Off-Topic » ts in 141 innings. - Mets CF Juan Lagares, off

Its not fair to ask Troy Smith to become the next Anthony Calvillo. Its barely fair to ask a Ricky Ray or Travis Lulay - veteran pivots with Grey Cups and Most Outstanding Player awards to their name - to assume the role of face of the league and greatest active player. So its really not fair for a quarterback with four career starts in the CFL under his belt - albeit promising ones - to be put under that spotlight. But, as the de facto replacement for Calvillo in Montreal, fairly or not that could be the measuring stick for Smith. A more realistic expectation, and one Smith has a shot at living up to, is a solid quarterback that gives the team a chance to win week in and week out. After relieving Josh Neiswander (no longer with the team) midway through a late season game, Smith never looked back in guiding the Alouettes into the playoffs and briefly flirting with second place in the division and a home playoff date. His numbers in his short stint as starter were encouraging. While his completion percentage was just a shade over 50 percent, he threw nine touchdowns to just five interceptions and averaged nearly 300 passing yards per contest. And while his stat line from Montreals lone playoff game (14-26, 142 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) was far from impressive, the poise and leadership he displayed - factoring in nerves, inexperience, and all the rhetoric attached to a rookie making his first postseason appearance - was heartening for Alouettes fans. But that composure really isnt all that surprising for a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback with tangible NFL experience. Following a strong four-year career at Ohio State, two years as a starter, Smith was awarded the 2007 Heisman Trophy and then embarked on a four-year NFL career, finishing with 1,734 passing yards and 11 combined touchdowns. If youre apt to use the term pedigree to predict future success, a quarterback like Smith would surely fit the bill. And now for the best news of all in relations to Smiths chances of succeeding as a CFL quarterback: Montreals stacked receiving corps. Injuries to Jamel Richardson, proven long ago to be a bona fide stud receiver, opened the door for S.J. Green to elevate his status from very good to great last season; while Duron Carter demonstrated hes very much Pro Football Hall of Famer Chris Carters son in his CFL debut season. Health permitting, Smith will be throwing to receivers with a combined eight 1,000 yard receiving seasons, and four double-digit touchdowns seasons. And Carter almost added to that total in just 12 games last year (enjoy him while you can; the 23-year-old will be making plays in the NFL next season). With those three thoroughbreds in tow, former NFL star and notorious headline stealer Chad Johnson should be battling for fourth on the import receiving depth chart at best. Its of course hard to predict how Smith will do this season and in future years, other than to say hell be hard-pressed to make Als fans forget Calvillo anytime soon. There have been several quarterbacks of the future the past number of seasons in the CFL, few of them (less than nine!) have panned out. But Smith has everything youd seem to want to at least take your shot with him. And thats likely what the Alouettes will do. Notes Calvillo Retires 2013 marked the end of an era as Anthony Calvillo, perhaps the greatest CFL quarterback of all time, retired after 20 seasons. The majority of Calvillos career was spent in Montreal, as were the majority of his 79,816 career passing yards (a professional record) and his 455 career touchdown passes (a CFL record). Calvillo also won three Grey Cups and three Most Outstanding Player awards with the Alouettes. Expansion Draft The Alouettes lost three young players to the Ottawa Redblacks in Decembers expansion draft, none more valuable than versatile FB Patrick Lavoie, who was making a name for himself in the two years he spent with Montreal. The Als also lost DT Moton Hopkins and LB Jordan Verdone. Free Agency Montreal was once again quiet on the free agent market, deciding against bidding on any of the top names available. Free agency will be known more for when the team lost some talent, highlighted by LB Shea Emrys departure to Toronto, but GM Jim Popp did make sure to lock up some important pieces, highlighted by the re-signing of LT Josh Bourke. Return man Larry Taylor was also traded for during this period. Higgins Hired Up until Tom Higgins was hired to coach the team, it was unknown if Montreal would hire a coach or just let Popp continue on in the interim role. The Higgins hiring was strange also because GM Popp appeared to not be a part of the interviewing process for Higgins. Quatre-Vingt Cinq Despite an already solid receiving corps, the Alouettes added some more sizzle by signing former NFLer/headline-maker Chad Johnson to a contract in April. The transaction may be as much a publicity stunt as it is a solid football move but Johnson showed up to Montreal in good shape, in high spirits, and looking like he still has some football left to play. Offensive Line Losses Montreal lost two mainstays of their offensive line in the off-season