The Biggest Overlooked Free Agent of Them All

So before Christmas, we took a look at all nine teams as they headed into the offseason, focusing mainly on free agency. Then we wrote about 10 potential free agents that are flying under the radar. Even after all that, we still failed to mention one potential free agent that might be the biggest of them all. A two-time CFL award winner and one of the most dynamic players to ever step foot on a Canadian football field.

Yep, I am talking about Mr. He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named himself:

The name Chris Williams brings about Wullerton-style spitting amongst Tiger-Cat faithful, but there is no denying that Williams was a one-of-a-kind playmaker during his two extraordinary seasons in black and gold.

While Williams spent most of the last year and a half on two NFL rosters – first with the New Orleans Saints and then with the Chicago Bears – he is currently unsigned by any NFL team after being waived by the Bears earlier this month.

Per the settlement reached between the team and Williams, the 2011 Most Outstanding Rookie was allowed to test NFL waters, but the Tiger-Cats retained his CFL rights through the 2014 season. That means, as of February 10, 2015, Williams will be a CFL free agent. Should his NFL dream be over – and it very well may be – he will be available to all nine CFL teams when free agency opens.

We all know what Williams can do, both on offense and on special teams. We also know that Williams will command top dollar should he return to the CFL, and given his acrimonious departure for the Tiger-Cats, I doubt very highly that the 2012 Most Outstanding Special Teams Player will return to Hamilton. That leaves the door open to the other eight clubs to pick up an established player that will immediately upgrade their receiving corps and special teams unit. So if not Hamilton, where might Williams land?

My money would be on Ottawa.

The RedBlacks will be looking to make a significant improvement on their two-win debut season, and have more money to spend thanks to Henry Burris restructuring his contract to free up cap space in 2015, so one would have to think they’d make a serious run at Williams if he decided he wanted to play in the CFL once again.

And speaking of Burris, it was he who was guiding the potent Tiger-Cats offense in 2012 that featured Williams as a No. 1 receiver. Burris had inarguably his best statistical season in 2012, throwing for more yards, touchdowns and completions than he had in any season previous or any season since, and Williams was a big reason why. The diminutive speedster caught 83 passes for 1,298 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2012 and was a bona fide MOP candidate with Burris throwing him the football. A reunion could do wonders for both players, but especially Burris, who, for comparison’s sake, threw 11 touchdowns in total in 2014 and looked every bit his age. Adding Williams might allow Burris to slow down the sands of time for at least one season and would add a spark to a RedBlacks offense that desperately needs one.

All of this is predicated on Williams looking to return to the CFL, which is by no means a lock. But if he does decide to return north of the border that he will have no shortage of suitors.

And if I were a betting man, I would bet on him calling Ottawa home.

Burris Wins POTW Award

The week of hollow victories continues. First, it was the Ti-Cats claiming the first pick in the 2013 CFL Draft and now it is Henry Burris being named the offensive player of the week for Week 19.

This is the fourth time that Burris won the award in 2012. He was named player of the week following a 360-yard, four-touchdown performance against the Montreal Alouettes in July, a 356-yard, four-touchdown performance against the Saskatchewan Roughriders a week later and a 326-yard, five-touchdown performance against the Alouettes in September.

Burris had a marvellous first season with the Ti-Cats, and finished the season leading the league in passing yards, passing touchdowns, quarterback rating, attempts and completions. He broke the team record for passing yards, set by Danny McManus in 1999, and touchdowns, set by Kevin Glenn in 2010. But he also led all quarterbacks in interceptions and fumbles. So it wasn't all good for Burris this season.

But all of Burris' gaudy stats mean little in the wake of a 6-12 season that has the Tiger-Cats not playing in the postseason for the first time since 2008. And that lack of postseason action is what makes it tough to celebrate what Burris did, both this week and during the season. It is almost unfathomable to think that Burris could have the season he had and the team could win just six games. But that's life sometimes and the Ti-Cats will have the next seven months to regroup and figure out how to make the best of what will be an odd, and probably tough, 2013 season.

Five Ti-Cats Named in TSN Player Poll

One of the few bright spots in an otherwise miserable season continues to get praise heaped onto him. Chris Williams was named the fastest player and the biggest threat to score in TSN's third annual CFL player poll, released earlier today.

Williams finished with 57 per cent of the vote for fastest player and 68 per cent of the vote for biggest threat to score. Williams' blazing speed help him set a CFL single-season record for return touchdowns and he scored 17 total touchdowns in 2012, which set a single-season Tiger-Cat record.

Chevon Walker, Avon Cobourne, Henry Burris and Dave Stala also made the list. Walker finished second to Williams in the fastest player category and second to Nik Lewis in the toughest to bring down category. Cobourne finished behind Dwight Anderson for biggest trash talker, Burris finished fourth for most accurate passer and Stala finished third in the best hands category.

While this does little to take away the sting of last night's season-ending loss to the Argos, it is a little bit of good news on what is an otherwise painful Friday for Tiger-Cat fans.

