Man of tomorrow in Blue spotlight for now

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This article was published 16/06/2011 (5539 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Joey ELLIOTT can’t change his lot in life tonight but he can reassure Joe Mack and Paul LaPolice in terms of their decision to say goodbye to Steven Jyles.

Elliott will get the start at quarterback in tonight’s pre-season game against the Montreal Alouettes and the Blue Bomber brass would like to see some production from the player they see as the future face of the franchise.

There’s no climbing up the depth chart for Elliott at this juncture with Buck Pierce firm in his position as the No. 1 pivot.

But Mack and LaPolice view Elliott as the quarterback of tomorrow and a little early success would be a good thing. It will make it easier to give him more playing time as the season progresses and better prepare him for the inevitable injury that will come Pierce’s way.

That’s not to suggest Pierce is cursed or fragile or injury-prone.

But not many CFL quarterbacks play every down of an 18-game season. It just doesn’t happen and Elliott is going to get some meaningful work this season. LaPolice and Mack like his upside and believe he can be an elite CFL quarterback. He’s got the athletic tools, but most importantly, he’s got football intellect. He’s the son of a coach and LaPolice says he’s way ahead of the curve in understanding a pro offence. He just needs to play.

The Bombers haven’t developed a quarterback in some time and Elliott appears to be the chosen candidate for just that project. It will take time and patience but Mack has both. He’s got the full support of the Bombers’ board and isn’t going anywhere for some time, unless all those rumours about his desire to return to the NFL are true.

Mack’s plan for the Bombers is not short-term. Sure, he’d like to get to a playoff game this year but this year’s Grey Cup is not in view. That’s why moving Jyles was such an easy decision. If Pierce gets hurt this season, having Jyles around would be nice but not at the expense of the real goal — to be a perennial contender.

A step back is sometimes needed to get to where one is headed and Mack has proven to have the courage of his conviction.

He’s dumped older players who would have given him a few wins in the short term in order to revamp his roster.

Last year’s 4-14 record wasn’t an accident. Well, maybe that’s going a little far as it’s safe to say Mack didn’t plan on that many losses but he had to know things were going to be tough for a while when he set his strategy.

Rookies make mistakes and too many on the field at once usually cost a team wins.

Mack hasn’t managed with an eye toward job security. He’s done what he believes to be right for the franchise in the long term — even if it means having some mud splash on his trousers in the interim.

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Elliott is the next step in the plan. Maybe Pierce will stay healthy and have a nice five-year run with the Bombers but he’s got a lot of miles on his 28-year-old body and his career trend makes it hard to frame an organizational plan around him.

There’s no question Pierce can win games — just how many and for how long are open for discussion.

When Mack daydreams about riding in a Grey Cup parade down Portage Avenue, he likely doesn’t envision Pierce being in the convertible behind him. That ride is a few years away in Mack’s mind and there’s still some developing to do in order to get there.

Elliott is a big part of that picture and tonight his tutelage begins in earnest.

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca