Foley signs with Seahawks

[GreatWhiteNorth]

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=310037

Likely somewhat of a foregone conclusion, but a big blow to the Lions to lose a premier Canadian starter on top of the loss of Wake the year previously.

With Miles retiring and the losses of Foley, Mallett, Grice-Mullen and Lumballa to the NFL on top of parting ways with Glatt and Jimenez, this promises to be a very different looking Lions team in 2010.  There was some speculation in Vancouver papers that Armour may also be a casualty before long.

Rey Williams, MLB for the Riders, signed with the Steelers, making it three key pieces of the Rider defence to defect south.  With the changes they've had to take on in their coaching staff and Eddie Davis perhaps still deciding whether to come back, they too could also be quite a different team in 2010.

[Hambone]

It could make for interesting times in BC with the turnover but when one looks a bit deeper the changes may not be that significant. Of the group that has departed Mallett, Foley, Miles and Jiminez were starters. The remainder had been utilized more in support roles. Foley and Grice-Mullen depart as CFL free-agents so can sign anywhere when they return. Mallett had to be released to sign with the Eagles so technically is in the same boat. However I believe there is a gentleman's agreement in place and he would re-sign with BC should he not make it. Having said that who knows how the BC running chart might look at that point in time. There might not be a spot for him which of course would be a good sign for BC.

Jiminez - starting RT. BC has NI Justin Sorensen who played RT throughout his NCAA career. They also have starting LT Darren Heerspink who did a nice job as a rookie while playing out of his normal position last year. Like Sorensen he too had played RT throughout his college career. BC has resigned ex: NFL vet Damane Duckett. He was with the team briefly last year and filled in as an emergency starter for Jiminez for one game last year despite being in town only for a few days. Early speculation has Duckett pencilled in at LT with Heerspink switching back over to the right side. Whichever way things shake out it seems they have plenty of options.

Mallett - a surprising loss at RB, but have Jamall Lee available plus whomever they come up with through free agent camps etc. Losing an import RB isn't a big concern to me given the amount of talent available across North America. As it is RB is the highest turnover position in football. Even if you're not planning to replace a RB today you're always looking because you may need to tomorrow.   

Foley - of all the Lions who did sign in the NFL I think he might be the one most likely to stick. Similar to Wake he is very gifted athletically having been a decathlete prior to concentrating on football. He is probably still considered a raw talent with some rough edges to be smoothed out. Not unlike Stefan Logan I believe special teams play will be the difference in Foley making it in Seattle or not. If the Seahawks are looking at him strictly as a rush end his stay will be brief. But if they are looking at him as a potential special teams player who can use that to earn a roster spot while honing his skillset on the defensive side of the ball then I think he has a decent chance of sticking.   

Miles - a big loss on the experience side, but given his age it was time for BC to move on at that position. Tad Crawford should be ready to slide into that spot. He shouldn't be expected to replace Miles' big play capabilities but none the less has familiarity with the defence.

The rest - Grice-Mullen has intrigued me as being a potential game-breaker type player. More than anything his game lacked consistency. He showed flashes of brilliance mixed in with lack of concentration or confidence. Given his age, 22 at the start of last season, maybe that shouldn't be a surprise. I was looking forward to seeing him return another year older and more mature to see if he get to that next level. It's not unusual for gifted athletes to take some time to reach their potential. Expecting a football player to be as good as he's going to be within a year or two of leaving college I don't think is realistic. I've looked at stats on a number of high-end NHL stars over the years. For them their 4th year is where most seem to establish themselves as the impact player they eventually become noted for. Lumbala was hardly irreplaceable. In many ways his game reflected that of Grice-Mullen without the flash. When given the opportunity the results were mixed. Early last season he was operating at a 50% catch percentage. For every reception he flat out dropped another. On the short yardage situations he seems to have all the size to be very effective yet at times seemed easy to stuff. If he was to be graded I'd give him an incomplete. Not enough opportunities to prove he couldn't do the job as an effective FB. Yet it seemed when given the chance the results were at best mixed or at least not consistent enough to give the coaching staff overwhelming confidence in him. Armour departing wouldn't surprise me. For the most part he seemed to be an upgrade over Glatt when it comes to run defence but I get a sense he might be a bit of a high maintenance type player for the coaches 