Webb's Fine, Belli's Return and Burris' Homecoming

After I saw the hit that Dee Webb laid on Marco Iannuzzi last week, I knew he would be fined, and today Webb was fined by the CFL. Webb maintains that the play wasn't dirty – I agree with him on that – and that it didn't deserve a fine, but hits like Webb's will result in a fine because the CFL is trying to take those hits out of the game. While I definitely believe that Webb had no intent to injure Iannuzzi, those types of hits are going to received supplementary discipline. That said, anyone believing the hit deserved a suspension needs to give their head a shake. This was not Khalif Micthell attempting to rip off Simeon Rottier's arm; this was a defensive player trying to make a big hit and unfortunately injuring another player.

News from Toronto today as one of my favourite players is returning to the league. The Argos have signed Adriano Belli for the remainder of the season. I don't think it is any secret that I dislike Adriano Belli. I never liked him when he was a Tiger-Cat and I really disliked him when he signed with the Argos. When he retired a couple of years ago, I was happy to never have to hear his name again. But now I have to put up with him for at least the end of this season. Hopefully, it is only for the rest of the season.

It is going to be a story until the game is over (and I am sure we will hear a lot about it on TSN before, during and after the game), but Saturday's game in Calgary is Henry Burris' homecoming. While I doubt Burris needs any extra motivation, the Ti-Cats need the win to keep their playoff hopes alive, I am sure he will be looking to have one of his best games to show those in Calgary (*cough* John Hufnagel *cough*) that they made a mistake in dealing him.

And before anyone asks, I saw the stuff that Avon Cobourne said on Twitter after last night's presidential debate. I know it has caused a bit of controversy today, but I won't comment on it because, honestly, I don't care. Cobourne isn't the first to say something potentially controversial online and he won't be the last. And I just don't care about what anyone has to say about the presidential election, famous or not. At the end of the day, Cobourne is a private citizen that is entitled to his opinion. That is all I will say on the matter.

Surprise! Burris Named Player of the Week

It was never in doubt, but Henry Burris has officially been named the offensive player of the week for his great outing against the Montreal Alouettes last Friday.

Burris carved up the Montreal defense like it was a perfectly cooked Thanksgiving turkey. He was 28 for 32 for 326 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. He was the best player on the field on Friday night and was a slam dunk for this award.

But this performance isn't a one-off either. Back in July, Burris went 27 for 30 for 360 yards and four touchdowns. He was named player of the week for that game as well.

So in two home games against the Als, Burris has gone 55 for 62 for 686 yards, nine touchdowns and one interception. He has thrown two more touchdowns than he has incompletions in two games against the Als at Ivor Wynne. I can't recall a player having that stellar an outing twice in one season, let alone against the same team.

Burris is the league leader in passer rating at 108.1 and in touchdown passes with 32. Those 32 TD tosses leave him one shy of Kevin Glenn's team record set in 2010. He has just four games with less than two touchdown passes, so it is highly likely that Burris sets a new Tiger-Cat single-season record this Friday in Edmonton. He is also second in the league in passing yards with 3,846, trailing only Anthony Calvillo and his 3,908 yards.

This is the third time Burris has been named the league's offensive player of the week this season. He was also July's offensive player of the month.

We Should Have Seen This Coming

With the notable exception of Chris Williams, there has been nothing to cheer about for fans of the Ti-Cats since the end of July. It has been five games since the Ti-Cats last claimed a victory, a thrilling 35-34 come-from-behind victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Everything looked up for the Ti-Cats when they entered their bye the following week. Some were arguing, rightfully, that the Cats were the best team in the league at the time. What has happened since has obliterated any thought of the Ti-Cats being the best team in anything. The team is now 3-7 and the season is quickly getting away from them. But in looking at the situation, should we really not have seen this coming?

Despite Obie's "more better" proclamation last winter, we probably should have all been prepared for what has transpired. I'm not saying a five-game losing streak, but when a team changes so much, growing pains are to be expected. Maybe not to this extent, but a losing streak or some adversity was on the menu this year for the Tabbies, regardless of how things were spun by the team.

Coaching, and especially player, changes happen often, but the Ti-Cats went out of there way to overhaul the coaching staff and roster of a team that fell one game short of the Grey Cup last year. I'm not here to argue whether those changes were the right ones, but the number of major changes that occurred in Hamilton during the winter months made a rough patch or disappointment inevitable.

The team also made a number of questionable roster decisions after training camp started that have also led the team to where they are today. They let Belton Johnson go so they could start Marc Dile, which looks like a horrible move in retrospect. They sat Markeith Knowlton in Week 1 because of ratio problems, but thankfully they quickly reversed that decision the following week. They continue to sit Avon Cobourne, only playing him when Chevon Walker is injured and Sam Giguère continues to see more playing time than Dave Stala, despite the latter clearly outperforming the former.

Rookie coaching mistakes and a lack of chemistry between the players was the inevitable byproduct of the off-season overhaul. With eight games remaining, the time is now for the team to turn things around. That said, the growing pains and struggles we have all witnessed to this point should have come as no surprise to anyone.

Some Tiger-Cat links

I don't normally post links, except when I'm plugging my own stuff or stuff from friends, but with the bye week in full effect, there hasn't been much present Tiger-Cat news to talk about. So with that in mind, I thought I'd post a link to an article and post a video that have been brought to my attention over the last couple of days.

