Pivotal Position: Camp comes with questions at QB

TORONTO — It’s football’s most important position bar none. So when it comes to the quarterbacks, there’s some shuffling to be done between now and opening kickoff on June 22. At least for most teams, anyway.

The Riders and Stampeders have the most heated quarterback competitions this training camp but almost every team has questions at the crucial spot under centre.

With that, CFL.ca takes a team by team look at those under centre.

BC LIONS

Jonathon Jennings is the undisputed man under centre this year in Kamloops, B.C. (Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca)

What a difference a year makes. It was this time in 2016, of course, when Jonathon Jennings had to go into Lions camp in Kamloops and prove he’s the No. 1 quarterback. Suffice to say he did so with flying colours.

Jennings has become one of the CFL’s top pivots and not only has a firm handle on the job but as put himself in the MOP discussion heading into the 2017 season. In fact, at least early in camp, there appears to be plenty of clarity at the position on Canada’s west coast:

1	2	3	4
Jonathon Jennings	Travis Lulay	Keith Price	Alex Ross

Jennings is the top dog in B.C. while no one is unseating the veteran Travis Lulay as the backup. Those two continue to work hand-in-hand while Lulay, a former Most Outstanding Player, is about the best insurance policy possible in the event Jennings gets injured.

Keith Price is 25 and after a few years in the league, the developmental tag may no longer fit — but he could be a reliable backup if needed. That’s the only intrigue out of Lions camp at the position as the former Riders pivot looks to hold off off-season addition Alex Ross.

EDMONTON ESKIMOS

There are no questions at the top of the Esks’ depth chart with Mike Reilly as the No. 1 (Esks.com)

Backup quarterback James Franklin is one of the most intriguing pivots in the CFL right now, mostly because he remains largely a mystery. And unless Mike Reilly gets injured this season, that will remain the case into next December when a new off-season approaches.

For now there will be no movement at the top of the Esks’ depth chart, where Reilly and Franklin have already won the No. 1 and No. 2 jobs respectively. It’s after that they’ve yet to determine:

1	2	T-3	T-3
Mike Reilly	James Franklin	Brett Smith	Danny O’Brien

Brett Smith and Danny O’Brien are backup quarterbacks with CFL experience and will fight to stay on the roster behind Reilly and Franklin, although the battle could be about more than just third-string this year — Smith (24) and O’Brien (26) are young enough to have upside and could be battling for the chance to stay for the long haul.

At the end of the day, even though Reilly is 32 and speculation regarding Franklin’s future ran rampant last off-season, CFL teams should be envious of the Eskimos’ quarterback situation. They’re in good shape.

CALGARY STAMPEDERS

Bo Levi Mitchell is the obvious starter in Calgary, but that’s the only certainty on the QB depth chart (Stampeders.com)

While Dave Dickenson has preached a competitive camp in Calgary, Bo Levi Mitchell’s job may be the safest in the world. Or at least in the CFL. The 2016 Most Outstanding Player looks poised to build on last year’s accomplishments and makes his team a definite contender heading into the new season.

It’s beyond Mitchell’s spot on the depth chart where things get interesting as the trade of Drew Tate this off-season has opened up a three-way battle for second string in Cow Town.

1	T-2	T-2	T-2
Bo Levi Mitchell	Andrew Buckley	Mitchell Gale	Ricky Stanzi

Andrew Buckley proved he’s a legitimate quarterback prospect in the CFL last season, the rare Canadian to do so. He’s already the Stamps’ short-yardage man but could add backup to Bo to his resume at age 23.

The competition for the Calgary native comes from Mitchell Gale and Ricky Stanzi. Gale is the most experienced of the three after leading the Riders to two late-game wins in relief of Darian Durant last season. But Stanzi has turned some heads in camp and comes with NFL experience.

SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS

Kevin Glenn leads a group of other-wise young CFL quarterbacks into competition this camp (Riderville.com)

Chris Jones has hit the reset button on the Riders’ quarterback position since this time last year, erasing every last name from his roster and rebuilding from scratch — much like he’s done with most of the team he inherited early last year.

Let’s be honest, Kevin Glenn has a huge leg up on the rest of the competition with his 16 years of previous CFL experience. But if we’re speaking technically, here, Jones has opened up the competition to everyone in camp, including the centre of attention in Vince Young:

T-1	T-1	T-1	T-1
Kevin Glenn	Bryan Bennett	Brandon Bridge	Vince Young

We’ll put all of these names in the No. 1 position as no starter has been named — although it’s believed the order, early in camp, actually looks something like this: Glenn, Bryan Bennett, Brandon Bridge and then Young.

Bennett, 25, is a solid prospect with a big arm and gifted athleticism, while reports out of Regina are he’s turned heads thus far in camp. But the Canadian Bridge has also been credited for improving this off-season, while Young and his two Pro Bowls can’t be ignored.

Marquise Williams was also added this week following the release of Maty Mauk but it may be too late for him to claim a stake to the starting job. Either way, buckle up Riders fans — this is the quarterback competition to watch this year.

