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#21

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: CFL (Non-Bombers) off-seas...

Last post by M.O.A.B. - December 26, 2025, 05:42:28 PM

Robustelli might be a good steal. He will not be a high-price FA, I think. He had a decent production on his 12 games last year - 500+ yds and 3 TDs.

#22

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: 1st & 10 | The Complete Bl...

Last post by Jesse - December 26, 2025, 05:17:59 PM

Vernon Adams, showed some early spark but took forever to develop, his early career was a merry-go-round of teams discarding him, at one point Sask traded him to the Ti-Cats where he competed as a WR before being cut early in the season returning to the Als where he started all over again following Jonhny Manziel.

Darian Durant was not the quickest learner either, he spent 3 full seasons as a backup before getting his chance to be the starter in 2009.

20 years ago it was not unusual for QB's to develop 3-4 years before taking over.

Rourke looked good as soon as he got his opportunity.

Vernon Adams took forever to find a home, but he had early success in his rookie season.

Trevor Harris didn't start until his 4th year, so good example of developing a guy, but looked competant when he stepped on the field in relief in each of his first three years. He never came on and looked like...Wilson.

Collaros was excellent right away. Created a bidding war the moment his initial 2 year deal with Toronto expired.

Bo Levi was excellent right away.

Dru Brown was excellent in relief in his 2nd and 3rd seasons when he was called on.

Chad Kelly was what he was right away.

Davis Alexander didn't take meanigful reps until his 3rd season. But again, when he did get on ther field in his rookie and sophomore years, he looked like he belonged.

-------------------------------------

Just looking around the league right now. The starters looked like good prospects as soon as they got their opportunities. They didn't look awful for a couple years and then a light turned on. Calvillio, McManus, Durant, all the examples I'm seeing you guys bring up, all had some success on the field as soon as they stepped on it. They looked like good prospects that may have needed to switch teams before getting starting opportunities.

Guys like Wilson, who can't earn the right to get on the field and don't look good when they do after a couple of years...I can't think of any examples of guys like that suddenly becoming good.

#23

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: CFL (Non-Bombers) off-seas...

Last post by Throw Long Bannatyne - December 26, 2025, 05:16:27 PM

Absolutely no shock there.  They need to keep the NAT REC ratio up so they can go all (or all but 1) IMP on D, or use 3 IMP OL.

Is K.Johnson in FA this year?  That's the real prize (but no passport).

Johnson was #4 in receiving yards, Dohnte Meyers #7, they won't be able to keep them both at the price elite receivers are now commanding after paying Emulus around $300k. Riders have become a fat juicy berry bush for the plucking.  Also imports Joe Robustelli, Shawn Bane, NI's Tommy Nield, KSB and Mitchell Picton, not all these guys deserve big contracts, but 1 or 2 of them could fit on the Bombers roster fairly well.  Question is are the Bombers looking to upgrade 2nd tier Natl. Clercius?

#24

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: 1st & 10 | The Complete Bl...

Last post by Throw Long Bannatyne - December 26, 2025, 05:00:19 PM

Do they though?

Of the very best QBs that I've seen over the past 20+ years watching the CFL, they usually look pretty good as soon as they get an opportunity.

Vernon Adams, showed some early spark but took forever to develop, his early career was a merry-go-round of teams discarding him, at one point Sask traded him to the Ti-Cats where he competed as a WR before being cut early in the season and returned to the Als where he started all over again following Jonhny Manziel.

Darian Durant was not the quickest learner either, he spent 3 full seasons as a backup before getting his chance to be the starter in 2009.

Times have changed but 20 years ago it was not unusual for QB's to develop 3-4 years before taking over.

[Zeke Moreno]

#25

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: NFL Option Clause

Last post by Blue In BC - December 26, 2025, 04:46:25 PM

Maybe Corey Mace, drafted by the Bombers in 2007 but also signed with the Buffalo Bills where he hung around for 2 seasons played in 3 games and recorded a single tackle. Don't know if he forced the Bombers hand but the Hamilton Tiger-Cats acquired Mace's CFL rights along with a 2009 CFL draft first round pick in exchange for linebacker Zeke Moreno in the 2008 CFL season. Who here remembers Zeke Moreno?

The hate still burns.

Option year versus draft retention situation. Yes I remember Moreno.

[There were no good options.]

