I doubt AC will pull the plug, his coach has just gone on record saying AC was having his best season yet before he got hurt. Would you quit your 350k/year job if your boss told you ,your the best you have ever been ? Trestman is going to ride his horse till his horse is no more... This means the Als have to find starter money for Adrian if they want to keep him in Montreal. I'm not sure how you find 100 to 175k in this lousy SMS system but that's what will need to happen. Edmonton, Toronto and Winnipeg and BC will make an offer to Adrian if he hits the FA market.
I think he wants to stay, his home is in Florida, he's invested over two years in the system and he is well surrounded here in Montreal but he's not going to leave a couple hundred thousand a year on the table on top of having to watch Calvillo start.
Football in Montreal is about winning, its a fun event where people pay money to feel like winners beating up on whoever comes to town (for many). I am not sure how Jim will tackle this, if it was me I would sit AC down and tell him the team needs to defer some of his money kind of like Milt Steagall did in AC's case it is even easyer because he will be an Alouettes as long as there is a team in Montreal if he so wishes, all it means is that he will be the best paid assistant coach in the league for a few years :lol:
All that's well and good folks, but this is Montreal
A city where Carey Price starts his first pre-season game with all the hoopla and a new contract...let's in 4 goals and is serenaded by the "raspberry jam".
If the Alouettes aren't careful, they're going to "ride that horse" to the apocalypse...and with an underachieving "quarterback of no future" will surely tank once again. As I see it that's the choice in this city: Dominate the east...at least...or go under.
Now given those parameters...accepting that premise...can the Alouettes afford to lose Adrian McPherson...to Toronto...or Winnipeg...say?
Pour parler des Canachiens, si le boutonneux millionnaire se fait huer parce qu'il se fait compter 4 buts sur 9 lancers, il n'a que ce qu'il mérite. J'espère que toute cette bande de divas paresseuses va se faire huer toute l'année tellement ce club se fout de ses supporteurs.
C'est la grosse différence avec les Alouettes.
Maintenant, pour ce qui est de pouvoir se passer de McPherson, une bonne équipe doit se pourvoir à toute éventualité. Quelle que soit la cause (blessure, départ, retraite), une bonne équipe doit avoir des ressources sur qui elle pourra compter, ou avoir suffisamment de talent dans ses réserves pour aller se chercher le joueur qui lui manque. Les Alouettes ont toujours excellé à ce genre de chose excepté pour ce qui était de ses quarts substituts.
La donne est différente aujourd'hui et l'équipe a la chance d'avoir un jeune quart qui promet énormément alors qu'elle compte sur un quart qui joue ses dernières années. Elle doit donc tout faire pour garder McPherson, mais se préparer à le perdre, car son contrat se termine cette année.
Maintenant, les postes de quart partant ne pleuveront peut-être pas autant qu'on pourrait le croire. Oublions tout de suite Calgary et Saskatchewan. Le principal problème de BC et d'Edmonton n'est pas le quart mais le jeu de ceux qui sont devant lui. Mettez-y McPherson, Burris, Durant ou Calvillo et le problème demeure entier. On peut dire à peu près la même chose du côté de Hamilton, quoiqu'il pourrait y avoir là une opportunité. À Winnipeg, LaPolice a emmené Jyles avec lui et je crois qu'il va vouloir lui faire gagner ses galons. Jyles est aussi un quart prometteur et LaPolice préférera travailler avec un gars qu'il connaît bien qu'avec un gars qu'il ne connaît pas. Enfin, au moins pour un ou deux ans. Reste donc Toronto, où il y aurait une vraie opportunité. Lemon ne fait pas du mauvais travail, mais il ne semble pas aussi moulé au football de la LCF. Malgré tout, les Argonauts sont à une victoire d'en accumuler en une saison le total que l'équipe avait réussi à gagner les deux saisons précédentes. Si les Argonauts terminent au deuxième rang, même avec une fiche de 8-12, je doute qu'ils sacrifient Lemon immédiatement. À la limite, ils pourraient aller chercher AM pour le mettre en compétition au prochain camp d'entraînement. Ferait-il aussi bien qu'avec Trestman et Milanovitch? Peut-être.
On peut donc raisonnablement espérer de revoir McPherson avec l'équipe l'an prochain.
…and yet for years people have been saying, "If Calvillo goes, then the Alouettes go.
Maintenant, les postes de quart partant ne pleuveront peut-être pas autant qu'on pourrait le croire. Oublions tout de suite Calgary et Saskatchewan. Le principal problème de BC et d'Edmonton n'est pas le quart mais le jeu de ceux qui sont devant lui. Mettez-y McPherson, Burris, Durant ou Calvillo et le problème demeure entier.
...and yet people have been saying the Alouettes O-Line is completely crap...one game by McPherson and no one is quite so sure about that any more.
Si les Argonauts terminent au deuxième rang, même avec une fiche de 8-12, je doute qu'ils sacrifient Lemon immédiatement. À la limite, ils pourraient aller chercher AM pour le mettre en compétition au prochain camp d'entraînement.
...you've [b][i]got[/i][/b] to be kidding. McPherson would be snapped up by Toronto in a heartbeat. Lemon has been mediocre at best...and a phenom like Adrian, schooled in the CFL by some of the best...and busting to get some playing time is [b][i]just[/i][/b] what the Argos and several other teams need.
