QB carousel slows after busy week of movement

CFL.ca Staff

TORONTO — The CFL’s quarterback carousel hasn’t come to a complete halt, but it has slowed down considerably.

With Trevor Harris, Mike Reilly and Jonathon Jennings all changing teams, the depth charts will look a lot different when training camps open up in May.

While some big names still remain — veterans Travis Lulay and Kevin Glenn and Canadian Brandon Bridge remain free agents — let’s look at the quarterbacks as the free agent dust settles.

BC LIONS

1. Mike Reilly

2. Ricky Lloyd

The worst-kept secret finally came to fruition on Feb. 12, when top-ranked free agent Mike Reilly chose to sign with the BC Lions. The move could be franchise-altering for the Lions, who become an immediate favourite to win the West Division while making a major ripple in a competitive Vancouver market.

There’s no question Reilly makes the Lions a better team, but the signing doesn’t come without sacrifice for General Manager Ed Hervey. Reilly’s contract, which will pay him $2.9 million over the next four years, means less money to spend elsewhere as the Lions try to overtake the rest of the highly-competitive West.

Part of that sacrifice may come at the QB position, where Ricky Lloyd is the projected No. 2 for the season. Lloyd has a bright future in BC by many accounts after a promising rookie season, but do the Lions trust him should Reilly be forced to miss time?

EDMONTON ESKIMOS

1. Trevor Harris

2. Danny O’Brien

3. Jeremiah Briscoe

Instead of panicking after Mike Reilly left town, Brock Sunderland calmly moved on to ‘Plan B’ in former REDBLACKS pivot Trevor Harris. The 32-year-old is a seamless fit for the Eskimos, having already built a rapport with both Sunderland and Head Coach Jason Maas during their time in Ottawa. He’ll also have his top receiving target in Greg Ellingson, who followed him out west.

Considering he may have left money on the table to go to Edmonton, signing Harris was a strong move for Sunderland, allowing the Eskimos GM to stock the shelves with plenty of proven talent on both sides of the ball in free agency. The question now becomes whether they pursue a proven backup like Kevin Glenn, who was on the roster last year, or lean on the less proven Danny O’Brien.

Developmental quarterback Jeremiah Briscoe appears to be of interest to the Esks. The 25-year-old out of Sam Houston State threw an FCS record 57 touchdown passes and was named an AP All-American in 2016. With Harris being 32, the Esks will continue to look for a long-term contingency plan behind centre.

CALGARY STAMPEDERS

1. Bo Levi Mitchell

2. Nick Arbuckle

3. Montell Cozart

Despite receiving lucrative offers from Toronto and Saskatchewan, Bo Levi Mitchell‘s heart remains with Calgary, where he’s chosen to stay for the next four years. Mitchell is already a Stampeders legend, winning the Grey Cup, Grey Cup MVP and Most Outstanding Player two times each. He’s also the CFL’s all-time win percentage leader among quarterbacks.

If Mitchell left, the team would have pursued an experienced veteran as a contingency plan. Nick Arbuckle may not have been ready for the starting role, but he’s just fine as a backup after serving the role last season. It’ll be interesting to see what the 25-year-old could become in the Stamps’ quarterback factory, as he’s the top prospect in the wake of the retired Andrew Buckley.

Though he didn’t take a snap in the regular season, Montell Cozart is another prospect the Stamps are committed to. The dual-threat quarterback, who’s still just 23 and a year out of college, threw 10 touchdown passes and added four more on the ground in his senior season at Boise State.

SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS

1. Zach Collaros

2. David Watford

3. Cody Fajardo

Fans were disappointed after the team couldn’t land big fish free agent Bo Levi Mitchell, but Zach Collaros was an easy fall-back plan for Jeremy O’Day and the Riders. Despite throwing more interceptions (13) than touchdowns (9) last season, Collaros demonstrated he can win football games, leading the Riders to a 12-win season and their first ever playoff game at new Mosaic Stadium.

If Collaros can stay healthy for a season, the Riders have a chance to contend for the West. Not only was his 7.9 yards per attempt a flash back to the Collaros of old, but the veteran pivot has a cap-friendly contract compared to Mitchell and Reilly, allowing the Riders to build a sturdy roster around him.

That’s a big ‘if’, of course, and the Riders would rather be safe than sorry in the event Collaros is injured. O’Day has said the team will try and sign a veteran backup, meaning Kevin Glenn and Travis Lulay are likely in play. Cody Fajardo is a short-yardage specialist and David Watford is an intriguing prospect, but they won’t likely climb the depth chart in 2019.

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS

1. Matt Nichols

2. Chris Streveler

3. Bryan Bennett

4. Bryan Schor

Last season was another step forward for Matt Nichols, who won his first career playoff game in impressive fashion — on the road against the Chris Jones-coached Saskatchewan Roughriders. The 31-year-old may not be among the CFL’s elite passers, but he’s not far off, as suggested by his 74:37 touchdown to interception ratio since joining the Bombers .

When Nichols was struggling in 2018, he was pushed by aspiring young backup Chris Streveler, who showed off his dual-threat ability with 441 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, in addition to 11 passing touchdowns. The 24-year-old was a revelation coming right out of college, and the rest of the league is paying attention.

