Off-Season Other Teams News

[TBURGESS]

So you're proposing both sides negotiate a contract as if the worst possible outcome is the likely result of their union, instead of the best? 

Nope. I'm saying that paying a guy for something he's clearly never done, is a huge risk. Brown could Arbuckle. When was the last time that paying a young QB based on potential worked out?  My guess is Mike Reilly to the Esks back in 2013, before that

My guess on top QB contracts:

Collaros, Kelly, Harris, Fajardo, MBT, Maier, Brown. (One of these QB's is not like the others) Assuming that Harris and BLM still have their injury issues, that makes Brown the 5th highest paid starting QB in the league & he has almost no experience.

[Jesse]

Nope. I'm saying that paying a guy for something he's clearly never done, is a huge risk. Brown could Arbuckle. When was the last time that paying a young QB based on potential worked out?  My guess is Mike Reilly to the Esks back in 2013, before that

My guess on top QB contracts:

Collaros, Kelly, Harris, Fajardo, MBT, Maier, Brown. (One of these QB's is not like the others) Assuming that Harris and BLM still have their injury issues, that makes Brown the 5th highest paid starting QB in the league & he has almost no experience.

Tier 1 (600+): Collaros, Kelly
Tier 2 (500+): Harris
Tier 3 (400+): Meier, MBT, Fajardo
Tier 4 (300+): Adams, Brown

The only QB who MIGHT make less than Brown is whoever ends up starting for Hamilton. Because Bo restructured his contract, since last year he was in the 500+ category. And Adams' deal was negotiated prior to his breakout, so he might get a bump too.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Signing bonus of $137,500

Masoli and Adams probably start the season on the 6 game IR. I'm guessing Arbuckle is not re-signed. However one of their other QB's might not survive the numbers game and might be some one we take a look at in TC if he gets cut.

Doubt the RB's cut either before TC, more likely happens when Masoli returns in July or Aug.  Bombers will make their decision after TC and more than likely stick with it through the rest of the season, as long as things are going well.  Wouldn't surprise me if they stick with Prukop as #2 with a rookie behind him, if they can't sign Strev.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Randy Ambrosie off-season update.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L1xXmeXstA

[Waffler]

Wouldn't surprise me if they stick with Prukop as #2 with a rookie behind him, if they can't sign Strev.

We would be in serious trouble with Prukop starting or playing as a #2 sometimes will. He would easily be the worst starter in the league, if it came to that. He has incredible arm strength but is just not accurate enough. Even Corny is better and I don't think much of him.

[dd]

We would be in serious trouble with Prukop starting or playing as a #2 sometimes will. He would easily be the worst starter in the league, if it came to that. He has incredible arm strength but is just not accurate enough. Even Corny is better and I don't think much of him.

I don't think much of Corny either but at least Prukop can scramble and run and pose a running threat. Maier in Calgary isn't #1 material either. Prukop is on par with anything starting in Hamilton, it wouldn't be the end of the world, heck we lived through worse than him

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I don't think much of Corny either but at least Prukop can scramble and run and pose a running threat. Maier in Calgary isn't #1 material either. Prukop is on par with anything starting in Hamilton, it wouldn't be the end of the world, heck we lived through worse than him

Exactly, in 2021 Sean McGuire was the #2 backup.  Luckily Zach has never gone down for an extended period since he joined the team in late 2019.

[TecnoGenius]

Nope. I'm saying that paying a guy for something he's clearly never done, is a huge risk. Brown could Arbuckle. When was the last time that paying a young QB based on potential worked out?

Kelly.  They paid him even more than Dru based on like 5 snaps in the GC.  The rest was a guess based on what they saw in practice.  He literally had less CFL games snaps than Dru.

Farhan Lalji @FarhanLaljiTSN - 18m
Dru Brown's contract will pay him 290k in 2024 & 350k in 2025 in hard money,

Brown will make more than Adams.  Ottawa is over paying IMO.

It's a fair price if you think you'll win the gamble he'll be a great #1.  The whole thing is just a big gamble because no one, not even Dru, knows if he'll be a good QB and help turn OTT around.  If Dru sucks then OTT massively overpaid for an unknown, and look dumb.  If Dru is the next Zach, then OTT has a top-3 QB for "cheap" for 2 years, and Dru loses out on $550k/year.

The difference between $290 and either $180 or $500 is the "discount" each side is taking to account for the huge gamble.

