The Toronto Argonauts acquired their second quarterback in as many days Wednesday, inking former Buffalo Bills backup Gibran Hamdan.
Hamdan, 29, appeared in four preseason games with the Bills last year, completing 32 of 48 passes for 427 yards and a touchdown.
“I’m excited to learn as much as I can from my new coaches and teammates in Toronto, and want to do whatever I can to help the team prepare and win," said Hamdan, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound pivot from the University of Indiana.
"I hope to bring a sound work ethic, leadership and a commitment to success to training camp that’s consistent with someone who is focused on winning. Coming to Toronto is an excellent opportunity and I’m eager to get started.?
Hamdan had an MVP season with NFL Europa in 2006, completing 63% of his passes for more than 1,600 yards, 12 touchdowns and just three interceptions.
Hamdan was originally drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Since entering the NFL, he’s also been on rosters with the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins.
“Gibran is a true professional. He has had success as a starter in NFL Europe where he was the MVP," said Argos coach Jim Barker. "Gibran is an accurate passer who has the arm strength to make all of the necessary throws."
I am not impressed as the team would be better off to sign any number of the three top CIS prospects who are attedning the combines this week.
Heck if you are going to work with a NFL reject whose success is projected minimal at best, I would rather develop a Canadian to hold a clipboard.
At the same time, the PR move would be awesome from the fans and media.
I thought Barker would know better and especially from a guy who has been around the block and lived in this country for many years.
Chad Lucas likes him from his NFLE days. From Friends of the Argos site quoting:
I think I have scored so often in large part because of our quarterback, Gibran Hamdan, who is over here for the third time. He's been a leader for us all year. He puts us in position with checks at the line and things of that nature. And we're making the plays. It's not just me; it's everybody
NFL 'reject' is not the way to look at guys. Some of them are better than CIS all-stars I would say or could be. The point is using that phrase is just sort of inaccurate IMHO. No offense argotom.
Depends what you mean by 'reject'. Doug Flutie and Garcia could both be termed that in many ways and they didn't do too bad in the CFL. Warren Moon as well, just because he wasn't given a chance up front does that mean he wasn't a 'reject'? Theismann as well. Who knows, if Hamdan had of come to the CFL right after college and been a star here, that may have set him up for an excellent NFL career possibly rather than going to NFLE.
And Braley a much wiser knowledgeable CFL owner at this time than Bob Young was then.
I think Bob would admit that. I know that's a different argument but I tell you, I wouldn't underestimate the potential value that Braley could have on the Argos in a very short time frame.
Flutie, Garcia and Moon were all developed in the CFL first and then they went the other way.
I don’t consider the cup of coffee that Flutie had early on as anything.
My question is what NFL reject has come to our league and has had some success.
David Archer with Ottawa and Edmonton? Billy Joe Toliver with Shreveport? Ferragamo with the Als?
But they were rejected by the NFL. What I'm saying is had Hamdan come here first and developed, he could have been better than he is now. You can't say because he falls under your definition of NFL reject that that will make him necessarily a crap CFL qb.
No let's hope he is the exception and not the rule.
But, the odds are heavily stacked against him.
Just like the odds are heavily stacked against the Canadian QB.
But,isn't it time we gave a local kid the chance to compete for heavens sake? Not a charity move, real competition.
Odds is more accurate I would say, yes. The old saying can he beat the odds?
I'm sorry but I don't say you give a Canadian kid a chance to be the qb of your team if the coaches upon looking at evaluation drills and all of that don't feel they deserve it over others that perform better in these pre-camp drills and assessments. Now if the rules are changed, that's different, where they'd have to play a Canadian qb or keep one on the roster. Remember that all these guys "NFL rejects" like Hamdan have probably worked out in front of CFL coaches and been interviewed and have had some questions thrown at them for assessment purposes. Not saying there isn't any bias agains't Canadian qb kids, I'm sure there is some, but not as much as many people claim IMHO.
