Steinberg’s MMQB: A ‘problem’ you want to have

You’d have to really be trying to overlook all the big stories the start of 2016 training camps have given us. This week’s column focuses on our two biggest stories from day one of main camp, but by no means are these the only hot topics. This new season still has that new car smell and we’re already knee deep in intrigue. I don’t think anyone is complaining.

Good problems to have

My first reaction to Sunday’s big news out of Ottawa was somewhat skeptical, but that didn’t last very long. REDBLACKS quarterback Henry Burris announced he had restructured his contract to ensure he’ll be around until the end of the 2017 season.

So why would a contract extension involving the reigning Most Outstanding Player be met with skepticism? Well, mainly because my first reaction was to wonder what this meant for newcomer Trevor Harris. After all, Harris was in the MOP mix for much of last season with the Argos when he lead the league with 33 touchdown passes before signing in free agency with Ottawa. Burris re-upping through 2017 could very well mean two years at backup for Harris.

After thinking things over a little more, though, my initial skepticism evapourated fairly quickly. First off, keeping Burris in the fold for two more years has to be considered good news after his banner 2015 campaign. The REDBLACKS enter the season as one of the East Division favorites and Burris is a big reason why.

RELATED: Burris restructures contract; will return in 2017

Having two high caliber quarterbacks in the fold isn’t a bad thing, either. Sure, the situation isn’t exactly ideal for Harris, because he wants to be a number one. But from Ottawa’s perspective, this is a “problem” you want to have.

You need quarterback depth in this league right now. The last few seasons have shown us it’s rare to go through the year using just one guy behind centre. Whether it’s injury or performance related, it is imperative to have a solid second option at quarterback. Ottawa definitely has that covered.

This goes beyond roster depth, though. Having Burris signed for the next two seasons allows two very good players to push one another over the course of the season. Burris showed us he can still ball with the best of them while Harris is coming off a great year that was no fluke. Head Coach Rick Campbell says Burris is the guy for now, but circumstances change and Harris can only help himself by keeping the pressure on.

There are so many options available to the REDBLACKS over the next two years, too. Maybe 2017 shapes up as a torch-passing year at quarterback. Or maybe Ottawa’s depth at the game’s most important position allows it to deal from a position of strength at some point. Heck, even on the field we could see Ottawa experiment using both players, depending on the situation.

I’m not sure exactly how having two thoroughbreds in the stable is going to work for the REDBLACKS over the next two years. What I am fairly sure of, though, is how much the pros outweigh the cons of the scenario.

Uncertain times

Tiger-Cats Head Coach Kent Austin doesn’t have a firm date for the return of number one quarterback Zach Collaros right now. Unlike the Ottawa situation described above, this quarterback scenario is not nearly as positive for Hamilton. That said, it does make training camp extremely interesting.

Collaros is going to return at some point this year after having off-season knee surgery to repair a torn ACL. Plain and simple, he is one of the league’s most dynamic quarterbacks and is the desired opening day starter. With that sounding unrealistic, though, the focus turns to the two gentlemen battling it out to be Collaros’s understudy.

RELATED:

» Recapping a busy day 1 of training camp
» Primer: A team-by-team look at camp
» Riders’ Durant back in his comfort zone

Jeremiah Masoli was the guy taking snaps in Hamilton’s playoff win over Toronto and looked even better in a close loss to Ottawa in the Eastern Final. Conventional wisdom would suggest he would be the front-runner if Collaros isn’t ready to start the season. Jeff Mathews has other ideas, though.

Remember, it was Matthews, not Masoli, getting the call after Collaros went down in October. Had it not been for a concussion in the season’s penultimate week, Mathews would have been starting the Eastern Semi-Final against the Argos. So it’s actually Masoli’s solid work in the playoffs that have muddied the waters here.

The Tiger-Cats have uncertainty on two fronts at quarterback entering the 2016 season. First, they don’t really have a concrete idea of when Collaros is going to be ready to return, at least not yet. They also have a real battle on their hands for number two on the depth chart, because both Mathews and Masoli saw first team reps on day one of camp.

All this uncertainty isn’t ideal for Hamilton. For us on the outside, though, it sure does make for good viewing.

Fantasy football (Part four)

We’ll finish this week’s column by diving into the fourth part of our MMQB fantasy football draft. After adding our two offensive lineman last week, we’ll jump back to the defensive side of the ball today.

Steinberg’s 2016 All-Fantasy Roster

Solomon Elimimian, LB
BC Lions

On the surface, this might seem like a bit of a risky pick, but it really was a no-brainer for me. Despite missing more than half of last season with an Achilles injury, we’re still talking about the league’s best linebacker. I guess there will be some uncertainty as to how Elimimian will return from such a devastating injury, but I’m confident it won’t be an issue.

Elimimian’s 2014 season speaks for itself in a conversation like this. That was the year he set a new CFL record with 143 defensive tackles and won the league’s Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Defensive Player awards. It’s tough to argue against recent accomplishments like that.

Is Elimimian going to break new records every year for the rest of his career? No, probably not, because 2014 was probably the pinnacle. But, at the age of 29, we’re not talking about an old player by any means. Elimimian should still have lots in the tank which is a scary proposition for opposition offences.

John Ojo, DB
Edmonton Eskimos

One year ago if we were doing a draft like this, Ojo wouldn’t have even been in the conversation. There’s a simple reason for that. At this time in 2015, Ojo was an unknown practice roster player out of Florida A&M. Fast forward to now and everyone in this league knows who Ojo is.

Ojo had a brilliant debut season in the CFL and was an integral part in Edmonton’s banner season en route to a Grey Cup title. Ojo finished tied for second in the league with five interceptions and tacked on an impressive 41 defensive tackles along the way. He’s big and has the ability to play the shutdown game but doesn’t lack in speed at all.

The scariest thing about Ojo is that he’s likely just getting started. At the age of 26, we’re looking at a defensive cornerstone on the Eskimos for years to come. That’s enough to name him our DB on this fantasy team.