Wow!

3DownNation

Ottawa Redblacks trade Dru Brown to Winnipeg Blue Bombers...

The Ottawa Redblacks have traded Dru Brown to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Ottawa Redblacks (0-2) will visit the Montreal Alouettes (2-1) at Percival Molson Stadium on Sunday, June 28 with kickoff s

42 minutes ago, Noeller said:

It's interesting to hear all the talk (here only) about Zach retiring when he's had two really good games to start the year and (so far - limited action) looks far from retirement. What happens if Zach keeps it up and has a career year?

Then he retires on a positive note.

2 hours ago, Goalie said:

Perkins or Elgersma prob to the 1 game. Either or makes no difference. Why we pretending Perkins is any sort of answer.

I beliieve that Perkins goes to the PR. If a 6'5 235 lb qb can't do short yardage then something's wrong. Rookie or not.

Perkins is basically a running back. There's no way he doesn't dress for that role on game day. Elgersma doesn't factor in this season unless there are injuries to Collaros or Brown.

I really like this trade. However the QB room plays out it is really a long term win. You can never have enough competent QBs.

MBT is signed by Ottawa. That is unbelievable.

Have we heard what MBT's ancestors think about these moves?

I just hope we play enough Canadians so we at least get a 2nd round pick next season. Surprised we had to give up so much for him. More than we gave up for Zach.

21 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

Have we heard what MBT's ancestors think about these moves?

They think he is gonna be the starting qb in ott in less than a month.

14 hours ago, Booch said:

zc starts...dru is qb2..Perkins continues what he has excelled at....bumping Perkins off would be ...well stoopid but a classic osh move...so prepared for stooopid

We'll move a QB to the reserve list. I'd expect that to be Brown for a couple of weeks and then Elgersma.

I’m hoping we let Elgerma do short yardage at that size he should be really good at it. It’s mostly about size. Perkins does seem crafty at it but can we really afford to pay Dru Brown, Zach and Perkins who would be getting more than the minimum contact that TE is getting. I wonder if Brown restructures.

Re: Dru salary. Keep in mind Ottawa ate a large chunk of the salary in the offseason bonus ($131k) so that makes him a lot more palatable for this season anyhow. There's part of the salary plus some bonuses (incl about 15k in appearance fees) that make up the rest of the $321k apparently...

A few weeks ago I wondered if Ottawa may be trading him, and I wishfully predicted we would trade for him. It was wishful thinking on my part basically but it seemed to be a possibility. Glad that sometimes my logic still works...lol.

3 minutes ago, Noeller said:

Re: Dru salary. Keep in mind Ottawa ate a large chunk of the salary in the offseason bonus ($131k) so that makes him a lot more palatable for this season anyhow. There's part of the salary plus some bonuses (incl about 15k in appearance fees) that make up the rest of the $321k apparently...

I am beyond confused as to why Ottawa would trade him at this time. Dinwiddie must not like him at all.

1 hour ago, Colin Unger said:

I just hope we play enough Canadians so we at least get a 2nd round pick next season. Surprised we had to give up so much for him. More than we gave up for Zach.

No we gave up a first to Toronto for him once he re-signed.

We basically swapped our first for our own second we already traded them and there's a conditional 2nd if he re-signs here.

The CFL Draft is the shits anyways. By the time a guy can really play he's a free agent free to go anywhere with no compensation. Half the time you get as good of a player out of the 3rd or 4th round as the 1st or 2nd.

Much rather have a franchise QB than a draft pick.

1 hour ago, rebusrankin said:

Have we heard what MBT's ancestors think about these moves?

11 minutes ago, Noeller said:

Re: Dru salary. Keep in mind Ottawa ate a large chunk of the salary in the offseason bonus ($131k) so that makes him a lot more palatable for this season anyhow. There's part of the salary plus some bonuses (incl about 15k in appearance fees) that make up the rest of the $321k apparently...

3down has the base salary of only $131k plus some change on travel and housing . Bonus was $150k. Should be no problem fitting in to the cap

“9) Dru Brown, Ottawa Redblacks (A)

Hard money: $321,000
Maximum value: $387,000

Browns’s 2026 compensation comes from a $150,000 signing bonus, $131,000 base salary, $15,000 in marketing money, $15,000 in housing, and a $10,000 travel allowance. He has an additional $66,000 available in playtime, statistical, all-star and award incentives“

https://3downnation.com/2026/05/04/highest-paid-quarterbacks-for-2026-canadian-football-league-season/

25 minutes ago, Colin Unger said:

I’m hoping we let Elgerma do short yardage at that size he should be really good at it. It’s mostly about size. Perkins does seem crafty at it but can we really afford to pay Dru Brown, Zach and Perkins who would be getting more than the minimum contact that TE is getting. I wonder if Brown restructures.

