Should the Toronto Argos sign Trevor Lawrence if he doesn't want to go to the New York Jets?

Now that the CFL season that never was has ended. Time for some hot stove banter.

Hear me out on this topic. The CFL needs an attraction to get people interested once the CFL restarts their 2021 season. What better way than to get a generational talent to energize the CFL game.

This isn't exactly a bidding war for football talent. It is an option for Lawrence and the league. The CFL contract would still be a two year contract with a multi million dollar deal. The contract could have an out clause after the first year, if Lawrence wants to return to the NFL by re-entering the draft. It could be exempt from the CFL salary cap limits citing "exceptional status" reasoning. The signing would help the Toronto market and CFL exposure in the US. Even if Lawrence doesn't sign with the CFL/Argos, it would create a buzz for the league heading into it's new season.

The Jets are obviously tanking for him. The Jets organization is poorly run. It's a quarterback graveyard. See M. Sanchez, G. Smith, Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold etc. Lawrence has nothing to prove staying in college. He isn't getting paid and could get injured. Lawrence could hold out if he was drafted by the Jets, but it shortens his playing time and he ain't getting paid.

MLSE and the Argos have the money to afford a rich, short-term contract. This signing would be overall good for the league for ticket sales and viewership. This would be totally different from the Johnny Manziel signing when Lawrence isn't on his last chance for Football.

MSLE is throwing crazy money to NBA scrubs for it's Raptor team. It would be better value for the Argos in comparison to the Raptors. The Argos have done deals like this in the past with Joe Theisman and "Rocket" Ismail. Both players left after a few years in the CFL. The Rocket was the talk of the Toronto sports market back then and he won a Grey Cup for the Argos

Feel free to discuss.

Lawrence can be a good fit for the ARGOS and the CFL.

Not sure if his agent, if he has one, will advise him as such.

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Why would Lawrence's agent advise him to come to the CFL? He is considered one of the top QB prospects of the last four years. He is definitely going to the NFL, and the idea he wouldn't want to play for the Jets is ridiculous. Yeah, why would a good-looking QB want to turn pro in the biggest media market in the world?

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It’s the Jets.

They need a major overhaul before drafting a QB.

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Yeah, it’s the Jets. It’s also the Big Apple. And there isn’t an NFL team that would pass up a potential franchise QB because they don’t have enough talent to surround him with. This idea is a complete non-starter (which appears to be the new normal on this forum).

I wasn’t suggesting he should sign in the CFL.

Exhaust all options in the NFL.

Maybe he can turn the Jets around.

…rumours are that TL won’t play for the Jets because, well, Jets…they’re terrible right now…BUT they could improve by trading away that #1 pick for bank and TL ends up somewhere that has some semblance of a team…Dallas apparently is one such team that can afford to send lots to the Jets in return for that coveted #1 pick…

…but yeah, for the OP’s idea, not happening, ever…might as well speculate about encasing Warren Moon in an exoskeleton battle suit and letting him play QB again…that is probably more plausible than the idea that the most anticipated QB signing in recent memory is going to the Argos…

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So if he were uglier you think we’d have a chance at landing him? :smile:

Did you not write: Lawrence can be a good fit for the ARGOS and the CFL?

I did.

Doesn’t mean he would actually consider the CFL.

Not sure who has his rights or has him on their negotiation list.

Could say the same thing about Chase Claypool.

The Lions have his rights. Can’t see him up here anytime soon.

I can't even answer this without laughing...

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Yet here you are.

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Lawrence has leverage. He has that right, if he chooses to utilize it. He could choose to do an Eli Manning.

But, he has an option if the Jets are adamant drafting him He can sit out the year and re-enter the draft the next year, hone his skills and earn a little money. It is better than going back to Clemson to spite the Jets. Going back to College is a setback in his development. An injury like what happened Burrow and Tagialova(sic) isn’t in the best interest of his benefit

Probably make more in a year as back-up in NY than he could make over an entire CFL career? For the Jets, could probably stock a mitt full of bone fide NFL potentials in a trade for his rights.

If he really can’t stomach playing for the Jets, all he and his agent have to do is play hardball like Elway did with the Colts so many moons ago and say he won’t play for them. If the team can’t change his mind they’ll swap the pick for whatever they can get and Trevor could hand pick his landing spot.

What the hell would the Argos have to pay a potential #1 pick nowadays to come up here? Not like the Ismail days at all anymore, a million a season won’t get it done

A million a season wouldn’t have got it done then, either.

For the record, at $4.5M US per season (equivalent to $8.6M US today), Ismail was the highest-paid player in the history of football – not Cdn football, football, period – at that time. He was paid more than Joe Montana, and five times as much as Jerry Rice.

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When Patrick Mahomes makes practically the same amount of the entire CFL combined the financial lure the CFL could offer has been blown completely out of the water in 2020 .

With more medical information with injuries to the head and other serious injuries being sustained it will be much harder to get those wanting to play with salaries today as the compensation appears low if you compare that with the risk to your future ability to make a living beyond football .

To make the NFL roster or any of the majors today is like winning the lottery . The risk reward aspect is well worth it .

Definitely a challenge for the CFL .

Sometimes it’s not about the money. It could about his right to go where he pleases. If he chose to go to Clemson, he should also have the right to choose to go where he wants.

One day some kid will challenge the draft process as being unconstitutional to their right to mobility

The Colts didn’t get fair trade in that deal. It was OL Chris Hinton, QB Mark Hermann and a first round pick for a HOFFer Elway. It was a steal of a deal. Elway threatened to sign with the New York Yankees if the Colts pick him first overall. And Elway was a average baseball prospect at best. He was no Bo Jackson.

Another bad example was the Eli Manning going to the Giants for Phillip Rivers, while the Chargers had Drew Brees. The Chargers chose Rivers over two potential HOFFers in Eli and Brees. Rivers wasn’t re-signed Now the Chargers have Herbert who’s career will stall in LA because they haven’t had success finding a Superbowl winning QB. And I’m also going to include Dan Fouts in that mix

Lawrence is a Junior ... ultimate leverage is to not declare for the draft

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