Saturday, 6 December 2014

Bring Back Kevin Glenn

One of the biggest points of conversation during the 2014 season was backup quarterbacks. Only one team, Ottawa, started the same quarterback for all 18 games (the somehow indestructible Henry Burris). Every other team was forced, at one point or another, to start a backup quarterback. We saw the importance of backup quarterbacking in 2014, especially in places like BC, Saskatchewan and Hamilton.

The Lions had their backup, Kevin Glenn, start 17 games this season as Travis Lulay recovered from a shoulder injury; the Roughriders saw their season essentially go down the toilet when they lost their Grey Cup-winning pivot, Darian Durant, in the fall; and the Tiger-Cats lost their big free agent acquisition, Zach Collaros, for a five-game stretch in the summer. If 2014 showed us anything, it is that a backup quarterback capable of starting, even doing so unspectacularly, is a must for any CFL team.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are likely to be in the market for a new backup quarterback in 2015 and they would be wise to consider one of their former starters.

Yes, I am saying the Tiger-Cats should go out and get Kevin Glenn.

Hamilton’s quarterback situation is in a state of flux right now outside of Collaros. Two of the four pivots who suited up for games in 2014, Dan LeFevour and Stephen McGee, are slated to become free agents in February. I imagine that LeFevour will be looking for an opportunity to start – where, I have no idea, since every team seems to have their starting job filled heading into 2015 – after showcasing his skills back in the summer. McGee has never taken a snap in a regular season game, so he is a complete mystery. The only other pivots on Hamilton’s roster are Jeremiah Masoli, who had one disastrous start in 2014 before being replaced by LeFevour, and Jacory Harris, who spent the entire season on the injured list and practice roster. After Collaros, there isn’t a lot to get excited about in Hamilton’s quarterbacking stable.

Which leads us to Glenn.

The BC Lions have already stated that they will not be bringing Kevin Glenn, along with a host of other veteran players, back in 2015, and with the Ti-Cats possibly (maybe even probably) in the market for a veteran backup to Collaros, the team should try and lure Glenn back to Tigertown.

Since leaving Hamilton following the 2011 season, Glenn has proven he is willing to accept a backup role, and in every season following the trade that sent him from Hamilton to Calgary, Glenn began the season as his team's No. 2 quarterback. In 2012 and 2013, he was to backup Drew Tate in Calgary, and in 2014, he was to be Travis Lulay’s backup in BC. Through injuries, Glenn was thrust into a starter’s role in all three seasons and led all three teams to the playoffs, including getting the Stampeders to the Grey Cup in 2012.

The knock on Glenn is that he is “only a .500” quarterback. As a backup, who would only start in a pinch, being .500 is about all a team needs. The Cats went 1-4 without Collaros last year – their lone win coming against the expansion Ottawa RedBlacks – and if the team had gone 2-3 or 3-2, they would have cruised into the playoffs instead of facing a slew of near- and must-win games during the last month of the season.

Glenn would be nothing more than an insurance policy in case Collaros were to get hurt again. Collaros is as tough as they come, and he proved that in spades in 2014, but his style of play does open him up to injuries, like the one that occurred in 2014.

If McGee and/or LeFevour, especially LeFevour, leave for greener pastures, finding a veteran quarterback to put behind Collaros is a MUST.

And you will find no better player to put in that position than Kevin Glenn.

6 comments:

  1. Interesting. I hadn't thought about this but if we don't get back LeFevour (I want LeFevour back), then we could do far worse as a backup than Glenn. He worked out pretty good for Calgary in 2012 (excepting perhaps the last game of the year).

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    1. If they can re-sign LeFevour back, I would love it. And as much as I like Glenn, I would rather have LeFevour than KG. I still believe LeFevour can be a starting quarterback in this league, and I would like to see him get his shot, but if the opportunity isn't there, I would LOVE to see him back in black and gold.

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  2. Josh, what kind of money do you think Glenn commands these days? He would absolutely be a great insurance policy at the pivot position but he would also be a good mentor for Collaros who is still a very, very young QB. Could be a great move the for the Ticats...assuming money doesn't prevent us from locking up some key free agents.

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    1. I can't imagine Glenn will command a large salary, though he obviously won't come cheap either. If it comes down to a bidding war - I suspect Saskatchewan will be interested, especially after the tire fire that was their QB situation in 2014 - then the Cats should bow out. Only if the price is right should they bring Glenn back.

      And just from a personal perspective, I would like to see him return. Always been a fan of KG.

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  3. Never a big fan of Glenn but he would be the best back up option out there.

    Lefevour to me still hasn't shown that he can throw the ball downfield.

    I don't want to be like SSK and look like a completely different team when my starter goes down.

    Question above is legit, how much money would he get? I'd say between 150k-200k. That's the price of an international starter. I'd rather have a starter than a guy who might not see the field.

    You never know what you have until someone plays. Do you think the Argos thought they would win the east last year when Ray went down?

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    1. The Saskatchewan situation is exactly what I want the team to avoid. That was a disaster. And while Hamilton was far from great without Collaros, it could have been a lot worse (and at least they were in most of the games they played without Collaros in the lineup).

      If the choice is between paying Glenn and getting a starter at another position, the team should obviously go after the other player. But the team doesn't really need to make a lot of changes to the starting lineup. If the money isn't there, you obviously pass on the vet QB. But it might be a wise investment even if it costs them somewhere else. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

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