A football team is not limited to the identity of the quarterback, but the pivot of the attack inevitably remains a crucial element in evaluating the forces present in a league. In view of the 2023 CFL campaign, which kicks off Thursday night with a duel between the BC Lions and the Calgary Stampeders, it was a veritable carousel that marked the offseason at this important position.
In the East, if the Alouettes are now betting on Cody Fajardo, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats perhaps made the most intriguing acquisition when they obtained the rights to quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell last November.
Martin Chevalier / JdeM
Cody Fajardo, Alouettes quarterback.
This trade resulted, in January, on a three-year deal with Hamilton for the 33-year-old veteran quarterback. In the case of Mitchell, his state of health obviously remains the key, but the former Stampeders has two Gray Cup championships, won in Calgary in 2014 and 2018.
He was also named CFL MVP twice (2016 and 2018). The Tiger-Cats can eye the East Division title without embarrassment. The fight could be hot between them, the Alouettes and the Argonauts.
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In Toronto, quarterback Chad Kelly will be one to watch as McLeod Bethel-Thompson oddly left the Argonauts to join the New Orleans Breakers in the USFL after leading the team to the Gray Cup in 2022.
At the Ottawa Redblacks, we know that Jeremiah Masoli, regularly injured, is no longer as dominant as when he played in Hamilton, but his talent remains undeniable. However, it is Nick Arbuckle who will start the season on Saturday at Percival-Molson Stadium against the Alouettes, because Masoli is not 100%.
Lions on a roll
The situation in the West is also interesting. The Lions are enjoying a wind of change a bit like the Alouettes, at the other end of Canada, with the arrival of owner Amar Doman since August 2021.
The founder of Futura Corporation, an asset management firm, provides training with the means to fulfill its ambitions. For the moment, the situation is less obvious among the quarterbacks since the Canadian Nathan Rourke tries his luck in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars. It remains to be seen if former Alouettes Vernon Adams Jr. will be used.
In Edmonton, another former member of the Montreal club is changing the picture, but not at the quarterback position this time. Receiver Eugene Lewis is now the star of the Elks, but we still have to figure out how to distribute the ball to him. Taylor Cornelius says he’s excited to have Lewis as a target.
Another question to ask: will the offensive line do the job in Edmonton? A club may have the best receiver in the league, but the oval object must go to his hands. To be successful, the Elks will also need to start winning at home, having lost all nine of their home games in 2022.
To explain the departure of Bo Levi Mitchell, it should be noted that the Stampeders are now in love with Jake Maier, a 26-year-old Californian. This one has the potential to dominate in the CFL.
Photo courtesy of CFL/Stampeders.com
Stampeders quarterback Jake Maier.
The Blue Bombers in car
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Gray Cup champions in 2019 and 2021 before being finalists last year, are driving with Zach Collaros. For good reason, the 34-year-old quarterback has been the Ambrosie circuit MVP for two years.
Will the Bombers’ aging core begin to slow down? Maybe. But the Winnipeg club, author of a record of 15-3 last year, should probably participate in the playoffs, also thanks to an excellent defense.
After going 6-12 last season, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are hoping to do better. Formerly of the Alouettes, Trevor Harris could be used regularly as a quarterback with the Roughriders. His statistics should be pleasant to compare with those of Fajardo in Montreal.
Ranking for the 2022 season
Eastern Division
Toronto Argonauts (11-7)
Montreal Alouettes (9-9)
Hamilton Tiger Cats (8-10)
Ottawa Redblacks (4-14)
West Division
Winnipeg Blue Bombers (15-3)
BC Lions (12-6)
Calgary Stampeders (12-6)
Saskatchewan Roughriders (6-12)
Edmonton Elks (4-14)