Blue QBs ready to rumble

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/06/2009 (6276 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Somebody cue the gravelly-voiced, dramatic announcer because the all-out, no-holds-barred scrap for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ starting quarterback job — which begins Wednesday with the opening of rookie camp — has all the makings of a ring-a-ding-dong dandy.

‘Five quarterbacks enter the ring, one starter exits in a pivotal battle royale for the ages!!!’

OK, so maybe some of the oomph is lost trying to hype the thing in print, but you probably get the idea.

As preparations for the 2009 Canadian Football League season begin it could be argued that no spot on any of the eight teams’ depth charts will draw more interest than the Bombers’ starting quarterback gig. Five men will challenge for the job, with only three — Stefan LeFors, Ryan Dinwiddie and Bryan Randall — having any kind of three-down experience.

And that trio has a grand total of eight regular-season starts.

Hello.

"Guys are fighting for jobs right now and that’s the way training camp is supposed to be," said head coach Mike Kelly. "I want them to understand that any one of those five who will be in the room during our quarterback school (which began Sunday) has an opportunity to win the job."

If there is an early favourite, it’s LeFors. Kelly traded two draft picks to acquire his services from the Edmonton Eskimos in January — back when the club still had Kevin Glenn under contract. He worked with Kelly last year in Edmonton and possesses two key QB characteristics the new coach covets: intelligence and leadership.

"Obviously everybody knows that I think highly of his abilities, but I think highly of a lot of people’s abilities," said Kelly. "He’s a young man that’s ready to step in and play, but — because of the skill sets of our running backs and our receivers and what I think will be a solid offensive line — the burden doesn’t have to fall completely on our quarterbacks’ shoulders. So, I’m looking for someone that’s intelligent and poised and can distribute the football. And I think Stefan fits those qualities. Now let’s see if he does it."

LeFors made five starts for an awful Eskimos team in 2007 when star QB Ricky Ray was injured, but the former Carolina Panthers’ draft pick is eager to step out from behind a future hall of famer’s considerable shadow. Put it this way: he was never going to start again for the Esks as long as Ray was around, seeing as he is written in ink atop the depth chart there.

"It wasn’t written in ink, it was written with a permanent marker," said LeFors with a chuckle. "I didn’t really know that when I first got there, but I quickly found out that. (Ray) did a really good job there and I was fortunate enough to be able to learn how he thinks and to be able to work with him for those two years helped. But you wonder what you could do if you got the opportunity. I did get a chance my first year in Edmonton, but I’m really looking forward to this. That’s what everybody wants: an opportunity and a chance."

And that’s exactly how the other four pivots in town view this thing, too, and every one of them brings an interesting package to the offensive huddle. Dinwiddie has always been able to spark the troops off the bench, Randall has enormous upside — one rival CFL GM figured he’d be the club’s starter by Labour Day — while newcomers James Kilian and Darrell Hackney have considerable experience bouncing around the NFL.

To put this in perspective, the Bombers haven’t likely had a true training-camp QB duel with this many contenders since, well… ever.

"This is what I’ve wanted for my whole career: a chance to compete for the starting job," said Dinwiddie. "I feel like it’s a great situation with some of the guys they’ve kept around and the coaches are really going to push us. It’s going to mean a whole lot of competition at all positions and I think that’s one thing we lacked in the last couple of camps, the fact that guys had their spot and coasted through things.

"We’re trying to change the attitude here. Everybody’s got to earn their job every day. It’s going to be more a work mentality."

"Look," added Randall, "as a player that’s what you want to hear: Any time a coach says a job is open it lights a fire under you. A lot of times that No. 1 job is not necessarily there for the taking at all. Sometimes it’s the same with the No. 2 job as well.

"And so what we’re looking at here is refreshing. And it’s going to make for an exciting camp for all the quarterbacks."

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

RYAN DINWIDDIE

No. 4

Ht.: 6-1 Wt: 203

Age: 28

College: Boise State.

Yrs CFL: 3 Blue Bombers: 3

Acquired: Signed as a free agent Aug. 18, 2006

Strengths: Real student of the game who feverishly gobbles up the extra workload… Energetic, confident player whose leadership is infectious… Better mobility than most think.

