Als stockpiling Canadian QBs

[KCargosfan]

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/cfl...225149655.html

Anybody want to do a compare/contrast of these guys.

[OV Argo]

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/cfl...225149655.html

Anybody want to do a compare/contrast of these guys.

Interesting signings; and i don't recall any official CFL announcement about Canadian QBs not counting towards CFL TC roster numbers? - there was some talk of some sort of roster bonus for teams carrying NI QBs a couple of years back - i belive this was a big factor in Barker signing Brannagan at the time - sort of a jump the gun move to see if it may pay-off with a roster freebe development project?

At least these 2 young NI QBs are going to a situation with a QB guru type guy in Trestman in charge; I suspect it's more of some extra arms for TC situation - do the Als not have any QBs on the roster besides Calvillo, MacPherson (very over-rated by some IMO) and Santos (shown zip in the CFL thus far) ?* (have to check their roster); but maybe they get a good shot to impress Trestman - Calvillo = probably his last year - they need QBs for the future. HOWEVER - if the Als braintrust (or any CFL team) had any sort of real respect for either of these QBs (or Hec winner Billy Greene) - they would have been drafted - over some of the reach, unhearlded types who got drafted recently - the Als took a DB and an O-Lineman who were nowhere on anybody's scouting lists of CFL draft prospects that i saw. Only in the CFL; the top 2 picks in the recent NFL draft were star college ball QBs; in the CFL - 3 star CIS QBs are totally ignored in the draft; and while some star US college ball QBs get written-off by the cookie-cutter measureables/form type scouting experts in the NFL - usually due to size or lacking supposed "arm strength" - Quinlan, Greene and Greaves are all big QBs, with decent arms and mobility - going by their stats for sure anyways; only seen Greene & Greaves play in last year's CIS play-offs - where their teams got killed / over-matched; but they both showed some stuff anyways in terms of arm, mobility, smarts IMO; Quinlan, OTOH - i've seen play several times - both live and on TV - and IMO, he's a total package - strong arm, athletic/mobile, poised/smart - maybe the best pure CIS QB i've seen in years - superb QB performance in the Vanier IMO; and better than Sinoppoli IMO (who was drafted last year and made the Stamps as 3rd stringer - wonder if he'll stick again this year?). I won't bet on Quinlan making the Als roster however - but at least he is getting some sort of shot i guess.

* edit - just checked the Als roster and they have import QB Josh Neiswander (Angelo St.) - signed last year - also still on their roster; can`t picture any NI QB beating out 3 import back-ups on the depth chart - but you never know i guess.

[KCargosfan]

Theoretically, could be somewhat of a shrewd move by the Als. Get both of them in camp and get an upclose and personal look at them for a few weeks. Send both back to school for another year of college ball to keep getting better, then sign the one you liked best next December.

[argolio]

Theoretically, could be somewhat of a shrewd move by the Als. Get both of them in camp and get an upclose and personal look at them for a few weeks. Send both back to school for another year of college ball to keep getting better, then sign the one you liked best next December.

Interesting theory KC.

[argonaut11xx]

well..the Alouettes had the last Starting Canadian QB of any significance in the CFL , Gerry Dattilio. if i remember correctly he won the Outstanding Canadian, and was the east nominee for Outstanding playing in the same year.

There have been a few Canadian QB's since, but none that mattered ...sadly

[ArgoRavi]

well..the Alouettes had the last Starting Canadian QB of any significance in the CFL , Gerry Dattilio. if i remember correctly he won the Outstanding Canadian, and was the east nominee for Outstanding playing in the same year.

There have been a few Canadian QB's since, but none that mattered ...sadly

Greg Vavra played a decent amount with Calgary, B.C. and Edmonton between 1984 and 1988 IIRC. Vavra even started some games as a rookie with the Stamps in 1984. He was really the last Canadian QB to receive substantial playing time although Giulio Caravatta did start two or three games for the Lions in the mid 1990s and was a backup QB for B.C. from 1991 to 1998.

