Reilly or McPherson: Best Candidate for Starting QB?

[Rammer]

I predict a bidding war between Edm and Wpg for Reilly's services.

He's a good QB, but someone's going to overpay.


DH

Exactly why FA is where he wants to go. Every QB wants to be the guy, Reilly is no different. Does he have the ability, I am sure that we are going to find out come 2013.

[notahomer]

This league could really open up in the very near future, IMO, at the QB position. AC in MTL (could be done). Buck, Hank B could be done soon. And lets face it you NEED at least two QB's or you are playing with fire. A starter and a reliable backup. Lots of teams could be looking for a starter and/or back up, plus there is another team returning to the fold in Ottawa.

I'll be sorry to see Reilly go but maybe a year/two would be the time to get the starting $$$ and status..... That being said, I won't be surprised to see him land on his feet this Feb.....

[Blitz]

Travis Lulay got his first starts as a quarterback for us in the 2010 season. He completed 64.5% of his passes in 2010 for an 84.9 quarterback efficiency average.

Mike Reilly got his first pro starts this season. He completed 69.3% of his passes for a 104.4 quarterback efficiency average. It was a smaller body of work and it included the miserable game in Calgary.

Reilly has a very different throwing motion and obviously it would take him a number of games for the game to slow down for him. However, I believe he has all the tools to be a starting quarterback in the CFL and a very good one. Situations play a large role in determining success.

With Travis locked into the #1 spot here in B.C. and with his chances of going to the NFL likely close to zero, dispite all the discussion, Reilly sees the writing on the wall and is going to look for an opportunity as he should. I wish him well.

[Blue In BC]

He might turn out to be a good QB in the near future or he could be another flash in the pan. His body of work is too small to evaluate.

Several teams could be interested in signing him but the question is one of economics. He hasn't necessarily shown enough to be quaranteed starter or even # 2 money on another team.

OTOH Porter, McPherson, Joseph, Brink, Elliott, Pierce, Calvillo, Jyles could be among QB's retiring, cut or moving elsewhere as free agents.

At this point who really knows how those dynamics will work out and who ends up where. Openings that don't exist today may exist a week after the Grey Cup as teams start making plans for 2013.

Who expected R Ray to be traded to Toronto during the last off season?

[Rammer]

He might turn out to be a good QB in the near future or he could be another flash in the pan. His body of work is too small to evaluate.

Several teams could be interested in signing him but the question is one of economics. He hasn't necessarily shown enough to be quaranteed starter or even # 2 money on another team.

OTOH Porter, McPherson, Joseph, Brink, Elliott, Pierce, Calvillo, Jyles could be among QB's retiring, cut or moving elsewhere as free agents.

At this point who really knows how those dynamics will work out and who ends up where. Openings that don't exist today may exist a week after the Grey Cup as teams start making plans for 2013.

Who expected R Ray to be traded to Toronto during the last off season?

Only so many QB's to go around though, and out of your list perhaps Porter and Elliot move, otherwise the rest of your list stays put or don't play any longer in the CFL. As for your statement about #2 money, I don't understand that, as he is already getting #2 money with the Lions who have shown to produce QB's while other teams like the Bombers wait for the next one. He would be worth a look at #2 money at least, more than likely getting a chance to start with the Esks IMO.

[Big Time]

I think Reilly has the look of someone who could turn into a bonafide starter. He's got good accuracy and seems to have some real zip on the ball. He seems to be able to make good reads as well.

Let's not discount the BC Lions QB factory either. I've seen many QB's who seemingly had talent fade into nothing at other CFL teams. Wally Buono throughout his career has always found ways to develop QB's. He did it in Calgary and has done the same for the last decade in BC. My point is that while Reilly may look good in the BC environment, he may struggle in other places that do not have the type of system that will allow him to develop.

If he moves on, I wish him well. As long as Lulay is in BC, Reilly's future likely lies elsewhere. I'm confident BC will be able to find a suitable backup.

[DanoT]

Hey all,

I wonder how the Ottawa expansion will play into this offseason and how teams approach free agents. It might make sense for teams to take on risky contracts for a year, knowing that the expansion draft might save their bacon if things don't work out. And this probably means that Reilly is the most important free agent on the market this year, because he's not only a gifted QB, he's an insurance policy against the expansion draft, and a way to protect other non-import players on your team from heading to Ottawa.

Let's say you're Edmonton or Winnipeg, and you're both interested in Mike Reilly. You could conceivably sign him to a 3 year deal that pays more in each year of the contract, and in doing so, you could outbid other interested teams on the back-end portion of the contract. If it doesn't work out, rather than cut him (or renegotiate) you leave him unprotected during the expansion draft. Suddenly Ottawa has a QB, and you get to protect more of your players from getting drafted.

From the expansion draft rules: "If a quarterback is selected from a Member Club in the Import Draft, such Member Club will be able to protect the names of an additional two Non-Import players in the first round of the Non-Import Draft."

