TJ Heath traded for Drew Willy

[Argo]

Love this deal for the Argos. A little steep with the draft picks but still love it. Ray has not been right since the first game of the season, I don't think he'll ever get it back. As I've said previously about Willy and LeFevour, we haven't seen the best of them yet.

(I think) almost everyone on this board thought Ray was playing pretty well and was not a liability, all things considered.

The problem is rather that the current supporting cast requires (ahem) that the QB be mobile, whereas Ray was getting seriously smacked around all too often.

[Argo57]

If they could have got him for a 5th round pick as an insurance policy, I would have done that first. I don't have a problem with Willy, but it might turn out to be a steep price. I hate parting with the #1 pick more than I do with Heath to be honest, because Mitchell looked good today, and I also like Rankin.

Pretty high price for Willy, hate seeing a playmaking DB leave town considering how they have struggled with their secondary in the last 2-3 years.
Perhaps a day or two may soften our perspective on this trade.

[Will]

(I think) almost everyone on this board thought Ray was playing pretty well and was not a liability, all things considered.

The problem is rather that the current supporting cast requires (ahem) that the QB be mobile, whereas Ray was getting seriously smacked around all too often.

Ray still has his supports on here, but I think there are more than just a few who think he is a liability.

Agree with you on your second paragraph.

[ArgoRavi]

If they could have got him for a 5th round pick as an insurance policy, I would have done that first. I don't have a problem with Willy, but it might turn out to be a steep price. I hate parting with the #1 pick more than I do with Heath to be honest, because Mitchell looked good today, and I also like Rankin.

Has someone else taken over your account here, AV? This is Kevin Glenn we are talking about.

[AngeloV]

Has someone else taken over your account here, AV? This is Kevin Glenn we are talking about.

LOL. I always thought of Glenn as a good back up or insurance policy. Just not a true #1. I have always liked Willy too, but he seemed very tentative early on with the Bombers. I just really don't like giving up first round picks. Willy likely would have been available for nothing at the end of the year, so a 5th for Glenn to finish this year would have been a better move IMO.

But who knows if Popp would have made the same trade with Barker that he did with the Bombers?

[Argocister]

Well I guess we got our answer to what is Barker going to do ..... He's going for experience...... And the cup.
Mind you , if LeFevour got injured today we would be going with Kilgore or Bolles. .... We know they're not ready. ..... Maybe experience was the better choice. I wouldn't want to be like the ALS were last year.

Let's hope the QB Whisperer can make inroads with both Willy and LeFevour.

Mmmmmm ..... Related to Keon's release?

[Stevoman]

If there is a restructured contract, I'm okay with this move, But we'll probably never know the details of the financials.

[mint83]

Willy was quite good in 2014 and was off to a great start in 2015 before being injured.

He had slow starts to games this year in a new offence. I have not analyzed all his 2016 games but know he lost two to the Stampeders.

He has the ability to be a legitimate starting QB but the downside is immobility that potentially leads to injuries.

["Issues"Mcgee]

To be fair, every time Barker pulls a trade like this, it works out great for the team.

Milanovich is going to have Willy and LeFevour battle it out for top spot. I'm all for it. They are both tested CFL QB's.

[macspectrum]

Drew Willy. Not a fan in the slightest. Barker got fleeced.

i agree - expensive trade... now ray has to retire .. and i think coach m needs to be fired as an liberal offence showed good results - defence played great
NO MORE CONSERVATIVE OFFENCE

[macspectrum]

The end of Ray?

oh god, i hope so ......

[Ron]

Well word is that Milo is the one who wanted Barker to get Willy as he thinks he can get Willy up to star status.

I did think they overpaid ... but when the fans are screaming for you to lose your job you do what it takes to be more active. Bah, by this time next year we'll resurrect this thread to show just how wrong most people were and a DB who had a good game will be forgotten.

[KCargosfan]

Makes me wonder if Ray's career is over now.

