Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers took care of their biggest piece of off-season business last week by signing quarterback Matt Nichols to a three-year contract extension, thus taking a huge potential free agent off the market. It was something the Bombers needed to get done and the contract is well deserved for Nichols. Now, there’s only one question left that needs to be answered.
The big question
Can Nichols be the guy?
It’s the one remaining query Nichols has to answer, because he’s done a superb job of responding to every other question he’s faced. Upon being installed as Winnipeg’s starting quarterback in Week 6, Nichols was the driving force behind a stunning turnaround by the Bombers that culminated in an 11-7 record at the end of the season.
Remember, Winnipeg was 1-4 when head coach Mike O’Shea made the gutsy call to hand the reins to Nichols after a rough start by incumbent Drew Willy. Nichols got the job done emphatically in his first start against Edmonton and proceeded to help the Bombers rattle off seven straight wins en route to a 10-3 finish to the campaign.
Nichols completed almost 70 per cent of his passes and threw just nine interceptions in his 13 starts last season. His performance in 2016 put him in the same conversation as guys like Mike Reilly and Bo Levi Mitchell and set him up for his big contract this winter. Nichols is now being paid like a top guy and deserves to be.
I go back to the original question, though, because it is one the always lingers for me. Until a quarterback deals with the expectations, pressure, and attention that goes with being the guy to start a season, you don’t know if he’s capable of it or not. Nichols took over for that guy last year and then settled into his role. Things will be a little different in 2017 and he seems prepared for the challenge.
“This is going to be my eighth year (in the CFL) and it’s going to be my first opportunity to go in as ‘the guy’,” Nichols told BlueBombers.com. “I know how hard it is to get here, I’ve worked extremely hard to get to this point. I’ve seen guys come and go over the years so I know how hard it is to keep a job like this. It’s just fuelling me even more.”
There are plenty of examples of guys who thrived when given their opportunities. Reilly was a backup in BC before getting his shot in Edmonton and hasn’t looked back since. Mitchell, on the other hand, waited his turn in Calgary before taking over as their top dog. Similarly, BC’s Jonathon Jennings got the ball part way through the 2015 campaign and turned that into a very successful 2016 campaign as the number one guy.
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For me, all signs point to Nichols going in a similar direction as the three I just mentioned. It’s situations like Buck Pierce and Willy that remind me why the “wait and see” approach is still valid, though. Both looked very promising, but the former was never able to truly get the job done when he got his chance. Willy has shown flashes of success but, at least to date, hasn’t been able to solidify himself as a bona fide CFL number one.
The Bombers made the right call in signing Nichols to an extension and I think he’s going to reward them by continuing the great work he started in 2016. That said, until Nichols does just that, his one remaining question will continue to be asked. I’m pretty hopeful he’ll answer it emphatically once again.
Going long
“I’m not in it for the one year. I don’t want players being selfish that way and I don’t coach that way and I don’t want my staff to be that way.”
Those words above are pretty encouraging if you’re a fan of the Calgary Stampeders, because they were spoken late last week by Head Coach Dave Dickenson. After an incredible rookie season at the helm, Dickenson signed a three-year contract extension on Friday to keep him with the Stamps through 2020. With what we’ve seen so far, Dickenson looks poised to follow in the footsteps of two men instrumental in his career.
The two longest tenured coaches in Stampeders history are Wally Buono and John Hufnagel. The former coached Dickenson while the latter mentored him on his road to becoming a head coach. Buono spent 13 seasons as Calgary’s head coach while Hufnagel was the team’s head coach for eight years. When it’s all said and done, it’ll be a surprise if Dickenson isn’t in that ballpark, too.
Dave Dickenson has set himself up for long-term success with the Stamps (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
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There are two really important factors here. First, as illustrated by the opening quote, Dickenson wants to be with the Stampeders for the long term. Nothing he’s done, and certainly nothing he’s said, would lead you to believe he wants to be anywhere other than Calgary.
“I think it’s no secret that I’m basically a Calgarian and I love it here,” Dickenson said on Friday. “It’s probably not the best for my negotiations. It was about feeling comfortable with each other.”
But wanting to be somewhere for the long term is only half the battle, because you have to back it up with results. Luckily, Dickenson has done that in spades.
In his first season as head coach, the Stampeders went 15-2-1 to set a new franchise record with 31 points and went a perfect 10-0 at home for the first time in team history. Furthermore, Dickenson set a single season CFL record for wins by a first time head coach. But Dickenson’s resume goes beyond just his first year as the big boss.
Dickenson joined Calgary’s coaching staff for the 2009 season and worked his way up from offensive assistant to quarterbacks coach and, finally, offensive coordinator. In doing so, Dickenson helped create the league’s most dangerous and efficient offences thanks to his quick strike and ball spreading philosophy.
Dickenson has had chances to go elsewhere before but he’s always decided to remain with the Stampeders. That’s what gives me the confidence he’s in it for the long haul in Calgary. From the team’s perspective, making that commitment mutual was one of the easiest decisions they’ve ever made, because Dickenson’s resume really does scream for itself.
No harm
On the one hand, you could understand why Vernon Adams Jr. might have been frustrated after Montreal acquired fellow quarterback Darian Durant just over a week ago. Had the Alouettes not gone and made that blockbuster acquisition, there’s a good chances Adams would have started the 2017 season as their number one pivot.
Instead, Montreal went and found a proven starter who can help them win games now. If I were Adams, yeah, I’d be a little peeved at that news initially, but from the outside, I think this is only good news for both the player and the organization.
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Vernon Adams Jr. takes off during the Alouettes’ season finale in Hamilton (Adam Gagnon/CFL.ca)
Adams is an extremely promising quarterback prospect. He has a solid arm, he’s mobile and quick, and comes from a winning pedigree. I was very impressed with the progression he showed in just a few 2016 starts with his season finale performance really jumping off the page.
Three starts is still such a small amount of experience, though, and that’s why I think understudying with Durant is going to be invaluable for Adams. Rarely is a little more incubation time a bad thing and, for someone as raw as Adams, it has even more value. Sure, the Als could have thrown him right into the fire, but why not let someone as promising as Adams ripen a little bit before handing him the ball?
In conversation with CFL.ca’s The Waggle last week, new Alouettes general manager Kavis Reed echoed the same sentiments. Most of the time, it makes more sense to take your time with a young quarterback as opposed to feeding him to the wolves.
“I feel a quarterback’s maturity, if you really look at the stats, is about 26/27 (years old),” Reed said. “The game starts to slow down for them a bit at about 28/29 and that’s when you start to see the upper echelon guys. The Dak Prescott’s of the world (are) few and far between.
“When you have young guys like Vernon, who’s really transitioned into the professional ranks, you have to make certain you have an environment that’s conducive to their growth. We know that Vernon is an extremely talented individual but we don’t have enough evidence to say that he is yet ready to assume that next step.”
Not only is it smart to let Adams get some added incubation time, but he’s also going to do so while learning from a consummate professional. Durant has 11 years in the league under his belt and a couple Grey Cup rings to boot. If I were Adams, I’d want to learn all I could from a guy like that.
