Durant for ?????

After the Calgary game today, I have to admit, Durant, to me, looked like a guy who was trying too hard.
He played well, considering a badly timed fumble (but he's not paid to RUN the ball) and this is not to knock him but I think he's on the outs with Jones.
As Jones holds the keys, I think he's going to move him. As every QB who delivers success in Rider history, he's due to get run out of town anyway so why not trade him while he has value.

How about Durant for Lulay, straight up?
Good for Darian as he gets to mentor an up an comer and win another championship.
Good for Lulay as he gets to start and help rebuild a team with a strong fan base. Imagine the endorsements?

Both are as fragile as each other so health doesn't come into play.
Durant's contract is done this season. I really don't see Jones resigning him and after today, I think Jones is ready to detonate some more explosives.

Durant is awesome. He's still Durant. He is a warrior and he is still a major beotch to sack. He's got the downfield eyes and the arm to go with it. He's the only starting QB in the league who hasn't thrown a pick (neither has Gale I believe). He's fully committed and a complete leader. He makes bad plays work and he's at the top of his game. His abilities are wasted on this joke of a team.

You can trade him for Lulay of you want but you won;t win any more games. If Durant can get this team to win, nobody can.

Depends on who they have behind him. Are we really sold on Gale? I don't know.

i don’t know if he’s the future but he’s the 2nd best QB the Riders have had since probably Kerry Joseph. Much better than Brett Smith. They got a player in Gale.

Yes but I wouldn’t be naming him our starter just yet. Let the guy develop a bit more before pulling the trigger in any type of trade.

I don’t even know who would/could take on Durant’s salary? Possibly Winnipeg if they released Willy. That’s about all I can think of.

If I were suddenly plunked into the GM seat tomorrow morning, my first order of business would be to have a sitdown with Durant and ask if he'd like an extension.

He won’t do it yet. They wanted to put him at 2 years before the season and he wouldn’t bite. I do agree though in general…my first move would be seeing how many hogs I had to buy from the Heenan farm to get him to deliver them on gameday and stick around for a few hours though lol

I agree and if Jones wants to survive to see the light of another day, trading Durant had better be the last thing on his mind. Jennings would be the only one I would even consider making that trade for and the only way that is even palatable is Jennings age and he does show a lot of upside.

While Durant didn’t have a great game he had a ton of heat in his face all game. Like PD said the guy is as strong as a bull and when he runs not many db’s want to get in his path. This game wouldn’t have been close with Gale in there.

Hell Gale may be all right but to even consider him as a starter right now is laughable at best. As for trading for Lulay? Get real there is no upside to that for us. Fans would be even more outraged if that happened. I know that doesn’t seem to phase Jones but that was when he was the knight in shining armor. That shine has all but gone so while it went with out revolt or rioting with other popular players to do it now to Durant may be the final nail in Jones’s coffin with the fans.

Yes Jones should send a message of stability is going to happen with this team and offer Durant a nice new 2 year contract with a raise of course. This team is in turmoil right now and showing good play and leadership is rewarded certainly would not be a bad idea. In fact it could be one of the best moves Jones could make right now. It would be a positive and popular decision. God knows Jones and the team needs something positive happening with the team right now. Having still one of the best pivot’s this team has ever seen secured would go along way towards that.

Trading or losing DD would be my last straw. The rushing alone last night shows he wants to win... to good to trade... and my question is for what good reason, not gonna get much better than him.

if I was Durant I would say, you build me a O-line that will keep me safe (injuries to the O-line play a big role ? ),
and secondly I want a big bruising running back that can get those tough first downs,
then I will think on your offer.

They have an oline that will protect him. It is pretty much on the 6…along with a couple of their backups

I thought that Best and King should have come off the 6 game as they were was on it for game 1 ?

Now getting back to you first statement pat. What makes you think Durant is on the "outs" with Jones? I mean the guy took a new deal that isn't worth as much as he would get paid, they met in the off season and discussed the situation with the team and came to an agreement. I mean he hasn't thrown a pick this season although last night he certainly should have had one. Yes the fumble was costly too but he also made lots of runs and got positive yards out of nothing.

I don't like seeing him run as much as he did last night but again he had far too much heat and it was either run or get killed. Durant is more effective when he does run or moves the pocket around so he should continue to do it maybe just not quite as much as in that game. Still you could tell he was doing everything he could to try and get the win.

I actually feel Jones and Durant are pretty cool with each other and I know Jones thinks Durant is an asset to the team. Now if the O line ever does gets healthy and Durant is struggling the rest of the season then that could of course change, but as of now Durant is one of the best players on the team period. To go and trade him now would be a disaster for this team on every level.

