Blue Bombers Forum

https://3downnation.com/2023/03/14/former-cfl-qb-dakota-prukop-signs-with-usfl/

Good luck with that! We need a great short yardage guy or is Brown good enough? Brown is kinda slight for that no?

Yes we need a short yardage guy.  Brown needs to focus on learning to be our #2 and we need to figure out if he is our future.

Gee that was a long time coming, I guess the Bombers made Prukop an offer he really didn't want to accept.  Unless they want to go with a complete rookie they may have to give Pipkin a call or wait for a T.C. cut from another team.

Interesting note from the 3rd Down Nation article above.

"New Jersey?s head coach is Mike Riley" former Bomber HC.

I really don't understand this at all.  What money are we talking about in the USFL?  What money in the CFL?

Is he good enough to start in the USFL?  What does that say about the USFL?

It's all rather silly.

100% we bring in a new SY guy.  Brown is not a SY guy.  Look at the couple of games he was used on SY in the last 2 seasons.  Yikes.  He's not built for that and I want him to stay healthy dev'ing as the legit #2.

Pipkin now on the radar?

What's McGuire doing??  In hindsight, maybe should have kept McGuire as SY over Prukop going into 2022.  Maybe McGuire makes that GC pass -- who knows.  McGuire was close to 100% on SY.

I still hold out hope Strev will come back one day...

For those who question this:

Prukop wanted to be closer to his famiy.

US$ are bigger than $CAN, regardless salary.

USFL potentially gives more NFL exposure.

USFL gives him a chance to compete for a starters spot, they are Very fickle about QB performance, unlike O'Shea.  And here he would be SY, PK holder and #3 on the DC with no chance of progressing short of injuries

USFL season is a lot shorter than CFL, and he on't have to play/practice in snow/subzero weather.

I 100% agree with his decision. 

Good luck to you, sir.  And if it doesn't work out, you have enough CFL cred to sign up here again.

Well that settles that I guess. USD and a shorter season. A possible chance to get more actual playing time and closer to home.

Good luck and I'll check out his new team when they play.

Nice please report back

April 15th on Fox network. 1st 2 games are on Fox but the rest of the games while scheduled haven't been announced on TV yet. You'd think that would have been determined by now?

Anyway, I hope he gets on the field for more than Holder or Short Yardage.

We will NOT be paying a Pipkin to do QB sneaks all year.

Probably not. Don't think he has much upside so chances are we retain a CFL rookie. Who that ends up to be we'll see.

Bud Grant would have cut him first thing.

 ::)

This.

Never said he didn't want to or refused to, just said he doesn't have to in the USFL.  If I had an option to work outdoors in a warm environment vs. a freezing one, I would choose warn 100% of the time.

Thing is the USFL season ends in early July and he could easily jump aboard the B&G ship and will already be in game shape.    It would be a good move on his part to then showcase his QB skills in the various short yardage packages throughout a game.    I'm still not convinced Dru Brown is big enough to survive in that position.    I don't see the Bombers making any serious acquisitions at #3 QB and Dakota already knows our playbook and it would be an easy transition for him to rejoin us at the beginning of the season.....
Wondering if those discussions and possibilities were discussed on his exit interview with the team.    He wasn't perhaps as good as Strevs but he was better than McGuire or anyone else we've had at #3

interesting article by john Hodge on Prukops decision to go to the usfl. Sounds like he's already contemplating his return to the cfl. , he may be looking to showcase his ability as a starter there, and perhaps if a starting cfl qb gets hurt early it may create an opportunity, otherwise he may look to return to the bombers if they have a spot for him
https://3downnation.com/2023/03/17/qb-dakota-prukop-explains-why-he-chose-to-sign-with-usfl-foresees-likely-cfl-return/

I suspected that this was more of an opportunity to double dip and get some extra pay. I absolutely don't blame him at all. I would happily have him back as our SY QB and can understand that position on a depth chart doesn't pay very well, so if he goes USFL makes a few dollars and then comes back here a couple weeks late I, for one, am OK with that. I'm surprised that more of our 3rd stringers in this league aren't taking the same avenue.

Might work if the Bombers agree to hold the door open for his return, but if they invest in another individual they think can do the job well, I suspect they move on from Prukop.

Great interview by Hodge, I can't recall Bomber staff ever interviewing him in the entire year he was here, they keep busy asking the same 6 guys, the same 6 questions.

