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You have a point, the higher the level the better chance a team messes it up. Especially with the ladder nature of drafts. You’re 100% right that QBs get a development path few other positions do in football. virtually ever qb gets a high volume of chances, while few get quality. MacLeod bethel Thompson is a good example. Barely any hs or college snaps as qb1. But like 10 nfl teams, cfl pr cut and picked up with no snaps up here. Usually when highly talented guys flop out fast, they have serious deficiencies. Baseball is still figuring out how best to use and develop guys, with an insane amount of pro infrastructure. Out side of speeding guys up to the pro level of game play and playbook sizes it’s about not messing guys up when done right. This is why I think nfl tc for Elgersma is great. His primary need is just that to jump the gap from cis to pro level. You’re right on the money. Especially in the modern cfl. The level of talent and refinement we see in qb prospects is as far behind down south as I’ve ever seen. So teams get stuck on guys who they think have a tangible or intangible that can over come the deficiencies. Weve passed the tipping point where QBs coming up know more about qbing than their coaches. And they know it. Coaching is softer and QBs are harder. Up here it’s a lot of former position players rising up the coaching ranks too. The long maligned Canadian qb role has left us out the generation of qb coaches and former qb oc/hc. Teams at all levels fall in love with raw arm talent and athleticism. At the sub pro levels you see so many kids just take over games with that, and you get swept up in it. If you can’t manufacture it, you fake it and hope. Yeah the top tier oc minds in college and hs I see down south aren’t excelling with the best qb talent. They are finding kids with strong intangibles, who are able to fit rpo and their specific brand of niches. Having a system that can run rpos fast and efficiently is way better than having a world beating arm. Some guys like Maas have done a good job of covering up some qb deficiencies and making their worst throws the easiest in his system. But mostly teams really struggle to offset their QBs skill set. Every one is looking for the same perfect arm that can do every thing instead of setting up for the easiest repeatable success. Rpos that set up catch and run plays are much easier. You still need to threaten and be able to hit home runs, but no one sustains offensive out put based around the deep ball. You can stretch the field a lot by going side line to side line, and back field to mid range.

2 out of the 4 you mentioned are gone. I don't agree at all that Kola has hit his best before..he just isn't a top notch OL and we don't have anyone to steal his job atm. We aren't starting Kola because Osh has a man crush on him. We are starting him because Eli was never able to take the job from him. I don't get the Jake love either, so I can only assume that he must hold tremendous value to the room. Only thing that stands to reason really. Not a good reason for the amount of reps he got, then again what was behind him? Should have gone IMP I suppose. Not sure why we felt the need to go 9 NATS all season.

Some guys thrive under the Friday night lights. Wanna see him in game action before writing him off. All depends what he is getting up front imo.

He won MOP in two of those years while being the number one QB in the league. So yea, I would say he played a large role. But that was then and this is now, so I get where you are coming from.

I was at the game in Montreal when they first became an issue. From where we were sitting, they were far less of an issue than what it sounded like on tv. Still pretty surprised that the users didn’t cause fights in the stands.

Did ZC lead us tho to 5 cups...or was he the QB of the team that went to 5? Not trying to be a nit picker here but sure he solidified the QB spot but several of the cup appearances were more due to other factors and the ones we won he was average at best...and when we had roster issues and a much weaker defensive front and decided to play injured guys...he didnt drag us to victory either...so I kinda on the fence as him being anything over 450k at this point

No kidding. I don't think teams ruin a lot of guys. The high level NCAA guys are already running their own show. Most of the decent U Sports guys these days are too. Anyone going to even that level is taking charge of their own development when they are 14-15. They know how to train themselves and their technical abilities are pretty baked in. Nobody at a club level is practicing in a way that's going change that in this era. You're mostly getting set to play games, not playing around with mechanics. People can complain about opportunity but no one with undeniable ability was ever denied at that position. Everyone is dying for consistently average QB play. There's no other position where you get a chance to develop like that in football, other than maybe Canadian OL in this league. We're splitting hairs on guys who really aren't at the level of the guys who are franchise QB's because we maybe saw a flash that made us hope the guy was something he wasn't. I think a lot of teams see some redeeming quality that allows them to overlook severe flaws in potential quarterbacks. Like Alex Brink not being able to pass the ball yet spending like 4 years here as QB in waiting. People would be shocked at how even at pretty high levels coaches are still in awe of guys who are throwers with no passing ability. Like people in our city making a living training QB's and sometimes other football players who get themselves involved in provincial teams and cannot evaluate them at all...even in the scenario of "we play games next month, who of the 4 QB's that we've just repped and worked with for 6 weeks is the best at moving the offense we've installed." Or totally blinded by an athlete who can't pass with any accuracy. Draw up a lot of plays for what you could do off RPO looks but no matter what you draw the guy can't pass well enough to execute anything accurately and consistently. Reads are a huge thing, arguably THE huge thing, get on same page with receivers, do things at speed. Even if you can put it on a spot 70 yards away, doesn't matter if you can't make a decision on time. That was a big Lapo flaw back to the CFL. If a QB can't attack at all 3 levels as a passer they really can't run a good CFL offense. Everything else will simply be adjusted to over a season by other good teams. Sure you can catch someone lacking and have your QB run for 170 yards sometime, but it's not happening every week.

