Dru Brown traded

[theaardvark]

Well, at least we got a pick for him... wish him well...

And then we sign a new prospect, with USFL experience...

https://www.bluebombers.com/2024/01/18/blue-bombers-add-quarterback-to-roster/

[VictorRomano]

And then we sign a new prospect, with USFL experience...

https://www.bluebombers.com/2024/01/18/blue-bombers-add-quarterback-to-roster/

Apparently this guy threw for 800yds in a single game in college?

[Pigskin]

I like this move by the Bombers. Dru was on his way out the door, glad we got something for him.

[ModAdmin]

Blue Bombers acquire fifth round selection in 2024 trade with Ottawa

WINNIPEG, MB., January 18, 2024 – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers today announce the club has acquired Ottawa's fifth round selection in the 2024 CFL Draft, in exchange for American quarterback Dru Brown. Brown was scheduled to become a free agent next month.

[Lincoln Locomotive]

Good luck in Ottawa Dru.....it was inevitable given that signed Zach until 25'.     We got something in return which may or may not amount to anything....

[TecnoGenius]

I know these types of just-before-FA trades happen a lot, but how does this work again for OTT?  Dru still will become FA in just a short while, no?  And OTT still has to woo, convince him he likes it there, and sign him, no?

Kind of like when BLM was "traded" to HAM?

So, does this ever not work out for the acquiring team?  Has someone done this then lost the player a couple of weeks later?

Or is that 5th DP conditional upon him signing in FA?

I wish Dru well (but hope he sucks when OTT plays WPG).  If he's the next Tom Brady we can always try to get him back in FA 2026.

P.S. This may free up Piggy... who may make a good dev guy / #2 / injury backup.  Note: not SY guy!  No sneaks for Piggy!  Prukop would have to stay as SY.  Piggy looked good when in as "real" QB.

[TecnoGenius]

Wow, I just saw on 3down that OTT is picking up Rhymes and have Addison (how did I forget that?).  Plus if they get Schoen, they could be looking at a legit WR corps and pretty good Dru-led air attack.

That would be great if by labor day OTT could challenge TOR/MTL for wins.

[Jesse]

Wow, I just saw on 3down that OTT is picking up Rhymes and have Addison (how did I forget that?).  Plus if they get Schoen, they could be looking at a legit WR corps and pretty good Dru-led air attack.

That would be great if by labor day OTT could challenge TOR/MTL for wins.

We all say Ottawa "wins" the off season every year. But they are going to have to figure out who there core is and build around them for a couple of seasons if they actually want to turn this around.

[buckzumhoff]

Collaros cant get out of the pocket. Team is getting older not younger. I think collaros peaked a couple years ago. He is still good but it will be tougher to win games. If he gets injured then they have no back up unless streveller signs.

[blue_gold_84]

Pretty much expected considering how much interest the RedBlacks were reported to have in Brown.

Should be a very good opportunity for him to compete for a starter's role.

[Blue In BC]

I know these types of just-before-FA trades happen a lot, but how does this work again for OTT?  Dru still will become FA in just a short while, no?  And OTT still has to woo, convince him he likes it there, and sign him, no?

Kind of like when BLM was "traded" to HAM?

So, does this ever not work out for the acquiring team?  Has someone done this then lost the player a couple of weeks later?

Or is that 5th DP conditional upon him signing in FA?

I wish Dru well (but hope he sucks when OTT plays WPG).  If he's the next Tom Brady we can always try to get him back in FA 2026.

P.S. This may free up Piggy... who may make a good dev guy / #2 / injury backup.  Note: not SY guy!  No sneaks for Piggy!  Prukop would have to stay as SY.  Piggy looked good when in as "real" QB.

It usually works out for the team acquiring a potential free agent before the actual deadline. It's not written in stone though. Brown still has the option of waiting until free agency or a week before to see what other offers might be.

Realistically there aren't many places he would have a chance to start. Money might be higher elsewhere but he wants to start.

It's 50/50 whether he signs a new contract before free agency date IMO.

[theaardvark]

Maybe things shake out that the WFC is his best place to land... and he signs here.

Not likely, but "you're saying there's a chance" level of maybe...

