NFL washouts come north

Former Cincinnati Bengal Peter Warrick, whose promising NFL career was cut short by injuries and former Detroit Lion Charles Rogers, whose career was cut short by drug problems, are on their way north. CJAD.com confirmed that Warrick has indeed signed with the club and that Rogers will most likely join the Als in time for training camp, set to begin at the end of the month in St. Jean sur Richelieu.

Both are receivers, and if healthy and in condition to play, could potentially help the Alouettes' maligned receiving corps, made up of a broken Ben Cahoon, a seemingly disinterested Kerry Watkins and a cast of other ball-droppers. They do have a prospect in former Vanier College star Danny Desriveaux, but Dave Stala's career has 'Stalaed' and Eric Deslauriers has yet to live up to the promise that made him a first-round pick in 2005.

Warrick was picked fourth overall by the Bengals in 1999, while Rogers was taken second overall in the 2003 NFL Draft by the Lions. Both prospects had standout NCAA careers and were considered solid prospects at the time. Warrick had a slightly more decorated career, but lost his job in Cincinnati to Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh and got hurt. With any luck, Warrick could turn into a faster version of Terry Vaughn, who was a serviceable, if not dominant slot guy for the Als in '05 and '06.

Rogers, on the other hand is a classic NFL wide-receiver type. 6'3, 220 pounds, and there were rumours he was fast, although we haven't heard those rumours for a few years now.

If Rogers is truly past his drug demons, his acquisition could be a good one, but there's always the chance he turns into another Lawrence Phillips.

So, can we count on these two NFL castoffs to contribute come the season opener? I'd like to say yes, but frankly, this move smells more like the Dexter Manley signing by the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1994.

Will they really help the Als in 2008? Or will it be more like the Quincy Carter tryout experiment?

Even the Ricky Williams experiment was a relatively productive one for the Argonauts, even if Williams was a shadow of his former self. With the aging, fragile, immobile and now noodle-armed Anthony Calvillo still behind centre, maybe it doesn't even matter who the Als have at receiver.