Ticats rookies were on the field Tuesday and Wednesday for a couple of the most critical days of their lives but much of the focus off the field was not on first year CFLers but on a couple of veteran players: Jordan Williams and Bo Levi Mitchell.
Mitchell has been wearing a walking boot on his right foot, prompting media scrutiny but head coach Scott Milanovich says he’s not concerned and essentially repeated today what he said yesterday, which was, “He’s had a little setback, he’s had a little swelling in the leg. We fully expect him to be ready to go when the veterans get here.” Mitchell expects the same.
Williams, as reported on Ticats.ca yesterday, informed the club about an hour before rookie practices began that he was retiring from playing to pursue other career avenues. While the Ticats were startled that the ratio-breaking linebacker was hanging up his cleats, they immediately defaulted to roster-ratio Plans B, C and D, which were already in place in case Williams had been injured during training camp.
“It’s next man up,” Milanovich said. “I know it’s a cliché –you hear it from everybody–but that’s what it is. We have contingency plans not just for him but any guy who’s not 100 per cent committed to be a part of this, they do us a favour by not wasting our time and letting us know. That’s how I’m looking at it.”
We’ve detailed this more fully on the Ticats Audio Network and our YouTube Channel, but here’s a précis of the effects of Williams’ sudden retirement:
*Part of the January trade for Williams with the Argos was the stipulation that Toronto pay him the bonus that was due before training camp, so that bonus does not count against the Ticats’ salary cap limit.
*Because Williams retired before training camp and not after he reported, none of the rest of the 2024 salary he would have been due counts are against the Ticats’ cap ceiling.
*The “conditional” part of the trade – the Ticats giving up their 2025 third-round draft choice for Toronto’s fourth-rounder—is voided.
*As part of the January trade, the Argos got the Ticats’ No. 5 overall pick which they used to select highly-regarded receiver Kevin Mital. Hamilton, in turn, got Toronto’s No. 7 overall, which they used to choose offensive lineman Nate Dumoulin Duguay, whom they are very happy to have.
*Also part of that trade, the Ticats got the Argos’ Nos. 16 and 36th overall picks in last week’s draft, with Toronto getting Nos. 24 and 25 from Hamilton. The Ticats used No. 16 to choose promising, if somewhat inexperienced, defensive lineman Luke Brubacher. The Cats feel Brubacher would not have still been available at No. 24.
*The Ticats will have to find a little more Canadian defensive starting content elsewhere, perhaps at linebacker but more likely on the defensive line where they have some good, young, national depth.
CATS CLAUSES: With Bo Levi Mitchell in that walking boot for a couple of more days, sophomore Taylor Powell, who started nine games as a CFL freshman, was the top quarterback at rookie camp. Scott Milanovich said, “As far as I’m concerned he had a lot of starts last year so he’s a cagey, seasoned vet, so I’m going to expect perfection from him, knowing it’s unattainable. But I’m going to push him to be better in everything he does.” … the first day of on-field training camp will be Monday, not Sunday as in so many previous years here.