Negatives: Critics wail about his arm strength and here’s why: his TD-to-interception ratio, including the 2007 Grey Cup, is: seven to 12.

Kelly’s take on Dinwiddie: "He has skills and I thought played with a lot of poise last year. There are questions about arm strength — as Matt Dunigan pointed out on TSN — but I also think our scheme and the fact we’re going to move the quarterback around a lot will help. I think Ryan has good enough footwork that he can fit into that category. I’ve spoken to him in the off-season and gave him some specifics to work on. I know he’s excited about it and I hear he’s put on 10 pounds of muscle."

 

BRYAN RANDALL

No. 3

Ht.: 6-1 Wt: 218.

Age: 25

College: Virginia Tech

Yrs CFL: 1 Blue Bombers: 1

Acquired: Signed as a free agent May 20, 2008

Strengths: Outstanding athlete with good mobility… Great leader who came north with superb college credentials (2004 ACC Player of the Year)… Pro attitude; didn’t moan and groan last year about iffy teaching from offensive coordinator… New rules allowing for ‘Wildcat’ formation (where QB doesn’t have to line up behind centre) has led coaching staff to devise formations just for his skills.

Negatives: Still very green, needs playing time… Like Dinwiddie, also concerns about arm strength.

Kelly’s take on Randall: "I think he brings a very athletic skill set to us and allows us to put some packages together where he can be the guy in there and change the tempo of the game a little bit. I spoken to him specifically about some things I thought were weaknesses in his game. There’s some things we can address."

 

JAMES KILIAN

No. 8

Ht: 6-4 Wt: 215

Age: 28

College: Tulsa

Yrs CFL: 0 Blue Bombers: 0

Acquired: Signed as a free agent April 23, 2009.

Strengths: Good size… Runs well for a big man and was said by NFL scouts before the 2005 draft to be a ‘good improviser who can make things happen with his feet when the play breaks down.’

Negatives: Has bounced around from NFL Europa to NFL teams, but is CFL green… NFL scouts felt he was too quick to run or rushed his throws when the pocket collapsed.

Kelly’s take on Kilian: "We had him down in Florida. He’s more of a classic drop-back passer, but he’s got a really good release and the ball comes out of hand well. He’s got pretty good feet and in this league I truly believe you have to have a quarterback who can make plays with his feet. And James has those qualities. I found him to be very intelligent and poised. Arm strength, intelligence and poise — if you put those three things together and then have the ability to make plays with your feet, you should be able to play in this league."

 

DARRELL HACKNEY

No. 9

Ht: 6-0 Wt: 235

Age: 25

College: Alabama-Birmingham.

Yrs CFL: 0 Blue Bombers: 0

Acquired: Signed as a free agent May 28, 2009.

Strengths: Big-time arm, a cannon said to be the best of all prospects heading into his NFL draft year (2006)… His size makes him a nightmare to bring down… Intelligent QB who scored very well in the NFL’s Wonderlic test.

Negatives: Like all great throwers, said to often just heave the thing up or force passes… Mobility said to be just so-so and has shown a tendency to pack on pounds… Zero CFL experience means he’ll have to gobble up the nuances quickly.

Kelly’s take on Hackney: "Darrell is an athletic player that possesses outstanding arm strength and can make plays with his feet when necessary, throws with velocity and is accurate."

STEFAN LEFORS
#17
Ht.: 6-0; Wt.: 203.
College: Louisville.
Yrs CFL: 2; Blue Bombers: 0
Acquired: From the Edmonton Eskimos for a second-round draft pick in 2009 and a conditional pick in 2010 on Jan. 21, 2009.
Strengths: Intelligent, mobile, through-the-roof leadership potential… Gritty, tough-as-nails tough who can lead by example.
Negatives: Arm is decent, not spectacular… Said by a CFL executive to ‘be a guy you can win with, but not because of’… despite potential, still extremely green in terms of experience.
Kelly on LeFors: “I don’t want to put any added pressure on Stefan, but we made the trade for him because we think he’s ready to become a starter. I liked what I saw being around him every day in Edmonton. Now he’s just got to go out, manage the offence and make intelligent decisions.”
 

 

 

 

 

–Tait.