If I were the Lions, attempting to rebuild an O-line this coming offseason, (likely with young Canadian talent) I'd hate to see a newly rebuilt line poached the following year by Ottawa in the draft. I'd also hate to see Reilly in Edmonton. So in dealing with Reilly this year, I'd attempt to resign him to a larger than normal contract for a backup QB with the understanding that he'd be unprotected going into the expansion draft. In fact, I'd go so far as to get Ottawa involved already (get them out here, let them get to know him, his tendencies, skills, etc, so they can build an offence around him). That way come 2014, we've protected more of our core group than the rest of our competition in the West.

Using the same logic, I'd say the Lions should resign McCallum and rotate him with O'Neill his coming season. At year's end you protect the kid and put Paul on the unprotected list for the draft. If Ottawa takes him, (admittedly less likely than them taking Reilly) we get to protect another two non-imports. Not a bad strategy.

Cheers,

James

Still from Reilly's point of view it is in his best interest to get on a team where he has a legit opportunity to compete for the starters job in 2013. So I don't see him going to BC who can't afford to pay him very big $ because Lulay is due for a raise and Reilly won't really be competing for the starters job.

Also loosing McCallum to the expansion draft doesn't get BC to protect 2 additional NIs because that draft rule only applies if you lose a QB, not a kicker.

[DanoT]

Don't forget that at the end of next season Calgary will only be able to protect either Glenn or Tate, with the unprotected QB likely going to Ottawa. So Reilly as an unprotected QB would likely be picked in a later round as an Ottawa back up or does Ottawa get to pick 3 QBs all at once?

[Hambone]

Also loosing McCallum to the expansion draft doesn't get BC to protect 2 additional NIs because that draft rule only applies if you lose a QB, not a kicker.

The McCallum scenario is highly unlikely. Even if he wound up playing in BC next year and became unprotected it would be very improbable that Ottawa would draft him. In my opinion that would be a waste of a pick to take someone who at best might get you one season. He'd be 44 by the time Ottawa has its first training camp. Given he lives in Van all year round and has is off-field real estate career I'd say the odds of him actually reporting and playing on the other side of the country would be absolutely zero. He'd retire first.

[MexicoLionFan]

This is the right move for Reilly, and we will be fine...DeMarco has shown poise and excellent accuracy from a small body of work, but with Travis as the starter, he will be more than fine...plus the Lions are high on the 4th QB on the practise roster, Jarret Brown...

Reilly's timing is purrfect for him and a nice contract...Edmonton, Winnipeg, Hamilton and Montreal all require a QB now, or in a year...and they may all see Reilly as that guy...personally I like Reilly's moxy, but his body of throwing flaws (far more than just an awkward release) leaves a lot to be desired...and be sure of this, he is NO sure thing to become a quality starter...

[MikeAK]

Good for him. He's earned that right. I don't think we've seen him enough to really see this as a huge loss. He just wasn't given enough reps and with Lulay here hopefully long term it just makes sense for him to move on. He was a good soldier but i see him as replaceable.

[Blue In BC]

He may be # 2 in BC but he's still on his original contract IIRC which wouldn't be a " real " # 2 salary per se.

Not sure what Edmonton may do. Both Joseph and Jyles could be set free. Tillman wanted Jyles and he's gone so it's possible that they give the reigns to Nichols with Joseph as the # 2 guy. Joseph won't be getting as much as Jyles so that's a possible soultion.

Or they may go after Reilly but he'd have to leapfrog somebody to get to # 2. It's possible he could or it's possible Edmonton keeps both Jyles and Joseph.

Obviously if they release both, it improves the chances of them trying to sign one of the potential free agents. McPherson is going to get the 1st look due to his CFL experience but that doesn't mean he'd be the best choice or the least costly to a team looking at him.

If Porter signs elsewhere, who do they have behind Burris? That would be a decent place to go for a free agent potentially.

I have no idea how much longer AC or Burris will continue to play.

It will be interesting to see how the off season shakes out for several teams. We could see many QB's changing teams.

All I'm saying is it's way too early to think Reilly is going to be at the top of anybody's gotta sign at any cost free agent list.

Having said that I see some Bomber posters saying Winnipeg should give him starter's money. The logic being that Mack may live or die based on finding the right guy.

What I find interesting is that coming out of TC 2012, many Bomber posters were suggesting Elliott and Brink could be starting elsewhere in 2012. Now they want all of their QB's cut and insist anybody else's # 2 or # 3 is better.

The # 2 QB is always the most loved by CFL fans, isn't he.

We'll see how the domino effect impacts the QB's around the league.

BTW: Didn't the Lions nearly decide to cut him coming out of TC? There are no guarantees until somebody puts a bunch of wins together.

[Hambone]

Just speculating on numbers Reilly is likely at $80K as a backuo QB on his original deal, An upper end backup is probably in the $150' range. A team that is confident he can come and be their starter might go as high as $200K. Otherwise I think that $150'K area is about where he might have to settle. I think that's about what Jaroius Jackson made for much of his tenure. Buono would be willing to offer in that range knowing what they have while it might be difficult for others to push much higher.