Trading guys before FA for a small return does help clarify situations.  We no longer are wringing our hands over "Can we sign him".  Ott has to sign him before FA, and therefore may pay a premium, which means less to snag Schoen, etc. 

It will be interested to see how Dru does with the Ott Oline, and whether Ott has cash to upgrade there as well as QB, WR and RB... and what happens to their D?

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I know these types of just-before-FA trades happen a lot, but how does this work again for OTT?  Dru still will become FA in just a short while, no?  And OTT still has to woo, convince him he likes it there, and sign him, no?

Kind of like when BLM was "traded" to HAM?

So, does this ever not work out for the acquiring team?  Has someone done this then lost the player a couple of weeks later?

Or is that 5th DP conditional upon him signing in FA?

I wish Dru well (but hope he sucks when OTT plays WPG).  If he's the next Tom Brady we can always try to get him back in FA 2026.

P.S. This may free up Piggy... who may make a good dev guy / #2 / injury backup.  Note: not SY guy!  No sneaks for Piggy!  Prukop would have to stay as SY.  Piggy looked good when in as "real" QB.

From what I can recall the only pre-FA trade that didn't workout was when Calgary traded Arbuckle to Ottawa. He couldn't reach contract agreement with Marcel Desjardins and his rights got flipped to the Argos somehow.

[blue_gold_84]

From what I can recall the only pre-FA trade that didn't workout was when Calgary traded Arbuckle to Ottawa. He couldn't reach contract agreement with Marcel Desjardins and his rights got flipped to the Argos somehow.

Arbuckle was under contract (https://www.cfl.ca/2020/01/31/redblacks-sign-nick-arbuckle/) but got released after the RedBlacks scooped up Nichols in late Jan. 2021 (https://www.cfl.ca/2021/01/31/redblacks-sign-nichols-release-arbuckle/).

I have no doubt LaPolice campaigned hard to get the latter. One of Desjardins' costly blunders as GM.

[TecnoGenius]

Collaros cant get out of the pocket. Team is getting older not younger. I think collaros peaked a couple years ago. He is still good but it will be tougher to win games. If he gets injured then they have no back up unless streveller signs.

If true, then he can just become Ricky Ray.  Ray never left the pocket in his last few years.  He made some amazing passes standing in there right until the last second and he got pasted.  There's something to be said for knowing you are not / will not / can not scramble.  Then you find a way to make the pass.

Ray won at least one more GC in that state.  So can Collaros.  (However, I disagree with your premise, as I think he's still laterally mobile.)

[Waffler]

Tecno, you watched every game twice, surely you noticed that either other teams have his roll figured out or he is not quick enough to do it.

At 35 he 100% cannot stand in and take hits all season. Playoffs I would say you got to leave it all out there, that's different. Anyway a big part of his game has always been to buy time and connect after the scramble. He had the receivers here to do it too. Schoen was the best at that but Lawler and Demski were very good also. Possibly we are going to need some playbook changes. Interested to see how stubborn Buck is or if he will adapt.

[TecnoGenius]

Tecno, you watched every game twice, surely you noticed that either other teams have his roll figured out or he is not quick enough to do it.

At 35 he 100% cannot stand in and take hits all season. Playoffs I would say you got to leave it all out there, that's different. Anyway a big part of his game has always been to buy time and connect after the scramble. He had the receivers here to do it too. Schoen was the best at that but Lawler and Demski were very good also. Possibly we are going to need some playbook changes. Interested to see how stubborn Buck is or if he will adapt.

I'm pretty sure I was the first one to post on the forum mid-season that other teams were purposefully spying Zach in contain.  The better teams were even figuring out that 90% of the time Zach rolls out right, so they really only had to contain one side.

But I wouldn't say "he is not quick enough"... the roll out right trick played off the defenders ignoring contain (or our OL hemming them in).  Sure, he's not quite as quick and nimble as he was (see that final sack in the GC... ugh), but teams were really focusing on keeping him in the pocket.  It was the smart move.

What was not smart is Buck not figuring out a way to take advantage and use that guys-wasted-on-contain against them.  Surely there are some nice plays you can draw up when 1 or 2 extra guys are just sitting on the edges, there is less real pass rush pressure, and some lanes/zones must have opened as a result?  Use their tactic to trick and bait them to get the holes open.  Use the extra time in the pocket to focus on the downfield pass.  Whatever... Buck never got 4D chess on them in this regard.

