Argos & Roughriders: High-stacked and ready for Sunday's Draft

Football Betting Lines

04/30/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Toronto fans better hope Jim Barker plays poker as well as he coaches, because he's holding a stacked hand as his Argonauts prepare for Sunday's Canadian Football League draft.

The Argos, who own the No. 1 overall pick, are in a position of power with three picks inside the top 11.

But for Barker, the team's new head coach, deciding how to use those chips will prove to be no easy task.

Several of Canada's top university prospects have either signed NFL contracts, are attending mini-camps this week or have another year of NCAA eligibility left, leaving teams to weigh the merits of drafting for now versus the future.

Either way, it promises to be an intriguing draft, as many pundits have suggested this year's Canadian talent pool is among the deepest it's been in recent memory.

The Argos won't be the only team flexing their muscles, as the Saskatchewan Roughriders and B.C. Lions each have two picks within the top 10, giving the three teams seven of the first 11 picks on Sunday.

With that in mind, a look at each team's needs and how they might go about addressing them.

TORONTO ARGONAUTS

If Barker were given the task of assembling his team at the grocery store, his cart would be wheeling its way through every aisle. The Argos finished a league-worst 3-15 last year, en route to missing the playoffs for a second straight year.

In addition to holding the top pick, Toronto picks eight, 11 and six more times during the six-round, eight-team draft. How they use the No. 1 pick will likely dictate what direction other teams follow.

Toronto was horrible on both sides of the ball in 2009, "boasting" the lowest- scoring offense while surrendering the second-most points in the league. But after allowing a league-high 55 sacks last season, Toronto's most pressing need is an offensive lineman.

There's where the mystery begins.

The top o-lineman, according to the league's Scouting Bureau, is John Bender, a six-foot-eight, 325-pound monster from Nevada who many expect will return for another year in college.

If he, or No. 4 ranked Danny Watkins of Baylor - who is also expected to return to school this fall - were committed to playing in the CFL in 2010, the Argos would likely go with either one.

But it would make sense, instead, for Toronto to take either Washington State's Joe Eppele - the draft's only NCAA o-lineman coming out of school - or the top-ranked prospect from Queen's Golden Gaels, Shomari Williams.

Williams is a six-foot-two, 236-pound linebacker who led the Gaels to a Vanier Cup last year, the top prize in Canadian college football, through his explosive and versatile abilities on the defensive end.

Picking the best player available - and in this case, stressing the word "available" - is always a safe bet.

By grabbing Williams at No. 1, the Argos would also be preventing Saskatchewan from getting one of the defensive players they covet.

Using such logic, the Argos could then hope Eppele falls to eight, which is possible but unlikely given his availability, and use their 11th pick on Bender, Watkins or the Waterloo Warriors' Joel Reinders, who recently signed a deal with the Cleveland Browns, as a future top prospect.

SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDGERS

The Roughriders also hold trump cards, as they posses the number two and four picks in the first round. Not bad for a team that lost to the Montreal Alouettes by one point in last year's Grey Cup.

Many observers suggest the Roughriders will look to nab a linebacker with one of their first two picks - possibly both - and have their sights set on Williams or the 2009 Canadian Interuniversity Sport's (CIS) top defender, Concordia's Cory Greenwood.

Greenwood is an exceptional athlete who could offer help on special teams as well, something the Roughriders have been known to value.

With the benefit of having a playoff-caliber team and high picks in the draft, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Saskatchewan use one of its early picks on the future, and leave its two fifth-round picks to shore up on more immediate needs.

BRITISH COLUMBIA LIONS

B.C., along with Toronto, has the most picks in this year's draft with nine, including four in the top 18. It would be shocking if the Lions don't pick Williams or Greenwood, should one of them not go one or two, at No. 3.

In keeping with the o-line trend - which is exceptionally deep given the amount of players potentially NFL-bound - coach Wally Buono could decide to grab one of the aforementioned big men at No. 10. Such a move would leave the door open for B.C. to get a top-ranked wide receiver at 16.

Bishop's teammates Shawn Gore and Steven Turner - both terrific athletes who performed well at the CFL evaluation camp - along with Regina's Jordan Sisco, are among the more highly regarded receivers in this year's class and although all three are seeking jobs south of the border, the Lions should grab one of them.

CALGARY STAMPEDERS

The Stampeders are well stocked for the draft, with picks spread across the board at five, 13, 17, 21, 37, and 46.

As the top-ranked defense in the West, expect Calgary to address needs at both kicker and on the offensive line. At No. 5, the Stamps will likely chose between the draft's top kicker Rob Maver of Guelph or Eppele if he is still there.

Manitoba's speedy defensive tackle Eddie Steele remains a strong play at 13 if he's around.

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS

Winnipeg has just four picks, but will have the benefit of drafting the sixth player off the board.

The Blue Bombers, who at 7-11 were among the league's worst offensively and defensively, don't have the luxury of taking too big a gamble on the U.S. guys, so look for them to grab a top receiver (Gore or Sisco) or one of the linebackers still available (Greenwood or Montreal's Joash Gesse).

MONTREAL ALOUETTES

The defending Grey Cup champs are the most complete team in the league, yet, with seven picks in the draft, have a great opportunity to add some quality non-import talent.

Given their roster, the Alouettes will be able to take some chances early with three picks inside the top 15 (Nos. 7, 14, 15).

Look for the Alouettes to grab the best player off the board at seven (either an offensive lineman or linebacker) and then use one their last two picks in the second round on a flier. An interesting pick here could be Montreal-native Gesse.

The five-foot-11, 221-pound truck of a linebacker, who played college football in Montreal, is currently ranked 13th in the Bureau's rankings, and would appear to be a nice fit for both sides should he fall to them.

EDMONTON ESKIMOS

General Manager Danny Maciocia has already shown his cards ahead of Sunday's draft and with Nos. 9, 19, 22, 35, and 43, it would only make sense the Eskimos pick the best player available to them.

Expect the Eskimos to take any of the big names off the board at nine, and possibly roll the dice on a running back, given their recent injuries, in the third round.

Sherbrooke's Pascal Fils, the top rusher in CIS football last year, could be a sneaky play to add some depth on offense in the middle rounds.

HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

The Tiger-Cats, usually perched at the top thanks to years of mediocrity, will be tamed on Sunday with just three picks - and none in the first round - after improving to 9-9 following a disastrous 2008 that saw them go 3-15.

Much like the Eskimos, it will be in Hamilton's best interest to simply go after the pick with the most value rather than focusing on specific needs.

However, should Maver fall to them at 12, the Ti-Cats will likely add depth to one of their weaknesses and grab the punter/kicker.

If he's not there, Hamilton would be wise to add one of the premier defensive linemen still on the board like Stanford's Brian Bulcke, a hulking six-foot- four tackle or a top offensive guard such as the six-foot-five, 312-pound J'Michael Deane of Michigan State, both of whom are returning to school this fall.