The Hamilton Tiger-Cats showed that they’re confident enough in the new blood coming in that they can drop some of the veterans in their lineup. This week, they surprised many fans when they released four players, Onrea Jones, Brandon Isaac, Cody Husband, and Tyler Tettleton.
Onrea Jones has been a longtime second-tier member of the Ticats downfield corps, but with nearly constant injuries and a revolving door at quarterback, he’s been reliable as a fourth receiver. Never a star but always worth fielding, Jones also picked up some duties as a kick and punt returner. But his versatility presumably didn’t make up for his weaker numbers, and he isn’t seen as a fit for their offensive schemes any more, so he’s out.
Out with the old: lineup changes for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Brandon Isaac came to Hamilton early in the 2013 season after being released by the Toronto Argonauts, and while he had a couple of excellent outings, in many games he seemed to have little impact. It’s surprising that the Cats would let a decent veteran out of the lineup after the many shifts and injuries last year, so management must be pretty optimistic.
Harder to explain is Cody Husband. Presumably the coaching staff expects Pete Dyakowski to be healthy after his horrendous injury at the end of 2013, which seems not just optimistic but almost naive. The Cats have spent time and effort developing Husband, and the options for Canadian linemen aren’t unlimited.
Finally, Tyler Tettleton, the low man on the QB totem pole, was released as well. He apparently didn’t show well at the recent early camp. It’s unfortunate, but at least the TSN announcers won’t get spittle on their blazers trying to pronounce his name any time soon.
Cats fans might be scratching their heads about these latest roster moves. The Cats have signed a batch of unknowns to their roster as well, but until the 42-man squad is finalized in June, it’s hard to say what the 2014 team will look like. As always, hope springs eternal in the hearts of management.
For more on sports injuries, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Thank you for reading. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Football fans…check out our two partnered NFL podcasts – Thursday Night Tailgate Radio and Overtime Ireland. Both shows bring you interesting commentary, critical analysis and fantastic guests including former and current NFL players, coaches and personalities.
