The announcement today by the Riders that all four 2012 draft picks have been signed and will be at rookie camp has been welcome news. I have to admit I was starting to think that this wasn't going to happen. Although Ben Hennan was quoted as saying that he thought it was going to get done, as each day brought us one day closer to camp it was easy to believe that at least one of the picks wouldn't be signed.
But its done and not a day too soon.
This is quite the accomplishment when you look at the difficulties other teams have had in signing their picks. As an example, Edmonton is unable to sign both of their first round picks this year; as Austin Pasztor and Shamawd Chambers have chosen to pursue their options in the NFL. There have been stories in the Calgary Herald that some teams are having issues with at least one agent. And each year, more CIS players are looking south for a chance in the NFL.
Perhaps the biggest surprise with this announcement is Ismaël Bamba. TSN had issued a report earlier this month that all indications were that he would return to Sherbrooke. His draft position fell quite a bit from pre-draft projections and maybe that made him lean to a return to college. This guy had lots of potential at North Dakota before he returned and there a is a good chance he could make the team this year.
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