OT: CFL regular season thread

[jstewismybastardson]

damn Fins have stolen from us again ...

B.C Lions defensive lineman Khalif Mitchell is close to signing with the Miami Dolphins.

 

[dash]

Is it wrong that I'm happy to see Khalif Mitchell getting a chance to play in the NFL?!?

 

[puckhead]

damn Fins have stolen from us again ...

B.C Lions defensive lineman Khalif Mitchell is close to signing with the Miami Dolphins.

sounds like they are signing Marcus Thigpen too (Hamilton)

 

[puckhead]

damn Fins have stolen from us again ...

B.C Lions defensive lineman Khalif Mitchell is close to signing with the Miami Dolphins.

big surprise... thought he was as good as gone

JAY JANOWER
Great news for the BC Lions..Khalif Mitchell re signs with Lions..

 

[jstewismybastardson]

big surprise... thought he was as good as gone

JAY JANOWER
Great news for the BC Lions..Khalif Mitchell re signs with Lions..

this is just loopy

Mitchell is a loopy guy though

 

[jstewismybastardson]

from last week


VANCOUVER — Nobody has done more than Andrew Bondarowicz to get Khalif Mitchell a second shot at National Football League employment. And yet, nobody was more saddened than the New Jersey player agent when word leaked out that the former B.C. Lion has signed a futures contract with the Miami Dolphins.

One of the misconceptions about the agent business, according to Bondarowicz, is that players are the ones mostly being used, preyed on by people like him. Seldom mentioned is the reverse, when an agent is stiffed after years of behind-the-scenes work, lending cash whenever his phone rings or acting as a surrogate father figure when a client gets into trouble.

Bondarowicz said his long-standing relationship with Mitchell was abruptly dumped on its ear last month, just after the agent had arranged a series of NFL tryouts for the 26-year-old player, an All-CFL defensive tackle in his first full season with the Lions.

Attempts to reach Mitchell to explain his version of events were unsuccessful. But Bondarowicz maintains that Mitchell abruptly aborted their association without explanation following years of lending guidance and support, financial and otherwise.

“Khalif has always been an individual who marches to the beat of his own drummer,” Bondarowicz said. “There has never been any question about him performing physically. The thing that coaches have had to deal with is his mental maturity. Basically, the [San Francisco] 49ers gave up on him because of his off-field antics. Our advice to him was to go to Canada, prove himself, and prove that he was mentally mature enough to play in the NFL.”

If Bondarowicz sounds a tad bitter, his description of Mitchell doesn’t differ greatly than that of Lions player personnel director Roy Shivers, who believes that maintaining a professional attitude will be Mitchell’s most critical test to a long NFL future.

The Lions got Mitchell on the rebound in September 2010, when he’d been cut loose by the 49ers after spending time on San Francisco’s practice roster. The free-spirited Mitchell’s inability to operate within a team structure and adhere to a schedule different than his own ultimately forced the 49ers to lose patience with him, Bondarowicz said.

“Mike Singletary [former 49ers head coach] took a liking to him,” the agent said. “And that’s what Khalif needed — a very strong authority figure. With the other coaches, he didn’t have that.”

That would explain how Mitchell was able to thrive in the environment created last season by Lions defensive line coach Randy Melvin, a no-nonsense taskmaster who kept a firm grip on Mitchell and forced him to be show up on time and act as a professional. Mitchell began the CFL 2011 season almost as an afterthought, a rotational player. By the end of it, he had developed into an all-star.

“We had a conversation, about Week 4 or 5, and Khalif was complaining that he was not getting enough playing time, that he was being left off the starting roster,” Bondarowicz explained. “I told him, ‘Khalif, you’ve just got to shut up and play. Don’t worry. Prove yourself. You can dominate.’ When he put that attitude behind him, he moved forward. He really started to kick it into gear. From our perspective, we’ve been preparing to send Khalif back to the NFL for the last year and a half. We’ve been keeping teams informed on his progress. Their biggest concerns were about him holding up, and keeping his nose clean.”

