JJ's contract status?

[Big Time]

Anyone know how long JJ is signed for? I know BP is signed for a couple of years, but what about JJ? My guess is that DD retires next year and JJ and BP fight it out for the starter position.

[chimpy]

i heard he is free agent next year, don't worry wally will sign him when dickenson retires this year.

[Rammer]

Anyone know how long JJ is signed for? I know BP is signed for a couple of years, but what about JJ? My guess is that DD retires next year and JJ and BP fight it out for the starter position.

JJ has given himself plenty of dollars with his opportunity in these past 5 games as he is a FA for 08. Now will the right amount of coin be available in BC to sign him? Not unless DD retires, IMHO.

[Blitz]

JJ has given himself plenty of dollars with his opportunity in these past 5 games as he is a FA for 08. Now will the right amount of coin be available in BC to sign him? Not unless DD retires, IMHO.

...or potentially let go before February 1st but that will not be the way our Leos will want it to end...nor will Dickenson...although it's hard to predict what could happen. I'm still guessing that Dickenson will retire at the end of this season. He understands what the next hit could do! It takes time for that reality to set in.

As for JJ...Wally will have to wait until the end of the season and Jackson won't be a free agent until early 2008. There will be a lot of interest in other teams....even if it was for JJ to become a very high priced backup..as Buck Pierce is....with the option to renogiate if he becomes the starter!

I believe Wally will find a way to get Jackson signed and I believe Jackson will very much want to sign back here. He's a great team guy and the Leos will definitely be his first option by a wide margin!

[Belize City Lion]

...or potentially let go before February 1st but that will not be the way our Leos will want it to end...nor will Dickenson...although it's hard to predict what could happen. I'm still guessing that Dickenson will retire at the end of this season. He understands what the next hit could do! It takes time for that reality to set in.

If DD does decide he want to give it another shot in 2008 then Wally is going to be faced with the toughest, at least on a personal level, decision of his coaching career. The book on Wally is that what makes him a great coach is his attitude that no player is inexpendible and that he is always on the look for guys who can do the job better than the ones on the current roster.

If there was any player that Wally might actually be loyal to it is DD, but the cold hard fact is that his salary could be better spent keeping Joe Smith and JJ around for a few more years. I think the only way DD is back next year is if he goes to Wally and offers to redo his deal so the Lions can afford to keep him.

I think the only thing that works in the Lions favour in terms of easily resigning JJ, while keeping BP and DD, is that right now it looks like only Montreal might be in the market for a new #1 QB. So then the question is will JJ want to move to another team to be a #2 QB? If that's the case then he might be willing to stay here as a #3 knowing that chances are he will move up to #2, or better, due to injuries during the course of 2008.

But no matter what, he's going to enjoy a much bigger paycheck next season. A much deserved bigger paycheck.

[Shaggy]

I heard DD on the Team 1040 last week prior to the Calgary game.
Prior to injury, he was figuring this year and one more year.
Now, it sounded like he wants to still come back if possible, but he was the first to admit that it would be for reduced dollars. Obviously, it's DD's call if he wants to be back, and Wally's if he actually wants/needs him.

In any scenario, I don't see Wally letting JJ out of BC.
I would bet he'll be working on getting Joe Smith locked up long term as well.

The depth we are starting to assemble now is truly encouraging.

[Rammer]

I heard DD on the Team 1040 last week prior to the Calgary game.
Prior to injury, he was figuring this year and one more year.
Now, it sounded like he wants to still come back if possible, but he was the first to admit that it would be for reduced dollars. Obviously, it's DD's call if he wants to be back, and Wally's if he actually wants/needs him.

In any scenario, I don't see Wally letting JJ out of BC.
I would bet he'll be working on getting Joe Smith locked up long term as well.

The depth we are starting to assemble now is truly encouraging.

I heard D this AM on the TEAM and while last weeks half hour with Ball sounded encouraging, this mornings was a horse of a different colour. He sounded methodical in his answers, where last week he had energy in his responses. I don't think that he is coming back this year, and he even questioned next year if he missed this entire season.

[Blitz]

I heard Dave was dressing for the game on Friday?

Another factor is there will likely be an new franchise in Ottawa for the '09 season, opening up a new starting QB position. JJ might not want to sign here longterm, then end up as Buck's backup...rather than running his own show in Ottawa.

Dickenson could be dressing but Wally is planning to bring back Guidlugi next season for training camp and likes him. In the meantime Wally has made it quite clear that he wants to discuss contract with Jarious at the end of the season and can't right now for obvious reasons. JJ will be back along with Buck, at increased dollars. Jackson could have asked for a trade when he was fourth string and third string going into this season. He didn't! He's a loyal guy and he will be here at increased dollars next year.

If anyone could end up playing for Ottawa in the '09 season it could be Dickenson, if he feels that he has had enough time from the game to heal up. They may even offer him a million dollars John Henry!! Just kidding!!

Actually I think Dickenson will make a decision this off-season regarding his career. He may try to give it a go for another season but if he does it will be in the role of a backup quarterback/quarterback coach at reduced dollars if Wally even chooses to go that way!