[argonaut11xx]

Greg Vavra played a decent amount with Calgary, B.C. and Edmonton between 1984 and 1988 IIRC. Vavra even started some games as a rookie with the Stamps in 1984. He was really the last Canadian QB to receive substantial playing time although Giulio Caravatta did start two or three games for the Lions in the mid 1990s and was a backup QB for B.C. from 1991 to 1998.

Nothing against Vavra, or Caravatta, but neither ever had starter's job locked up, ...the one guy i wish would have gotten a chance to play/start in the CFL, was Chris Flynn.

I suspect there have been more than a handful of Solid Canadian quarterbacks, (like Vavra, etc) who might have been able to start, but sadly no team ever seemed to want to take risk, or give them the time to secure the #1 spot.

Gerry Dattilio was a bonafied Starter in Montreal, and Calgary.

[c33]

It's possibly noteworthy that Datilio played NCAA ball which may have somewhat mitigated the anti-Canadian QB bias, assuming such bias ever existed of course.

[Invader]

The Als might be taking advantage of the new rule that Canadian QB's don't count as bodies at training camp...allowing Cavillo not to overwork his arm at camp while developing two future QB prospects.

[AngeloV]

Gerry Dattilio was a bonafied Starter in Montreal, and Calgary.

Yes, but even he played receiver first when Joe Barnes and Sonny Wade were in Montreal.

[OV Argo]

Greg Vavra played a decent amount with Calgary, B.C. and Edmonton between 1984 and 1988 IIRC. Vavra even started some games as a rookie with the Stamps in 1984. He was really the last Canadian QB to receive substantial playing time although Giulio Caravatta did start two or three games for the Lions in the mid 1990s and was a backup QB for B.C. from 1991 to 1998.

Larry Jusdanis had more playing / starting time in the CFL ( 3 or 4 starts for the Ticats in 96 i think it was) than Carravata ever did, I believe. And Vavra was the Stamps main starter as a rookie back in 84 - 324 pass attempts on the season; and interesting that Datillio - after coming over from the Als - was a starter for the Stamps (full-time in 82 with 387 pass attempts and then some in 83 too) - so that was 3 straight seasons a single CFL team had a Canadian QB start some of them - theCFL times sure have changed, eh, er, huh?

So anyhow - approx. 15 years since a Canadian QB got to start in the "radically canadian" CFL; easily the biggest such gap in CFL history - and don't look for that to change anytime soon either.

[Invader]

According to this football website, Bob Torrance had more passing yardage than either Judanis or Carravata. Torrance is one of three Canadian QB's who had a career passing ratio of over 50%. Torrance got 51.6% while G. Datillio was tops at 54.8% and R. Jackson 53.6%. Incredibly, Jackson averaged over 20 yards per pass completion in his career and is the only Canadian QB to throw more TD's than Int's in his career, 185 to 125.

http://cfl-scrapbook.no-ip.org/CFL-CanadianQB.php

[Rich]

I think Barker missed the boat big time in not signing Kyle Quinlan. Quinlan is 10 times the QB Brannagan ever was. He's got all the tools and with the proper coaching I seriously believe he can be a starter in this league. Stefan Ptasczek thinks he's the best CIS QB ever and I would have to agree. Doubters should watch again this some of this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smTYWT3sjoY

That last drive of regulation in the Vanier, well, I don't think any QB in any league performed the 2-minute drill any better last year. The power and precision of Quinlan's passes were jaw-dropping (and some great catches by the Mac receivers too). His decision-making and power running was seemingly unstoppable. I could not believe my eyes watching that game. Maybe he was playing over his head that day, but surely he's a better QB than Adam Tafralis.

[argonaut11xx]

Stefan Ptasczek thinks he's the best CIS QB ever and I would have to agree. Doubters should watch again this some of this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smTYWT3sjoY

I agree Quinlan is a very good QB, and if given a fair shot could be a quailty CFL quarterback. That said i wonder if Stephan Ptasczek ever saw Chris Flynn play? I'd suggest Fylnn was the best canadian university quarterback ive ever seen.

