Bombers better off betting on Willy earning a raise

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/04/2015 (4160 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Contract extensions are generally cheaper than deals made up against the threat of free agency and in the CFL — where nothing is guaranteed — protecting a franchise asset such as Drew Willy is easy math.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers GM Kyle Walters can pay a little more now and still walk away if his quarterback fails to live up to expectations. Or he can wait, and if Willy has a huge year, lose control of the negotiations and the cost.

Walters would likely need to spend about $100,000 today in a signing bonus to prevent such instability.

Keep in mind, veteran quarterbacks Ricky Ray and Travis Lulay will be free agents at the end of this season and both the Toronto Argonauts and B.C. Lions could be in the market for a young, healthy starter. Not to mention the Ottawa Redblacks have a 41-year-old starter in Henry Burris and will also soon be in need of a replacement.

If Willy were to ring the bell this season and prove he’s capable of leading a contending team, there could be at least three suitors in the marketplace.

Signing Willy now is insurance against the dangers of an open market. Willy could mount an MVP season this summer and be just months from unrestricted free agency.

Willy wants to be paid $400,000 a year. Fine. He’s on the books for close to $250,000 this year. Work out an extension to pay him $400,000 for the 2016 and 2017 seasons with a signing bonus paid now to get him closer to that same mark for this coming season.

If Willy builds on what we saw last season, he’ll be worth the money. If he doesn’t, cut him and be free of the financial burden. Today, Walters has control of the situation. Willy has no options for the 2015 season and little leverage.

Walters wants Willy to succeed. He wants him to have as much success as possible. So why not bet on him and then cheer for him to hit all the marks?

Even if Willy wants some guaranteed money for the 2016 season, Walters can mitigate the damage. Structure the deal so that upfront money is paid as a roster bonus payable on Jan. 1. If he’s in the plans, pay him. He’ll have earned it. If he’s not, cut him loose.

Willy remains unproven after just one season as the starter in Winnipeg. While guiding the team to a 7-10 record, he completed 305 of 478 pass attempts for 3,769 yards and 14 touchdowns, but also had 16 interceptions.

There were nights when we were willing to rename the city as Willy-peg early on in the season, but a porous offensive line saw him get battered again and again — he was sacked a CFL-high 67 times — as the season progressed.

One veteran Bomber said Willy was rarely seen in the locker-room during the second half of the season before games or at halftime as he was always in the trainer’s room getting shot up with painkillers in order to play.

This says two things: Willy is a committed leader and the kind of guy you want leading your team. Secondly, judging Willy’s competence as a starter based on last season is difficult due to his spending so much time on his back.

It’s well and good to say a team has a leader but if he can’t play it’s irrelevant. Intangibles are great. They’re better when they come with skills.

Willy has to prove this but there are signs he will. He’s got quick feet when healthy and can read the field. He processes what’s in front of him and has an accurate arm.

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At 28 and recently married, Willy is just coming into his own as a player and a man. He very well could be on the cusp of great things.

The Bombers have waited a long time to find a franchise quarterback. Too long. Maybe Willy is that player. Maybe he isn’t.

Spending a hundred grand to protect such an asset is what one of my buddies likes to call gravel. Loose change in the pocket.

Losing Willy to a competitor in order to save the same kind of money? That’s not frugal. That’s stupid.

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @garylawless