At the end of the day OTT's QB room might be quite good, and they'll almost certainly achieve it for less $$ than WFC's QB room... If either Dru or Masoli turns out awesome, then that will mean they "won" on the QB front.

[TecnoGenius]

We would be in serious trouble with Prukop starting or playing as a #2 sometimes will. He would easily be the worst starter in the league, if it came to that. He has incredible arm strength but is just not accurate enough. Even Corny is better and I don't think much of him.

I don't think anyone will be thinking Prukop will be starting or even coming in as a save if there's an injury.  Prukop will be down as SY guy only.

If we ELC a #3 then we need to get him up to speed so fast his head will spin.  He'll have to come in if Zach gets injured.  If Prukop comes in then it'll be hand-off, QB draw, hand-off, QB designed run, hand-off, incomplete/INT; and a long night.  We gave Prukop some starts or quarter-games in the past and he was really bad... not quite Brohm bad, but getting close.  Call it Marve bad.  In fact, Prukop's #1 abilities seem to have gotten worse over the years, as he used to be semi-capable.

And I'm not dissing Prukop: I really like him and want him as our SY guy if we don't get Strevie.  He knows his role and he's clearly motivated to be the best at it.  And it's a critical role, even if some don't notice it.

If Zach goes down we'll be on the horn pronto to couch-sitters and bench-warmers around the league, of which there should be a few this year because there doesn't seem to be enough roster spots nor SMS to go around to all the vet backups.  Or we'll dangle a bigger carrot in front of Strevie to come be #1 for a while (yes, he can do it, and he'll win us .500+ just like last time).

[Jesse]

Kelly.  They paid him even more than Dru based on like 5 snaps in the GC.  The rest was a guess based on what they saw in practice.  He literally had less CFL games snaps than Dru.

It's a fair price if you think you'll win the gamble he'll be a great #1.  The whole thing is just a big gamble because no one, not even Dru, knows if he'll be a good QB and help turn OTT around.  If Dru sucks then OTT massively overpaid for an unknown, and look dumb.  If Dru is the next Zach, then OTT has a top-3 QB for "cheap" for 2 years, and Dru loses out on $550k/year.

I don't see how anyone could call it a massive overpay. He'll be the lowest paid starter in the league. Or, in the lowest tier, anyway. The only way you can pay someone less is if an injury occurs to your starter and you're starting a back-up or guy on their rookie deal.

BTW - Kelly was the lowest paid QB in the league last year (after his 5 snaps in the Grey Cup). An example of starting a QB on his rookie deal. He only was given his 600k salary after this past season.

[Waffler]

A two year deal means he'll be a FA at the end of 2025...same time that Zach's newest (final?) contract expires......

I said before, he's going to get 2 years of seasoning in another system, and we'll pick him back up later if he turns out to be any good....

To anyone who thinks Dru Brown has thoughts of coming back...

I spoke with Brown shortly after the trade was made. We kept the chat mostly to his time in Winnipeg and his appreciation for the Bombers, especially the mentorship he received from QB Zach Collaros, as negotiations had yet to start with the Redblacks. Brown did say he welcomed the chance to settle down in Ottawa with his wife, Meghan, with the hopes of starting a family and planting some roots in the nation's capital.

- Jeff Hamilton in the Free Press

[theaardvark]

Kelly got his $600k/yr deal after 9 games, not a whole season.  They were 8-1, granted, but it was not a whole season before they extended him for 3 years at $600k+ per...

https://www.argonauts.ca/2023/08/31/argos-sign-chad-kelly-to-contract-extension/

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

To anyone who thinks Dru Brown has thoughts of coming back...

I spoke with Brown shortly after the trade was made. We kept the chat mostly to his time in Winnipeg and his appreciation for the Bombers, especially the mentorship he received from QB Zach Collaros, as negotiations had yet to start with the Redblacks. Brown did say he welcomed the chance to settle down in Ottawa with his wife, Meghan, with the hopes of starting a family and planting some roots in the nation's capital.

- Jeff Hamilton in the Free Press

Brown was in Wpg. 3 full years and this is the first time I've heard he has a wife.....maybe the first time a reporter interviewed him.

[theaardvark]

Brown was in Wpg. 3 full years and this is the first time I've heard he has a wife.....maybe the first time a reporter interviewed him.

Me too.  Thank you google...

https://www.theknot.com/us/meghan-haire-and-dru-brown-apr-2023

Awww, married his high school sweetheart...

[dd]

I d take brown over Maier any day of the eeek and twice on game day!!