[Colin Unger]

It could make for interesting times in BC with the turnover but when one looks a bit deeper the changes may not be that significant. Of the group that has departed Mallett, Foley, Miles and Jiminez were starters. The remainder had been utilized more in support roles. Foley and Grice-Mullen depart as CFL free-agents so can sign anywhere when they return. Mallett had to be released to sign with the Eagles so technically is in the same boat. However I believe there is a gentleman's agreement in place and he would re-sign with BC should he not make it. Having said that who knows how the BC running chart might look at that point in time. There might not be a spot for him which of course would be a good sign for BC.

Jiminez - starting RT. BC has NI Justin Sorensen who played RT throughout his NCAA career. They also have starting LT Darren Heerspink who did a nice job as a rookie while playing out of his normal position last year. Like Sorensen he too had played RT throughout his college career. BC has resigned ex: NFL vet Damane Duckett. He was with the team briefly last year and filled in as an emergency starter for Jiminez for one game last year despite being in town only for a few days. Early speculation has Duckett pencilled in at LT with Heerspink switching back over to the right side. Whichever way things shake out it seems they have plenty of options.

Mallett - a surprising loss at RB, but have Jamall Lee available plus whomever they come up with through free agent camps etc. Losing an import RB isn't a big concern to me given the amount of talent available across North America. As it is RB is the highest turnover position in football. Even if you're not planning to replace a RB today you're always looking because you may need to tomorrow.   

Foley - of all the Lions who did sign in the NFL I think he might be the one most likely to stick. Similar to Wake he is very gifted athletically having been a decathlete prior to concentrating on football. He is probably still considered a raw talent with some rough edges to be smoothed out. Not unlike Stefan Logan I believe special teams play will be the difference in Foley making it in Seattle or not. If the Seahawks are looking at him strictly as a rush end his stay will be brief. But if they are looking at him as a potential special teams player who can use that to earn a roster spot while honing his skillset on the defensive side of the ball then I think he has a decent chance of sticking.   

Miles - a big loss on the experience side, but given his age it was time for BC to move on at that position. Tad Crawford should be ready to slide into that spot. He shouldn't be expected to replace Miles' big play capabilities but none the less has familiarity with the defence.

The rest - Grice-Mullen has intrigued me as being a potential game-breaker type player. More than anything his game lacked consistency. He showed flashes of brilliance mixed in with lack of concentration or confidence. Given his age, 22 at the start of last season, maybe that shouldn't be a surprise. I was looking forward to seeing him return another year older and more mature to see if he get to that next level. It's not unusual for gifted athletes to take some time to reach their potential. Expecting a football player to be as good as he's going to be within a year or two of leaving college I don't think is realistic. I've looked at stats on a number of high-end NHL stars over the years. For them their 4th year is where most seem to establish themselves as the impact player they eventually become noted for. Lumbala was hardly irreplaceable. In many ways his game reflected that of Grice-Mullen without the flash. When given the opportunity the results were mixed. Early last season he was operating at a 50% catch percentage. For every reception he flat out dropped another. On the short yardage situations he seems to have all the size to be very effective yet at times seemed easy to stuff. If he was to be graded I'd give him an incomplete. Not enough opportunities to prove he couldn't do the job as an effective FB. Yet it seemed when given the chance the results were at best mixed or at least not consistent enough to give the coaching staff overwhelming confidence in him. Armour departing wouldn't surprise me. For the most part he seemed to be an upgrade over Glatt when it comes to run defence but I get a sense he might be a bit of a high maintenance type player for the coaches 

It looks like BC will be trading a qb or two so they should be able to fill some holes with players coming there was it a possible Pierce or Jackson trade.