Yup. That's why the CFL explicitly banned them when we played MTL in the 2023 GC. Didn't want their fans bringing them and ruining the game for the biggest tv audience of the season.

Correct. Last conference final win: June 1, 2006. 😬

Brown took big steps forward from his first game action (where he was brutal) to the next camp. I mean he took leaps and bounds at every step too. I’m also not sure he’s a product of our development at all. We get credit for giving him time and having patience for sure. But I think he developed through his own work. I think he would’ve developed most places if he got to stick around. I think it’s very arguable that many successful QBs across all levels develop due to their own work ethic and intangibles. I think far more teams ruin QBs than ever actually develop guys.

That’s one of the biggest hurdles to developing QBs. You can only do so much with out sacrificing games. Some guys hit that point of diminishing returns faster or slower. But they all hit it and you never know how far they will go after. Teams gotta be smart with trash time and use it like the high value time it is, for back ups. Yeah, move just doesn’t make much sense. I believe we could wave him before the season say next year and save that money still, what ever isn’t guaranteed. But this move shows we won’t move off him as long as he’s willing to play, even if he can’t get it done any more.

How did Dru Brown develop? 4th string for a year, time share backup with Prukop in 22, then established #2 in 23. Starts 3 games in 3 seasons.

100%. I hated it soo much. Two idjits using mechanical/pneumatic horns as close to the mic’s as possible. Making it about them self and making the tv experience terrible. If a big chunk of the crowd was doing it with the horns you blow in then I’d say credit to them and live with it.

Thank god, it really ruined the experience watching on tv. I couldn't imagine how annoying it would be in person.

How does these guys develop and get real game time sitting on the PR or playing 3rd string. I would of rather they play out the contract this year and if he returns to form then pay him big at the end of the season. I'm anticipating that next year these boards will be pissed that they gave away a large chunk of money to a broken QB who is no longer worth the money.

I think this start is that big shot for him, the guys who stick around and make the next camp seem to get this shot. I do think he’s a long shot to make the ar. I think sterns is a real sleeper to stick and make a niche for him self. I think white is gonna win the spot if he stays healthy. Hes so much in the mold we like.

yep. https://3downnation.com/2025/05/23/silence-at-last-montreal-alouettes-ban-air-horns-for-2025-season/ About time. Sounds like the cfl put their foot down and are holding the ALs responsible to the standard held across the league.

Quantum field theory?

Yah, I doubt Zach's agent is going to agree to a massive pay cut after he's led the Bombers to the Grey Cup 5 years running and elite QB pay is still $500k+ and potentially headed up. It's not like he's failed to produce winning seasons like BLM did for a few years before he accepted a substantial chop in pay.

I'd be pretty surprised if Wheatfall made the opening roster, barring injuries. D Mitchell is kind of the speed element at all levels and screen game, kind of your Lawler replacement. Wheatfall hasn't really looked good on anything but a couple verticals, and really hasn't finished a ton of plays. Could be a 2nd year breakout candidate I guess but just don't see a spot for him to get on Game 1. He'd be a PR guy again if he doesn't get beat out by someone who looks like a better fit. To me White Jr and Stearns are in a battle for the 3rd slot position. Maybe can get both on if Stearns can return. If White is in good health I could see him and Schoen (if he's healthy too) being devastating targets down the middle.

In 2022

When reading this kind of makes me feel better with our 8 or 9 consecutive game losing streak on road playoff games.

Qft.

Obviously means Streveler ain’t the guy and Wilson and the other kid ain’t ready. If nothing else Zach is a starting QB in the cfl, the starter of the team who has been to 5 straight cup finals now. Reality is he’s better than everyone else we have and a year extra ain’t gonna change things. Should have would have could have but didn’t. And here we are today. Zach is the best QB on the roster. You don’t move on if you don’t have the next guy ready. The next guy isn’t Streveler. It’s Wilson Chase A or Elgersma.

It’d take a lot for me to say he’s earned more than 400k even at this point. Im worried about strevy from what I’ve seen. But pre season performance is worth 10x more than camp. So hopefully he has a good pre season. Similarly, zachs camp could evaporate with live rounds and hits. I’ve got that familiar sinking feeling when it comes to roster management out of this camp. The big saving grace this year is going to be the young athletic depth we’ve amassed. We should’ve moved off Zach with brown. At this point I think we will run with zach till he physically can’t lace em up any more or quits.