TORONTO — When the news broke on Monday evening that McLeod Bethel-Thompson would remain a Toronto Argonaut, it seemed that one of the last remaining big fish in the pending free agent market had been hauled out of the water.
It's those 'under the radar' quarterbacks that caught my attention. Canadian Michael O’Connor is a 'Hugnagel pick' so that gives him instant cred. Walters might already be contacting him with an offer as we speak. We know what we'd be getting with Nichols... a 'game manager' which is just fine for a backup. Shiltz would be more of a 'game changer' but he might be a tad pricey for our Cap challenged club. Our noses are pressed against the shop window for now.
I'm going to be very interested in seeing who BC brings in for the QB position. Sounds like Rourke will be given every opportunity to run with the starter's job, will that push Harris & Masoli away? Nichols starter days are over IMHO, but might be a decent mentor for Rourke. If Nichols then they better plan a bit further down the road. Getting someone over 30yo would only be a short term patch. We need to look to the future in BC, now is the time to address that. Seeing only Rourke & Kevin Thomson(ZERO pro experience) listed as QBs for the Lions right now is pretty concerning.
If you guys go 'all in' with Rourke (which is what I'd do) then you'll find yourself with more Cap space than any other team in the league. This might be one those rare instances where a team that tries to buy its way to a championship actually manages to do so without violating their Cap limit.
What or Who is a 'Hugnagel pick' ? Or was that a typo for "Hufnagel" ?
John Hufnagel knows how to pick 'em when it comes to quarterback talent. His track record speaks for itself. Even his discard pile (Michael O'Connor) is worth a look IMHO.
So somebody named "a range of quarterbacks" is the most sought after free agent? That's brilliant isn't it.
I guess it's better to be named 'a ranged' instead of 'd ranged'.
Agreed. I have to think they will need to bring in a vet, even if it’s Nichols as a mentor. They won’t be breaking the bank with him but might with Masoli or Harris. What Ottawa wants and does and perhaps Edmonton should have a bearing. We’ll see if BC gets out ahead on this or waits to see who is left.
Except Huff didn’t draft him. Jim Popp drafted him with the Argos. He left for what he perceived a better opportunity to learn in Calgary.
Well if he wanted a better learning opportunity he certainly couldn't have gone far wrong looking for that while on the Stampeder's roster.
Strongly Agree !
I'm still hoping O'Connor will come back home to the nation's capital. I don't know if he's got what it takes to run an offense at the CFL level, but it would be great to see him succeed here.
You're thinking... 'Russ Jackson' kind of success?
When I read this, I figured "Rangy Quarterbacks" might have worked better.
Open Question: Do you want your quarterback to be "rangy"?
Well, if having more range on the gridiron is part of the deal too, sure, rangy it is.
Cagey, stealthy, and sneaky good are good traits too, but I suppose I might be getting greedy.