[AngeloV]

I agree Quinlan is a very good QB, and if given a fair shot could be a quailty CFL quarterback. That said i wonder if Stephan Ptasczek ever saw Chris Flynn play? I'd suggest Fylnn was the best canadian university quarterback ive ever seen.

If Flynn had a stronger arm, he would have been a bona fide pro. Truth be told, he was successful mostly because of his ability to buy time for himself. The problem is that I don't think he would have been able to buy that much time from the more speedy defensive players he would have seen in the pros. He also benefitted from playing in a bit of a week division out east. He never did lead his team to a Vanier championship.

Great CIS QB, but IMO not a pro candidate. Quinlan is a much better prospect.

[OV Argo]

I agree Quinlan is a very good QB, and if given a fair shot could be a quailty CFL quarterback. That said i wonder if Stephan Ptasczek ever saw Chris Flynn play? I'd suggest Fylnn was the best canadian university quarterback ive ever seen.

Flynn was a great CIS QB - never got a CFL shot as a QB; i think Quinlan has the better arm, but is not near the scrambler (though Quinlan is athletic/mobile for sure); i agree mostly with Rich's assessment - Quinlan was nothing short of superb in the past Vanier. But the Argos alread have 5 QBs for TC - though they could have drafted or signed Quinlan, clearly they had no interest - maybe Barker and the other Argo "scouts" missed watching that Vanier; and the attempt at so-called "developing" a NI QB probably seems a lost cause after Brannagan was tried - for all of one year - and cut to make room for such a talent as Hall last year.

As far as CIS QBs all-time; there have been some good ones for sure I've seen (Jon Makie who led the Bisons to the 07 Vanier win at the SkyDome would be my all-time most under-rated), BUT - in terms of all-time best - a guy by the name of Russ Jackson played CIS ball - QBing McMaster - I didn't get to see him play there, but since he is arguably (IMO he is the best) one of the all-time best QBs ever in the CFL or pro ball, i find it hard to believe he was not the best CIS QB of all-time.

[ArgoRavi]

Flynn was a great CIS QB - never got a CFL shot as a QB; i think Quinlan has the better arm, but is not near the scrambler (though Quinlan is athletic/mobile for sure); i agree mostly with Rich's assessment - Quinlan was nothing short of superb in the past Vanier. But the Argos alread have 5 QBs for TC - though they could have drafted or signed Quinlan, clearly they had no interest - maybe Barker and the other Argo "scouts" missed watching that Vanier; and the attempt at so-called "developing" a NI QB probably seems a lost cause after Brannagan was tried - for all of one year - and cut to make room for such a talent as Hall last year.

Could the explanation simply be that the Argos liked their current QBs better than Quinlan?

[KCargosfan]

Could the explanation simply be that the Argos liked their current QBs better than Quinlan?

Nooo waaayyy, that would be too sensical.

Let's see if Quinlan actually makes it past training camp with the Als before complaining about Barker not signing him.

[OV Argo]

Could the explanation simply be that the Argos liked their current QBs better than Quinlan?

Sure, of course; and that type of always agreeing with what your team says/does is pretty easy to do or believe; what's the point of these discussion boards anyways?

My question would be, just exactly why, do the Argos "thinkers" like some of their current QBs - like Hall, Trafalis or that other guy they signed this off-season, better than Quinlan? Is it because of the amazing arm strength, accuracy, mobility and poise, plus very nice football accomplishments, includng extensive experience playing the Canadian game, of these other QBs? And it's same for every other CFL team that chose not to draft Quinlan? That must be the reason, there just can't be any other factors at work here. Pretty obvious eh, Ravi - the good ole - "well, they're not "good enough" " excuse; exact same reason Flynn or Leason or Denison never played a down in the CFL; while Chris Leak, Joey Elliott, Ted White and a whole slew of other stiffs have got to play QB in the CFL.

[RoRoYoBoat]

Jim was the first guy under Cohon to give a Canadian QB a shot. He started it all. He should be commended not blamed.