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Potentially losing Craig Butler for the year might force a Hamilton ratio revamp

Potentially losing Craig Butler for the year might force a Hamilton ratio revamp

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are facing some tough challenges ahead thanks to an injury to all-star Canadian safety Craig Butler. As Justin Dunk reports at 3 Down Nation, Butler "might not step on the field in 2016 due to a significant injury." Here's more from Dunk's piece:

Butler is dealing with a knee issue that’s put him in danger of missing the entire 2016 campaign. The 27-year-old was due a sizeable bonus in early March but re-negotiated his contract. Although he did not receive that off-season payment, Butler will be paid while he recovers. The re-worked deal displays the Ticats’ commitment to Butler by keeping him on through the uncertainty of the setback when they could’ve cut him and walked away.

While it's smart for the Ticats to keep a talented Canadian player like Butler (he was one of their prized free-agency additions in 2014, was an East all-star that year, and had a particularly good 2015 campaign, earning a league all-star nod after notching 43 tackles, four sacks and one interception in just 15 games) for the future even if he can't contribute in 2016, his loss is still likely to be felt this season. As Drew Edwards writes, Butler was a lock to be one of the team's seven national starters this year. Without him, they'll have to consider other options:

Option number one may be to promote third-year man Mike Daly into a starting spot. The McMaster product made six starts last season and played well, registering three interceptions and showing a nose for the football – a skill he attributes in part to working closely with Butler last off-season. He’s a bit smaller than his teammate and 15 pounds lighter so durability will be a question mark.

Other possibilities including moving guys around and making a ratio change. The Ticats could move Courtney Stephen to safety while playing four American defensive backs, then insert another Canadian elsewhere. Frederic Plesius could get a shot at middle linebacker, the team could use two national defensive tackles or two Canadian wide receivers, areas where they have decent depth.

Butler’s injury could also affect the team’s draft strategy. If they elect to start both Daly and Stephen, Canadian depth in the secondary could quickly become an issue, particularly after the departures of Mike Edem and Neil King via free agency. There are several highly-touted prospects in the upcoming draft class including Michigan State’s Arjen Colquhoun and UBC’s Taylor Loffler.

At the very least, the Ticats may be forced into going away from their preferred approach – drafting the best player available, regardless of position – to something that targets a position where they need support.

The Tiger-Cats are certainly deeper in Canadian talent than some teams, and, as Edwards notes, their offseason decisions to spend significant money re-signing Stephen and defensive tackle Ted Laurent will definitely help them absorb this loss. Those two guys are elite talents who happen to be Canadian, making them vital to successful ratio optimization. However, the same can be said about Butler, and his loss will still be felt. While Hamilton does have some options to consider here, none of them are as good as merely starting Butler would have been. We'll see how the Ticats handle this and if it changes how they approach the draft.