David Chidley/CFL.ca
EDMONTON — There appears to be little movement on the James Franklin front.
The Eskimos quarterback has been linked to the job opening in Saskatchewan after the team traded Darian Durant on Jan. 13. But according to TSN‘s Gary Lawless, neither a trade nor a contract extension seem likely right now:
quiet on James Franklin, @EdmontonEsks front. Issue for Ed Hervey is more than $500 k tied up with Reilly. Not much left for Franklin #cfl
— gary lawless (@garylawless) January 18, 2017
It’s been widely reported that Franklin’s contract ends following the 2017 season, when he could potentially become one of the most coveted free agents on the market. The 25-year-old is considered the number one quarterback prospect in the game right now, throwing for 1,307 yards, 10 touchdowns and one interception in nine career games.
It was current Riders head coach and general manager Chris Jones who originally brought Franklin to Edmonton, signing him in 2015.
Many have speculated that Jones could acquire Franklin to start for the Riders in 2016. CHED‘s Dave Campbell, however, who covers the Eskimos closely, says it’s not likely in the cards.
“Franklin is going to be very hard to sign and very hard to trade,” Campbell tweeted on Wednesday. “Best bet is nothing happens unless Jones pays the high price for him.”
Lawless echoed the sentiment:
agree with all of that. why sign an extension unless for way more money which Ed may not have. And why would Ed trade with Jones? https://t.co/kxC5eToSEn
— gary lawless (@garylawless) January 18, 2017
Durant was the Riders’ starting quarterback for nine seasons and spent 11 in total with Saskatchewan. He has since signed an extension with the Montreal Alouettes after being acquired in exchange for a fourth round pick in 2017 and a conditional second round pick in 2018.
The Riders, meanwhile, search for their quarterback of the future, a quest that Jones began upon his arrival last winter. Five quarterbacks are currently on the Riders’ roster although one, Mitchell Gale, is without a contract beyond Feb. 14.
Franklin, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound quarterback from Oklahoma City, played his high school ball in Texas before going to Missouri on a football scholarship. After four years at Missouri, Franklin spent time with the NFL’s Detroit Lions as a practice roster player in 2014.
In one start in 2016, Franklin threw for 335 yards and four touchdowns on 18-of-23 passing in a win over the Toronto Argonauts.