Perkins is on a minimum contract.

It is interesting the approach we are taking with our draft picks. Seems like we hold our picks with the one exception that we freely use them to acquire QB's. Zack, Brown, TE... And there's somewhat of a strategy here in terms of going more American on the offensive line. Clearly we won't be drafting a Canadian lineman next year who will factor in anytime soon without a first or 2nd. But we've been using later round picks to draft NFL bound offensive lineman who are basically Americans. But these guys when they come here will have no problems staying in Winnipeg because they aren't from BC or Ontario.

2 minutes ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

Perkins is on a minimum contract.

it was my understanding that typically American QB's are paid more than league minimum even as rookies. But maybe times have changed.

12 hours ago, bigg jay said:

Could be ZC has already decided this was going to be his last year, regardless of how things play out. If the club knows this, it would make sense to pull the trigger on the trade, even if it makes for a full QB room.

Also....Could be Walter's woke up from his 2 yr slumber and had an opportunity to better his team...and did it...Good teams do that...You shoud always be doing it and if it offends a player, or hurts one's ego...so be it.....and that would be a player you wanna dispose of anyway

We been too content...especially the last 3..4 yrs of just keeping whoever we broke camp with and not upgrading at all the whole season..Hence why we wafer thin in depth now...well One of the main reasons...there are others...like no reps to backups...ever...etc...etc..

1 hour ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

No we gave up a first to Toronto for him once he re-signed.

We basically swapped our first for our own second we already traded them and there's a conditional 2nd if he re-signs here.

The CFL Draft is the shits anyways. By the time a guy can really play he's a free agent free to go anywhere with no compensation. Half the time you get as good of a player out of the 3rd or 4th round as the 1st or 2nd.

Much rather have a franchise QB than a draft pick.

QBs are a premium commodity in this league. I actually thought the cost of acquiring Dru was pretty low. He is a starting quality QB.

2 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

QBs are a premium commodity in this league. I actually thought the cost of acquiring Dru was pretty low. He is a starting quality QB.

Yeah basically moved down 9 picks in the draft for a franchise QB.

30 minutes ago, Booch said:

Also....Could be Walter's woke up from his 2 yr slumber and had an opportunity to better his team...and did it...Good teams do that...You shoud always be doing it and if it offends a player, or hurts one's ego...so be it.....and that would be a player you wanna dispose of anyway

We been too content...especially the last 3..4 yrs of just keeping whoever we broke camp with and not upgrading at all the whole season..Hence why we wafer thin in depth now...well One of the main reasons...there are others...like no reps to backups...ever...etc...etc..

A few years back I told anyone who would listen on this forum that Dru Brown was still our plan for ZC's eventual retirement. I don't think that KW has woke up yet, but was more or less forced to not dither because Brown was being shopped and may not have been there as a FA.

1 minute ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

Yeah basically moved down 9 picks in the draft for a franchise QB.

Really can't make sense of this move on Ottawa's part. There had to be a clash of personalities between Dinwiddie and Brown.

8 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

A few years back I told anyone who would listen on this forum that Dru Brown was still our plan for ZC's eventual retirement. I don't think that KW has woke up yet, but was more or less forced to not dither because Brown was being shopped and may not have been there as a FA.

Really can't make sense of this move on Ottawa's part. There had to be a clash of personalities between Dinwiddie and Brown.

Once I heard he was getting basically no reps in camp I was waiting for him to get cut.

But they sank a lot of money into his roster bonus. You'd think if you have no real interest in giving the guy a shot you'd make the move on him in December/January before you pay the bonus.

5 minutes ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

Once I heard he was getting basically no reps in camp I was waiting for him to get cut.

But they sank a lot of money into his roster bonus. You'd think if you have no real interest in giving the guy a shot you'd make the move on him in December/January before you pay the bonus.

I don't think they signed Maier until after his roster bonus. Still makes zero sense no matter how you slice it. I really think that Brown was the plan and him and Dinwiddie just couldn't see eye to eye. Just my opinion though. Gotta be something we as fans don't know because on the surface it is completely illogical.

I'm happy to have Brown as our #2 QB, but let's not make him into something he isn't. He was the worst starting QB in the league last year and lost his job to Jake Maier this year. He's like a lot of backups who, when they get their chance, don't live up to the hype.