GCn20

He struggles with touch like you say, his highlight reel from the UFL is chock full of him feathering suicide passes down the middle of the field. It wasn't arm strength, it was touch.

USports is getting more and more complex but you can only scheme to your overall talent level. In the CFL there is just so much more you can do because of the level of athletes on the squad. CFL is infinitely better at disguising their defensive schemes as well. Reading the defence is very different in the pros. The different looks that defences give pre-snap are going to be confusing to any rookie QB at first. You prepare, you study film, but week to week in our league we see progressions to counter film work. QBs in this league take some time to really get it. Some can come in and give you usable contributions but anyone thinking that Elgersma will give us a better chance to win than Collaros this season are probably going to be disappointed. Realistically, about the best case scenario for Elgersma this year is that he sees a little bit of game action and gives our GM and coaches enough reason to consider him for starting next season. That would be the Nathan Rourke/Davis Alexander route, and that would be about the very most we should hope for. However, if TE comes out proves to be a generational talent that becomes probably the first year one starter in the past 15 years, I will gladly accept that as a fortuitous turn of fate and gladly eat crow.

That's too funny, but honestly, he is more like a cross between Fajardo and Streveler.

He has about the same arm strength as Cody Fajardo. What's going to surprise a lot of people is that he runs like a running back.

Means nothing....but still nice to watch the RIders look like ass.

Totally agree, I have no doubt that Elgersma has the toolbox for success, but the game speed, rhythm, complexity of defences, and just the over all ability of the competition takes time to adjust to and learn. Almost every QB in this league has gone through an NFL camp, he is no more used to this level of competition than any other QB that comes to camp. His 3 down experience will help somewhat, but defences are far more complex and harder to read than in USports. There is less decision time and far less margin for error, all of this will take time. I am excited to watch him play though. I would be very disappointed if Wilson was back. I just don't feel he will ever be better than a 3rd stringer in this league. Hope I am wrong about all of this and Elgersma is a rookie sensation, and that the light bulb goes off in Wilson's head....but history favors my viewpoint right now. Pitch and catch in practice is not the same as a game. These tight window passes look great like you say but when a DT moves you a foot off your mark and you have to throw through whatever passing lane the fatboys can provide it is an entirely different matter. Rourke, for instance, threw a great ball in his couple of rookie appearances but was also an interception machine. Takes time.

Throwing a nice ball in practice is not remotely the same as doing it in a game. Declaring Elgersma ready to play well is highly optimistic. He's a legit prospect for sure, but only rarely does a rookie QB not play like a rookie QB.

So are Rourke, Brown, Kelly, and Alexander. All very good young QBs. At one time we said the same about Ray, Calvillo, and Burris until Harris, Collaros, and BLM showed their stuff. It seems to be a concern the CFL fans have had since the 80's. Now, with the college money making it tougher to get QBs we may see this become a legit problem...or not....we'll see I guess but I am just pointing out that in the past few years we have added young, legit, talented starting QBs to half the teams in the league. Tachinski is just a TC body imo. I disagree on no forward thinking. Streveler was the plan until he wasn't. We were hoping, and you were as high on him as anyone, that he would turn into a starting calibre QB but he just didn't have the chops.

Throwing a nice ball is only about 25% of what makes a good QB. If throwing a nice ball in practice was the end all be all then Dominique Davis would be a hall of famer. I am hopeful that TE can reach the other 75% of what makes for successful QBing but we honestly have no idea what we have at this point, and it is completely unrealistic to think that Elgersma would outperform Zac at this point. Don't get hung up on arm strength, it really is a red herring with the caveat that it is difficult to overcome a weak arm. Would I like Zac to be able to zip a ball like Elgersma? Sure....but that isn't his strength as a QB. If Elgersma can learn to read a defence, make clutch throws under pressure, extend plays and not get happy feet, inspire and motivate his O unit, then he will be someone that has a real good chance at attaining the level of career that Zac is having. Let's not put the cart before the horse tho. The difference between wearing a yellow shirt in practice playing glorified catch, and doing it with bullets flying around you cannot be understated. Game action is not the same as practice.

We appear to be a very well rounded roster thus far. I am not willing to write off our receivers yet as it is pretty early, but we are likely looking for NAT DL. All in all though I would say that our biggest two problems from last year have been pretty solidly improved. Our OL, and our OC, should be a lot better and that is 2-3 wins right there. I think our receivers are also better overall as well, but I will have to see them in game action to know for sure. I really think putting Zac in a system he knows, understands, and loves is going to be huge for us at QB.

I will wait and see. I think that the riot act was read from above and we will see some different deployment this year. Agreed. We haven't even played a game yet and have no idea what our roster even looks like yet. I get that we have nerves around here about what our roster/deployment might look like, but let's wait to see it before we go all doom and gloom. We have a lot more talent than we did last year.

Being cut is not always a result of not being good. Salary, and in Covington's case he was compensated well, vs performance can seal a player's fate. Covington, on the right contract, is a CFL calibre player still. He's not going to light the world on fire or anything but he would represent a big upgrade in depth to us. Question is whether he would come here for a contract that would fit his role.

Looks like it right now.

We really need a 50/50 guy. Hopefully he's a guy that continues to impress since the highly touted other big man couldn't make the grade.

No doubt...most of us were looking him up on the roster page wondering if he was even in camp..lol