MMQB: 3 reasons getting Vernon Adams Jr. was a win for Calgary

Pat Steinberg

CFL.ca

@Fan960Steinberg

What will likely be the biggest transaction of the off-season is already done.

That move saw the Calgary Stampeders acquire quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. from the BC Lions in exchange for multiple draft picks early last week. It’s a deal that sent waves across the CFL landscape and is one of the biggest trades either team has ever been a part of.

It’s also the exact move the Stamps needed to make after missing the playoffs for the first time in 19 years.

For this week’s MMQB, we’ve identified the three main reasons why.

GETTING OUT IN FRONT

Everyone assumed Adams Jr. was going to be moved this winter. Then new Lions’ general manager Ryan Rigmaiden confirmed as such in his introductory news conference last month. But instead of letting the process drag out, or allowing a bidding war to rage on, Calgary beat their potential West Division rivals to the punch.

Along with the Stampeders, Saskatchewan and Edmonton were identified as potential landing spots for Adams Jr. Both the Riders and Elks would have had to decide whether to target Adams Jr. over bringing back an incumbent. In Sask that player is Trevor Harris, while both McLeod Bethel-Thompson and Tre Ford fit that bill in Edmonton.

But Calgary took any potential choice out of their hands. And while there’s no guarantee the Elks or Riders would have gone down the Adams Jr. trade path, taking an option away is a solid competitive edge claimed by the Stampeders. While by no means their primary motivation, it’s a nice byproduct of adding a player of Adams Jr.’s calibre.

IT ADDRESSES A PRESSING NEED

Of course, Calgary’s main reason for acquiring Adams Jr. was to solve a personnel problem. While Jake Maier showed flashes of promise in two plus seasons at the helm, it became clear he wasn’t the long-term answer. Far too often the Stamps’ offence was pedestrian and left too many points on the field.

So, when the choice came down to going after Adams jr. or bringing Maier back in free agency, Calgary pounced on the former. The opportunity to bring in a player like Adams Jr. doesn’t come along very often and was far too good for the Stampeders to pass up. Calgary has added a franchise level quarterback without giving up a player on their roster or a first-round pick.

Remember, Adams Jr. was the clear frontrunner for Most Outstanding Player and had the CFL world buzzing about a potential 6,000-yard season prior to sustaining an injury in early August. And that was after he threw for 4,769 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2023 as the Lions advanced to the Western Final.

Adams Jr. is one of the league’s best pivots and, at 31, still has plenty left in the tank. The Stampeders had a clear need at quarterback and have addressed it with what was unquestionably the best available option.

IT PROVIDES LONGER TERM STABILITY

Calgary is getting cost certainty with this acquisition, too. Adams Jr. signed a three-year extension prior to the 2024 campaign, and before BC brought back Nathan Rourke. That means Adams Jr. is under contract for the next two seasons, which gives the Stampeders important stability at a crucial position for more than just one year. That’s not always the case in this league.

With Adams Jr. signed for multiple years, Calgary has an attractive selling point both internally and externally. It serves as great motivation if the Stamps are looking to retain pending free agents like Marken Michel, Jalen Philpot, and Dedrick Mills. The same is true if Calgary is after a big name once signing season opens in February with names like Eugene Lewis, Justin Hardy, and Kenny Lawler potentially available.

QUICK HITS

One of my favourite off-season traditions is finally here: our CFL.ca Top 30 Pending Free Agents list. Published late last week, it’s cool to see the same last name twice in the highest tier. Quarterback Tre Ford is our top ranked free agent, while defensive back Tyrell Ford slots in at number four.

It continues a trend for these gentlemen. As twin brothers, Tyrell and Tre were selected five spots apart in the 2022 CFL Draft and cold enter free agency together as two of the league’s best and brightest stars.

Finally, congratulations to Mark Kilam. After being in the mix for multiple head coach jobs over the last few years, Kilam finally realized a dream when the reports surfaced that he has potentially been hired by Edmonton last week. This year’s Labour Day Battle of Alberta doubleheader should have a little extra spice with Kilam going head-to-head against Dave Dickenson after being let go by Calgary in late October.

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