ReutersJerome Messam, the Edmonton Eskimos running back who was voted the CFL’s best Canadian player last year, may be heading 3,000 miles to the southeast.
The Edmonton Journal reported that Messam is taking his talents to South Beach to sign with the Dolphins, although a subsequent report said Messam hasn’t signed with the Dolphins yet and is still weighing Miami’s offer.
The six-foot-three, 245-pound Messam was third in the CFL with 1,057 rushing yards in 2011. He has undeniable talent, although he has had a string of off-field problems and once broke a teammate’s jaw in a fistfight. If he can stay out of trouble, he’d appear to have a good chance of making the Dolphins’ roster and becoming a contributor to their offense, which could use a big inside runner to complement Reggie Bush.
Nice! I always wondered why NFL teams don’t often take JUCO-type transfers
Well, I hope he brings his skates!!
Interesting that he is coming off a torn meniscus, though (per that link)
Reggie Bush and Thomas will be a great Duo in South Beach
All they need now is #2 WR and a QB
Does this mean they will put Reggie in the slot where he’s most dangerous? If the Phins have a bigger back that can pound it while taking a beating, it will alow Reggie more opportunities to get open and do what he does best. Dude has some of the best receiving hands for a “hb” in the league. I also think this would allow BMarshall to receive less coverage… therefor more chances to get open.
The person who was given the broken jaw was very deserved. Sounds like a RB/football player the Dolphins desperatly need. 4 yds and a right hook.
Reggie Bush had a great season, but it makes no sense to assume that he can continue to run between the tackles without eventually getting hurt. Bringing in a bruiser is smart.
“He has undeniable talent, although he has had a string of off-field problems and once broke a teammate’s jaw in a fistfight.”
Sounds like a good fit for Seattle with Tom Cable….
Uh, that would be the ESKIMOS…..the Oilers play hockey.
But we’re talking the CFL here, so you can be forgiven for the faux pas.
Anyway…….this kid is a BEAST…….and the character issues are a little exaggerated.
The injury issues should be more of a concern, but when healthy, he was the best RB in the CFL last year.
I don’t know if I’d say he’s a beast. Maybe in the CFL but NFL players are significantly bigger.
FYI – I am a CFL fan.
I think he could be successful as a bruiser/short yardage back but he would struggle being an every down back. He lacks explosiveness. Good to see teams taking advantage of the talent pool north of the border. The CFL will never compete with the NFL but that doesn’t mean it can’t continue to be a breeding ground for talent
Says alot about what the Dolphins think about Daniel Thomas, doesn’t it….
Dolphins should just sign the top players from the CFL. They got Wake and now maybe this guy.
Weighing Miami’s offer? It’s the NFL!! Take it.
Fins could get a bargain from the Bucs on Aqib Talib and they could be best buds.
……it also says a lot about Jeff Ireland and what an idiot he really is.
Traded up to get Thomas in the second round and now has to cover up that mistake by signing this guy…….
This dude may be great, but it doesn’t change the fact that they wasted yet another second round pick.
They should sign Canada’s next top model
he’d have the best nickname Messam”up”
im throwing 5 on his first KO victim…..Brandon Marshall
Based on his off field problems sonds like a Bengal to me.
This guy on South Beach? Messam, its Roger Goodell on line #1
Hey MD 20/20. So it’s JI’s fault that Daniel Thomas is made out of Paper Mache and can’t stay on the field? Get a grip. This would be a fantastic acquisition for the Fins.
This guy is a power runner, his cuts/turns are not very graceful at all. However, we lack a power runner in Miami, so I’m open to the idea
Funny how everyone doubts he is gonna work out for us or he doesnt belong…kinda like the same talk when we went to get Wake from the CFL. As long as we can get a draft pick for Daniel “Im a Psudo-Running Back” Thomas, higher than 5th round! Ireland’s favorite numbers must be any numbers after 4!
He is a CANADIAN. He is NOT the best running back in Canada. There are several American running backs in the league better than him. The BC Lions got rid of him the season before last year.
I don’t know if this is a good move or not but I hope it works out. It is telling that they are at least looking at another RB. That makes the trade up for Thomas (and ultimately missing out on Mallett) even more suspect than it was at the time.
Let’s not forget that Daniel Thomas had the most rushing yards of any 1st year runner in the AFC last year.
I think this guys is a good pick up if we can add him at the right price, a three headed monster in the MIA backfield doesn’t sound awful to me.
Thomas had no rookie offseason, was hurt early and still was productive. Maybe he’s not a great fit in the new offense, maybe he is.
He was the leading rusher for rookies in the AFC. He will still be productive…
Reggie Bush was barely given a chance to be Miami’s every down back. I don’t know why they won’t at least let him try, he has proven that even though he is small, that he is a tough dude.
Bringing in another HB is a waste. They have their guy, they just don’t see it.
Last season I was watching a CFL game on NFL Network and saw a 5 foot 2 guy return a missed field goal 122 yards for a touchdown. I think that’s all you need to know about that clown football league. Ten again, the Roughriders-Rough Riders games were usually good.
Miami Dolphins: Where CFL players go to succeed.
See: Cameron Wake.
Is Clay moving to TE?
The Fins stunk last year on short yardage running situations after dropping L. Polite. This guy will be a blocker and a short yardage back but he did have a 5.4 average and he causght 27 passes last year. Maybe the second coming of Csonka, Kick and Morris. Go Fins.
Most not all but most players from the CFL who made it later in the NFL are Americans. Jim Young many years ago may have been the best Canadian player to make the NFL. Weinmeisrer of Giants longer ago and many kickers have made it. To my knowledge no Canadoian QB with the exception of Rypien who grew up in the USA gave made it. Many people think including me that Russ Jackson had he tried the NFL he would have been a top QB. there. There have been practically no Canadian QBs in the CFL let alone starters and for many years now.
Two words Jeff Ireland: Cecil Collins.
Cecil Collins is a legend in our fantasy league. One guy mortgaged his team’s draft picks for years to come to land Cecil Collins, but he was more like a Tom Collins (a Peeping Tom Collins, to boot). I guess he’s playing for the Mean Machine against the guards these days.
My Canadian superstar of choice was a back named Willard Reeves. He scored something like seven TDs during the preseason for the Redskins, so I used my Ace of Spades high trump card to win the hand of the guy in marriage (a Ditka tribute). Joe Gibbs cut Reeves on the eve of the draft, then re-signed him as a paperweight for the bench without informing me of his plans.
In other words, mea culpa (which means, of course, either “Let the buyer beware,” or “That’s the way the cookie crumbles”).
finfanjim says:
Feb 12, 2012 3:42 PM
Thomas had no rookie offseason, was hurt early and still was productive. Maybe he’s not a great fit in the new offense, maybe he is.
He was the leading rusher for rookies in the AFC. He will still be productive…
___________________________________Thomas had injury problems along with fumble problems in college and now he is in the NFL doing the same. He is a injury prone RB that fumbles. I have no idea why the phins traded up to grab him in the 2nd round last year with 11 fumbles in two seasons.
Alex Webster another excellent RB who first played in the CFL but he was like most of those who ten played in NFL, they were American trained and American players.
Nessam is a power RB. He may be the perfect fit with Bush.