Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
‘Quarterbacks and Canadians’
Those are the two key ingredients to success in the CFL Jim Barker offered up to me less than a day after trading T.J. Heath, a first round pick and a third round pick to Winnipeg in the deal that brought quarterback Drew Willy to Toronto.
The Argonauts General Manager isn’t the only one. Most GMs have the same theory to win in this league.
While it would be a fun test to go around the Canadian (sorry, national) depth charts in the CFL, it’s the quarterback that appears to be the hot topic in the CFL this week.
If you criss-cross the league, BC, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Hamilton and now Winnipeg have a clear starter for the stretch drive. Toronto and Montreal do not. Saskatchewan is has a starter but may need to better evaluate what it has behind him.
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Let’s start with Argonauts.
Barker also let me know it was Drew Willy or bust when it came to trying to acquiring a quarterback after Ricky Ray was diagnosed with a cracked rib that will leave him out for a month or more at the most important time of the year.
Head Coach Scott Milanovich thinks Willy could be a long-term solution at the quarterback spot. But first this team has to win.
The Argos are right in the mix for not only a playoff spot but maybe even a home playoff game, if not the Eastern Final if they can get hot.
With that in mind, this is Dan LeFevour’s team until he proves he can’t keep the Argos in the win column. The Argonauts may have appeared desperate with the Willy trade but they can’t move to the newcomer too quickly and don’t need to if LeFevour continues to win.
Willy is as much a solution for 2017 and beyond than he is for 2016. That’s not to say I don’t think we’ll see Willy this season. We most likely will but wins are more important than to save face on a blockbuster trade. Of course, Willy may be in as early as next week if things go really poorly in Winnipeg this weekend for the Argonauts.
That takes us to Montreal. Another team that desperately needs wins with an outside shot at the playoffs.
Right now it is Rakeem Cato’s team but after a week of controversy, in fighting and over all dysfunction, who knows how long Cato’s time will be as the team’s number one?
With Kevin Glenn now traded to Winnipeg, the only other option for the Alouettes is Vernon Adams Jr. Before his transfer to Oregon, the quarterback was coached by Beau Baldwin whose list of QBs he’s coached includes other current CFL stars Mike Reilly, Bo Levi Mitchell and Matt Nichols.
The Alouettes gave up a first round pick to acquire Adams so the pull to see what he can do will be high within the organization. That puts some pressure on Cato to win and hold on to the starting job for as long as possible.
I think there are many CFL observers who are also interested in seeing Adams play, though it may have to wait until the Alouettes are officially eliminated from playoff contention, or next pre-season if Cato can start leading the Als to better offensive numbers.
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And finally, the last CFL team with a quarterback situation in question is the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Is Darian Durant the best they have? Absolutely. Will he start the rest of the games? Nobody knows the answer to that question.
Head Coach Chris Jones maintains the team isn’t quitting on the season and it’s always a tough message to send a team to set your roster with players based on a ‘take a look’ mentality but Jones should also be thinking about what this team needs for the future. He needs a clearer picture of the quarterback position if it didn’t include Darian Durant.
Durant is a free agent after the season and though it appears Jones would like to have him back, it’s also up to Durant to stay (something the QB has maintained he wants to do).
But whatever happens, the reality is Durant has just turned 34 years old and while he’d like to play into his 40s, the team can’t just rely on that becoming a reality.
Mitchell Gale, Jake Waters or Brandon Bridge. The Riders ideally would like to see other quarterbacks take meaningful snaps at quarterback to see what they have. Their schedule is ripe with teams who are battling for playoff spots.
Now this theory of trying out QBs could be thrown out the window if Durant signs an extension before the end of the season. Then it’s easy. Durant plays to win, gains confidence to carry some momentum into 2017.
However, the longer Durant is without a contract beyond 2016, the more snaps other quarterbacks should be getting in the final third of the season.
