Steinberg’s MMQB: Battle (of Alberta) lines

The CFL’s Battle of Alberta has been renewed in recent years and looks as strong as ever heading into the 2016 season. Much of the focus of this week’s column is on the league’s two Alberta teams as things fell into place for that to happen. We’ll finish off our series of biggest off-season acquisitions by looking at the Stampeders and the Eskimos, and we’ll also hone in on a big signing made by the latter this past week.

Battle commanders

Seeing Mike Reilly sign a contract extension through 2018 with the Eskimos last week wasn’t a surprise. Reilly is Edmonton’s franchise quarterback and it only made sense to lock him up long term. Now both quarterbacks in the Battle of Alberta are signed long term, and the parallels between Reilly and Bo Levi Mitchell don’t end there.

First off, the contracts of Mitchell and Reilly are now set to run out at the same time. The former was already under contract through the end of the 2018 season prior to Reilly inking his new deal. I think we’re all anticipating a few more epic showdowns between the two before their latest contracts expire. So how else do these two mirror one another?

Let’s start with the most important trait both Reilly and Mitchell possess: they lead by example on and off the field. A Reilly quote from an interview I did way back in September sums that up perfectly.

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“I don’t think you can really ask anybody to do something that you yourself won’t be willing to do,” Reilly told me. “If I’m going to ask guys to go out there and put everything on the line and do whatever it takes to win a football game, I’ve got to be willing to do that myself.

“[I have to] come in and work hard, put in the time, show up early, be the first guy in and the last guy to leave, and put in that time and be prepared.

“If you’re screwing around and you’re putting in minimal effort and minimal time as a leader, the rest of your team is going to do the same thing. If you’re willing to put in that extra time and that work, guys are going to do the same.

“You can talk all you want, but if you don’t walk the walk then nobody is going to follow you and they’re going to know that it’s fake.”

As for Mitchell, the attitude has always been similar. After another stellar season in 2015, Mitchell has ramped up his off-season training regimen even more this year. As he told Stampeders.com last week, he’s as driven as ever.

“I want to take things with the cardio so that in the fourth quarter, I’m the faster guy on the field,” Mitchell said. Seeing your team’s quarterback and leader busting it like he is this year, it sure would be tough not to follow right along.

“You can talk all you want, but if you don’t walk the walk then nobody is going to follow you and they’re going to know that it’s fake.”

The similarities between the two continue, too. Both Reilly and Mitchell came through smaller NCAA programs and had to bust their hump to break into professional football. Reilly threw a touchdown pass in an NCAA record 46 games while with Division II Central Washington. Just two hours east down I-90 is Eastern Washington, where Mitchell broke team records and won a national title with the Division I-AA (FCS) Eagles.

Oh, and just to really seal how eerily similar the two are, both players started at Division I schools before transferring for a better shot elsewhere. Reilly started his college career at Washington State while Mitchell went to Southern Methodist before transferring.

Once in the CFL, Reilly and Mitchell mirrored one another once again. Remember, neither guy got starting gigs right away. Reilly tutored under Travis Lulay in BC before being dealt to Edmonton in 2013. For Mitchell, he had to work behind Drew Tate before finally getting his shot as Calgary’s starter in 2014.

The most important parallel, though, is that both Calgary and Edmonton have franchise quarterbacks for years to come. Reilly has five years on Mitchell, so there is a bit of an age difference. But over the next three years I think it’s safe to say both quarterbacks are primed to lead their teams to some solid success. A few more chapters in a rekindled Battle of Alberta is a rather nice added benefit.

Adding it up (Part Five)

Speaking of the two Alberta squads, the Stamps and Eskimos will finish us off in our look at each team’s biggest addition this offseason. Here’s what we have so far:

Calgary Stampeders:
Taylor Reed, LB

Fans in Calgary were sad to see veteran Juwan Simpson released prior to the start of 2016 free agency. The fact that Simpson’s departure made way for Reed, however, made the blow hurt a little less. Reed joins the Stampeders with a chance to take over as the team’s middle linebacker and potentially for many years to come.

Reed is still just 24 years old and has two years of starting experience already under his belt. After a stellar rookie season with 62 tackles, Reed led the Hamilton Tiger-Cats with 83 this past season; his tackle total last season was also good for sixth in the CFL.

Reed is still young, extremely talented, and has a very high ceiling. He also signed a one-year contract so there’s some motivation built in as well. If Reed can build on his 2015 season this year in Calgary, or even stay steady, he’s going to set himself up for a very nice extension. Motivation like that is always nice from a team’s perspective.

Edmonton Eskimos:
Chris Getzlaf, SB

If Getzlaf can stay healthy in 2016, this could be a huge addition for the Eskimos. After eight years in Saskatchewan, Getzlaf should have a nice little chip on his shoulder and a lot to prove. Thanks to injuries, the last two seasons have been nightmares for the Canadian slot receiver and those injuries helped spell the end of his time with the only pro team he’s ever known. Now it’s time for Getzlaf to prove what he’s still got.

At the age of 33, Getzlaf isn’t going to be as impactful as he was, say, four years ago when he was part of the league’s most terrifying aerial attack. That said, if healthy, the guy can still play. Even with injuries messing with his rhythm, Getzlaf still caught 33 passes for 402 yards and four touchdowns in 2015. Without injuries in 2016, he could be a very nice fit in Edmonton.

The Eskimos already boast the most dominant slotback in the game and he goes by the name of Adarius Bowman. With fellow slot Kenny Stafford gone to Montreal, Getzlaf joins Cory Watson as secondary options in the middle of the offence. With Bowman getting as much attention as he does, it won’t surprise me at all to see Getzlaf have a nice bounce back season statistically.

Quick hits

Doubling back to our quarterback conversation to start this week’s MMQB, it’s important to note there is one franchise pivot not signed beyond this year: Zach Collaros. Hamilton’s franchise player is next up on the extension checklist and don’t be surprised if he also inks a deal that carries him through 2018.

As we get closer to the start of 2016 training camps, we’re going to roll out a new serial feature on the MMQB starting next week. We’re going to put together a team made up of the best players at their position right now. Not the guys coming off the best seasons, necessarily, but the very best players in the game today. It should be fun!