when Andrew Woodruff and Scott Flory announced their retirements. CFL Draft The team helped to replenish their offensive line in the first round of the draft by selecting David Foucault from Montreal. The rest of the draft saw Montreal select Queens DB Andrew Lue 10th overall, Guelph DL Jeffrey Finley 22nd overall, York DL James Tuck 31st overall, Manitoba WR Andrew Smith 35th overall, Manitoba K/P Nick Boyd 43rd overall, Sherbrooke FB Jean-Christophe Beaulieu 49th overall, and Calgary WR Mackenzie Sarro 58th overall. Bobby Hebert Jersey .The rookie goalie made 36 saves to help the Calgary Flames blank their Pacific Division rivals 1-0 on Saturday following a 48-hour ordeal that included lost baggage, a cancelled flight and a new pair of contact lenses. Willie Roaf Jersey . - Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Jason Babin is now a free agent. http://www.officialneworleanssaintsfootb...jersey-womens.Y. -- In a span of three days, Shabazz Napier and Connecticut knocked out both Philadelphia schools in the NCAA tournament. Max Unger Jersey . Less than 24 hours after the Wolves lost at home to the Mavericks, 100-98, NBA president of basketball operations Rod Thorn announced Tuesday that Kevin Love was fouled on his right arm by Shawn Marion in the closing seconds and should have been awarded two free throws. Teddy Bridgewater Jersey . The Raptors two leading scorers were never able to co-exist the way they hoped or the team had envisioned, but individually DeRozan was thriving, in the midst of a career season.Scott Cullen has injury updates on Sale, Trumbo, Lind, Hamilton and more, best fantasy adds and closer notes. INJURIES - White Sox ace LHP Chris Sale is on the DL with a strained flexor muscle. Though indications are favourable (ie. not requiring surgery), its also reasonable to expect that the White Sox will be cautious with any recovery timeline. Hes one of the best pitchers in the game and its not worth long-term trouble to have him come back a couple starts sooner. Anyway, the White Sox also have Felipe Paulino on the DL, so they have added Andre Rienzo and Charlie Leesman to the starting rotation. Rienzo had a 4.82 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in 10 starts last season and a 3.93 ERA in 24 career starts at Triple-A. Hes whiffed 132 in 133 2/3 IP at Triple-A, but his strikeout rate in the bigs (6.0 K/9) isnt as promising. Leesman, a 27-year-old lefty, has struggled, with a 9.00 ERA in 18 major-league innings after he had a 2.92 ERA in 45 starts at Triple-A. A terribly low strikeout rate (3.2 K/9) in the minors and not much velocity figure to be issues in the bigs. - 35-year-old Rockies RF Michael Cuddyer has a strained hamstring and gets a turn on the DL as a result, putting a break in a strong start (.317 AVG, .906 OPS) to the season. Cuddyers absence leaves more regular playing time for Charlie Blackmon, whose .410 batting average ought to be good enough for that, but he plays all three outfield spots for the Rockies. Brandon Barnes, hitting .317 with three steals in 49 plate appearances, gets some time in right field as well. - Diamondback LF Mark Trumbo was off to a great start (7 HR, 19 RBI), at least in terms of power, since his .210 batting average is no prize, but hes out with a stress fracture in his foot -- likely for an extended period -- leaving Cody Ross as the regular left fielder in Arizona. Ross is off to a tough (1-for-22) start, so Roger Kieschnick, a 27-year-old who has an .888 OPS in 174 games at Triple-A, might have an opportunity to play some too. - Blue Jays DH Adam Lind hits the DL with a strained lower back (hitting .324 with a .924 OPS in 32 plate appearances), which gives Juan Francisco a regular shot in the lineup. Francisco, 26, hasnt been able to stick as a major-league regular yet, but has 32 home runs in 790 career plate appearances. He has power. - The Angels in the outfield include a couple of new faces because both LF Josh Hamilton and RF Kole Calhoun are out. Hamilton suffered a thumb injury and is still at least a month away from returning. Calhouns ankle injury should have him out for 3-5 more weeks, so he and Hamilton are in the same ballpark for return time. In their absence, though, the Angels have turned to J. B. Shuck and Collin Cowgill as the primary corner outfielders. Shuck offers bit of speed and no power and has a .296 average in 832 Triple-A at-bats. In 571 career major-league at-bats, 26-year-old Shuck has hit .280 with four home runs and 10 stolen bases. Cowgill, 27, is a .241 career hitter in the major leagues, but has been a productive Triple-A hitter (.313 AVG, .873 OPS in 903 plate appearances). Neither has done enough to warrant fantasy consideration yet. - Its not a huge deal that the ace of the Houston Astros pitching staff is out but, credit where its due, RHP Scott Feldman has been great in his first four starts (2-1, 1.69 ERA, 0.94 WHIP), though Feldman has been the beneficiary of good fortune, with only nine strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings and a BABIP of .195. All that taken into account, hes still the de facto ace of a young Astros staff and is out with biceps tendinitis. In Feldmans absence, 26-year-old Collin McHugh -- who had nine