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS

Matt Nichols claimed the Bombers’ starting job part way through the 2016 season (BlueBombers.com)

The Bombers thought they had determined a rock-solid QB hierarchy a year ago at this time when it was Drew Willy at the top of their depth chart followed by Matt Nichols. It was Nichols who wound up taking the job and now the 30-year-old former top prospect is the undisputed guy at the helm of the Bomber offence.

While Nichols’ job is safe after a career year in 2016, the second-string job appears to be available:

1	T-2	T-2	4
Matt Nichols	Dominique Davis	Dan LeFevour	Austin Apodaca

Dominique Davis may have the edge in the battle for No. 2 in Winnipeg. The 27-year-old has made one start in his career, throwing for 169 yards on 16-of-25 passing in 2015. But Dan LeFevour could challenge Davis after re-igniting his career with the Argos last season.

Austin Apodaca is the developmental quarterback in camp for the Bombers. He’s 23 and will look to prove he’s got a CFL future this camp.

HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

The Ticats have a firm backup plan in case anything happens to starter Zach Collaros (Ryan McCullough/Ticats.ca)

The Ticats have a healthy quarterback depth chart and it starts at the top with a healthy Zach Collaros. Collaros was unavailable at this time last year and, even when he did return, had trouble staying on the field the rest of the season.

Meanwhile, the play of Jeremiah Masoli last year should give Kent Austin and co. confidence in the unfortunate event that Collaros does get injured again:

1	2	3	4
Zach Collaros	Jeremiah Masoli	Everett Golson	Matt Johnson

Collaros was leading the MOP conversation in 2015 before suffering his season-ending injury. Can he regain that form?

Other than that, the Ticats’ QB depth chart is pretty straight forward. While Collaros and Masoli are 1-2 respectively, Everett Golson looks to take another step forward as a developmental quarterback while Matt Johnson aims to turn heads in camp.

TORONTO ARGONAUTS

Ricky Ray leads a deep group of quarterbacks heading into Argos training camp this year (Johany Jutras/Argonauts.ca)

With six quarterbacks currently in camp, the Argos’ quarterback situation is a jumble right now. But not at the top, where Ricky Ray is the clear-cut No. 1 pivot and Drew Willy should be his backup.

Even the third-string quarterback position should be owned by Jeff Mathews, although nothing after Ray’s spot is guaranteed:

1	2	3
Ricky Ray	Drew Willy	Jeff Mathews

T-4	T-4	T-4
Cody Fajardo	McLeod Bethel-Thompson	Dakota Prukop

Willy could be challenged by Jeff Mathews for the No. 2 job but it appears the first three spots on the Argos’ depth chart will remain static. Outside of that is anyone’s guess as Cody Fajardo, McLeod Bethel-Thompson and Dakota Prukop battle for position.

Jim Popp carried a lot of quarterbacks in Montreal and could do the same in Toronto, but Prukop’s name in particular stands out. He was an Oregon Ducks recruit before transferring to Montana State University.

OTTAWA REDBLACKS

The quarterback job has been handed down to Trevor Harris in the nation’s capital (Chris Hofley/Ottawa REDBLACKS)

Who will replace the leadership role that Henry Burris brought to the nation’s capital? Rhetorical question, of course, as we know that Trevor Harris is the guy, but the transition of power in Ottawa is officially under way this training camp at TD Place.

The pecking order is pretty clear in 2017, as opposed to last year, as Drew Tate was brought in to back up Harris while Brock Jensen and Ryan Lindley fall somewhere in behind:

1	2	T-3	T-3
Trevor Harris	Drew Tate	Brock Jensen	Ryan Lindley

Tate is a solid insurance policy in the event that Harris goes down, while Jensen also has experience after stepping in last year early in the season.

It’ll be interesting to what Lindley shows the REDBLACKS in camp. The 27-year-old started an NFL playoff game with the NFL Cardinals in 2015 and comes in with four years of experience south of the border.

MONTREAL ALOUETTES

With Darian Durant, the Als have their first franchise QB since Anthony Calvillo left in 2013 (Dominick Gravel/Montreal Alouettes)

Early injury scare aside, Darian Durant is the franchise quarterback the Alouettes have been looking for since Anthony Calvillo retired in 2013. That’s something first-time general manager Kavis Reed can take comfort in as he leads a franchise in transition.

Reed’s team has a nice pecking order out of the gate, with Durant followed by two younger but also-proven developmental quarterbacks in Vernon Adams Jr. and Jacory Harris:

1	2	3	4
Darian Durant	Vernon Adams Jr.	Jacory Harris	Matthew Shiltz

Injuries cost Harris a shot at the Ticats job last year when Zach Collaros was hurt but the 6-foot-4 former Miami Hurricane, who’s still only 27, has the upside to stick around. Meanwhile, Adams Jr. is the real exciting prospect here, the 24-year-old going 3-0 as a starter in his late-season opportunity last year.

Should anything happen to Durant, Adams Jr. has the experience and talent to make something happen in No. 4’s absence.