The article comes from the Carolina Panther website and is a feature about former Tiger-Cat kicker Justin Medloc. It is from a couple of days ago, but it was sent to me this morning and I thought I'd pass it along. There are some interesting tidbits in there about his time in the CFL and in Hamilton, but the part that will likely be of most interest to Ti-Cats is just how close Medlock was to returning to Hamilton this season. While it is a subject that was written about when Medlock left, this is the first time that I recall seeing detailed specifics, such as how much money the two sides were apart at the time of his signing with Carolina.

The video is an eight-minute clip from an upcoming documentary called "Gridiron Underground" by former Tiger-Cat running back John Williams. The documentary is about African-American players in the CFL and features interviews with players such as Bernie Custis, Henry Burris and Warren Moon. I found the clip to be absolutely captivating and I think everyone who sees it will agree:

More Accolades for Burris and Williams

It has been quite a month for Henry Burris and Chris Williams, and they each have a little more to celebrate about as both were named Players of the Month.

Burris has played like a man possessed since his short-lived benching in the first half against the BC Lions back in Week 2. Since then, has led the Cats to three straight wins and won Offensive Player of the Week following Week 4 and Week 5. By pretty much any measure, it would be difficult to argue against Burris being the best quarterback in the CFL after the first five weeks. He has been a real treat to watch in leading the Ti-Cats to the top spot in the East.

Williams has been equally as fantastic. Williams was named the top special teamer following his scintillating performance against the Argos back in Week 3. Williams has impressively built on his amazing first season and looks to be even better in year two. Williams is arguably the most dangerous weapon on any team right now and is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. While it had no bearing on winning the award, Williams has been just as great as a receiver as he has a returner. He leads the team in catches and yards, has two 100-plus-yard games so far this season (both came against the Roughriders) and he is tied for the league lead with six total touchdowns. Guess Williams doesn't believe in the sophomore slump.

It has been a great month for the Ti-Cats, and the play of Burris and Williams are two of the main reasons why.

Burris Wins Again and All-Time O-Line Nominees

Tuesday is quickly becoming news day as far as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are concerned. For the third week in a row a Tiger-Cat player has been named one of the four Players of the Week, and another position group was unveiled for the all-time team.

First, the award. For the second week in a row, Henry Burris has been named the league's top offensive player for Week 5. Burris has been awesome the last two weeks and is starting to put to rest any concerns there were over his ability to be a top-flight quarterback once again. Burris is the first player to be named Offensive Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks since Milt Stegall achieved the feat back in Weeks 6 and 7 in 2006. The only thing that can stop Burris from picking up a third award in a row is something he can't control: the bye week. The Ti-Cats are off this week, but Burris will have a chance to go for the three-peat on August 9th against his old team, the Calgary Stampeders.

The Ti-Cats have also released the name of the offensive lineman up for the all-time team. There are six tackles, seven guards and five centres eligible for two spots at tackle, two at guard and one at centre. The group is a who's who of former, and one current, Tiger-Cat greats. I have maintained for a long time that the receiver position would be the toughest to decide, but after seeing the 17 names up for spots (Ellison Kelly is up for both guard and tackle) I think I was wrong. There are three or four players at all three positions that merit consideration. It truly is a great group of players and one I most definitely cannot handicap.

Players of the Week and All-Time DBs

A couple of Tiger-Cat tidbits from today.

First, Henry Burris and Andy Fantuz have been named Players of the Week. Burris was named the league's top offensive player for his masterful performance against the Alouettes. A 90 per cent completion rate is unheard of, especially when you do it by throwing 30 passes. Fantuz was named the top Canadian after picking up 135 yards on eight catches and scoring one touchdown. It really looks like these two are developing some chemistry, and the offense as a whole is starting click like many thought they would in the preseason.

The other piece of news is that the Cats have unveiled the names of the defensive backs up for the all-time team. There are 13 players listed and fans will have to pick the five best. That will not be an easy task. I look at the list and see at least eight players that I would consider casting my vote for, and I have to get that number down to five. I can only imagine what older fans think when they look at the list. I think the only harder choices that fans are going to have will come when the list of receivers is released.

Bodog, TSN and Five QBs

Quite a bit of news regarding the Tiger-Cats came out over the last few days, especially last night thanks mostly to TSN, but also from the team itself.

For starters, Bodog (a gambling website) released their odds for the upcoming CFL season and they like the Cats. Bodog has the Ti-Cats as the favourites to win the East Division, while placing them behind just the BC Lions as favourites to the Grey Cup.

TSN spent three hours on Monday night covering the CFL. They continued their excellent series of "Road to the Grey Cup" features which looked at last year's champs, the BC Lions. One of the big stories: last season's trade of Arland Bruce. While I concede that the team looks better this year without Bruce, I still have a hard time stomaching just how little the Cats got in return for Bruce. But I don't want to harp on it. What's done is done and it is time (for me) to move on and shut up about it.

TSN followed up their look at last year's Lions by unveiling their list of the Top 50 players of 2012. Out of the 50, seven of them were Tiger-Cats, with Jamall Johnson being the highest ranked at No. 22. Avon Cobourne (No. 46), Markeith Knowlton (No. 39), Chris Williams (No. 34), Henry Burris (No. 32), Rey Williams (No. 28) and Andy Fantuz (No. 25) were the other six. Matt Duingian noted that only four linebackers made the list, and three of them were Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Best linebacking group in the CFL? Damn right!