Also, we apparently have plenty of room under the cap as we'll have to pay Willy about $155K the next 7 weeks.

[Neely2005]

just as i thought driving home from the game that there was some hope, barker sucked that out quickly...i couldnt believe hearing it on tsn1050 on the drive home from a win...where the traded player was the best defender on the field!

We were listening to them break the trade on 1050 on the way home after the game (and then 1150 after 1050 went off the air) and they didn't know who we got back other than a QB. First they thought that it was Durant, then they found out it wasn't him and they were talking about Lulay, Willy and Glen. I was hoping that it was Lulay.

I totally don't understand why we had to throw in 2 draft picks too but when you look at what we got for Gale I guess that quarterbacks don't come cheap.

[doubleblue]

If they could have got him for a 5th round pick as an insurance policy, I would have done that first. I don't have a problem with Willy, but it might turn out to be a steep price. I hate parting with the #1 pick more than I do with Heath to be honest, because Mitchell looked good today, and I also like Rankin.

Yah the number 1 pick bothers me the most to. Reminds me of the good old days, giving up the #1 draft pick for those star QB's Lemon and Bishop.

[paulwoods13]

The only reason this trade should be condemned is the loss of a first-round pick. I hate giving those up. But those saying "Willy sucks" and "Heath rocks" are both wrong IMO. Heath failed to win a starting job despite his two picks in the home preseason game. He began starting only when injuries devastated our secondary. At least two of his five picks were on balls tipped into his hands. Yes, you still have to catch those but if someone elsewhere doesn't screw up he doesn't make the pick. And he's 29.

As for Willy, he has started and played well in this league. Had a bad start to this season but also had a much worse surrounding cast than Nichols has now. And as good as LeFevour was yesterday, IMO it would be foolish to assume he'll continue playing at that level. There's a reason he was out of a job until recently.

Managers have to make dispassionate decisions and certainly cannot make major decisions based on a single game.

I'm betting Ricky retires after this season, gets hired by Argos as QB coach and stays in shape in case we need him. And we go to camp with Willy, Kilgore and Fajardo fighting it out in an open competition. And in the meantime we get back in the hunt for division title and the Grey Cup.

[doubleblue]

Well word is that Milo is the one who wanted Barker to get Willy as he thinks he can get Willy up to star status.

I did think they overpaid ... but when the fans are screaming for you to lose your job you do what it takes to be more active. Bah, by this time next year we'll resurrect this thread to show just how wrong most people were and a DB who had a good game will be forgotten.

What I will remember about this thread is when the Commissioner says "now picking with the 3rd over all pick in the 2017 draft the Winnipeg Blue Bombers".

[OV Argo]

One of the worst trades I can think of in CFL history - just bizzarre.

Have to think the dumping of Bulcke & Raymond were for leading up to a trade for expensive QB help? - but they trade for a proven stiff of a QB who lost his starting job for mediocre/poor QB play ??? And was this trade allowed AFTER the games LeFevour & Heath just played ??? Giving away a 1st round draft pick ???

[JCC]

So we get Willy and his 400K salary (next year) and we could have resigned Harris - who is a better QB - for 200 to 300K. Had they kept Harris, his season would look a whole lot different. Unless Harris felt that Ray had 2 or 3 years left and Burris was a year from retiring.

[Antwon]

I don't like the trade. Hate giving up a 1st round pick. Assuming Ray will retire after this year, I understand they want more experience at QB.
After all the talk of developing QB's. JB and SM seemed to have misjudged that. The well dried up after Collaros and Harris.
So apparently now we're back to getting other teams QB's.


As for Heath, he had a monster game, and may have been getting hot for the stretch run. Otherwise it's assumed he'd be gone after the season for NFL opportunities.


I really liked the way LeFevour played, and it really shows what a mobile QB can bring to keep the defense off balance.
So that's what bugs me about Willy. He's not very mobile, and will take a beating as Ray has done this year.


I'm hoping LeFevour continues to play well and Willy holds the clipboard the rest of the season!