March 24, 2022

Quote board: CFL GMs and head coaches meet with media

Liam Mahoney/CFL.ca

TORONTO — After meeting on possible rule changes for the coming season and discussing the state of the game at large, CFL coaches and GMs took time on Thursday to meet with reporters from across the country.

It was a good chance for reporters in their respective markets to catch up with those coaches and GMs. On the heels of a busy free agency period and roster moves, and with the upcoming CFL Combine presented by New Era, there was plenty to talk about and look ahead to, as the 2022 season quickly approaches.

CFL COMBINE presented by New Era
» CFL.ca unveils broadcast details for 2022 Combine
» Getting to know the CFL Combine participants
» NCAA prospects to watch at the National Combine

 


Standout quotes from the league’s coaches and GMs from Thursday, March 24

“When you’re in our situation you always have your ears open and you have to have an open mind as to what’s going on. At the same time, we’ve created a list of guys that we know would make an immediate impact on our football team and allow us to kind of open the playbook, quite honestly, ratio-wise, that type of thing. With that being said, it would have to be something extremely attractive for us to do it. But again, you can never say never.”

— Edmonton Elks GM and head coach Chris Jones on his willingness to trade the first overall pick in the 2022 CFL Draft

“I think it’s just a number for him. I think it’s just a number for all of us. If there is such a thing as a young 30, Cody, is it. Most of his professional career has been as a backup or as the third guy and you know, these last few years he’s been a starter. But he hasn’t taken in my opinion, the number of hits (other players his age may have) and I think you’re seeing him improve dramatically, more so maybe than a guy that’s that’s played a lot of football in his 20s. I feel like Cody’s best years are ahead of him. I think he would agree with that. And we feel like his arrow is straight up. He’s got nothing but bright things ahead of him.”

— Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Craig Dickenson on Cody Fajardo’s approaching 30th birthday

“They’re good football players, both of them. They’re hard to tell apart. You see, one make a play, then you see the other one make a very, very similar player play in the next series. I really expect that they’ll  be high draft picks and have a great future.”

— Calgary Stampeders president and GM John Hufnagel on twin receivers Jalen and Tyson Philpot

“It’s very nice to have. Really we have three guys when you add Dominque (Davis), with CFL experience. We’re going to come in and compete. Vernon obviously, he’s the guy coming in with the edge and the person in the driver’s seat but it’s always a competition. Those guys know that and they want to go out and put their best foot forward. I feel like we’re in a position of strength at the quarterback position and our focus is just going to be high quality quarterback play. That’s what we need to be successful. We feel like we have the people in that room to do that.”

— Alouettes head coach Khari Jones on the team’s quarterback situation 

“It just puts a lot of things into perspective that you shouldn’t take anything for granted. This is the way it should be. I’m all about doing things face-to-face, in-person. Even when we evaluate these kids here over the next few days, there’s no substitution (for) watching their body language out there. How they take instructions, how they coexist with their respective units. Those are all things that are clearly difficult to evaluate off of a Zoom call. I’m glad we’re here. I’m looking forward to the next few days with with our staff and I believe we’re going to get a more accurate and a better reading just (from) the fact that we’re here in person.”

— Alouettes’ GM Danny Maciocia on getting back to in-person combines

“For me, it’s for one, just seeing everybody and seeing the guys again and being able to see the players up close. There’s nothing that takes the place of seeing a guy in-person, seeing how they move, seeing how they walk, talk, all of those things. I think it’s important. To be able to be here again after a couple of years, it is great.”

— Khari Jones on the benefits of having an in-person combine 

“We’re excited about the competition coming into the building with how many players we signed. The challenge is we’ve got to…get them to become a team, to grow and learn, get to playing together. We’re excited that there’s so much, we have a lot of veterans, guys who have experience with the game. So I think that should help us.”

— Ottawa REDBLACKS head coach Paul LaPolice on bringing the roster together this season

“There’s a real buzz of positivity in the league right now. Maybe it’s just we’ve all gotten over the Covid hangover, so to speak. But there’s a real sense (that) our best days are ahead of us. You look at the ownership in BC. I mean, who can’t be excited about what they’re doing right now? You look at what Victor (Cui, the Edmonton Elks’ president and CEO) is doing and Coach Jones in Edmonton? I think they’re, they’re, they’re making some real strides as well.