I'm betting, unless he gets injured or really goes into the tank big time, Jarious will be our starter for the rest of the season and the playoffs with Buck coming in as the backup if needed. Even if we lose a game or two in the next five games I really believe Wally is going to stick with Jarious for this season. He wants someone playing at that position that he can rely on, in terms of being healthy so the offence can progess with one guy at the controls!

Next season may be a different story but we've had three of our last four seasons, going into the playoffs, with a rusty quarterback, in terms of regular season play just prior to the playoffs. Last year was the only exception as Dickenson was ready for the playoffs. Wally wants reliability and with only five games to go he's going to get Buck ready to come in, if necessary, but I believe that will be his role and a loss or an off-night by Jarious isn't going to change that!!

[TheLionKing]

Another factor is there will likely be an new franchise in Ottawa for the '09 season, opening up a new starting QB position. JJ might not want to sign here longterm, then end up as Buck's backup...rather than running his own show in Ottawa.

This is far from a done deal.

[midwestlion]

Another factor is there will likely be an new franchise in Ottawa for the '09 season, opening up a new starting QB position. JJ might not want to sign here longterm, then end up as Buck's backup...rather than running his own show in Ottawa.

Bucks backup, hmmm? Buck is "injury proned" Id rather have JJ. He is only going to get better. IMO

[Rick James]

Another factor is there will likely be an new franchise in Ottawa for the '09 season, opening up a new starting QB position. JJ might not want to sign here longterm, then end up as Buck's backup...rather than running his own show in Ottawa.

Bucks backup, hmmm? Buck is "injury proned" Id rather have JJ. He is only going to get better. IMO

I hate the term "Injury Prone", as a lot of factors contribute to QB's going down with injuries as they are very vulnerable, but Buck has been fighting the injury bug his whole pro and collegiate career.

[Blitz]

If there was any player that Wally might actually be loyal to it is DD, but the cold hard fact is that his salary could be better spent keeping Joe Smith and JJ around for a few more years. I think the only way DD is back next year is if he goes to Wally and offers to redo his deal so the Lions can afford to keep him.

It would have to be for a whole lot less dollars!! Sometimes I think the heart rules the head for some, when it comes to Dickenson. He's an excellent quarterback when he's healthy but one really has to look at the number of games he's missed since 2004 to date and he's just a quarterback that is hard to build around.

Dickenson also wasn't buying into Kruck and Dorazio's offence at the begining of the season, criticizing both coordinators after our first win and saying how much he missed "The Chap". I doubt that washed well! Dickenson, if healthy, would be able to play well in our new offence and would be better protected by the running attack that we now have. Dickenson grew up in the CFL with George Cortez and Chapdelaine, both spread offence zealots and Dickenson prefers that offensive style.

Secondly, we're not designing our offence around a pocket quarterback like Dickenson. We bootleg more, play action boot more often, and have even included the option play last game. Our offence is continuously evolving around a more mobile quarterback style for guys like Jarious and Buck!

I really don't believe we'll ever see Dickenson as our starting quarterback in the future, even if he took a huge pay cut and was willing to play. The only way that he would ever become our #1 quarterback again would be due to injury to either Jarious or Buck. Wally will want to sign Joe Smith and will need the SMS room to also get Jarious signed. If we can win with Jarious and Buck, who have more upside, then Wally, I don't believe will want to pay Dickenson anything close to his present salary, unless we get a big increase in the SMS next season. He just will need the dollars for other players that he can rely on!

The problem will be if Dickenson still wants to play. Wally then will have to look at whether he wants Dickenson as an insurance quarterback, at a high third string salary and include working with our two quarterbacks as a coach. His other option will be to convince Dickenson to retire and perhaps offer a job in the organization.

It's not a knock on Dickenson, who has been a courageous quarterback who has maximized his talent when he's played. It's just a plain fact that we can't build a team for the future around him. It's been challenging enough in the past and we've been fortunate to have talented backups around him, who dispite their inexperience, have done an incredible job.

However, you can't always count on that! If the quarterback position is the most important position on a team then you really need your #1 quarterback to stay healthy more than Dickenson has. It's not his fault but it's the reality of the situation. The team is also paying big dollars for the starting position and there are sacrifices made elsewhere to do that. We've managed to overcome them but we really don't want to lose any of the players we have right now and we could always pick up a free agent receiver or get someone from down south in here if we are willing to pay th dollars.

This team will build around Jarious and Buck as our quarterbacks. They will only get better. We will want to keep Joe Smith. In the future, players like Cameron Wake, Jamal Johnson, and others will need raises. Kelly Bates is a free agent and he will command more dollars if we want to keep him. These kinds of thoughts will enter the picture!

I'm taking bets if anyone believes Dickenson will be our #1 quarterback next season!

[B.C.FAN]

Wally has the right approach. He's not going to worry about it during the season. He knows he can't afford to pay top dollars to three quarterbacks. Things will sort themselves out after the season.