#26

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: Blue Bombers announce coac...

Last post by Throw Long Bannatyne - December 26, 2025, 04:33:43 PM

Jarious was under contract to be a QB coach.  To have him suddenly take the OC job in week 4 we'd almost certainly have to renegotiate his contract and pay him a lot more.  Whilst still paying Hogan.  Still bad from a coach cap perspective.

There were no good options.  Hogan had to produce or we were screwed.

Well they let Buck walk out the door with Kevin Bourgoin on a leash, if O'Shea had offered him the OC job he likely doesn't follow Buck to BC. Just guessing, but I would say he was better equipped for the step up than Hogan.

#27

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: 1st & 10 | The Complete Bl...

Last post by Blue In BC - December 26, 2025, 04:21:37 PM

Do they though?

Of the very best QBs that I've seen over the past 20+ years watching the CFL, they usually look pretty good as soon as they get an opportunity.

Generally yes. Calvillo, McManus and even Flutie did not have immediate success. We could argue that Harris and Fajardo are more recent examples of taking longer.

Some like Calvillo started immediately as a necessity in an expansion team ( in failed US expansion ). He then went to the TiCats and was eventually released before finding success in Montreal behind D. Allen.

McManus showed some talent before leaving Winnipeg before leaving for BC. I'd argue he didn't become a better than average QB until leaving for Edmonton. Real success came in Hamilton. In his 6th and last season in BC he had 19 TD's against 26 ints and 4655 yards. By the end of his 6th CFL season he was something like 55 TD's against 66 int's. That sounds like a long learning curve.

Success is based on having a good team around a QB to have a fighting chance of " looking good " at the start of his career. BLM had that during his time in Calgary.

There is a longer list of failures than successes at the QB league wide.


Pick a CFL team and google the QB's that have come and gone.

Who were the last Bomber QB's they found and developed to have success? Google past Bomber QB's over the last 20 years. The best were recycled from other teams

Seriously, the list of immediate success is a very short list IMO.

[Zeke Moreno]

#28

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: NFL Option Clause

Last post by Throw Long Bannatyne - December 26, 2025, 04:18:29 PM

Man, you guys are tough customers.  I knew someone was going to call me on this.

So they weren't still on their rookie contracts (obvious for Biggie, lol), but maybe some were still under a (multiyear) contract.  Dudes don't just wait until a FA year to take NFL looks.  They go look when called.  Are you positive Biggie & Henoc both left with 0 time left on their CFL contracts?  That info won't be immediately available -- you'll have to do some digging.  Unless you claim to have it all memorized!

I'm sure some of my other examples fit my scenario, and/or make up your own examples.  Zylstra, D.Walker, Singleton, D.Alford ... I'm sure there are tons from other teams which I don't memorize as much as guys from our team.  (Yes, even most of those are bad examples because 3 of 4 haven't returned (yet) -- come up with better examples for me!)

Even if it only affected 1 dude in the last decade, my point still stands: if there's time left on the contract, it should carry over when they return to the CFL.

Maybe Corey Mace, drafted by the Bombers in 2007 but also signed with the Buffalo Bills where he hung around for 2 seasons played in 3 games and recorded a single tackle. Don't know if he forced the Bombers hand but the Hamilton Tiger-Cats acquired Mace's CFL rights along with a 2009 CFL draft first round pick in exchange for linebacker Zeke Moreno in the 2008 CFL season. Who here remembers Zeke Moreno?

The hate still burns.

#29

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: Blue Bombers announce coac...

Last post by theaardvark - December 26, 2025, 04:02:44 PM

Jake was not the most physically gifted player but managed to last 13 years in the CFL. Chances are he has some pretty good knowledge and insight that will make him a good coach.

Rudy syndrome.

Wade Miller

Sam Hurl

Jake Thomas

Players that got the opportunity through passport, and made a career through effort.

#30

Blue Bomber & CFL Discussion Forum / Re: NFL Option Clause

Last post by theaardvark - December 26, 2025, 03:59:44 PM

Any remaining term on an uncompleted contract should be retained by the original team.

Term for sure, but value should be negotiable, with arbitration.  If the team and player can't come to a mutual agreement, it can be arbitrated.

We've seen issues with players overplaying their contract values and either sitting out of playing under protest, and leaving the moment their contract is up.  Smart team re-negotiate, and retain a happy, productive player.