Could Lin-J Shell be the latest talented castoff to make a big impact in B.C.?

One of the most remarkable aspects of the B.C. Lions' surprising recovery from an 0-5 start to win the 2011 Grey Cup was that two of the key acquisitions who helped them turn things around were talented players essentially discarded by other teams: defensive back Tad Kornegay was cut outright by Saskatchewan in July and quickly signed with B.C., while receiver Arland Bruce was acquired for peanuts from Hamilton. Both had been dominant players in their previous CFL stints, and both quickly regained much of that form in orange and black. The Lions are hoping that trend continues with Lin-J Shell, the two-time all-star Toronto inexplicably jettisoned earlier this offseason; B.C. signed Shell to a deal for one year plus an option, and the 30-year old defensive back should prove a crucial addition to their secondary.

How do the Lions keep landing this kind of talent? Well, for one thing, they appear more concerned with players' skills than their ability to fit specific schemes. Both Saskatchewan GM Brendan Taman (in Kornegay's case) and Toronto GM Jim Barker (in Shell's case) cited changing defensive schemes as impetus for those releases, but that logic is flawed. Defensive schemes certainly matter, but the best coordinators tweak their schemes to fit the personnel they have. That's particularly important in a league like the CFL, where experience is often crucial and where the supply of talented veteran players is incredibly limited. Even if you somehow go grab a player with more raw athletic skill who's a perfect fit for your scheme, it's going to take them a while to adapt to the Canadian game.

Another element is that the Lions have an impressive, well-connected and proven group of coaches. Along those lines, it's quite notable that Shell had plenty of praise for new B.C. defensive coordinator Rich Stubler, Lions' GM Wally Buono and the rest of the staff..

Perhaps the most telling thing is how that group of coaches and personnel guys in B.C. has focused on putting together a team stocked with both raw athletic ability and veteran leadership. That emphasis on the combination of talent and experience is why we don't see a ton of blockbuster trades in the CFL, and why a lot of the movement of veteran stars only happens in free agency. Once they find and develop veteran talent, most teams try to hang on to it as long as possible, which makes these moves by Saskatchewan, Hamilton and Toronto so curious.

By contrast, the Lions appear willing to focus on nabbing raw talent and then adjusting their schemes to suit it, giving them greater flexibility and an improved supply of players. It worked out very well last year with the acquisitions of Kornegay and Bruce, and the addition of an incredible player like Shell looks likely to follow along the same lines. If this move again benefits B.C., other teams might want to shift their focus from acquiring players for a specific scheme to acquiring the best players and then developing a scheme to fit them. Otherwise, those teams will keep casting off players like Shell too soon, and the Lions may continue to benefit.