Bryan Bennett appears to be settling in after previous stints in Winnipeg and Saskatchewan, while his heroic special teams tackle in the Western Semi-Final didn’t go unnoticed. Bryan Schor, 23, was added this off-season out of James Madison University, and will get a chance to impress at Bombers training camp.

HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

1. Jeremiah Masoli

2. Dane Evans

3. DeVante Kincade

What a difference a year has made for the Ticats, who now have one of the league’s top pivots in dual-threat quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. The 30-year-old truly emerged last season, throwing for 5,209 yards and leading all starting quarterbacks with 9.1 yards per attempt and 7.5 yards per rush. Masoli led the CFL’s most productive offence in 2018, helping him earn East Division Most Outstanding Player honours.

With Johnny Manziel merely a memory, Dane Evans has seized the No. 2 job on the Ticats’ depth chart. Offensive Coordinator June Jones has touted Evans’ ability in the past, and the 25-year-old backed it up in his first career start, throwing for 315 yards and two touchdowns in last year’s season finale.

DeVante Kincade, just 24 years old, was brought in after the team traded Manziel last summer. The former Grambling State star was passed over by NFL teams last year, but impressed the Ticats’ brass enough to earn a shot as the team’s long-term developmental quarterback.

TORONTO ARGONAUTS

1. James Franklin

2. McLeod Bethel-Thompson

3. Dakota Prukop

4. Noah Picton

After missing out on Bo Levi Mitchell, Argos GM Jim Popp was quick to commit to James Franklin as his starting quarterback for 2019. It’s a nice vote of confidence for the 27-year-old, who had mixed reviews in his first season after being traded from Edmonton. While Franklin may not have jived with then-head coach Marc Trestman, the addition of Derel Walker brings familiarity as the former Esks connection looks to get back on track.

Popp has expressed interest, publicly, in signing a veteran backup ‘like Travis Lulay‘, while Ricky Ray hasn’t ruled out returning from a season-ending injury in 2018. In any case, McLeod Bethel-Thompson would be a fine backup to Franklin after seeing extensive playing time last year. The 30-year-old backup threw for 2,193 yards, nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions in a stint as the Argos’ starter.

Dakota Prukop is an athletic, running quarterback that also helps out on special teams. He was re-signed by the Argos but hasn’t gotten an opportunity to play in the regular season. Rounding out the off-season depth chart is Canadian quarterback Noah Picton, whose biggest knock is his height at 5-foot-8, but could still be a legitimate prospect out of the University of Regina.

OTTAWA REDBLACKS

T-1. Jonathon Jennings

T-1. Dominique Davis

3. Danny Collins

4. William Arndt

He won’t be handed anything, but Jonathon Jennings should have the edge over Dominique Davis when the two compete for a starting job come training camp. Jennings is two years removed from being one of the CFL’s top up-and-coming stars, coming off a 5,200-yard, 27-touchdown season in 2016. He’s failed to regain that form, but the strong arm, quick legs and relative youth make him hard to write off.

Following the departure of Trevor Harris, REDBLACKS GM Marcel Desjardins said the team was comfortable with Davis being the starter if need be. The 29-year-old has a tough task trying to unseat Jennings, but it’s the best opportunity he’s had to become a starting CFL quarterback. Davis has thrown just 93 passing attempts in his four-year career, resulting in 750 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

Further down the depth chart are Danny Collins and William Arndt. Both are developmental quarterbacks and just 25 years old, but if both Jennings and Davis struggle this season, the door could be open for more playing time in the REDBLACKS’ quarterback rotation. Suffice to say it’s a different situation than Ottawa fans are used to.

MONTREAL ALOUETTES

T-1. Johnny Manziel

T-1. Antonio Pipkin

T-3. Jeff Mathews

T-3. Matthew Shiltz

T-3. Vernon Adams Jr.

6. Hugo Richard

Despite showing moderate improvement from week to week, Johnny Manziel lost playing time to Antonio Pipkin over the last month of 2018. Perhaps that was just Mike Sherman taking advantage of some meaningless games with his team eliminated down the stretch, or maybe the Als are uncertain of Manziel’s future despite paying handsomely for his rights.

In any case, Pipkin truly is an intriguing prospect for the Alouettes. The 23-year-old was cut and later asked to come back, making his first career start on Aug. 18 in Edmonton. After losing his first game, the 6-foot-3, 225-pound signal-caller won back-to-back starts, pulling the Als out of their early-season tailspin. Many see a prospect with exciting potential in Pipkin, though his 3:8 touchdown to interception ratio and 59.5 per cent completion percentage are cause for concern.

While Pipkin and Manziel are the favourites to start in Montreal, the Als have other options. Jeff Mathews, Matthew Shiltz and Vernon Adams Jr. have all been viewed as promising prospects at one time or another, and could push for playing time in 2019. It’s anyone’s guess which pivots will get a legitimate opportunity next season, while a few may have to go. The Als would be better-suited to focus their valuable time on just a few of their up-and-coming pivots — though Canadian quarterback Hugo Richard should be safe as a longer-term developmental prospect.

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