Examining the CFL's biggest cuts: Calgary, Montreal ditch numerous veterans

The CFL's teams finished their cuts to a 46-man-active roster Saturday night, and while a lot of the names released would be unfamiliar (some so much so that the league website spelled them wrong) to many fans of the league, there were still were some notable cuts. In particular, the Calgary Stampeders and Montreal Alouettes got rid of some well-known veterans. Here's a look at five of the most notable cuts:

Khalif Mitchell, defensive tackle, Montreal: Mitchell might be the highest-profile cut of all. The import defensive lineman is a two-time league all-star (in 2011 with B.C. and in 2013 with Toronto), someone who's been a force on the interior of defensive lines across the league, and someone who's turned the NFL down to stay north of the border. He's also only 30. However, he's created significant controversies in many of his stops, including breaking an opponent's arm in his first stint with the Lions, earning a fine and a suspension for racist tweets in 2011, and earning a fine for anti-Semitic tweets this year (which he later apologized for). Mitchell has also made odd exits from both B.C. and Toronto, and although the Lions were willing to take another chance on him last year, he only recorded nine tackles and one sack. It seems he didn't impress the Alouettes either; the team signed him to a three-year contract this offseason, so for them to cut him this soon is a bit surprising. When he's at his best, Mitchell can be a disruptive pass-rushing and run-stopping force in this league, and at 30, someone may give him another chance, but the amounts of exits he's piling up may deter some teams.

Lin-J Shell, defensive back, Calgary: Import DB Shell is a two-time divisional all-star, with those nods coming with Toronto in 2010 and 2011 following remarkable statistical seasons. He was curiously released by the Argos in the 2011-12 offseason, though, and while he wound up in B.C. and was a valuable and versatile piece for the Lions, they elected to release him in the 2013-14 offseason as part of a youth movement. Shell caught on with Calgary, but his 2014 stats with the Stampeders weren't exceptional, and he'll be 34 in October, so they may have figured they were better off going young. Still, he's another prominent CFL veteran in this round of cuts. It will be interesting to see if anyone looking for veteran help picks him up.

Carson Rockhill, offensive lineman, Hamilton: Seeing Rockhill cut is interesting considering his career to this point. The Canadian offensive lineman was taken 13th overall by the Tiger-Cats in the 2012 CFL draft after an impressive career with the Calgary Dinos, but opted to return to school that year. Hamilton then traded him to Edmonton with Canadian linebacker Nathan Kanya in February 2013 for Canadian offensive lineman Greg Wojt, import linebacker Simoni Lawrence and import quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. That deal worked out very well for the Ticats, as both Wojt and Lawrence became major pieces for them (and Masoli might yet). Meanwhile, Kanya was mostly a special-teams player for Edmonton in 2013 and 2014 (and he was cut Saturday too), while the Eskimos cut Rockhill in June 2013 and he quickly returned to Hamilton. So, at the very least, he proved to be a valuable trade piece for the Ticats, and he was a decent depth offensive lineman for them the last couple of years, a role he was projected to fill again this season. He only played three games for Hamilton last year, though, so perhaps this cut isn't all that surprising. He'll be 25 at the end of June, so he could have some upside if anyone else wants to take a chance on him, but he's now been axed by two different teams in his first three CFL seasons, a little unusual for a second-round pick.

Geoff Tisdale, defensive back, Montreal: Tisdale's heading into his eighth CFL season, and he's earned two divisional all-star nods (in 2013 and 2014) and a league all-star nod (in 2013), so it's curious to see him cut. The import defensive back has had an impressive career with Hamilton, Calgary, Hamilton again and now Montreal (since 2013). One possibility here is that his physical style of play wasn't working out so well under the league's new downfield contact restrictions. Still, Tisdale is just 29, and his experience and past record of high-level play might convince another team to bring him in.

Eric Taylor, defensive tackle, Calgary: Taylor's another long-time CFL vet; the import defensive tackle's been in the league since 2008, with stops in Edmonton, Toronto, B.C. and now Calgary. He particularly shone in B.C. as a gap-eater, often proving crucial to stopping the run and playing a key part in the team's 2011 "Monsters of the Middle" (along with Mitchell) lineup that was a big part of their Grey Cup win. The Lions released him this March, though, perhaps due to a desire to find a younger replacement for the 33-year-old Taylor, and he's now proven unable to make the Stampeders roster. We'll see if he gets another look somewhere else, or if this is the end to his solid CFL career.