Off-Season Other Teams News

[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!!

[TecnoGenius]

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.

Ya, that's what A.Bowman said too when he was in WPG for, what, 3 months before being cut (a couple of seasons ago)?

Football is a tough business.  Your best plans and real estate purchases don't always work out.  I hope it does for Dru!

[TecnoGenius]

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

Yup.  I'd gamble on Dru over a whole bunch of other CFL QBs, some of them starters.  But not over Zach!!

[Waffler]

Yup.  I'd gamble on Dru over a whole bunch of other CFL QBs, some of them starters.  But not over Zach!!

Agreed Zach is better today.  Our choice was to have Zach with a roster that is going to need retooling or sign Dru and be able to keep everyone else we don't want leaving. It's a 300k saving at QB which I would assume would have solved all our other money problems. Dru is a gamble in Ottawa but much less so here as we have seen what he can do in this system.

Also, we have the 2025 Grey Cup which we go all in to win. How are we going to look in 2 years? Time will tell but I assume the Bombers considered it. Zach will be 38 by that Grey Cup.

Anyway, it's done now. We just wait to see who and how many we lose and what we do to fill those holes. It can still work, we just have more questions than we are used to.

[theaardvark]

"Settle down in Ottawa"?  Has he seen the house prices there?  I hope she has a work visa and a high paying job...

Best advice... rent for a couple years, then sign a big deal back here and buy a house.

Average house price Ottawa - 623,900
Average house price Winnipeg - 332,100

[ModAdmin]

Farhan Lalji
@FarhanLaljiTSN
Hearing the #Argos & all-star LB Wynton McManis have agreed to terms on a 1 year extension. Total compensation is worth just over 200k

[Pete]

Farhan Lalji
@FarhanLaljiTSN
Hearing the #Argos & all-star LB Wynton McManis have agreed to terms on a 1 year extension. Total compensation is worth just over 200k

Another big ticket for Toronto, wonder if they will be able to sign Pickett. With Kelly at 650. Orimolade at 240  and Ceresna 205 thats a lot tied up.
I would imagine riders had their eye on Mcmanis may try to get Pickett and Oakman now. they still have Oulette to sign.
If we cant sign Schoen I'd also like us to look at Coxie at wr.

[Blue In BC]

Another big ticket for Toronto, wonder if they will be able to sign Pickett. With Kelly at 650. Orimolade at 240  and Ceresna 205 thats a lot tied up.
I would imagine riders had their eye on Mcmanis may try to get Pickett and Oakman now. they still have Oulette to sign.
If we cant sign Schoen I'd also like us to look at Coxie at wr.

Kelly re-negotiated his contract but I didn't see the details on how much impact it had on SMS.