Yeah Mass, I think sometimes the NFL just has some coaches and coaching staff that have very narrow defintions of who they WANT to succeed for their teams based on scouting reports and that and are biased and therefore reject some guys right at the beginning the minute they make one mistake.
Every US player in the CFL is an NFL reject. Argotom's statement makes no sense.
Nor does his "cup of coffee" assessment of Flutie in the NFL prior to coming north. He played a full season of USFL (15 games I think), then was in the NFL for the next five seasons, playing in more than 20 games. If he's right, that a fairly large cup of coffee, I guess.
We may this year, drafting one of the three standouts profiled here in round 2, 3 or 4.
As to Hamdan, no one is giving him the starting job just yet. Let’s see what happens in camp. If he wins it, fine, then let’s see what happens the first 2 months. Let’s give the guy a chance before we go jump off a cliff.
I’d be more disappointed if we brought back Bishop or Joseph and just gave them the job.
Would you not have to draft one of these players first? Or sign them after they go undrafted (if that happens). I know if I was a fan of a team that two days ao had zero QB’s and now has two, I’d be at least a little relieved.
Regardless if they bring in one of those CIS kids, they will need a lot of development time to get up to Pro speed. Hamdan has already done that.
Regardless if they bring in one of those CIS kids, they will need a lot of development time to get up to Pro speed. Hamdan has already done that
Yes, and seen cornerbacks and linebackers that are much quicker than what any CIS qb will have seen playing in the CIS, on average. I like CIS ball and am glad that some of the best in the CIS have a place to play after college.
Here is a bit more background from another post after the first reports of his signing last week:
Hamdan grew up in the Washington DC Metro area where he arrived as a refugee from the first Gulf War in the early 1990s after his family went to Kuwait when he was at the age of three.
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/p ... mdGi00.htm (listed apparently incorrectly at 6-6 240)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibran_Hamdan
Hamdan played at Indiana University where he was the starter his senior year, and he was on the Redskins for a season right out of college too. Standing 6-4 and 220, he has the prototype modern NFL QB build yet he has thrown only 1 NFL pass at his age of 29. Now we know what he has been doing otherwise.
As Earl discusses below, I don’t think he has ever been given a real shot in the NFL and probably never will be given one, so I hope he can establish a presence for the long-term in Toronto in the CFL.
I like these moves for the Argos to clean house and give a run to some new QB blood, and I would not be surprised if they ended up with 5QBs compete for 3 spots by the time they go to training camp. I think at most they’ll have one more fresh pro player and two veterans, so let’s brace ourselves with the anticipation I guess.
CFL teams almost need to carry 4 QB's these days. They are required to dress 3 QB's and if the starter gets injured, teams are often scrambling around to find any warm body to fill the 3rd roster spot. Better to have a QB in the system, who knows the system, rather than being in panic mode if a QB gets injured.
Last year the Lions carried 4 QB's on the roster, ostensibly to block other teams from signing Zac Champion if he was exposed on the practice roster. But they ended up needing Zac...and Casey Printers, too!
It remains to be seen if 6' 4" Hamdan is just another wooden man, robotic passer after years of NFL drilling...or does he have mobility and improvisational skills required by a CFL QB?
Let's not forget about Chris Malleo, whose star may have faded with the recent Argo signings, but seemingly has the wheels and arm to be a CFL QB.
The bottom line is the Argos need a proven CFL QB to not only step in as the number one but to give the team a chance to win and seriously compete for the GC.
The status quo and especially after the last two years is not an option.
The two guys signed are long term projects at best and maybe as third stringers only.
Well we had seen this coming for a while so I am not surprise. I am also a bills fan and have seen Hamdan live. He is mobile and can throw well. Not as for reading defensives I can't really comment since I have only seen him in Pre-season action. I feel the Bills never really gave him the chance. I like this signing, and think he'll make a good backup and could start in the future.
