Not really a surprise. As for why we are keeping Brink instead, he is probably a better teammate and plays the backup role better than Smith would.
I will trust Jeff Garcia`s judgement on the QBs. And we should keep in mind that Jerrod Johnson might be an interesting QB prospect.
It will be interesting to see if anyone will pick up Smith.
It probably came down to money. I would not surprise mr to see him show up in Saskatchewan that’s if he want’s to continue in the CFL and probably the reason we waited to play our game against them before he was released. Now he can’t play for anyone until next season.
I’m disappointed by this. Something went horribly wrong here.
I am surprised. At the beginning of the season I really thought that he would do quite well; the Als/Jim Popp definitely thought the same.
Richard
He refused to go on the injured list, so it appears JP tried to trade him up to deadline and could not (likely due to his salary) and released him after the trade deadline to save the SMS money.
But on whose part , the Als or Smith?
Based on last season, I thought Smith would be the next one, but it just seems that for whatever reason Smith was not willing to pay the price.
Probably all around. He didn’t play well, the situation with the coaching clusterfrack was not helpful and he refused to go on the injured list so that Popp could try and get him another opportunity next spring…
Or several other teams for that matter. Ottawa, Hamilton, Winnipeg
He was not as bad under Popp and Berry last season as he was under Higgins and Dinwiddie.
Arash Madani tweeted this:
“Timing of the #Alouettes releasing Troy Smith today is no accident. By cutting him after the #CFL trade deadline, he now can’t play in 2014.”
Didn`t know this is the case.
Bottom line - he had several games at the beginning of the season and he just couldn't get the job done. Dinwiddie may have not been calling the best plays but a QB talks to the OC/HC on the sidelines. All QBs are trained how to deliver the ball; his passes were almost always sailing over receivers' heads, falling short, or being picked off.
Bottom line - we weren't winning with him. When that happens, it's "next man in" time. That may sound brutal, but in pro sports there is one objective and one objective alone - winning!
Not a surprise and it clarifies the whole disabled roster issue from a few weeks ago. But we’d better hope nothing happens to Crompton, because Brink is awful and Marsh hasn’t been allowed to do anything this year apart from short-yardage plays and the occasional change-up run package.
I agree to a point, jkm.
I don't like Smith, and am not at all surprised or sad to see the Als cut him loose.
It's the timing that sucks. He should have been released earlier so he'd have a chance to catch on somewhere else. To hang on to him just long enough so that he can't play for anyone in the CFL this season is unfair to him.
This is a sort of "trial by error" season, MJ. Almost anyone they throw in there will likely fall short of expectations. Following in the footsteps of AC, the bar was raised impossibly high.
Do I think Crompton is the best thing since sliced bread? No. But a HC has to field the team that gives him the best chance of winning. Over the course of this abysmal season, Crompton is the only one who has produced. He definitely hasn't put up stellar numbers and a couple of games may easily have got away from us, but he gives us the best chance at a W.
I would like to see Marsh get more reps under center, and not just during garbage time. There is definitely potential there.
Si Smith a eu à travailler avec une attaque et des pas de plans de match qui ne lui permettaient pas de se mettre en valeur, il avait l'occasion depuis qu'il est revenu à l'entraînement de faire ce qu'il fallait pour faire changer d'idée les entraîneurs.
Il avait aussi l'occasion d'accepter que Crompton faisait gagner l'équipe et que c'était justifié qu'il demeure sur le terrain puisque l'équipe gagnait avec lui. Il aurait alors pu concéder un peu en attendant de voir comment les choses se dérouleraient par la suite. Une blessure, quelques mauvaises performances, son tour aurait pu revenir.
Il avait aussi l'occasion d'accepter une rétrogradation temporaire et de revenir gagner son poste au prochain camp d'entraînement.
Considérant sa relative absence des lignes de côté durant le temps où il n'était pas en uniforme, le peu d'interraction qu'on ait pu voir de lui avec les autres quarts-arrières, j'ai l'impression que Smith a fait ce qu'il fallait pour faciliter la décision des Alouettes.
Si Smith avait montré à l'entraînement qu'il avait ce qu'il faut pour que l'attaque fasse mieux qu'avec Crompton, je vois mal pourquoi l'équipe s'en serait privée. Je suppose que les entraineurs, dont Garcia, ont estimé que Smith n'amènerait pas l'équipe plus loin que ne le ferait Crompton, et tous ces facteurs ont mené à leur décision.
