giffin or Daryl Stephenson.
2:35 p.m. EST: The Tabbies select Queen’s running back Mike Giffin, who owned pass rushers in the blocking drills at the E-Camp. He has all the immeasurables of a great team player for the Cats. Hamilton has to be happy walking away from the first three rounds with Dylan Barker, Samuel Giguere, Mike Giffin and two players from their trade with B.C., DB/LB Markeith Knowlton and kicker Ara Tchobanian.
2:38 p.m. EST:And that does it for me and this blog. Thanks for following along and be sure to continue to stay on top of the remaining selections by going to CFL.ca’s Draft Tracker.