“The players…you’re seeing as much talent in the CFL as you ever have. I think it’s just a good time to be up here. Hopefully the season shows that and that each team does play well. I think from a fan perspective, from a media perspective, from a coaching and GM perspective, we realize it’s going to be a very competitive, highly skilled league this year and there’s going to be no easy games. And that’s good. That’s good for our league. And that’s good, I think good for football.”

— Riders head coach Craig Dickenson’s response to a question on an improved East Division and parity across the league

“I think that started the way we did the free agency process of bringing our whole personnel staff in. We brought Benny (Mike Benevides) in for a bit of that and then coach LaPolice was obviously heavily involved. So it’s just getting to know each other’s styles. I think we’re both communicators. But most of all, I think we both have a passion for this league and a will to succeed.

“We’re always going to work in unison to make decisions in the organization and that involves communication, right? The draft process is next. Chad Hudson does a great job of having us prepared for this. It’s his baby, per se and we’re sort of there as guys that add some thoughts or opinions. I know I always value the coaches, be it in free agency or the draft process because at the end of the day, I’m not a coach.

“You see some things from a coaching lens and you get value that way. They see the same value from us at times when we poke our heads in the office, from an evaluation/scouting standpoint. Working together and where we’re at in the world right now and allowing us to to work in an office together every day definitely enhanced the curb in my eyes. We just had a relationship going back that we’ve known each other for years. So it was a very smooth transition.”

— Ottawa REDBLACKS’ GM Shawn Burke on his working relationship with Paul LaPolice and the team’s front office staff

“To be honest with you, I think it’s really neat that they’re Canadians but that wasn’t our strategy. We didn’t ever sit down and say, ‘Well, we need Canadian quarterbacks.’ We’re really high on Nathan Rourke. I think he’s going to be a really good player in this league. Then it just worked out. We were looking for someone with experience and when Michael was available, he fits the bill.

Yes, they’re Canadian and I know that’s a big deal. But that didn’t factor in our decisions. We just wanted to have the best guys available.”

— BC Lions head coach and co-GM Rick Campbell on the team going with two Canadian quarterbacks

“Speedy is a unique guy, for sure and was a committed and dedicated guy as well. I’m not sure what happened there. But you see people and have a tremendous amount of respect and sometimes you find out that respect is reciprocal. His (agent) actually reached out first. That was a little bit of a surprise. I guess not so much at that point, because we were wondering, but there was there was always a little bit of that wall. Once (the agent) reached out, it became really simple.”

— Toronto Argonauts GM Michael ‘Pinball’ Clemons on how Brandon Banks became an Argo in free agency

“I wouldn’t say it’s shifted; I think the Western teams are darn good football clubs. I just think the East has improved over the last few years. It’s really a nine-team league right now. I don’t really see East and West. I think we have nine really good football clubs right now competing and it’s going to be a battle this season.

— Argos’ head coach Ryan Dinwiddie on if East teams may be stronger than West teams this season

“You definitely through the process…you definitely weigh that, whether you use some of your relationships in the NFL and try to get a gauge through them and the players’ agents and even the players themselves, just what their future might look like down there and try to make the best decision. Obviously, you get to know the players and if they do have an opportunity, you’ll be excited for them. Come draft day you do have to wait a little bit but at some point we’re going to want to draft players that that can come in and compete for our team.”

— Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ assistant GM and director of Canadian scouting Drew Allemang on dealing with top Canadian prospects with NFL opportunities

“They’ve grown professionally, they’ve grown as young men. They can handle the entire playbook. They have the skill set to do everything we ask them to do and do it at a high level. Not just with the ball in their hands, but in terms of protection and running ability. We feel quite confident that they can step in and both of them can be starters for us in this league. It’s an exciting time for them. We’ll let that play out also but I imagine both guys are going to be fairly active for us.”

— Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ GM Kyle Walters on Canadian running backs Brady Oliveira and Johnny Augustine 

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