Bills sign DT Stefan Charles to 53, eh

[Homegrown]

The Canuckian Bills fans will be excited
The Bills took less than a day to fill the vacant spot on their 53-man roster. Buffalo signed rookie free agent DT <nobr>Stefan Charleshttp://www.buffalobills.com/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif (http://www.buffalobills.com/team/roster/stefan-charles/e4e5c7c5-e896-4a1d-b405-7ce9eb3af8fc/)</nobr> on Wednesday.
Charles (6-5, 323) was originally signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted rookie in May. He was released by Tennessee during final cuts at the start of September.
A University of Regina product, Charles appeared in 20 games in college and ranked fourth on the school’s all-time list with 9.5 career sacks. He posted 74 career tackles in 19.5 for loss.
He was ranked the number one in the Canadian Football League Scouting Bureau’s rankings for the 2013 CFL draft. Charles is an Oshawa, Ontario native.
The defensive tackle will presumably assume the role previously held by DT Jay Ross, who was released on Tuesday.http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-2/Bills-sign-DT-Stefan-Charles/d316a0f6-73bc-4daf-b040-bde4b1385898

[DraftBoy]

Dominant CIS player.

[jdaltroy5]

Hey, he's from my hometown!

[Mace]

Hey, he's from my hometown!

I always wanted us to have a guy named Stefan too, so it's win/win.

[GvilleBills]

A 37" vertical at 6'5 323 is impressive. He'll be hungry, let's see what he can do.

[Scumbag College]

Another Canadian in Buffalo?

[BuffaloRedleg]

Hey, he's from my hometown!

Obligatory "did you know him?" Come on let's hear some gossip.

[PromoTheRobot]

Should goose those ticket sales in Toronto.

[kishoph]

Dominant CIS player.

Why do you think that there isn't more players from the CIS in the NFL ?
Does the CFL have 1st right over them (I imagine they do) ?

[DraftBoy]

Why do you think that there isn't more players from the CIS in the NFL ?
Does the CFL have 1st right over them (I imagine they do) ?

Some they do, some they don't.

CIS interest has grown in recent years and will only get bigger. At the Shrine Game last year Regina University (CIS) DL Akiem Hicks blew up and went third round to the Saints. He started against us on Sunday.

Before it was an issue with their players being slower, and not very talented, but their talent has caught up and now their colleges produce 1-2 good prospects a year to look at for NFL scouts.

Hicks was a former LSU signee who went CIS after he left the school.

[User Manuel]

I bet he never dresses a game...

[TigerJ]

From the sounds of it he's about as raw as meat on the hoof, but with great measurables. As Draft Boy said, he was dominant when he did play. He just didn't start a lot of games. I don't know, is he a latecomer to the game of football, DB, or just didn't get an opportunity. In any case, I think it's obviously a case of the Bills parting ways with a guy whom they thought had reached his ceiling (Jay Ross) to sign a guy they thought has much higher upside.

[jdaltroy5]

Some they do, some they don't.

CIS interest has grown in recent years and will only get bigger. At the Shrine Game last year Regina University (CIS) DL Akiem Hicks blew up and went third round to the Saints. He started against us on Sunday.

Before it was an issue with their players being slower, and not very talented, but their talent has caught up and now their colleges produce 1-2 good prospects a year to look at for NFL scouts.

Hicks was a former LSU signee who went CIS after he left the school.If I remember correctly, you could not get an athletic scholarship in Canada. That is why all the elite talent went down to the states.

Plus, if you actually want a legit shot at making the pros, you are much more likely to get noticed if you go to Alabama or LSU rather than Queen's or McMaster.

[justasportsfan]

Looks to be a project for Weaver. High motor?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8l5wYzJKPE

[DraftBoy]

If I remember correctly, you could not get an athletic scholarship in Canada. That is why all the elite talent went down to the states.

Plus, if you actually want a legit shot at making the pros, you are much more likely to get noticed if you go to Alabama or LSU rather than Queen's or McMaster.

They can offer scholarships but they can only cover tuition and fees not room and board which is costly. Plus the facilities they offer are not near what LSU or Alabama can to a good player. The game is different because their professional league is different.

Every year the Shrine Game invites the top 2-5 CIS prospects to their all-star event to play with the top college kids. If I had to guess this year they'll probably invite a few from the group of;
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif – 6’5, 280 Ibs - McGill – OT/OG
David Foucault – 6’4, 313 Ibs – Montreal - OG
Adam Thibault - 5’11, 197 Ibs - Laval – DB
Andrew Lue – 6’1, 211 Ibs - Queen’s – DB
5) Devon Bailey – 6’3, 190 Ibs – St. Francis Xavier – WR

[better days]

They can offer scholarships but they can only cover tuition and fees not room and board which is costly. Plus the facilities they offer are not near what LSU or Alabama can to a good player. The game is different because their professional league is different.

Every year the Shrine Game invites the top 2-5 CIS prospects to their all-star event to play with the top college kids. If I had to guess this year they'll probably invite a few from the group of;
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif – 6’5, 280 Ibs - McGill – OT/OG
David Foucault – 6’4, 313 Ibs – Montreal - OG
Adam Thibault - 5’11, 197 Ibs - Laval – DB
Andrew Lue – 6’1, 211 Ibs - Queen’s – DB
5) Devon Bailey – 6’3, 190 Ibs – St. Francis Xavier – WR

Facilities in College are funded by alumni.

The facilities are better in the USA because Football is the #1 sport in the USA.

In Canada, HOCKEY is the #1 sport & by a huge margin.

[DraftBoy]

Facilities in College are funded by alumni.

The facilities are better in the USA because Football is the #1 sport in the USA.

In Canada, HOCKEY is the #1 sport & by a huge margin.

Yea I know that's why I said the facilties are better in the US.

Also I'd be curious to see how the hockey does in the CIS. Almost any player worth his salt up there plays in one of the multiple junior leagues (WHL, OHL, QMJHL) as opposed to collegiate.

[better days]

Yea I know that's why I said the facilties are better in the US.

Also I'd be curious to see how the hockey does in the CIS. Almost any player worth his salt up there plays in one of the multiple junior leagues (WHL, OHL, QMJHL) as opposed to collegiate.


Yeah, collegiate hockey up there is equivalent to collegiate baseball down here, maybe even worse.

[stuckincincy]

Yea I know that's why I said the facilties are better in the US.

Also I'd be curious to see how the hockey does in the CIS. Almost any player worth his salt up there plays in one of the multiple junior leagues (WHL, OHL, QMJHL) as opposed to collegiate.

What is this CIS? I'm aware of the one after the break-up of the Soviet Union.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Independent_States

[DraftBoy]

What is this CIS? I'm aware of the one after the break-up of the Soviet Union.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Independent_States

Canadian Interuniversity Sport

[stuckincincy]

Canadian Interuniversity Sport

Thanks. Nice to finally learn what CIS stands for over 20 posts. :surf:

[jdaltroy5]

Yea I know that's why I said the facilties are better in the US.

Also I'd be curious to see how the hockey does in the CIS. Almost any player worth his salt up there plays in one of the multiple junior leagues (WHL, OHL, QMJHL) as opposed to collegiate.The CIS hockey teams are mostly former CHL players that didn't get drafted to the NHL.

I was in Ann Arbour a couple of years ago to watch a Michigan football game and ended up sticking around because UOIT (from Oshawa) was playing the Wolverine hockey team in an exhibition game.

UOIT finished that season in last place in their division and 31st out 34 teams. Michigan ended up making it to the frozen four finals losing 3-2 in the Championship game.

UOIT beat them in the exhibition game.