Bombers acquire QB Dru Brown

[bunker]

Regarding Elgersma, let him earn the starting job over time by competing for it and showing he's better than the veterans in front of him. If he's as good as everyone thinks, he'll get slotted into the #2 slot, possibly as early as next year. Once that happens he'll almost certainly get a chance to play and show what he's got due to the high likelihood of the starting QB spending some time out with injury. And he'll be more likely to have success with a year of learning the position under his belt. The most intriguing player in town is always the untested back up QB with potential. Most, unfortunately, turn out to be disappointments. TE may be different, but if he really is that good, he'll get his chance.

[Waffler]

Thoughts:

Maybe Condell wanted Brown. they worked together in Ottawa

Maybe Bombers have wanted this trade since Dinwiddie was hired and came out luke warm on Brown as starter

Perkins is odd man out. 3rd down is easiest to replace by far.

The concussions are not good but you know who else had issues? Collaros, Harris. 3 Grey Cups there.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I thought that was odd also. Suggests Dru was not in Ottawa's future plans at that point. Maybe trade talks were already ongoing and Ottawa didn't want a Brown injury ruining it all.

Dinwiddie also cut QB Max Duggan and added Nicholas Vattiato shortly after to take his place, so it looks like he's in the process of a total reorganization.  I'm not sure the Ottawa fans can stomach a rebuild, but that's what they're getting.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Brown had some strong games with Winnipeg and with Ottawa. Enough that he looked like starter material. He had a tough year injury-wise in Ottawa, but you would've thought Ottawa would stick with him as a starter again this year. They certainly don't have anybody better. A bit of a head scratcher how it all kind of went downhill for him in Ottawa. I don't think it was all Dinwiddie either. Perhaps the players and/or the organization had an issue with his leadership. I don't know, but it had to be something we didn't see from the outside.

Whatever. Brown does add lot of needed depth at the most important position. No doubt about that. Green or not though, Elgersma and Perkins are for sure going to be disappointed and maybe feel a little betrayed as well. Especially Elgersma. It did look like the Bombers were committed to going in his direction in the not to distant future. That must have played a significant role in him signing here. This move now casts doubt on that. Them trading for a vet qb was not on his radar screen. Obviously, he has all the tools to be a very successful CFL quarterback. Sometimes an organization just has to stick with a plan when it comes to finding it's next franchise quarterback. Was this maybe the time to do that? I'm not saying they shouldn't have done this, but yeah maybe I'm not as silly giddy as some others, because I'm a little concerned about how this move might upset the harmony of the team. 

Considering all that, it does appear to be a good trade for the Bombers, for this year anyway. But a bold and maybe risky one for the future as well. We'll see how it all unfolds.

Well...anyone think Zach is capable of winning a GC this season?  Will he get better next season?  If not what's the point of sticking with him for another year as his skills deteriorate? 

As for Elgersma, at some point in the next 2-3 seasons he has to demonstrate he's a better option than Dru Brown if he wants the starting QB job, hopefully O'Shea comprehends the days of Zach will soon be over and and provides him with the opportunity to play, which is questionable he would unless injury intervenes. Elgersma either accepts the challenge with patience or he goes back to the NFL to stand in line forever or discovers the joy of finding a job in the real world, he has little choice.

[TBURGESS]

I'm happy to have Brown as our #2 QB, but let's not make him into something he isn't. He was the worst starting QB in the league last year and lost his job to Jake Maier this year. He's like a lot of backups who, when they get their chance, don't live up to the hype. 

[The Zipp]

I'm happy to have Brown as our #2 QB, but let's not make him into something he isn't. He was the worst starting QB in the league last year and lost his job to Jake Maier this year. He's like a lot of backups who, when they get their chance, don't live up to the hype.

some truth to the above - he has played enough games to show what he is - injuries have impacted him so he gets a bit of a pause but this chance is basically it for him.  He is the just good enough QB to make you believe but not good enough to win consistently...there have been 00's before him and 00's to some.

[Blueforlife]

Well...anyone think Zach is capable of winning a GC this season?  Will he get better next season?  If not what's the point of sticking with him for another year as his skills deteriorate? 

As for Elgersma, at some point in the next 2-3 seasons he has to demonstrate he's a better option than Dru Brown if he wants the starting QB job, hopefully O'Shea comprehends the days of Zach will soon be over and and provides him with the opportunity to play, which is questionable he would unless injury intervenes. Elgersma either accepts the challenge with patience or he goes back to the NFL to stand in line forever or discovers the joy of finding a job in the real world, he has little choice.

30 to 50% chance Zach can win a cup this year imo.  That goes down slightly next year.  He still is very good imo.  Stick with him until option 2 is > option 1.  Stick with him so we have time to pass the torch.

[blue_gold_84]

I'm happy to have Brown as our #2 QB, but let's not make him into something he isn't. He was the worst starting QB in the league last year and lost his job to Jake Maier this year. He's like a lot of backups who, when they get their chance, don't live up to the hype.

The Redblacks were a dumpster fire last season and they weren't much better in 2024. Despite that, Brown still posted respectable numbers during his time there: 28 GP, 508 completions against 738 attempts (68.8%), 6348 yards, 32 TDs, 20 INTs - good for a 98.45 QB rating (better than Collaros' 96.18 QBR through 31 games in 2024 and 2025).