CJOB had a very good interview with DP12 before one bomber game.

Ahhhh, sort of an early start to training camp, and one for which they're paid!

 ;)

as I was saying earlier in this post....he's 30 now and has a kid....suddenly his perspective becomes more urgent in terms of his football career.     I'd love to see him back in Blue and Gold....,who knows?

Haha.  True dat

So does the USFL pay better than the XFL?

 ???

Beat me to it I was going to post that lol

By Mid -July, B.C's  Adams should be too confused, have had a  sideline  breakdown, and BC could be looking.

The article says the USFL pays $5350/week - with housing incentives included that's roughly $60k (US) for a 10-game season, where the CFL minimum is $51k (US) for a much longer season, as well as double taxes.  The XFL pays the same as the USFL for 2023 - $5350USD/week.

We all know Prukop is not making the league minimum in the CFL, but this is essentially a chance for him to collect 2 salaries as the USFL will be done (the USFL season ends July 2nd) just as the CFL is starting (Week 1 starts on June 8th). 

Prukop could potentially lose the first 3 or 4 weeks of the CFL season, but he won't have had the (unpaid)  preseason - which could work in his favor in a return to Winnipeg, as he would not have to learn a whole new system from scratch.  It could also work against him if he signs somewhere else and hasn't had a preseason to work out the system/playbook.  I guess the deciding factor for him is that he could earn a full salary (plus any playoff bonuses) in the USFL and then come back north and collect 85% of a CFL salary, too.

We still haven't established whether some / all USFL players become free agents at the end of their season. Some USFL players might only be signing 1 year deals? That's still a sticking point whether a player like Prukop could return to the CFL.

Obviously if he's eligible to return to the CFL and double dip, that's a great income opportunity. OTOH, more games if he gets playing time could result in injury?

  I guess that's the risk he's willing to take.  Old Man Time is coming, and he has only a few years (he'll be 30 this year) to earn as a player left, so I guess in his mind it's worth the risk to maximize his earnings over the next couple of seasons.

Do you think men under thirty who play football think of. Getting injured?
Get real!

If he's using it as an income boost and planning returning to the CFL, then yes. He's not going to be getting any looks from the NFL

The Bombers will need to fill the #3 spot regardless if Dakota plans returning to the team.    His chances of injury are much greater if he plays more reps as a starter and if he's injured then we are hooped without another recruit on the roster.    QB is the most important position and every team is continually trying to find the next potential starter.   It's a calculated risk Dakota is taking and a good one at that

Not sure Walters has bought into "Prukop's plan", maybe more sensible to move on and find a cheap newcomer that can fill the current role, with the potential to develop into a starting QB in the future. 

There is also the chance that he goes to another team if they have a bigger need ie injury and. Are willing to pay more Either way we need to recruit

He will find a spot in the CFL if Winnipeg has filled his by the time he is available.  He is a proven short yardage guy and a decent all around sub in.  I'm sure his holding skills are also OK, MOS wouldn't have put him in there if they were not.

If, after his USFL stint. he wants to come north, I'm sure he will find a spot.  There are a lot of former starters kicking around that can play #2, but I think his price tag will make him more attractive.

It could be argued that Prukop's stupid throw cost us the Grey Cup. Maybe the Bombers don't want him back.

I would suggest the QB we had a while back, who was cut, and then has spent the last many years in Montreal and Ottawa. And now is with BC.,   BC has maybe four QBs, so if only I could remember his name? shakes loose.  He is an  effective short yardage guy.. Who knew the guy would be in demand as a short yardage specialist.
Lots of interesting changes.

You're referring to Dom Davis, but I think BC will retain him as neither Adams or Dane Evans should be used for 3rd down sneaks and it is maybe Dom's only area of expertise.

I think Dom is a bigger threat to pass on 2nd&1 than Prukop.  Dom has a much bigger arm and sometimes he can be really hot and almost be a #1b.  Dom may have made that GC pass that Prukop blew, or been smart enough to opt for the run.


One of many mistakes, I'd put Prukop's decision and noodle arm down at least 4-5 notches on the "biggest GC mistakes" list.  I think if he released it much sooner, or was able to heave it farther, it might have had a better chance.  I think a lot of players misunderstood the effect of the cold that day, were trying to be macho, and their bodies just couldn't work anywhere near peak.  Maybe TOR didn't make that mistake.

Yes that's his name.  He  truly is very good at that part of the game.