Wednesday 3 August 2011

Trade Rumours Swirling

It looks as if the plethora of Receivers in Hamilton's stable could be getting smaller. Rumours abound that the BC Lions and Hamilton Tiger-Cats are in trade talks regarding one of Hamilton's Receivers.

With the emergence of Chris Williams, the Tiger-Cats have an abundance of Receivers, so the Lions inquiring about Hamilton's Receivers is not the least bit surprising.

Equally unsurprising are the names being rumoured: Maurice Mann and Marquay McDaniel.

(I know that Arland Bruce's name is also out there, but I don't see Hamilton trading him until they know whether his early-season struggles are age- or injury-related.)

I would think that Mann would fetch more in a trade, based on his reputation and contract – Mann is signed until 2012, whereas McDaniel is a free agent after this season.

For other teams, McDaniel might be more attractive because he is younger – 27 to Mann's 29 – and would likely cost less to acquire.

If it were up to me, I would trade McDaniel. He is clearly not in Hamilton's plans going forward, and it might be best to cut ties with him now and allow him to continue his career elsewhere. It was also rumoured back in February that the Lions and Ti-Cats had discussions about moving McDaniel west. So there has been interest from the Lions in McDaniel as far back as the winter.

I can see the merit in trading Mann, as he likely has a larger contract than McDaniel. Also, Mann has been replaced in the starting lineup more than admirably by Chris Williams, which does make Mann expendable.

Should either player be moved, it likely means that the other – as well as Arland Bruce – is unlikely to be dealt at any point this season.

What the Ti-Cats are looking to receive as compensation is unknown. Could it simply be draft picks, or do they have their eye on a particular player in BC?

It'll be interesting to see what, if anything, happens over the next couple of days.

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