Marwan Hage did not make the list, which was somewhat of a surprise. My guess is that his injury last season caused his stock to plummet. Should he regain his form, he'll find himself on the list in 2013.

TSN also aired their annual CFL on TSN season preview show, which means analysts gave their predictions. Four panelists picked the Cats to go to the Grey Cup. Milt Stegall, Doug Brown and Matt Dunigan had the Tabbies losing to the Lions in Toronto, but it was Jock Climie who tossed out the dream match of all dream matches, at least as far as I am concerned: Hamilton versus Toronto for the title. Climie believes that with a weaker West Division, the Argos will crossover into the West and win the West Final to earn the right to take on the Tiger-Cats in Toronto for the Grey Cup. That would just be awesome. While I think it is unlikely to happen, I wouldn't be the least bit upset if it did.

And last, but certainly not least, the Ti-Cats themselves unvieled (via the Tiger-Cats Show on AM900 CHML) who are the five quarterbacks that fans will get to choose between for the All-Time Tiger-Cat team. Voting on the team began today, and will continue from now until October 5th, with a new batch of players being unvieled each week until Labour Day on the Tiger-Cats Show. Anyway, here are the five QBs to choose from:

• Danny McManus
• Bernie Faloney
• Joe Zuger
• Mike Kerrigan
• Tom Clements

No real surprises on the list, and I would have to think, as I posited previously, that the battle is between Danny Mac and Bernie Faloney. Only one QB will make the team and my vote is going to Danny Mac. I respect what Faloney did for the team, but I never got to see him play. In my opinion, it would be unfair of me to vote for a player simply on reputation when I saw another player dominate during his time here. If any of the five are voted as the QB, it is deserving, but my vote is going to McManus.

What I Learned From the Preseason and Training Camp

I don't like drawing too many conclusions (some conclusions, but not too many) based on what I saw during the preseason – I have lost count of how many times guys looked like all stars in the preseason and then flamed out in the regular season – but there is a reason for the preseason and there is no fun in saying, "Wait until the regular season starts." This was also the first training camp that I was able to attend. While I didn't make it out to every practice, I made it to more than my fair share. So with that said, here are a few things that I learned over the past three weeks.

Henry Burris still has plenty of game left

I will wait until after Labour Day to pen my mea culpa article on Henry Burris, but from the looks of it I was way off when I said that Burris was done. He has looked magnificent during the preseason and seems ready to take back his spot atop the quarterbacking mountain. I don't care what resident Winnipeg loud mouth Jovon Johnson has to say, Burris has looked mighty impressive in his three quarters at the helm of the Tiger-Cat offense.

Chevon Walker could start

As happy as I am to have Avon Cobourne back, and as bummed as I was that Martell Mallett got injured, the most impressive running back I've seen has been Chevon Walker. He has speed to spare and hits the hole with amazing burst. If Cobourne goes down at some point this season, the team's running game will be in good hands with Walker.

Josh Bartel is good, but still a work in progress

I have been impressed a lot by what I saw out of Josh Bartel, especially when it came to the distance he got on his punts. The guy has a big leg. That said, part of me wonders if his leg is too strong. I know that sounds silly (borderline stupid even) but in the game against Winnipeg he kicked his punts so far that the Winnipeg kick returners were able to field them with almost no one within 10 yards on them. I have seen him kick in practice and he gets good hang time, but he needs to do that consistently if his powerful league is to be an asset. I'd rather the team get 40 yard punts and two yard returns as opposed to 55 yard punts with 25 yard returns. Bartel is new to football, so hopefully he can master this as time goes on.

The lines still need work

Injuries have made it difficult to judge the offensive and defensive lines, but they still don't look like dominant units. Now, I don't believe they have to dominate in order for the team to be successful, but they need to be solid. I thought the offensive line did a good job against the Argos, but not against the Bombers. The running lanes and pass protection that were present in the Argo game were not there in the Bomber game. With the defensive line, I found the opposite. They were nearly invisible against the Argos, but played very well against Bombers. I think if both units are 100 per cent healthy, the lines should be fine. But both still need to be better.

George Cortez is the right guy for this team

I was a fan of Marcel Bellefeuille's and thought that he could lead the Tiger-Cats to a championship. I don't subscribe to the theory that he was too soften spoken or too passive to be successful. If you don't think an even-keeled coach can win a championship, see Tony Dungy. But I also was not unhappy to see George Cortez hired as his replacement. It could just be a case of the team needing a new voice to get them over the hump – the Tom Higgins-to-John Hufnagel change in Calgary back in 2008 parallels nicely with this one – and I can't think of a better man than Cortez to be that voice. I've have been very impressed with how he's handled himself and the team during practices. He lets his coaches coach and only intervenes when he has to intervene. I never saw Bellefeuille run a practice, so I can't comment on the differences, but I like what I have seen from Cortez on the practice field. He is the right man at the right time for this team.

Training Camp Preview: Quarterbacks

With training camp about to start (rookies report on May 30th, veterans on June 3rd) it's time to look at each position group as we head into the 2012 season. Today, it's the quarterbacks.

