/John Woods/ THE CANADIAN PRESS
With the Labour Day Weekend slowly ebbing away in the rear view mirror I want to talk about … labour. Specifically in this case the players plying their trade south of the border in the NFL and those who tried their best in mini-camps, scrimmages and pre-season games only to be released and are now looking for work again.
Let’s start with my annual guilty admission: part of me, just a tiny part, is happy when I hear that players have been jettisoned from their respective NFL team. It’s a horrible feeling but the first step is admitting you have a problem. These players work their entire lives for the chance to make the kind of generational wealth that can often be found at the end of the rainbow known as an NFL roster.
I honestly feel great for the Cameron Wakes of the world; not only is it a small feather in the cap for this league but it represents the culmination of the blood, sweat and tears for the player. The evil/selfish side of me is happy to see the possibility that players like Derel Walker are returning to into the CFL fold to entertain me. As an Argonauts enthusiast I’m not gonna lie, the idea of DeVier Posey being able to give Toronto’s passing offence a boost for the stretch run does satiate my “sports happy”.
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DeVier Posey could be headed back to the CFL after being released by the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
Yes, it stinks Posey could not stick on the Baltimore Ravens’ roster, but on the other side there is no way Ricky Ray and company defeats Calgary last year in the Grey Cup without Posey’s heroics. How about a compromise? To players like Posey or Hamilton’s 2018 first overall draft pick receiver Mark Chapman, can I be thrilled to see you back in Southern Ontario? Can I hope that you both play a big part in the success of McLeod Bethel-Thompson and Jeremiah Masoli for the remainder of this season and possibly 2019? In return I promise not to hold any grudges if you use your success in the CFL as a springboard to being a part of the NFL labour force. Just promise you won’t forget us and if you ever get tired of practice squads or only a couple targets a game you’ll come back up to us? I think that’s a fair deal.
Moving on to some prominent CFL players and their respective journeys in the NFL:
1. Deon Lacey (Buffalo Bills)
I wanted to start with a player who I bet you remember during his three years in Edmonton, but you may have since forgotten. Lacey was a mainstay at linebacker for Edmonton from 2014-16, winning the Grey Cup in 2015. Always a force on special teams, Lacey started to become a force for the Eskimos in his second season with six sacks and four forced fumbles. In his final season Deon was sixth in the league in total tackles with 87 and picked off three passes. 2018 will represent the second year for Lacey and the Buffalo Bills.
Deon’s football career did not come without struggles, as he was cut by the Miami Dolphins at the end of the 2017 pre-season before finding a home in Buffalo. As a part of the Bills organization, no member played more snaps on special teams than Lacey. Hey, in football, there are no little jobs, and rarely little players. I’m curious to see if Lacey can make the jump from special teams mainstay to defensive contributor. One added bonus that Lacey has over other prospects is health. Sometimes the difference between being starter and unemployed is your ability to stay on the field. Talent can get you in the door but good health will give you a better chance to stick, especially when it comes to the final couple roster spots. Just think of Jesse Lumsden who oozed talent but his body constantly betrayed him. Lacey played in all 16 games for the Bills in 2017 and did not miss a game during his time with Edmonton.
2. Kenny Ladler (Washington Redskins)
Ladler certainly got the most of his two years with Edmonton. His rookie season saw him put up 70 tackles and two interceptions and then in 2017 Ladler was named the Eskimos’ Defensive Player of the Year and would make the CFL all-defensive team. Ladler’s impact with the Eskimos was so profound that in early August of 2017, then-injured JC Sherritt tweeted out: “Perfectly ok to start that @kennyladlo is one of the best players in the league talk”.
On Saturday it looked like Ladler’s NFL dreams had been dashed as he was cut by Washington Redskins. However he was signed on as a member of Washington’s practice squad the next day. Here’s hoping that Coach Jay Gruden will eventually find a more prominent position for Ladler. In case you didn’t know, Ladler played in all 50 of his collegiate games with Vanderbilt, including starting in 39, playing in three bowl games and helping turn a program that was always a doormat in the SEC to a legitimate opponent that had to be respected. Ladler must have done something right in college as he was invited to a private workout with Bill Belichick after his senior season.
3. Brandon Zylstra (Minnesota Vikings)
To any NFL fans reading this, Zylstra could become a real force in your league. To any Vikings fans reading this, you have a player who should be able to challenge for a third wide receiver spot. I know you’re set with Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen, but Zylstra, if given a chance, will push former first round pick Laquon Treadwell as the third wideout for the Vikings’ attack. Zylstra averaged just under 100 yards a game during his two years with Edmonton but more importantly, look at his production last year against Calgary. The Stampeders were the top-rated defence in 2017 (as they are this year) yet Brandon still put up 480 yards and two touchdowns in four games against the kind of talent you regularly find playing on Sundays in America.
Zylstra, who impressed the team during the Vikings’ final pre-season game, has more than enough size and speed for the NFL and his body control will help transform bad passes by Kirk Cousins into receptions. On a personal level, it’s easy to root for Zylstra to succeed with Minnesota, as the Eskimos have more than enough talent with Duke Williams and Derel Walker and I’m just so fascinated to see what the CFL’s receiving leader in 2017 can do in the NFL. All the best Brandon!! (Also, yes, a shout out to everyone involved with the Edmonton front office as this piece did centre on three former Eskimos.
