TORONTO — It was shortly after 10 a.m. locally but still a good time for Linden Gaydosh to celebrate.
Moments after going first overall to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the CFL draft on Monday, the Calgary Dinos rugged defensive lineman honoured the occasion by cracking open a cold one at his Peace River, Alta., home.
“(The celebration) is going very well,” Gaydosh told reporters during a CFL conference call four hours later. “I’ve had a couple for sure.
“They’re probably the best beers I’ve ever had.”
Gaydosh’s selection was hardly surprising.
The six-foot-three, 314-pound Gaydosh was the third-ranked prospect according to the CFL’s scouting bureau and impressed at the league combine in March with his raw power and athleticism. And with this year’s shallow talent pool, Gaydosh’s stock skyrocketed leading up to the draft with six of the seven top prospects either returning to school or garnering serious NFL interest.
That made Gaydosh a hot commodity as Ticats coach/GM Kent Austin said he entertained trade offers for the No. 1 pick but none were to his liking.
“We didn’t feel like the value was there and in most cases, not even close,” Austin said. “It didn’t get very serious in our mind.”
Especially, Austin said, considering what the Ticats figured they were getting in Gaydosh.
“He’s very aggressive, he’s very strong and very agile for his size,” Austin said. “The guy really loves football and we want guys who love the game and will commit at a high level and, as they say, pay the price to be great.
“I think Linden has those qualities.”
Gaydosh registered 90.5 tackles, seven sacks and 14 tackles for a loss at Calgary, helping the Dinos win four straight Canada West championships. Gaydosh was Canadian university football’s top rookie in 2009 and Hardy Cup defensive MVP the following year.
Gaydosh joins slotback Don Blair (1996, Edmonton) and defensive end Kent Warnock (1986, Calgary) as Dinos taken first overall. But Hamilton will have to wait because Gaydosh wants to first exhaust his NFL options before putting his signature on a CFL deal.
“The NFL option is in my head and I don’t want to close that door until I absolutely have to before I commit to the CFL,” Gaydosh said. “If nothing happens by training camp, I’ll fully commit 100 per cent.”
Even with Gaydosh off the board, Winnipeg looked for defensive line help but from a surprising source. The Blue Bombers, whose 6-12 record last year was tied with Hamilton for the CFL’s worst, took Eastern Michigan defensive lineman Andy Mulumba at No. 2 despite Mulumba being under contract to the NFL’s Green Bay Packers.
Bomber general manager Joe Mack said he would’ve been happy with either Gaydosh or Mulumba.
“We were going back and forth . . . we really liked Linden Gaydosh a lot and there was maybe a slight tick up for him because he’s available right away,” Mack said. “But you know Andy Mulumba is a hard worker, he’s a good kid, he plays hard and actually may be a little more versatile.
“We certainly wish him the best (with Green Bay) but we think the chances are at least 50-50 we’ll see him some time this year.”
The six-foot-four, 263-pound Mulumba, a Montreal native, had 156 tackles, 4.5 sacks and three forced fumbles at Eastern Michigan. Mulumba was stunned to go second overall and said while flattered, Winnipeg is his second option.
“Because of the fact I already signed a contract with the Green Bay Packers, I want to try that first and see where we go from there,” he said. “I’m really excited about being selected second . . . but I aspire to play in the NFL.
“If that doesn’t work I’ll be really proud to be a Blue Bomber.”
Mack again raised eyebrows in the second by taking Concordia defensive back Kris Robertston. The five-foot-eight, 185-pound native of Pickering, Ont., tested well at the combine and can return kicks but questions exist whether he’s big enough to cover bigger CFL receivers and the prevailing thought was he’d been available later on.
Montreal also looked to Calgary for its two first-round picks, taking highly regarded linebacker Mike Edem at No. 3, then running back Steven Lumbala two selections later. The six-foot-one, 200-pound Edem, a native of Brampton, Ont., will likely move to safety in the CFL but gives the Alouettes a player who can contribute immediately on special teams while adjusting to a pro defence.
“We got a tremendous athlete in Edem that can compete for a starting job and/or can at least be a backup to maintain ratio,” Alouettes GM Jim Popp said. “Lumbala can do the same thing.
“We weren’t sure we’d get one of those guys. It’s a positive when guys have played each other and know each other. They obviously have a comfort level. They’re teammates and family, it’s a huge positive.”