It doesn’t surprise Bondarowicz that Mitchell eventually got picked up by the Dolphins, an NFL organization that pays particular attention to the CFL. The ‘Phins signed Lions alum Cameron Wake, the two-time CFL defensive player of the year, and later offered futures contracts to FB Rolly Lumbala and WR Ryan Grice-Mullen. Both Lumbala and Grice-Mullen failed to stick, however.

“The Dolphins and the [B.C.] Lions have a pretty good relationship,“ Bondarowicz said. “They see Khalif as a player who could fit in well with their defence, as a nose tackle, a defensive end in a 3-4 alignment or as a three-technique [a more athletic defensive tackle, assigned with charging into the offensive backfield]. He gives them a good amount of versatility.”

Besides Mitchell, the Lions are also expected to lose right tackle Jovan Olafioye and possibly linebacker Solomon Elimimian, joining other alums such as Wake, WR Emmanuel Arceneaux (Minnesota), KR Stefan Logan (Detroit) and RB Martell Mallett (free agent) who have used the Lions as a launching pad for NFL jobs.

Olafioye and Elimimian had tryouts earlier this week with the Jacksonville Jaguars.



Read more: Khalif Mitchell leaves Lions, deserts agent, for NFL Dolphins

 

[puckhead]

apparntly talks broke down over signing bonus.
also, Lions have released Tad Kornegay. hmmmm.

 

[Don Tonte]

Speaking of glory days, when did our favorite hero fall off the Good Guy chair? Doug Flutie is cheating...long live the CFL.

Doug Flutie’s Affair Partner Revealed? | Terez Owens

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Stampeders release all time rushing leader Joffrey Reynolds


Agent for B.C Lions linebacker Solomon Elimimian says he will sign in NFL this week. Has offers on the table.


CFL All-Star OT Jovan Olafioye's #NFL Tour Reaches 15 Teams

 

[dash]

Tough to see Joffrey released, but his body has taken a pounding over the last several seasons and it appears that his career is nearing an end. Best running back in Stamps history and he'll be added to the ring of honour one day soon.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

wow ... he really picked it up late but he was still had the most PI's in the nfl this year

Former #cfl'er Brandon Browner going to Pro Bowl

 

[jstewismybastardson]

he joins some pretty elite CFL company

Ex-CFLers who've gone to the Pro Bowl: Flutie, Garcia, Moon, Wake, now Browner.

 

[dash]

Good for Brandon, now if only the Seabags could get their poop in a group...

 

[puckhead]

News1130 Sports
B.C Lions linebacker Solomon Elimimian has asked the B.C Lions to make an offer. If it's good enough - they could by-pass the NFL.
Offer to Solomon would have to be 6 figures from the Lions. He's getting low signing bonus from NFL teams.

 

[dash]

As a rival fan of the BC Lions:

Go to the NFL, Solomon, follow your dream...

 

[mattola]

As a rival fan of the BC Lions:

Go to the NFL, Solomon, follow your dream...

i bet you hope the Bruins win the grey cup next year too

 

[dash]

Tate contract extension official:

Stampeders sign QB Tate to contract extension

So the East has all the old QB's

Mtl - Calvillo
Tor - Ray
Ham - Burris
Wpg - Pierce

and the West has the young guns:

BC - Lulay
Cgy - Tate
Edm - Jyles
Sask - Durant

 

[mattola]

Tate contract extension official:

Stampeders sign QB Tate to contract extension

So the East has all the old QB's

Mtl - Calvillo
Tor - Ray
Ham - Burris
Wpg - Pierce

and the West has the young guns:

BC - Lulay
Cgy - Tate
Edm - Jyles
Sask - Durant

good extension on that one Dash. I love the young QBs that are coming into the CFL. going to be very exciting.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

i saw yesterday the Stamps are talking to former Lion (and Phil. Eagle) Martell Mallett

 

[dash]

i saw yesterday the Stamps are talking to former Lion (and Phil. Eagle) Martell Mallett

Interesting...He would be some good thunder to the lightning of Cornish.