I don't think your assessment of Brown is fair or reasonable. His struggles with the RedBlacks didn't exist in a vacuum as evidenced by the team's abysmal record during his time there.

And I guess Maier "stole his job," but that seems more like a shortsighted decision by Dinwiddie. Maier's been bad enough so far that Bethel-Thompson had to be airlifted in, anyway. The RedBlacks are not a good team right now.

[theaardvark]

I'm happy to have Brown as our #2 QB, but let's not make him into something he isn't. He was the worst starting QB in the league last year and lost his job to Jake Maier this year. He's like a lot of backups who, when they get their chance, don't live up to the hype.

He may have been "the worst" QB in the league, but was his team/coaching better than anyone in the league?

This is an enigma for me, Perkins vs. Brown.  Elgersma is here to stay, QB3 until he moves up.  But QB2... Perkins has more "pedigree" but far less 3 down experience.  Does he accept a PR spot?  We have no idea Perkins upside.  He's done all that he has been asked to.  Will that continue?

I'm not unhappy with the QB room of Zach, Dru and Taylor.  Perkins probably came here thinking he could fight for Zach's job. If released, he would probably get picked up elsewhere and be able to fight for a spot, but with no where near the chance of getting a starters job that would have been ahead of him when he originally signed here.  Having Taylor inserted into the room, and now Dru, his prospects have unfortunately really dropped.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

He may have been "the worst" QB in the league, but was his team/coaching better than anyone in the league?

This is an enigma for me, Perkins vs. Brown.  Elgersma is here to stay, QB3 until he moves up.  But QB2... Perkins has more "pedigree" but far less 3 down experience.  Does he accept a PR spot?  We have no idea Perkins upside.  He's done all that he has been asked to.  Will that continue?

I'm not unhappy with the QB room of Zach, Dru and Taylor.  Perkins probably came here thinking he could fight for Zach's job. If released, he would probably get picked up elsewhere and be able to fight for a spot, but with no where near the chance of getting a starters job that would have been ahead of him when he originally signed here.  Having Taylor inserted into the room, and now Dru, his prospects have unfortunately really dropped.

It's not unusual for a team to carry 4 QB's Bombers did it last season, it's just a matter of roster and budget management, no reason to cut Perkins as he's been excellent as the SY QB.

[blue_gold_84]

Brown trade solves problems for Bombers and Redblacks

An informative read by Naylor on the trade.

And it seems to have worked out for both teams.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Turns out Brown asked for his release after Dinwiddie chose Maier as the starter.


https://3downnation.com/2026/06/24/ryan-dinwiddie-dru-brown-became-little-bit-of-a-distraction-for-ottawa-redblacks/

[Tecno]

Well...anyone think Zach is capable of winning a GC this season?  Will he get better next season?  If not what's the point of sticking with him for another year as his skills deteriorate? 

I do.  If T.Harris, Arbuckle, and Cody can win it, then Zach more than can.

Zach pros:
- making great reads
- great zone hole dropper
- nice touch / easily catchable
- not throwing bad INTs (yet?)

Zach cons:
- slow wind-up
- slow "no zip" balls
- low escapability
- gets injured
- doesn't "look off" DBs
- ~50Y effective range

The one that's killing us currently is the "no zip" problem.  It gives every DB/LB time to get to the target, and doubly especially seeing as how most of our game is the sit-down game, not the catch-in-stride game.

Can we work around the no-zip problem?  Is there solutions?  Throw earlier?  Get some wizard trainer to fix it?  T.Harris doesn't have much zip either, and SSK has made it work -- but they do a lot more in-stride and timing passes.  Maybe that's the answer...

[Tecno]

Perkins is odd man out. 3rd down is easiest to replace by far.

Disagree.  Perkins is good sneak body type and a ball of beef.  And he's 100% and seems dedicated.  You don't mess with what's working.

Elgersma was never here to be groomed as SY.  He's being groomed as future Rourke.  Sure, if he could do SY that would be gravy.  But it's not his purpose.  His job in the 1st 3 games was to come in and take over if Zach gets hurt.  Period.

Now we have Dru who is totally the better choice to have that exact job description.  And so Dru gets the #2 AR spot.  Perkins stays at SY.  And Elgersma gets to be the heir apparent putting in his 2-3 seasons of normal CFL dev... on the RR or PR.

I'll eat a whole Walby burger in one sitting if they yank Perkins from SY and put in Elgersma.

[Tecno]

Who cares?  Other teams have gone with rookie backups in the past.

And what's their combined record?  Who's the last year-1 rookie to come for injury replacement in and go above .500?  I think it's Strev -- who came in week 1 year 1!  (Yowsers)

Remember, even Alexander had years of dev before playing.  The only other one I can think of is Kelly who stepped in for his first game in the infamous GC and won himself a starting spot.  And that was after a full year of dev and major high-expectations dev time down south.

We all know if Perkins or Elgersma had to start tomorrow the odds of it going Really Badly(TM) is near 100%.  Not their fault, per se, it's just par for the course at that position.