In short, this is Henry Burris' team. Barring some unforeseen catastrophe, Burris will be behind centre for the entire 2012 season. I still have some concerns over whether Burris can lead the team – no matter how hard I try I just can't shake the image of him skipping passes against the Argos last season – but he looks to be in good shape and perhaps the trade will motivate him to get back to being the player he was just two seasons ago. Reuniting with George Cortez gives me reason for optimism. Burris was at his best when he was working with Cortez, so my hope is that they rekindle that magic here.

Backing up Burris will be Quinton Porter. While I doubt he sees the field for any significant time, I do think 2012 could end up being the most important year in Quinton Porter's career. Porter and Burris are very similar quarterbacks, which means the offense that is going to be run this year will play to not only Burris' strengths, but also Porter's. It also doesn't hurt Porter that his new head coach is renowned for working with quarterbacks. This is the year that Porter will either take a step up in his development or be allowed to leave (he is scheduled to become a free agent at the end of the season).

The Cats will have two players vying for the third-string job in Tate Forcier and Sedrick Harris. There is no chance that either of them see the field after the final preseason game. They are both projects and developmental guys, and neither of them are ready to be put on the field. Forcier is the more well-known name, but the team signed Harris for a reason. The team released Jason Boltus because they thought both of these guys can play. While I think the edge goes to Forcier, counting out Harris would be foolish.

The only thing that really matters when it comes to the quarterbacks is whether or not Burris can bounce back from his terrible 2011 season. If he does, the Cats will be an elite team, possibly even a Grey Cup favourite; if he doesn't, and we find out that 2011 was the beginning of the end, then the team will be lucky to make the playoffs. Cautious optimism is how I'd define my attitude towards Burris. I think he can bounce back, and I hope he does, but I'll need to see him play before I put my full faith behind him. After the first month of the season, we should know whether or not Burris is back to being Burris.

Giguère Fatigue

Since being drafted in the first round in 2008, Sam Giguère has been among the most talked about players in the CFL, and he has yet to attend a single practice. Every time Giguère breathes it seems to make news, the latest being that Henry Burris made a pitch to get Giguère into Tiger-Cats camp this year.

I have been caught up in the Giguère melodrama like everyone else; I even made a bit of a boob of myself for reading way too much into a tweet Giguère sent out a couple weeks back. And I wasn't the only one who jumped to that conclusion. That is how much Giguère has griped the minds of Tiger-Cat fans.

That said, I have reached a point where the only news I want to hear about Giguère is when he's actually joining a roster. Whether that be by signing with Hamilton or getting traded to Montreal (or somewhere else) or finally making it in the NFL, it doesn't matter to me. The outcome of the saga is no longer as important as their just being an outcome. Just give me an ending, whatever that ending may be.

It's Win Now for the Tiger-Cats

Amidst all the warm, fuzzy feelings following Tuesday's introduction of new Head Coach George Cortez and new Quarterback Henry Burris, the underlying truth of the matter is that the Tiger-Cats have now set a very high bar for their rookie Head Coach and hired-gun Quarterback.

It's Grey Cup or bust for the boys from Steeltown.

The decisions to part ways with Marcel Bellefeuille and Kevin Glenn were made because the team (namely Vice President of Football Operations – formerly General Manager – Bob O'Billovich) did not think those two men could get the Tiger-Cats to, and win, a Grey Cup.

The expectations are that both Cortez and Burris not only can, but will. They will not be given the same grace period that was given to Bellefeuille – who took over a terrible franchise that had managed to win 15 games the previous four seasons – and, to a lesser extent, Glenn.

Bellefeuille took over a team that treated winning like some sort of contagious disease; Cortez takes over a team that made it to the East Division Final last season. Any regression, or even stagnation, from what the Bellefeuille-led teams accomplished will be seen as an abject failure.

Much like Casey Printers, Jason Maas and Danny McManus, the Tiger-Cats brought in Burris because they think he's the guy they need to win it all. McManus was a success in that role, guiding the team to back-to-back Grey Cup appearances in 1998 and 1999, and winning it all in 1999. But I am sure we all still shudder at how terrible the Printers and Maas eras were. The 57 losses that accompanied those 15 wins came mostly with Printers and Maas at the helm. They failed as miserably as McManus succeeded.

Glenn, because he was not seen as a franchise saver, did not shoulder the same burden as McManus, Maas and Printers; Burris will. Smilin' Hank was acquired with much the same fanfare as McManus, Maas and Printers, and will therefore have the expectations of ending the second-longest Grey Cup drought in the CFL.

Burris also has a lot to prove, namely that the end of his 2011 season in Calgary was a small blemish on a stellar career résumé and not a harbinger of things to come.

Normally, these type of sky-high expectations come from a team's fan base, but the Cats put this pressure on themselves by making these moves. It was Bob O'Billovich himself who said that these moves were made to take the team to the next level. Better is not a repeat of 2011, 2010 or 2009. Better is doing what no Tiger-Cat team has done since 1999.

It is win now for the Tiger-Cats, and anything less than the ultimate success will be seen as the ultimate failure.