career starts with the Rockies and Mets previously -- gets a look and his first start for the Astros, at Seattle, resulted in three hits and no walks allowed, along with 12 strikeouts. McHugh has a 3.64 ERA, with 166 strikeouts in 187 2/3 IP, in 35 career games at Triple-A, so he has some upside, but keep in mind that he wasnt considered good enough to make Houstons rotation oout of spring training.dddddddddddd - Cardinals RHP Joe Kelly is out with a strained hamstring, giving Tyler Lyons a chance in the Cardinals rotation. In 59 career major-league innings, Lyons has a 4.58 ERA and 1.27 WHIP, with 50 strikeouts. The 26-year-old has a 3.73 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 35 Triple-A appearances (34 starts), so hes a viable addition in deeper leagues, pitching for a strong team and all. - Royals CF Lorenzo Cain, sidelined with a groin strain, was off to a decent start (.333 AVG, 2 SB in 12 GP) before getting hurt. Speedster Jarrod Dyson gets more regular playing time with Cain out. In 21 plate appearances this year, Dyson is hitting .368 and has stolen three bases. - Pirates LHP Wandy Rodriguez is dealing with a knee injury, resulting in a move to the DL, and 25-year-old RHP Brandon Cumpton has taken his spot in the rotation. Cumpton has a 2.15 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in seven major-league appearances. No, hes not that good, but in 24 Triple-A appearances (22 starts), he had a 3.06 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 101 strikeouts in 141 innings. - Mets CF Juan Lagares, off to a nice start (.314 AVG, .816 OPS) is out with a strained hamsring, giving Chris B. Young and Kirk Niewenhuis time in centre field. Young was once a power and speed guy, but has been a part-time player the past couple seasons, in part because his batting average is abysmal. Nieuwenhuis is a .234 career hitter, with 11 home runs in 394 at-bats. - Yankees LHP Ivan Nova is the latest in a long line of starting pitchers headed for Tommy John surgery. He had an 8.27 ERA through four starts and it looks like Vidal Nuno (3.68 ERA in 29 1/3 career IP) is first up to fill in for Nova in the Yankees rotation. BEST ADDS (Players available in at least 40% of TSN leagues) Adam Dunn, DH, Chicago White Sox - 5 HR, 11 RBI, .266 AVG, 11 R, 64 AB (Available: 86.5%) David Murphy, RF, Cleveland - 2 HR, 17 RBI, .290 AVG, 9 R, 62 AB (Available: 82.2%) Dayan Viciedo, RF, Chicago White Sox - 1 HR, 9 RBI, .377 AVG, 9 R, 69 AB (Available: 82.1%) Lucas Duda, 1B, N.Y. Mets - 4 HR, 10 RBI, .254 AVG, 10 R, 636 AB (Available: 91.1%) Scooter Gennett, 2B, Milwaukee - 1 HR, 7 RBI, .317 AVG, 5 R, 2 SB, 63 AB (Available: 95.9%) Jenrry Mejia, RHP, N.Y. Mets - 3-0, 1.99 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 25 K, 22 2/3 IP (Available: 80.4%) Alfredo Simon, RHP, Cincinnati - 3-0, 1.30 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 17 K, 27 2/3 IP (Available: 50.9%) Wily Peralta, RHP, Milwaukee - 3-0, 2.19 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 19 K, 24 2/3 IP (Available: 71.0%) Zach McAllister, RHP, Cleveland - 3-0, 2.28 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 17 K, 23 2/3 IP (Available: 79.8%) CLOSER NOTES - As the Reds wait for LHP Aroldis Chapman to return, RHP Jonathan Broxton has four saves in five appearances. Early indications are that Broxtons velocity is down and hes throwing more sliders than ever before. - Its not as if holding the closer title in Houston is a particularly valuable designation. Despite allowing a walk-off three-run home run in his last appearance, Josh Fields seems to have the edge on Chad Qualls. - In Oakland, the As have said that Jim Johnson is back in consideration for ninth-inning work after some early-season struggles. Luke Gregerson and Sean Doolittle are the other options to consider if Johnson falters again. - Trying to find a solution with Bobby Parnell done for the year, the Mets have turned to veteran Kyle Farnsworth, ahead of Jose Valverde. Daisuke Matsuzaka is also a possibility and hes been effective (1.69 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 5 1/3 IP) out of the bullpen so far. - With control issues plaguing Pedro Strop and Jose Veras unable to get anyone out, the Cubs closer role could be going to Hector Rondon, the 26-year-old who has been their most effective reliever (0.79 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 11 K, 11 1/3 IP) this season. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Authentic Bills Jerseys Dolphins Stitched Jerseys Cheap Patriots Jerseys Wholesale Jets Jerseys Wholesale Texans Jerseys Cheap Colts Jerseys Jaguars Jerseys Store Authentic Titans Jerseys Authentic Broncos Jerseys Authentic Chiefs Jerseys Cheap Raiders Jerseys Chargers Jerseys Store Cheap Ravens Jerseys Wholesale Bengals Jerseys Cheap Browns Jerseys Steelers Jerseys Store Wholesale Cowboys Jerseys Wholesale Giants Jerseys Authentic Eagles Jerseys Cheap Redskins Jerseys Authentic Falcons Jerseys Panthers Jerseys Store Wholesale Saints Jerseys Authentic Buccaneers Jerseys Wholesale Cardinals Jerseys Cheap 49ers Jerseys Seahawks Jerseys Store Wholesale Rams Jerseys Wholesale Bears Jerseys Authentic Lions Jerseys Cheap Packers Jerseys Vikings Jerseys Store ' ' '