Stamps grab Charbonneau-Campeau, Ticats take Armstrong in Canadian receiver exchange

Player-for-player trades aren't all that common in the CFL, but the one made Monday looks like a deal that could potentially be a good fit for both teams. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Calgary Stampeders have elected to trade Canadian receivers, with Calgary sending Spencer Armstrong east in exchange for Simon Charbonneau-Campeau. Both players have promising talent, but didn't appear to be seen as major pieces with their current teams. Thus, this is a trade where neither side's giving up someone they viewed as critically important to their future, and both are betting that the player they're bringing in might benefit from a change of scenery. It's a relatively low-risk gamble for both, and one that could pay off.

Charbonneau-Campeau is the much more experienced of the pair, as he's played in 27 games with the Tiger-Cats over the last two seasons. However, he hasn't made much of an impact for them on the stat sheet, starting just two games and only recording nine catches for 115 yards. (Five of those catches came in one game this year, July 7 against Edmonton.) That's not necessarily a reflection on Charbonneau-Campeau, considering how deep the Hamilton receiving corps was (and how many top Canadians they had), but it does mean he isn't really a proven pass-catcher at the CFL level. However, he had a terrific CIS career, catching 138 passes for 2,477 receiving yards with the Sherbrooke Vert et Or (both school records), and Hamilton chose him in the fourth round of the 2012 CFL Draft (25th overall). At 6'4'' and 195 pounds, he's a big body, and he might fit in well with the Stampeders' offence. He's also only 25, so he could have plenty of years left.

Armstrong is more of a raw gamble. He was also a fourth-round draft pick, but was chosen 28th overall in 2009 out of the Air Force Academy. He only came to the CFL this year after fulfilling his commitment to the U.S. Air Force, playing football for the first time in over four years. However, despite the Stampeders' massive injuries in the receiving corps this season, it took a long while for Armstrong to get in the lineup, and he only appeared in one game, recording no stats. He finished the season on the practice roster. However, he was a solid player for Air Force, and he could be an interesting guy for the Tiger-Cats to take a look at. He isn't much older than Charbonneau-Campeau, too, as he's only 27. At 6'1'' and 195 pounds, he's shorter than Charbonneau-Campeau, but he's a solidly-built guy who can make plays. We'll see if he can prove he can perform at the CFL level, but he's worth a look.

Trades like this aren't all that common, but maybe they should be made more frequently. Both teams are getting rid of players who weren't seen as important to them, and in return, they're acquiring assets that might pan out. Each team's differences in offensive schemes and personnel can mean a poor fit in one place could work out well elsewhere, and it can be worth taking a look at Canadians who have some CFL experience as well as just focusing on adding new players through the draft. Neither Armstrong nor Charbonneau-Campeau is guaranteed to even make their new team out of camp, but it looks like both will have more opportunity in new surroundings. That's not a bad thing for them, or for these teams.