Matt Nichols released

[R.J]

I agree with you 100%. A major reboot means you don't bring back the guy who led you to back-to-back 4-14 seasons. Spending another $200k on MBT means we can't sign another key piece like Cam Judge or Charleston Hughes, which would be really dumb IMO.

One thing the NFL has shown in recent years is that if you like a young guy at QB there's little point in hedging about it, you fully commit to the guy sink or swim. If god forbid both Arbuckle and O'Connor turn out to be stiffs, we are fvcked whether MBT is on the roster or not. At 33 MBT is not about to turn into Bo Levi Mitchell and start leading the Argos to multiple Cup appearances, and they'll simply have to reboot all over again in another year or two.

This place never changes. While it makes little sense to me, I'm actually not surprised that so many around here want to bring back Bethel-Thompson.

Just an FYI for those who seem to forget, but the Argos had three young eventual bonafide starters (Collaros, Harris, and Fajardo) who they let leave, because they weren't willing to make the hard choice.

[OV Argo]

This place never changes. While it makes little sense to me, I'm actually not surprised that so many around here want to bring back Bethel-Thompson.

Just an FYI for those who seem to forget, but the Argos had three young eventual bonafide starters (Collaros, Harris, and Fajardo) who they let leave, because they weren't willing to make the hard choice.

And interesting/amusing that pretty well nobody is saying that about O'Connor - a supposed top young QB talent who already has a season under his belt - but he should continue to "develop" as a 3rd stringer; yet Arbuckle - of the limited resume as well - should be anointed starter ? Arbuckle just has that something else on his resume compared to O'Connor.

A smart team might want 3 QBs like MBT (lots of pro experience) plus Arbuckle & O'Connor (young talent that has already played in the league a bit) and have a real, honest, tough competition at TC to decide who deserves to be starter, for game 1 anyways.

[paulwoods13]

A smart team might want 3 QBs like MBT (lots of pro experience) plus Arbuckle & O'Connor (young talent that has already played in the league a bit) and have a real, honest, tough competition at TC to decide who deserves to be starter, for game 1 anyways.

For once we are in agreement, although the way football works nowadays, the notion of an open competition for the starting QB job is basically a faded memory. I can't recall the last time such a competition existed in either the CFL or the NFL -- maybe the Argos in 2010? Most, if not all, teams seem inclined to designate someone as the presumptive starter heading into camp. It will be interesting to see how the Ticats handle Masoli and Evans; I'm betting Masoli gets No. 1 reps from Day 1.

Bringing back MBT seems unlikely for many reasons, one of them being the fact he likely would expect a fair shot at becoming the starter after starting most of 2019 (and playing a lot more than Arbuckle, leading the league in TD passes, holding stuff together when the coaching was a mess, etc.). Mgmt would perceive the risk of a QB controversy as not being worth it, so it's Arbuckle's job heading into camp IMO.

As for O'Connor, he definitely needs to be re-signed and should be pencilled in as No. 2, with a bullet, and groomed to become No. 1 a year from now, when Arbuckle is back on the FA market.

[Rich]

And interesting/amusing that pretty well nobody is saying that about O'Connor - a supposed top young QB talent who already has a season under his belt - but he should continue to "develop" as a 3rd stringer; yet Arbuckle - of the limited resume as well - should be anointed starter ? Arbuckle just has that something else on his resume compared to O'Connor.

A smart team might want 3 QBs like MBT (lots of pro experience) plus Arbuckle & O'Connor (young talent that has already played in the league a bit) and have a real, honest, tough competition at TC to decide who deserves to be starter, for game 1 anyways.

But if you think MBT needs to be on the roster, then apparently you don't have much faith in O'Connor's abilities either. Signing MBT would seriously delay O'Connor's development as a CFL QB. It may even be that O'Connor is waiting to see if the Argos sign MBT before committing to play here.

[R.J]

But if you think MBT needs to be on the roster, then apparently you don't have much faith in O'Connor's abilities either. Signing MBT would seriously delay O'Connor's development as a CFL QB. It may even be that O'Connor is waiting to see if the Argos sign MBT before committing to play here.

And all this talk about a completely open three-way TC competition for starting QB is pure fantasy, especially with limited or no preseason games.

Can't believe I'm actually agreeing with Rich.

[Rich]

Can't believe I'm actually agreeing with Rich.

Ya welcome back RJ we've all missed your nasty, combative tone :-)

[R.J]

Ya welcome back RJ we've all missed your nasty, combative tone :-)

I doubt it.

[OV Argo]

But if you think MBT needs to be on the roster, then apparently you don't have much faith in O'Connor's abilities either. Signing MBT would seriously delay O'Connor's development as a CFL QB. It may even be that O'Connor is waiting to see if the Argos sign MBT before committing to play here.

Nope, unless you have a bona fide, proven, quality QB starter, I'm all for open competition in TC - and the notion that they're can't be real, honest competition in TC (even without ex. games), is total hogwash, IMO. O'Connor is ready - now - to compete with the likes of MBT and Arbuckle; however - I wouldn't have expected any young or journeyman QB to come in and challenge Doug Flutie for the Argo starting QB job in 97

Who's the new Argo starting tailback going to be? Maybe they should just hand the job to some guy who's never played Canadian football before, but has NFL on his resume and is an ego-head who thinks he's going to come in and dominate the little CFL ? That would be a swell idea - no need for competition in TC.

[paulwoods13]

Just an FYI for those who seem to forget, but the Argos had three young eventual bonafide starters (Collaros, Harris, and Fajardo) who they let leave, because they weren't willing to make the hard choice.

Yeah, deciding whether to keep Ricky Ray was definitely equivalent to deciding whether to keep McLeod Bethel-Thompson.

[R.J]

Yeah, deciding whether to keep Ricky Ray was definitely equivalent to deciding whether to keep McLeod Bethel-Thompson.

It's about as funny as your insinuation that Bethel-Thompson is as good and/or a better runner than Arbuckle is...

Fajardo and even Prukop were let go due to Bethel-Thompson's rise, not because Ray was supposed to be the starter. Oh well.

[Jon Gonzo]

It's about as funny as your insinuation that Bethel-Thompson is as good and/or a better runner than Arbuckle is...

Fajardo and even Prukop were let go due to Bethel-Thompson's rise, not because Ray was supposed to be the starter. Oh well.

You'd think that all 5 of us could get along

[paulwoods13]

It's about as funny as your insinuation that Bethel-Thompson is as good and/or a better runner than Arbuckle is...

Fajardo and even Prukop were let go due to Bethel-Thompson's rise, not because Ray was supposed to be the starter. Oh well.

And Harris & Collaros (whom you mentioned) -- which "hard choice" was to blame for their departure?

You mock me for liking MBT -- yet you keep banging a drum for Prukop.

[argolio]

Fajardo and even Prukop were let go due to Bethel-Thompson's rise, not because Ray was supposed to be the starter. Oh well.

Prukop was let go because he had two straight poor camps. Good luck to him and all in Calgary, but let's not pretend he did anything here when it mattered, and I was a fan of his talent.