Wasn't Ray 105 when he played his last game?       If ol' Ray can take some pocket hits, so can Zach.  Or if the OL knows Zach won't scramble they can focus more on an air-protection tight pocket.

I'd rather Buck find ways to make them pay for allocating defenders this way.  He really let us down in the GC.

[dd]

Disappointed we couldn't resign Brown, and getting a 5 th round pick is essentially giving him away but whatever. Time to move on. Ottawa signing rhymes is a great move as well, they ve just propelled themselves past the hopeless Ticats and will be contenders this year. I was hoping the bombers would have signed rhymes as he Lawler Bailey and Demski would have been unreal. Oh well. There's other receivers out there who we can pickup if we can't sign schoen, still hoping we can re sign him

[gobombersgo]

All of Dru's touchdowns as a Bomber.

[theaardvark]

Video of all of Dru Browns 2023 INT's

[BLUEBOMBER]

Dru Brown is good but not great enough to turn the Redblacks around.

[blue_gold_84]

RedBlacks sign QB Brown to two-year contract: https://www.cfl.ca/2024/01/24/redblacks-sign-quarterback-dru-brown-to-two-year-deal/

[Lincoln Locomotive]

I'm wondering if Desjarlais will stay?   Dru can scramble but it's not his forte' plus he's not very big at 5' 11" and 190 pounds!    If he has protection he can be effective however I'm not sure Ottawa has the horses to keep him upright?   

Based on Zach's comments that he believes Dru can be the best QB in the CFL, he might be able to turn the franchise around but he still needs good horses in front of him to accompany this.....

[dd]

He'll do well in Ottawa, they've added Rhymes and Addison to their recieving corps...they've make some noise

[Blueforlife]

Brown has all the tools and will do well.  Will take some lumps but will figure it out.  He has potential to make some nice coin.

[J5V]

Dru is dead to me and has just become the enemy. The J5V hex is now on him and will remain so until he leaves the CFL. That is all.

[TecnoGenius]

Dru is dead to me and has just become the enemy. The J5V hex is now on him and will remain so until he leaves the CFL. That is all.

Haha.  Cruel!  He hasn't publicly pooped all over WPG or WFC yet, so I have nothing against him.  I'd love for him to be good enough to stick it to TOR and MTL this season...

You may have to change your tune if he's the next Tom Brady and we re-sign him here as #1 in 2026!!    

[ModAdmin]

Dru is dead to me and has just become the enemy. The J5V hex is now on him and will remain so until he leaves the CFL. That is all.

Hex or hexes - whether J5V or not, are prohibited on the forum as specified in Rule 749336482402.3347398 Parts B, D, S, V and Z of the Code of Conduct.   

[Pete]

it may be harsh but I too kinda like when guys who leave for other teams find out the grass isn't alway greener. On the flip side it always hurts when they come back to bite us.

[dd]

Dru is dead to me and has just become the enemy. The J5V hex is now on him and will remain so until he leaves the CFL. That is all.

Ridiculous comment. Dru brown has done nothing but bide his time waiting for an opportunity to start and now gets it. I wish him nothing but the best and you sir need help and I hope you get it

[Lincoln Locomotive]

This....

https://3downnation.com/2024/01/27/redblacks-qb-dru-brown-credits-true-blessing-of-working-with-zach-collaros-for-development-into-starter/

I  was naively hoping he could have stayed however I also understand why he left to play in Ottawa for a shot at being a legit #1 guy.   He was mentored by one of the best in the business who BTW, feels Dru could be a star in this league!

[Doublezero]

Dru Brown shows the most potential of any QB developed by Winnipeg in recent history. He's going to tear up the league.

[Noeller]

Best of luck to DB6 for sure. We were never keeping him and it's LOL funny that anyone was upset about it. Collaros was publicly helping him pick his spot. It's interesting that his contract is only 2 years and comes due when Collaros contract ends. Now we wait and see on The Strevolution...

[J5V]

Just having some fun, guys, and apologies about the hex thing. I, too, wish Dru all the best in Ottawa (until he plays against us).