Quarterback of the Future

With the trade for Henry Burris, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are set at Quarterback for the next year or two.

But what about the beyond that?

Henry Burris is 36, and is not the long-term answer at Quarterback. Kevin Glenn, who was traded for Burris, is 32 and could have been with the team longer than Burris, but with 11 years under his belt, he was not the answer either.

The Tabbies have two guys on their roster that could be ready to ascend the throne, in Quinton Porter and Jason Boltus. But Porter, at 29, has been given ample opportunity to seize the starting role over the last couple of season and has yet to do so. Boltus has seen very little playing time and is therefore a complete unknown.

There has been talk of Boise State superstar Kellen Moore coming to Hamilton. He is currently on Hamilton's negotiation list, which means that the Cats have the first shot at bringing Moore's immense talents north of the border. Moore is thought of as a mid-to-late round draft choice in the NFL, so his football future is currently up in the air. If Moore is not selected in the NFL Draft, or if he gets cut during Training Camp, he could find his way onto Hamilton's practice roster.

Moore had an undeniably stellar career at Boise State, and is unarguably the best Quarterback that school has ever had. Moore led the Broncos to a 50-3 record in his four seasons as the starter, which is a feat that is likely not to be matched by any Quarterback at any school. He also put up incredible stats and finished in the top 10 in Heisman voting the last three seasons.

But does his NCAA success mean he's destined for CFL success? If recent history is any indication, the answer is no.

Over the past few seasons, the top Quarterback to come from a major college program is probably Darian Durant, who went to North Carolina, which is hardly known as a football factory. Drew Tate went to Iowa, but his CFL career is in its infancy and it is too soon to tell if he will be a success. Adrian McPherson went to Florida State (alma mater of CFL Hall of Famer Danny McManus), but had a less than stellar collegiate career that will best be remembered for him getting kicked off the Seminoles. Jarious Jackson has carved out a nice career for himself, but he's spent most of his time being a backup. And of course there is Quinton Porter, who went to Boston College.

However, the vast majority of Quarterbacks who arrive in the CFL do not even reach the heights of a Quinton Porter. The list of failed big-time college Quarterbacks is a lot longer. Chris Leak won a National Championship while at Florida, but flamed out when given a chance to start for the Montreal Alouettes in 2010. Timmy Chang came to the CFL as the NCAA's all-time leader in passing yards, but looked completely lost when he took the field for the Tiger-Cats.

But those guys are successes compared to players like Graham Harrell, Todd Reesing, Bryan Randall, Tyler Palko and Cody Pickett. All of whom either never made it off the practice squad (or out of Training Camp) or played so sparingly or poorly that there CFL careers were over almost before they began.

Winnipeg has two Quartebacks that played at BCS programs – Joey Elliott at Purdue and Alex Brink at Washington State – but neither of those guys did much during their college careers. Both have looked promising in their limited time on the field, but it is way too soon to tell if either will take the next step.

Then there are the two players that have the most in common with Moore: his predecessors at Boise State, Jared Zabransky and Ryan Dinwiddie. Dinwiddie is still best remembered for making his first start for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Grey Cup back in 2007, and Zabransky was given the chance to unseat Ricky Ray in Edmonton and failed to do so. Zabransky is now out of the league, while Dinwiddie is currently a backup in Saskatchewan.

The path from NCAA stardom to CFL starter is not an easy one. Kellen Moore has all the tools to succeed on either side of the border, but the same has been said about countless players who amounted to less than nothing in their professional careers.

Is Kellen Moore the "Quarterback of the Future" for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats if he decides to ply his trade in the CFL? Maybe. But history suggests it is not a slam dunk.

Burris to TigerTown, Glenn to Cowtown

The Quarterback change that some fans have been clamouring for is on the verge of happening, as Henry Burris is being sent to Hamilton in exchange for Kevin Glenn and Mark Dewit.

I have made no secret of my feelings on Burris coming and Glenn leaving, so it's obvious I don't agree with this trade. But instead of restating an argument I've already made, there are others reasons why I think this is not a good trade.

First, the Cats gave up too much. A straight-up Burris-for-Glenn swap would have been more palatable than dealing Glenn and Dewit. Handing Calgary a good, young, Canadian player – and one that filled in admirably for one of the best Centres in the CFL in Marwan Hage when the latter was lost for the season in September – is not the type of move a team that had ratio problems should make. Dewit proved in 2011 that he can play, and Hage is closer to the end than the beginning. Trading Dewit makes no sense.

The second problem is Hamilton will now have to pay Burris a lot more than it was paying Glenn. Why Hamilton didn't wait until Burris was eventually released – and we all know that Burris's days in Calgary were numbered, but that was solidified when Drew Tate signed a contract extension last week – and sign him at a much more financially sensible number? Rumours are that Burris makes somewhere between $400,000 to $450,000, which means Burris's salary will take up almost 1/10th of the league's $4.3-million salary cap per team. That's a huge chunk. Perhaps Burris has agreed to a pay cut, but he wasn't willing to do that for Calgary, so what are the chances he'd be willing to do it for Hamilton?

