Rourke NFL workouts: chooses Jacksonville

[B.C.FAN]

Not only is there a lack of QB depth in the CFL, the same exists in the NFL, hence their dressing a third QB, hoping no doubt to address a lack of quality, experienced QBs in the NFL.

Trevor Lawrence got to start as a rookie (I think) for Jacksonville and others have gotten oppourtunities early in their NFL career, again due to a lack of experience and depth at the QB position.

Yes, the CFL quarterbacking situation isn't unique, and I don't think it's much different than in past eras. The league has always had several quality quarterbacks and several inexperienced ones. The Lions went through a lot of lean years at quarterback, and no winning records, between the departure of Joe Kapp in the 1960s and the arrival of Pete Liske and Jerry Tagge a decade later. They're fortunate to have been led by a long line of quality quarterbacks in recent decades.

[Hambone]

Not only is there a lack of QB depth in the CFL, the same exists in the NFL, hence their dressing a third QB, hoping no doubt to address a lack of quality, experienced QBs in the NFL.

Trevor Lawrence got to start as a rookie (I think) for Jacksonville and others have gotten oppourtunities early in their NFL career, again due to a lack of experience and depth at the QB position.

The idea of the 3rd QB for 2023 stems more from teams being caught with their pants down when they dressed only 2 and both got injured in the same game. Last year's NFC Championship game was a huge blemish on the NFL. 49er starter Brock Purdy injured his throwing arm half way thru the 1st quarter. Journeyman Josh Johnson came on in relief. He in turn went down with a head injury 2-1/2 minutes into the 3rd quarter. The 49ers had no choice but to trot Purdy back out for the rest of the game despite the fact he could not throw the ball. This 3rd QB rule it intended to ensure all teams have a 3rd legit QB down on the sidelines in the event #1 and #2 go down due to injury.

[Toppy Vann]

Players that come to mind for me are those like Marc Boerigter, John Avery, Casey Printers, Cameron Wake, Joe Theisman, Brandon Browner, Rocket Ismail, Mervyn Fernandez, Warren Moon and so on and so on. It isn't just the Qb that I am thinking about, it is an all position issue. I don't begrudge a single one of them for wanting to make their hard work pay but after decades of watching great players cut their teeth here and then leave, it makes it a little hard to get excited for the next great player. The excitement, the elation, turns all too quick to when is the hammer going to drop.

Cameron Wake was probably the last true "superstar" the CFL lost to the NFL before Rourke. That was 14 years ago.

Moon came to Canada because in the 1970s there wasn't much opportunity for a black QB in the NFL. After 5 years of dominating the CFL he could no longer be denied because of his skin colour.

The Rocket came to Toronto because Bruce McNall offered him the highest contract in the history of pro football at the time. $18.2M over 4 years. 1.25M more per season than Joe Montana was making in the NFL.

Theisman only came to Toronto because he wouldn't accept the terms from Miami for his $35K bonus (spread out over three years). So Miami hung on to his rights for 3 seasons before trading them away to Washington, at which point Theisman jumped to the NFL.

Fernandez is a good example of a talented player who was able to get an NFL opportunity after showcasing himself in the CFL. That was nearly 40 years ago.

Casey Printers was a flash in the pan who ultimately could not get out of his own way. No matter how romantically some Lionbackers would like to remember him.

My point is, the cases of the CFL losing bonafide superstars to the NFL is actually quite few and far between. Especially if you don't count the guys that came to the CFL for reasons other than being overlooked by the NFL.

You kind of miss my point I think. Why they were here, isn't really germaine to what I was saying. The point I was trying to assert from my original post was that players who do play as stars in this league and that included Printers up till he went down south, are constantly being drawn away by the lure the the NFL. Even if they do bounce around the league and eventually find their way back, at the very least, that is 2-3 years CFL fans are denied the pleasure of watching them play or as in the case of Printers, seemed to come back a changed player who never again amounted to anything significant. What it still translates to is that there is this constant drain on the league's top players when they are often playing some of their best ball. That tempers some of the excitement about top players because one immediately wonders if they are going to be around anything more than a handful of seasons. It also lowers the overall quality of the game CFL fans are treated to. Right now, our league is suffering from an acute shortage of quality QB's and a even more acute shortage of depth at that position. In part, that is because every NFL team as of 2023 is able to dress 3 QB's and that 3rd QB doesn't even count as a roster spot. How many of those QB's could be either starting or backup on a CFL team right now. Instead we are treated to the situations in Edmonton, Ottawa, Hamilton, and pretty much every other team that has lost their appointed starter, struggling to find qualified players at the position. We now live in a universe where Antonio Pipkin has some kind of trade value (not trying to pick on Pipkin here).

I agree.

To Dano's point after your post the NFL is also struggling with QBs who can be top performers and that rule change for 3 is not going to help the CFL in future.

Like I had said about Chad Kelly now that he's a starter doing great and who's changed his life around and proving he's taking the role and his teamvery seriously.

Given his only blip off-season before winning the starting role was when he was suggesting he's been told that he's better than half of the NFL starters (something like that). Will this mean he wants to hit the NFL off-ramp as soon as possible or will he just fully commit and end up a late-blooming CFL star and stay?
How can Toronto keep building their fan base if the QB is not somewhat constant?

Sir Purcival: Casey Printers to this fan wasn't a flash in the pan that MOP year. BUT I do believe - he made a bad choice in moving to the NFL but the Lions not playing him in GC 2004 didn't help.

Maybe someone needs to track and publish the success rate of those heading south so players can make informed decisions.
Rourke will likely stick but many others in all positions don't.

[cromartie]

To Dano's point after your post the NFL is also struggling with QBs who can be top performers and that rule change for 3 is not going to help the CFL in future.

Maybe someone needs to track and publish the success rate of those heading south so players can make informed decisions.
Rourke will likely stick but many others in all positions don't.

On the latter point, what do you define as success? Sticking in the NFL long enough to earn a pension? Make an active roster? Without success criteria, we can't accurately assess odds.

That said, while I'm normally the Debbie Downer in these threads, I have some good news. If you can hold off for a few years, quarterback play is about to improve considerably, thanks to NIL.

Because of NIL, quarterbacks in the NCAA ranks will stay in school longer in order to earn NIL money. This means they'll gain more experience, have more starts, be more apt to take a starter job at a smaller school than sit on a bench at a larger one, and transfer to ensure they get game experience which is compatible with earning NIL. So, in the future, fewer guys will forego draft eligibility early chasing pro dollars, because they're already making something approaching pro dollars by continuing to play at the NCAA level, whether they're Power 5 (well, 4 now, sorry PAC 10 guys) or Group of 5.

You just have to hang on long enough, say five years, for the current crop to get through college. The latter half of this decade should see a boon of improved quarterback play in whatever pro leagues are around by then.

[DanoT]

What is NIL?

I googled it and came up with nothing.

[B.C.FAN]

What is NIL?

I googled it and came up with nothing.

https://www.ncsasports.org/name-image-likeness