La conclusion que j'en tire, c'est qu'en fin de compte, Smith n'avait pas l'attitude d'un gars pour qui l'équipe passe en premier. Lorsqu'il est arrivé à Montréal, on a rapport qu'il n'interagissait pas vraiment avec Calvillo, contrairement à Neiswander et Marsh. Tous les joueurs de l'équipe avaient alors joué avec Calvillo, dont plusieurs pendant de nombreuses saisons. J'ai l'impression que Smith ne s'est pas fait des amis en agissant ainsi envers la légende qui allait subir le coup qui a mis fin à sa carrière.
Again I ask, Smith's play was not as poor last season under Popp and Berry as it was under Higgins and Dinwiddie.
And at that point, Garcia was not part of the coaching staff.
Crompton while winning, is by no means lighting it up in the QB rankings and he has had Garcia working with him.
Not saying that Smith is better. He endured the three different OC's in less than a year. Maybe things would have been different had Garcia been there from the start.
The combo of the coaching and OC carousel added to his lack of success. Last season he came in mid season, learned the then offense and the HC Popp system. He played very well down the stretch and the Als were within a PI call of getting to the east final.
Entering this season or last season no QB would have been successful. Even starting in 2013 AC struggled and was honestly frustrated with the poor coaching decisions.
I did not know that releasing him after the trade deadline keeps him from signing on anywhere else in the CFL. If this is the case than Nic Grigsby in Winnipeg as well will be unavailable.
He has a post football career lined up at for him, the reason he did not join Montreal till mid season was him completley his education for life after football.
So it is a good bet his football playing days are behind him and he will be moving on.
Garcia entering the picture in Montreal has changed the Als future for the better already. Aside from coaching QBs I would bet he has a lot of input on the game plan. The Combo of Garcia's knowledge of the CFL and Turks expereince as an OC is likely how the Al have turned it around on offense for sure.
Roles will be officially defined for next year for sure.
I am not sure who is actually running Special teams, whether it is Higgins or not but return teams have turned around quickly with Popps additions to the return game.
Aside from Montreal and Higgin's I dont see any other club that could be looking to make a HC change. So for now Thorpe is safe in staying in Montreal even if he is not promoted to HC just yet.
Higgins is the only staffer with CFL HC expereince. Shonert a year in UFL but mostly an OC, former Sherbrooke HC also on the staff. Spckman at the NCAA DIII level.
While Crompton seems to have the same accuracy issues as Smith did, it is probably the intangibles that are the difference - willingness to study, better teammate, willingness to use his legs. And he`s younger.
Three things about Crompton. He’s been helped a LOT by his receivers on the long balls and 2 he doesn’t try to throw in the flats. 3 He’s not affraid to take a hit.
Jeff Garcia elaborates on the decision
On a reproché à maintes reprises à Smith de manquer de précision avec ses passes et d'être immobile dans sa pochette protectrice. Ce n'était pas une question de talent selon Garcia.«Troy a des qualités athlétiques pour évoluer à cette position, a-t-il expliqué. Par contre, peut-il devenir un quart avec un bon taux d’efficacité?
«Une chose est sûre, les Alouettes n’ont pas été en mesure de le voir cette saison.»
Les statistiques de Smith parlent d’elles-mêmes. Il a seulement complété 83 de ses 174 passes (47,7 % d’efficacité) pour 989 verges de gains avec quatre touchés et autant d’interceptions.
«Il en a arraché à plusieurs niveaux. Il n’a pas été capable d’avoir des séquences à l’attaque soutenues, d’obtenir des premiers jeux et d’utiliser ses jambes à bon escient.
«Pourtant, il a remporté le trophée Heisman [dans la NCAA] en récoltant des verges au sol. Toutefois, on n’a pas vu cela cette année. Parfois, certains joueurs ont de la difficulté à transposer leurs succès des rangs universitaires au niveau professionnel. C’est peut-être son cas.»
Les propos de Garcia en disent long sur le bourbier dans lequel Smith s’était enlisé au cours des premières semaines de la campagne.UNE PRÉPARATION DÉFICIENTE
Quand les défaites s’accumulaient à un rythme effréné, certains joueurs et entraîneurs des Alouettes ont sous-entendu que la préparation de Smith pour ses rencontres n’était pas maximale.
Le coordonnateur offensif Ryan Dinwiddie et l’entraîneur-chef Tom Higgins ont même dû le ramener à l’ordre à quelques reprises.
«C’est une combinaison de facteurs, a affirmé Garcia. Quand tu es le quart de ton équipe, tu es l’un des meneurs et tu dois agir en athlète responsable.
«Je sais que Troy voulait connaître du succès et qu’il était encore passionné pour son sport.»
Les propos de Dinwiddie me semblent une formule polie pour dire qu’il se “pognait le beigne”. On ne gagne pas la confiance des joueurs qui ont joué avec Anthony Calvillo en ne se préparant pas assez. Une preuve de plus que le talent seul ne suffit pas.