Larry McDougall/CFL.ca
TORONTO — The conversation may have shifted, but the spotlight on Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Johnny Manziel isn’t going away.
Jeremiah Masoli is playing some of the best football of his career, with his team not only surviving a difficult early-season schedule but almost pulling off an Alberta sweep to start the season 1-1.
Suddenly, for June Jones, a situation once expected to bring forth a difficult decision now requires very little thinking at all. Masoli is the Ticats’ starting quarterback, Manziel is the backup. And unless Masoli gets hurt or there’s sudden regression, it’s not going to change.
With Masoli’s continued strong play, is it too early to re-visit a possible trade scenario in Hamilton?
In other questions across the league, our writers tackle the quarterback situation in Saskatchewan and two hot teams in the CFL East.
As we get set for Week 3, a new format of Weekly Say arrives with a closer look at three pressing questions across the league:
Does a Johnny Manziel trade make sense right now, and if so, what could be the potential landing spot?
Johnny Manziel’s first CFL snaps could be delayed by the play of Jeremiah Masoli (The Canadian Press)
Jamie Nye: A Johnny Manziel trade wouldn’t make much sense unless the return was phenomenal. The reasons to not trade Manziel are the reasons people are talking about this. You see Ray, Nichols and Collaros on the injured list and the Tiger-Cats have to think: what happens if Masoli goes down? Why trade away the next guy up? If there is a team that takes a risk it has to be Saskatchewan! They are after all putting a star receiver at DB.
James Cybulski: If the Argos’ and Riders’ respective quarterbacking situations have shown us anything, it’s that QB depth is a necessity in the CFL. Any deal made now would be silly on Hamilton’s part.
Matthew Cauz: No, it wouldn’t make sense. Nothing against Jeremiah Masoli who has been great but you need a solid backup quarterback in this league. BUT if I had to trade him I would immediately look to Saskatchewan after the Zach Collaros injury.
Jim Morris: After all the time and effort Hamilton put into getting Johnny Football signed I don’t see why they would try to trade him now. He hasn’t even been given a real chance to show himself yet. But, if the Ticats do decide to make a deal I would suggest Montreal. The Als badly need a quarterback and Manziel would help sell tickets and bring a little excitement back to that market. Also Mike Sherman has dealt with big egos and expectations during his time in Green Bay.
Marshall Ferguson: Montreal could dearly use him, but that isn’t happening anytime soon both for Johnny and the Ticats sake.
Chris O’Leary: A Johnny Manziel trade would make sense for the Ticats, depending on what they get back. If Jeremiah Masoli continues to play well and the Ticats continue to win, it only gets harder for them to take the ball out of Masoli’s hands. On top of that, regardless of how well he might play in the CFL, I only expect Manziel to be in the league this year and next. If the return on a trade is great enough – a player that immediately makes your team stronger or gives you equal or greater depth at QB than what you presently have, why not? Teams that should pursue the trade: Montreal and given their recent QB injuries, Saskatchewan and Toronto.
With Zach Collaros going on the six-game injured list, does Brandon Bridge have a chance to emerge as the long-term starter?
Brandon Bridge may finally be getting his chance to become the Riders’ starting QB (Jason Halstead/CFL.ca)
O’Leary: Collaros being on the six-game list is the perfect opportunity for Bridge to take over. O-line play may be a factor in this, but Collaros looked so-so in the Riders’ Week 1 win and struggled in the time he was in for that Week 2 loss. If Bridge can win as a starter, the job could be his.
Cauz: Absolutely. Bridge had some success last year and it’s not like the third-stringer David Watford is suddenly going to light this league up. Bridge has showed plenty of potential …. Now he just needs to be more consistent with his accuracy.
Ferguson: It’s now or never for Bridge in Saskatchewan. He’s wanted to be a starter since Montreal, now is his truest chance.
Nye: Brandon Bridge has said that Chris Jones made it clear that he sees a future for Bridge as a No. 1 guy but didn’t feel he was quite ready to take that role. Now we’ll find out if Jones was right, both if Bridge is a future star or if he’s not quite ready. But if Bridge shines, there should be no doubt who gets an extension for 2019 and beyond as both he and Collaros are on one year deals.
Cybulski: The Riders made Collaros their starter for a reason. Unless Bridge runs the table for a long stretch while Zach is out, the starting gig is going back to Collaros.
Morris: Bridge had all last year to prove he could be a first string quarterback. I’m still not convinced he is a starter instead of one of those quarterbacks who works best coming off the bench.
The Argos’ slow start may have opened the door for a new East Division Champion. Which fast-starting East team has the better chance to win the division, Hamilton or Ottawa?
Trevor Harris got the REDBLACKS off to a quick start with a win over the Riders in Week 1 (The Canadian Press)
O’Leary: Which early season win was more impressive? Ottawa’s over Saskatchewan or Hamilton’s over Edmonton? I’d go with Ottawa, since they picked apart a defence that will be really, really good this season and put 40 points on it. Trevor Harris said Noel Thorpe might have been the team’s biggest off-season acquisition, and that showed against Sask too.
Cauz: I loved what the Tiger-Cats did against Edmonton but Ottawa easily could have started last year 5-2-1 instead of 1-6-1 and would have won the division. They have enough talent to be a 10-win team.
Cybulski: We’re asking this after one of these teams played just a single game?! Who came up with these questions anyways? Having said that, based on how Hamilton played in Calgary and Edmonton, give me the Tabbies.
Ferguson: Ticats. If Masoli plays this way Hamilton is a real threat in the East.
Morris: Hamilton. They have something to prove after last year.
Nye: I feel like the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have the talent on offence to go a long, long way, but Noel Thorpe’s addition by Ottawa as defensive coordinator could be the most underrated coaching move of the off-season. I’m taking Hamilton by a nose, or a rouge in this case….