Could Jones go ahead and pull the trigger? OF course he could but again why? It's not like you can point at Durant and say he has cost us games. As I said it would be an act of suicide for Jones to even consider doing it at this time. Right now Jones is not exactly sitting pretty with the fans or probably even the board after last weeks fiasco so I doubt he is looking to make any more enemies. Jones needs to show that there is going to be stability with this team eventually and lighting a fuse on that powder keg of moving Durant would blow up in his face quickly. Jones is arrogant and likes to go against the grain but I don't know even if he wanted to if Murph and Reynolds would go along with it.

Reynolds knows right now that he also isn't off the hook for all that has happened in the last while so would it make sense to him to take a qb that is the backbone of the team and rip it out? I doubt it.

Hey Jimmy - I'm a couple of provinces over so not saturated with all the Rider media but I see every game. I love the banter on this thread and am very pleased most fans still support DD. I love the guy but he's at the risk of Jones' decisions. Jones has not been afraid to do what he pleases. I agree, Jones needs to sit down and offer DD an extension, and now, but he simply doesn't do what the fans want. That's why I see Durant at risk. That's why I see DD playing yesterday like he had to win it all by himself. It just didn't look like a DD game to me.

One thing you guys would know better than me, the revolving door of OC's that DD's had to contend with all the years he's been a Rider ...... has this made him better or is he relearning the schemes the OC brings in and 'catching up'? I have to think that is a frustration for DD.

Oh your right about Jones doing what he wants but as I mentioned I think that leash has been tightened a bit after what has happened in the last few weeks. I'm not saying he still isn't in control but (and this is only a guess on my part) I think Reynolds probably got more then an ear full from the board about what has been going on both on and off the field. We all know what way **** flows so being Jones is next in line guess who also probably had a nice tea and crumpet party with Jones and Murph.

This is why I think it would be either squished by Murph or Reynolds or both. The last thing this team needs is another media circus and not a positive one especially. I mean like I mentioned Durant isn't to blame for the losses or the other stuff so to unceremoniously give him the boot when he has been one of the best if not the best player on the team well the media would have a field day with it and would just smell the blood in the water and swarm in for the feeding frenzy. That is the last thing Jones, the Riders, or it fans need right now.

In the off season who knows especially when or if some of this stuff dies down. Again though if Durant does play well then it would look pretty bad to punt him. If now he goes sour and he starts throwing picks and costing us games then like any player there is a chance of him being moved. Still if he plays well as I expect he will, Jones may be smart before season end to lock him up. Him having a one year deal and if he is doing good could open the bidding war for him. I could see Toronto, Montreal, perhaps Winnipeg taking a shot at him. Toronto would be my first guess as I think Ray will be done after this season. We all know the Argos like big name qb's so having a solid vet like Durant step in would make sense. To avoid that Jones should make him a better offer shortly) depending of course on his play continuing to be good and of course he doesn't get injured.) and give the team and fans the first sign of stability and commitment that things are getting better.

Lulay as I said would not do well with this team and all the turmoil. Jennings would be as I said the only one that would be really attractive in my opinion simply as I said because of his youth and it certainly looks like he has the potential. BC would never go for it of course so strike them off the list. Franklin? That to me is still an unknown quality. Sure he may have looked good in spot duty,but how many others have shown the same thing, only to later be a bust when they really get the chance. Nope Edmonton wouldn't trade anyways, at least not for Durant when they have Reilly. Winnipeg? Again while they may be interested what would we gain? Scratch them off the list for a trade. Calgary, Ottawa, Hamilton, all off the list. I just don't see a trading partner out there that we get anything close to what we have with doubles. So to move him this season would be the biggest and probably final mistake Jones could ever make as a Rider. It just makes no sense for the team to even consider it.

You don’t know that at all, any more than I do. Perhaps he wanted only 1 year with Jones but with a different regime with a different mentality that could change. I would sit down with him and offer to extend him. he might accept and might not but that is not for you to say.

Anyways the point is moot because chances are Jones deals him at the deadline to an eastern team fighting for the playoffs or has lost its starter. And if not, then Durant will walk from this gongshow (probably to the Alouettes) at the end of the year, which Jones will see coming which will make him even more likely to trade.

James Franklin is the QB Week 1 in the new stadium, and likely jones’ plan since December.

I’ll throw the rest of my statement back in there so as it is not selective…so sorry for not saying “I don’t think he will” instead of saying “he won’t” in a forum where people are posting opinions and banter. I can not see that he will though…he made a statement by rejecting an extension. Right now he is playing solid…but they have 1 win and he is coming off of missing a couple of games…the 1 win they had he did not play…not exactly great timing for a starting QB to be in contract talks…logic says to ride it out and see if things improve…if they don’t then he likely gets a lower offer and he sees what is out there for offers on an open market

"So to move him this season would be the biggest and probably final mistake Jones could ever make as a Rider. It just makes no sense for the team to even consider it."

Agreed. Just need our O-Line to get healthy and back to give DD the protection.

Totally agree

Yes I think the riders need to sign durant now, I see no point in waiting any longer, he is the only stable veteran on this team, and to lose him would be to lose the confidence of the fans.