Rumours swirled during the week that this was possible, but I thought they'd let him rest one more week and give Jyles another crack at the Cats.
Guess not.
If Pierce isn't fully healthy, he could be in for some trouble. The Tiger-Cats' pass rush is unrelenting, and if they apply the same pressure in Week 7 as they have in the previous few weeks, Pierce might not make it out of Canad Inns in one piece.
It looks like that injury is a little more serious than first thought, as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers announced today that Buck Pierce will miss this week's game against the Edmonton Eskimos.
Pierce was injured in the 3rd quarter of the game on Friday. He was tackled by Ti-Cat Defensive Lineman Demonte Bolden, who landed very awkwardly on Pierce's leg.
I never, ever like to see players get injured, but Pierce's injury is a good thing for Hamilton. Pierce, who was acquired in the off-season from BC, had been playing great football in the first two games and looked to be a real difference maker for the Bombers. He looked especially good against Hamilton in Week 1 and won Player of the Week for his performance in a losing effort against Toronto in Week 2.
Without Pierce, the QB spot is now handed over to Steven Jyles, who was acquired this past off-season from Saskatchewan. Jyles, who came in for Pierce on Friday, looked decent, but not spectacular.
This isn't the first time that Pierce will miss a game because of injury. He was let go by the Lions because of his history of injury problems.
The Bombers have dropped two in a row, including the beating they took at the hands of the Ti-Cats in Week 3. If Winnipeg is to remain a competitive force, they need Buck Pierce.
UPDATE: According to TSN, Buck Pierce will miss 2-4 weeks with a sprained knee.
In the 'Peg. The Blue Bombers announced today that they have signed QB Buck Pierce to a contract.
The Cats had expressed interest in Pierce, but one has to wonder how serious they were about signing him. With Kevin Glenn, Quinton Porter and Adam Tafralis already in the fold, there wasn't really any room for Pierce.
In Winnipeg, however, he has found a situation where he becomes the odds-on favourite to start. His history of injuries, namely concussions, is problematic, but if Pierce is healthy he has the ability to be one of the most dominant QBs in the CFL. But staying healthy has been a problem for Pierce. At the very least his signing makes the Bombers a little more competitive, and perhaps more of a threat to the Cats' perch as the undisputed 2nd-best team in the East Division.
With the season less than 3 months away, things seem to be heating up once again.
It's another slow weekend as far as CFL news is concerned. Perhaps with the draft a mere three weeks away, teams are no longer solely focusing on the players that remain unsigned. This brings me to three former starting QBs who still do not have a home for 2010.
We've heard as recently as this week that the Blue Bombers and Buck Pierce have been talking contract. The Bombers made an offer, and Pierce's agent allegedly made a counter offer. That was Wednesday. It's Sunday and no deal has been reached. Maybe Pierce is headed to Winnipeg and maybe he's not, but this got me thinking about two other QBs who are still on the market: Kerry Joseph and Michael Bishop.
I know both players are no longer spring chickens (Joseph is 36; Bishop is 33), and neither player looked particularly effective the last time they were on the field (Joseph was mired in an unwinnable situation in Toronto, Bishop was throwing TDs to Ti-Cat defenders), but how, in a league that needs strong-armed QBs, do guys with laser arms like Joseph and Bishop remain unsigned? Not three years ago I watched both these players put on a display at the 2007 Damon Allen Quarterback Challenge that still makes me shake my head. Joseph launched a ball over 80 yards. That feat still boggles my mind. Here are Joseph's highlights from that day in Hamilton. I couldn't find any videos of Michael Bishop, unfortunately.
These guys have cannons for arms, and in a league that prides itself on the passing game, players with skills like these should be able to find work. I understand that skills competitions are not what make or break players' careers, but with raw talent like that, and proven track records, these guys should both be employed by some CFL team. Now, perhaps both players are asking for too much money, or they are making other unreasonable demands. Perhaps teams just see older QBs with nothing left in the tank. Perhaps it's just supply and demand. With really only two teams needing QBs (Toronto, which was Joseph's last team, and Winnipeg, which was Bishop's last team) perhaps the market just isn't there for either player's services.
So what could be the possible outcome for these two guys? Maybe, like Bishop and Casey Printers last season, both will be parachuted in when teams inevitably get injuries or have ineffective play at the QB position.
One thing is for sure, unless something catastrophic occurs, neither player will be wearing the Black & Gold in 2010. That said, someone's going to take in one of these two guys, no? One is a former MOP (Joseph), and the other led his team (Toronto) to an East Division Final (Bishop). Maybe they won't be in any team's training camp, but one has to think they will be on a team's roster at some point in 2010.
Looks like Buck Pierce is one hot commodity. Not only are CFL teams interested (the Bombers, Cats and Als have or will work him out), but he is also being courted by NFL teams. The Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions and Carolina Panthers have all expressed interest in the former BC Lion signal caller.
No offense to Pierce, who I do think is a great QB and one of the toughest SOBs in the CFL, but I don't want to see him in Hamilton. Adding him in no way improves the team. Kevin Glenn and Quinton Porter are more than capable of leading this team, and adding Pierce would mean getting rid of one of them. Both signed extensions this off-season, and if Pierce is added one of them will have to go.
We also have Adam Tafralis, who is a great short-yardage QB and has shown some flashes of skill in limited playing time. It would be a shame if he has to be let go to make room for Pierce.
The one thing I do find interesting is that one team that isn't working out Pierce is a team that could really use him: the Toronto Argonauts. But mystifying decisions are nothing new when it comes to the Double Blue. I still can't wrap my head around their decision to sign Cleo Lemon...or Gibran Hamdan... or trade Arland Bruce... well, you get the point.
It looks like he'll likely end up in Winnipeg if, as the article states, they are ready to make him an offer. That is probably the best place for him because it will allow him an opportunity to start, since only the recently signed Steven Jyles stands in his way. If he was to go to Hamilton or Montreal, he would probably just be a backup.
Pierce was injured in the 3rd quarter of the game on Friday. He was tackled by Ti-Cat Defensive Lineman Demonte Bolden, who landed very awkwardly on Pierce's leg.
he Cats had expressed interest in Pierce, but one has to wonder how serious they were about signing him. With Kevin Glenn, Quinton Porter and Adam Tafralis already in the fold, there wasn't really any room for Pierce.
We've heard as recently as this week that the Blue Bombers and Buck Pierce have been talking contract. The Bombers made an offer, and Pierce's agent allegedly made a counter offer. That was Wednesday. It's Sunday and no deal has been reached. Maybe Pierce is headed to Winnipeg and maybe he's not, but this got me thinking about two other QBs who are still on the market: Kerry Joseph and Michael Bishop.
So what could be the possible outcome for these two guys? Maybe, like Bishop and Casey Printers last season, both will be parachuted in when teams inevitably get injuries or have ineffective play at the QB position.
No offense to Pierce, who I do think is a great QB and one of the toughest SOBs in the CFL, but I don't want to see him in Hamilton. Adding him in no way improves the team. Kevin Glenn and Quinton Porter are more than capable of leading this team, and adding Pierce would mean getting rid of one of them. Both signed extensions this off-season, and if Pierce is added one of them will have to go.