Okay, a chance to rank this year’s pivots. (The fun, and the source of the greatest debates, just may come in the bottom half of the list).
Bethel-Thompson is listed 1st on depth chart for tomorrow’s game @ Hamilton, but not certain that means he has been named starting quarterback.
Yup, whoever ends up as the starter for Montreal will most likely be last… >:(
Correct. James Franklin will be the starter for the season, no matter what. He hasn’t earned the position, and MBT is a better quarterback, but I believe that’s the way MLSE wants it.
Based purely on last year`s stats and ranking passing percentage highest and a minimum of 10 games played, the list looks like this (%, EFFIC):
Ranking EFFIC highest, the above list looks like this:
Franklin is the starter and will be in 2019. I don’t see MBT as a better QB or having more upside. Franklin was touted as the next one and I think he’ll grow into that role.
I also see the Argos trading a QB. O’Connor is an interesting prospect, too interesting to let go.
I see Matt Nichols and Masoli as the QB’s having the best 2019 seasons. I think they both will be their division’s all star QB for the season.
I view CFL quarterbacking in tiers.
I have Tier One as:
Reilly (stable)
Mitchell (stable)
Masoli (rising)
(Reilly and Mitchell are a coin flip for 1-2 but I would like to see each perform with the other’s O-lines for the past 2-3 years. I think Mitchell gets a boost from DelMonaco’s superior O-line and Dickie’s offense. Masoli has the tools to surpass both but he hasn’t been elite long enough).
Tier Two:
Harris (stable)
Nichols (stable)
Tier Three:
Collaros (falling)
Franklin - Bethel-Thompson (tie) (Franklin falling…failed to live up to promise)
Jennings (falling)
The sample size is too small for the rest but I’d go:
Streveler (rising…has the most intriguing upside of all CFL quarterbacks)
Davis (rising…has beaten out Jennings for starter’s role)
Pipken (rising)
Given that Harris lead all QBs in both percentage and efficiency last year, it seems harsh to rank him anywhere but in the top tier. He’s clearly one of the league’s best.
Matt Nichols western All Star in 2019?
Never. Willing to bet the farm.
Time to come clean everyman. You have to be a Bomber employee.
Fair point. I am not saying it’s all smoke and mirrors, but I am not sold on Harris as a Tier 1 QB as others (keeping in mind of course that there is not a huge drop-off between Tier 1 and 2 QBs to begin with). Being in a different offense this season will tell me a lot (he benefitted from a quick-release attack in Ottawa).
If you’re putting him in the same company as Mitchell and Reilly, why didn’t Ottawa try their damnedest to retain him? Why wasn’t their a bidding war for his services (Saskatchewan and Montreal anybody?).
Agreed. I’m not convinced Nichols is even the best QB on his TEAM. (I’m very pro-Streveler).
As for Masoli? I predict a severe case of June Jones Withdrawal. However, he is up against the worst collection of quarterbacks, possibly in the history of the East division, so Masoli should capture that honor easily.
In the West, I’ve already predicted Reilly will not be an Irish God with the team and management he has in BC. But it would hardly matter so long as Bo stays away from the NFL. BLM is Da Man in the West, and nothing short of injury is likely to change that.
On a related note, I’m thinking this is one of the weakest years in memory for backup QB depth. Now that guys like Lulay, Ray and apparently Glenn are out, almost no one has a backup with significant experience.
With the exception of OTT (Jennings), I’m not sure anyone has a backup with a double-digit number of CFL starts in their career. (And I think you could say that about OTT’s designated starter Davis.)
I’m thinking this is either a changing of the guard, a sign of unwillingness to develop young QBs over a number of years, or quicker decisions to cast out the journeymen in favour of new talent.
Where is your farm Joe?
Not just backups. Outside of Masoli, there isn’t a decent quarterback in the entire East division. The West looks stronger with backups, including Streveler, Arbuckle, and Fajardo.
Berg vs. Ferg had a good take on this very question.
They hint that the teams are taking a different tack, all trying to develop their own long term BLMs and Reillys instead of continuing the cycle of using retreads and has-beens for backups.
I’m excited about this change, and looking forward to the next crop of star quarterbacks.
Good observation. I think it’s somewhat of a changing of the guard with those three vets retiring (or not being signed, if that’s the case with Glenn).
It will be interesting to see if any of the QBs–starters or backups–among the three easternmost teams can emerge as stars.
Well we never know the talent level of back-ups because we seldom see play Streveler perhaps aside.
As far as name recognition goes back-ups generally not known. So it could be that the talent is not there or just that they are new just as BLM, Reilly, Lulay etc were before getting starter minutes.
On the positive side we have a bunch of new QBs in the league.
But we do rush to judgment very quickly. Matt Dunigan is on record as saying it took him 7 seasons before he knew what he was doing. It seems as though we make a judgment after 7 throws now.
Extremely well said. (And I’m as guilty as anyone when it comes to exhorting the quick hook).
Of course, the flip side is that the league is LITTERED with the relics of quarterbacks that have been given chance after chance, year after year, taking up roster spots that might have been used for some up and coming pivot.
Who do you think of when you say “littered with relics”. I don’t see it.
Jonathan Jennings
Brandon Bridge
Zach Collaros
James Franklin
Last year:
Drew Willy
Kevin Glenn
It’s getting better, with more and more young guys coming up.
But Jennings, Bridge, Collaros, and Franklin, while all younger, have all had their shots. They failed to launch.