Make no mistake…if the Alouettes continue their ways and not play him…don’t make whatever effort it takes to keep him…and Adrian McPherson goes to another team…chances are very good this team will not survive 2-3 seasons after Anthony Calvillo. Montreal fans will not tolerate it…nor will they forgive. Excuses are for losers. God help the Alouettes if they ever find that out…AGAIN
Adrian rushed for more yards in his start than Lemon passed for last week, the Argos are winning in spite of Lemon.
And who are "these people" you keep talking about. I"m looking everywhere for "the people" and I can find them. Anyone seen the people ? Where are the people ? Come on people !
Yeah, I'm not sure who's saying the O-line is complete crap. They have struggled this season, particularly when we had no stability at left guard and Lambert was even worse than he is right now. They seem to have solidified with Woodruff taking over the LG spot, Lambert doing a marginally better job of making sure he's blocking someone instead of just standing around, and Perrett breaking out his slump. Calvillo was barely touched in the Edmonton game.
Also, I highly doubt that Adrian is going to rush for 100+ yards every game. All those scampers made the line look good, but what happens when defenses start spying Adrian on second and long and rush ends become disciplined about contain responsibilities? Durant's about as mobile as they come and even he had been under heavy fire until this past week because the O-line wasn't giving him enough to go through his reads.
Again…I just don’t think you’re getting McPherson. If they start holding a linebacker or two back and spying McPherson…he’ll have more time to throw…and he’s proven he can. If they try to pressure him, he’ll run the ball. Durant’s running ability is over-rated IMO…as is his arm. A season or two with McPherson at the helm and comparisons will make Durant look a little sick. Certainly Winnipeg did a couple weeks ago.
Anyways…I was responding to the point LeStaf was making…that the importance of the QB position is sometimes overstated…that teams like BC and Edmonton would be struggling no matter who is taking the snaps. While there is a certain merit to the point…I was pointing out that like BC and Edmonton…who’s troubles have been largely placed on the shoulders of the defensive line…a new quarterback with an elevated set of skills can sometimes shift the perspective.
While LeStaf seemed to be pointing out that McPherson isn’t therefore indispensable to the future of the Alouettes…it seems to me that without a QB of an equal or superior ability to Anthony Calvillo, the Alouettes will be hard-pressed to remain the “beast of the east” let alone win it all. And I maintain that in this city…that simply will not be tolerated. I’m sure any “Expos” can tell you that…as can one or two “Concordes”.
I’ve been asked why I push the McPherson thing so hard…and yes I love any player with such obvious talent. Fact is: I’ve lived through the slow death of the Montreal Expos…“Nos Amours”. I suffered watching crowds of 10,000 in Olympic Stadium…I watched the Alouettes then the Concordes…and then OUT!
Anyone who thinks it can’t happen again is a fool…and doesn’t understand this city and it’s fans. The best way to prevent it…to assure that is won’t happen for at least the foreseeable future is to win…and the best way to insure that is to sign Adrian McPherson…long term.
One more point I'd like to make about quarterbacks:
Some people have tried to get Anthony Calvillo off the hook for the Alouettes' 2-5 Grey Cup record since 2000.
(Not to mention losing to Toronto with a completely unprepared backup at quarterback)
They rightly point out the various factors in those loses...dropped passes...fumbled balls...missed coverages etc.
But there's a reason why the truly great quarterbacks are so often referred to as Saviors:
They take all those Lemons and turn them not into lemonade...but into Champagne
Adrian has the right to free agency after this season. If he choses to shop his services there is nothing Jim Popp can do.
Also after following Jim Popp's for over ten years. I can tell you that his number one quality is "loyalty", he was not about to fire The Don, he found a job for Ozumo, he took back Marcel, he drafted Smith's son and he WILL NOT push AC over the cliff and I'm damn proud that the team has a guy like that as its football boss.
I'm sure Jim is going to do everything he can to convince Adrian that the best place to sign is in Muntreeall (That's how Jim says it ) and he has some real good arguments but in the end it will be up to Adrian to decide do you want to take the 200k and be one play away from a 10 year gig at 400k or do you want to do like Kerry Joseph, Jason Maas, Casey Printers, etc. and roll the dice...
Look, I like Adrian a lot, but how has he proven anything? Because he started and played well in one game this season and had some success in a few games last season? Adrian having time to throw is more complicated than just the equation of QB spy = less line pressure = more time. I drool over this kid’s potential, but thinking that he’ll rush for 100+ yards every game is, to me, unrealistic and a tad unfair. I fully expect him to make plays with his feet, but not consistently to the tune of 100 yards, which speaks to my original point about the offensive line. Eventually, there will be games when he’s not able to run; teams will start to key on his tendencies and he’ll have to adjust. All I was saying is that because mobile QBs can scramble out of trouble, we shouldn’t necessarily assume all is right with the offensive line. I used Durant as an example of a mobile QB, not because I want you to think he’s great, although I am a bit bemused that you’d call him overrated the week after he passes for 500 yards against the top defense in the league.
Si on veut vraiment savoir de quel bois McPherson est fait, il faudra le faire jouer.
Mais je ne crois pas qu'il pourra semaine après semaine avoir une performance aussi dominante que celle contre les Tiger Cats. Les autres équipes vont visionner son style de jeu et s'adapter. Et là, il faudra revenir à la case départ, avec une bonne ligne offensive et une bonne variation dans les jeux. Je crois qu'il a tout pour réussir dans la LCF, mais c'est sur le terrain que ça va se décider.
) and he has some real good arguments but in the end it will be up to Adrian to decide do you want to take the 200k and be one play away from a 10 year gig at 400k or do you want to do like Kerry Joseph, Jason Maas, Casey Printers, etc. and roll the dice...