There seems to have been no rush to make this change. The team still doesn't have a Head Coach, so it's not like Burris will have a system to learn right away, so waiting another month (when Burris is owed a bonus by the Stamps that they were probably not going to pay) wouldn't have been a detriment. Making a move now seems unnecessary. Another 30 days wouldn't have hurt the team, and may have helped them by getting to negotiate a deal with Burris at a much more attractive number.

With a new Head Coach and Quarterback, the pressure will be on for Hamilton to win it all in 2012. Anything less than a Grey Cup championship will have to be viewed as a complete failure. These are the type of moves teams make to get them over the proverbial hump, so unless Burris and whomever the Head Coach is takes the Cats beyond the East Final, the moves, especially at Quarterback, will have been pointless. Burris, who will be 37 before the 2012 season starts, is not the long-term answer at Quarterback, so this is a win-now move.

Now we just have to wait for things to be made official, but it looks like Burris is headed to Steeltown.

Why I'd Pass on Henry Burris

The Henry Burris-to-Hamilton watch is on!

Now that the Argos have solidified their QB situation by acquiring Ricky Ray from Edmonton, the only possible landing spot that could give Burris what he wants – the starting job – is Hamilton.

It is a move that I stand firmly against and hope doesn't come to fruition.

I have nothing against Henry Burris; in fact, I'd even call myself a fan of his. I have always viewed him and Kevin Glenn, the man Burris would be replacing should he come to Steeltown, in the same light. They are two players cut from a very similar cloth. They play the game differently, but each have been dogged by the same doubts when it comes to their careers. Namely, that they couldn't win. Burris got that monkey off his back in 2008, while Glenn has yet to. So I have always had an affinity for Burris and wanted to see him succeed (as long as it didn't come against the Tiger-Cats).

But that doesn't mean I want him as the Tiger-Cats Quarterback next season. Three or four years ago, sign me up. But it's going to be 2012, and my gut and my eyes tell me that his best-before date has passed.

Two skills are brought up as to why Burris would be an upgrade over Glenn: arm strength and running ability. But if you watched Burris near the end of 2011 – especially the game in Toronto where he was finally pulled for Drew Tate – he was skipping passes at an alarming rate and seemed to have lost his speed. Without the cannon arm and escapability that has defined his career, Burris is not much more than an older version of Glenn.

That brings me to the other concern: age. If the team chooses to get rid of Glenn, I might not agree, but that's the way the ball rolls sometimes. I didn't agree with the Cats trading Arland Bruce, I didn't agree when the Maple Leafs traded Doug Gilmour, I didn't agree when the 49ers dealt Joe Montana, but that's the way sports works. Guys get traded, released or sign elsewhere and we just have to accept it. But getting rid of a 33-year-old for a 36-year-old seems like a mistake, like the team would be taking a step back instead of a step forward. If the Cats are going to change their signal caller (which insiders like Dave Naylor think is a given), it makes more sense to go after a guy like Montreal's Adrian McPherson, who has spent the last four seasons behind Anthony Calvillo, and will be just 29 when the season starts.

But would the Cats make such a move with the spectre of 2013 hanging over their heads?

Ah, yes, 2013. The year without a home.

My main concern in regards to all Tiger-Cat decisions is that the homeless year is the driving force behind every move. Did Marcel Bellefeuille get shown the door for what happened on the field or because the brain trust is worried that another .500-ish record followed by a playoff loss could hurt the team as they prepare for a year away from home? Similarly, are the Cats potentially ditching Glenn because of his performance or because they're worried fans will leave and not come back if the team stands pat and doesn't improve?

None of us know for certain what are the reasons behind the moves the team makes. I just hope they aren't sacrificing the long term for the short term when it comes to their decision making. Signing a Henry Burris smells like a short-term solution, not a long-term one.

I want to see the Tiger-Cats end their Grey Cup drought just as much as any other fan. If the team signs Burris (or any other Quarterback) and wins the Grey Cup, I'll be ecstatic. I just don't think that will happen. I think the Cats have just as much of a chance at winning their sixteenth championship with Kevin Glenn as they do with Henry Burris (or anyone else) in 2012.

But I, thankfully, don't make those decisions, I just react to them.

But if the decision was mine, you know where I stand.

I'd pass on Henry Burris.

What the Ray Trade Means for Hamilton

The story went from rumours to fact rather quickly, and now that the dust has settled, Ricky Ray is the newest member of the Toronto Argonauts.

The Argos dealt the recently signed Steven Jyles (who will be on his fourth team in four seasons), Kicker Grant Shaw and a the second-overall pick in the 2012 draft. A very steep price, but one worth paying if you're the Argos.

Toronto, as everyone knows, will host the Grey Cup next season and they are going all-in to get there. Adding Ray helps with that, but that alone will not take them from 6-12 to Grey Cup champions. The Argos need a major upgrade at Receiver if this trade is to mean anything. With the exception of Andre Durie, the Argos have no one that scares opposing Defenses.

Jeremaine Copeland is old, with little left in the tank. Chad Owens is much better suited as a Kick Returner, where he can be a big difference maker, than trying to force him into the Offense as a Receiver. And then there's Maurice Mann. If he's as good as he says he is, then Ray has his target. Unfortunately for Ray, he's not. Mann talks better than he plays, and his stat line proves that. But Mann's best season did come in Edmonton, so maybe Ray can get out of Mann what Hamilton could not.

And like all moves that the Argos make, it has implications on the Ti-Cats, and this one is all about Henry Burris

Ray going to Toronto basically means that it's Hamilton or bust for Burris. Burris does not want to be a backup, and the only team he could have a chance to start for is Hamilton (unless Winnipeg is worried about the Ray move and takes Burris instead of re-signing Buck Pierce).

For an off-season that is not even a month old, things have been moving at a rapid pace. Wonder what will happen next.

Fire Sale: Everyone Must Go!

The Ti-Cats lost this weekend, so you know what that means: time to bench Kevin Glenn and fire Marcel Bellefeuille.

It's becoming a bit of a joke. Every time the team loses, regardless of the circumstances surrounding the loss, there is a vocal section of the fan base that calls for both Glenn and Bellefeuille's heads. Personally, I'm getting a little sick of hearing it because nothing new ever gets brought up. It's the same arguments over and over again and, frankly, it's a little tiresome.

With Glenn, the issue is he's not a winner. His regular-season record – which is an unimpressive 57-58-1 – gets brought up, as does the "can't win the big one" card. I can't defend Glenn's regular-season win-loss totals. But I also don't have access to all 116 games he's started, so I don't know in how many games his play was the main reason, or one of the main reasons, his team lost. I do know that this past week's loss was not his fault. Yes, he threw an interception that was taken back for a touchdown. He also threw two TDs of his own and passed for over 350 yards. There was also a plethora of mistakes made by his teammates, which Glenn is not responsible for. To say that the Cats lost this past week because of how Kevin Glenn performed is moronic.

But the one that really bugs me, and I just about tune out at this point, is the idea that he "can't win the big one." I've heard that about a lot of Quarterbacks over the years, but none more so in the CFL than Henry Burris. Burris was dogged for years by the same label that is now affixed to Glenn. Burris played great football in the regular season in 2005, 2006 and 2007, but was knocked out of the first round of the playoffs each year. (Sound familiar?) Then, finally, it all came together and Burris led the Stampeders to a Grey Cup championship in 2008. But prior to that, fans and media said that Burris didn't have it in him to lead a team to a championship. Then he did, and you don't hear people say Burris can't win, because he's won. In the NFL, the same was said of Steve Young and Peyton Manning (who was the poster boy for "can't win the big one" going back to his days at the University of Tennessee)... until they won. You only can't win the big one until you win the big one. Once Glenn wins a Grey Cup, this talk goes away. (I'd also make the argument about the 2007 Grey Cup, and how had he played he could have easily led the Bombers to a championship, but I've already made that point so often in the past that I'd begin to sound like the broken record.)

After Glenn (actually, more like "in tandem with Glenn"), fans call for the firing of Marcel Bellefeuille. Bellefeuille is 22-22 as the Ti-Cats Head Coach since taking over on a permanent basis, which is admittedly mediocre. But what needs to be taken into account is the dismal records of the coaches that preceded him (minus Ron Lancaster's interim stint in 2006). Charlie Taaffe was 5-23 in his one-and-a-half playoffless seasons with the Cats in 2007 and 2008, and Greg Marshall was 14-25-1 with one playoff appearance (an East Division Semi-Final loss in 2004 to the Argonauts) in his two-plus seasons at the helm. That playoff loss in 2004 was the high-water mark of the Bob Young era until Bellefeuille was named coach. Since then, the Ti-Cats have made two straight playoff appearances in 2009 and 2010 (and hosted both games), the first time the Cats have made the playoffs in back-to-back years since 2000 and 2001. And even if the Cats finish at 9-9 again this season, they are likely headed back to the playoffs for a third consecutive season.

However, this is where I might be convinced to join the group calling for Bellefeuille's head. Now I don't think he should be fired during the season – in my opinion, that is never a good idea – but if the Cats stumble to another .500 finish and first-round playoff exit, it might be time to make a coaching change. Sometimes a coach helps to get a team on track, but can't be the one to take them over the hump. Once again, I look to Calgary from 2005-2007 and then in 2008. For three seasons, Tom Higgins was the head man for the Stamps, and as talented as that team was, he couldn't get them out of the first round of the playoffs. So Higgins gets fired and is replaced by John Hufnagel. In Hufnagel's first season, he takes pretty much the same team Higgins had to the Grey Cup and wins it. A new voice in the locker room got the same group of players where they needed to be in order to take home the most coveted prize in their sport. The story of Tony Dungy and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is pretty similar. While Dungy is a great coach (and would win a Super Bowl with the previously mentioned former poster boy for "can't win the big one" Peyton Manning in Indianapolis), the Bucs needed a new voice to motivate them to excellence. Enter Jon Gruden and a Super Bowl victory.

Perhaps this is the same scenario that needs to play out for the Ti-Cats. Perhaps Bellefeuille has taken them as far as he can. Perhaps a new voice is needed. Perhaps.

Are Glenn and Bellefeuille the men to lead the Cats back to the top of the mountain? I don't know. But I do know that I'm not ready to give up on them yet. Unlike the louder members of the fan base, I don't believe it is time for a fire sale. Everyone doesn't have to go, especially the starting Quarterback and Head Coach.