Dickenson or Printers

[dpoe]

You gotta go with Casey. He's a prototype cfl Qb. He can run and throw on the run, and he's young. Hopefully he will want to sign with the Lions. I love DD but he's injury prone and he's 32 years old. He just doesn't have the mobility to take advantage of the wide cfl field.

He is the QB of the future. It may be a good idea to orchestrate a trade sooner rather than later so as not to let the "controversy" simmer. I'm a big fan of both guys but....

[crburrows]

He is the QB of the future. It may be a good idea to orchestrate a trade sooner rather than later so as not to let the "controversy" simmer. I'm a big fan of both guys but....

I say sign Casey before Feb 15 (NFL deadline thingy).

That said, with the CBA negotiations, this could complicate matters . . . .

[Lion Guy]

First of all let me start off by apologizing to Cromartie. I didn't have a dog to kick yesterday, so I kicked him. Inexcusable and it won't happen again.

Now, I am without question one of the biggest DD supporters on this Board. And he didn't play bad yesterday, and I thought really we should have won. But let me say here and now that if all of the contract stuff can get done, and if we can get a solid committment from him, if the team decides to go with CP next year I think that would be a very positive move and one that probably should be made.

I will support whomever is here, but I think we need that little extra flash and attitude that CP brings that seemed to be missing yesterday.

It would have been nice to have a little more harmonious situation here this year. And I think that's what Wally was hoping for, but what's done is done.

[crburrows]

First of all let me start off by apologizing to Cromartie. I didn't have a dog to kick yesterday, so I kicked him. Inexcusable and it won't happen again.

And I just yelled at my kids.

[Blitz]

I like them both too...and it's a shame we probably can't keep both. They have such different styles that defending both in a game, with the right scheme for both, would be murder for a defence. Neither has had the right scheme. Dickenson needs an offensive scheme that will use a fullback to provide protection for him to give him the time he needs to pick a defence apart. Printers needs a style that will let him utilize his tremendous arm with something other than deep crossing patterns...and Printers can also throw underneath.

That said....if the decision was to keep Dickenson he won't be easy to trade. He has a high salary, he's older, he's been injured a lot, he's not that mobile, and teams that need a quarterback...and there aren't many..might not want to build their future around him.

Printers will be easier to trade...not that I necessarily want to see that happen. However, teams would be more excited to build around a younger quarterback, he's one an MVP award in his only season of starting, he's big, strong, and mobile and he has more upside than Dickenson. His salary demands will likely be in the same area as Dickenson, maybe higher but teams will consider him more worth that because his style will also put more fans in the seats. We would also get more in return in a trade for Printers.

Just one more factor to consider!!!

[SammyGreene]

If it only was as simple as deciding which QB to keep.

Right now ... the hammer belongs to Jason Medlock.

He has been saying for the past 2 or 3 months there are at least 5 NFL teams interested in CP. If any one of them step up with a legitimate offer then I think CP heads south ... knowing full well his value in the CFL should he return.

The QB situation will become clearer in B.C. once Medlock tips his hand on what is best for his client.

It may just be DD by default.

[crburrows]

I like them both too...and it's a shame we probably can't keep both. They have such different styles that defending both in a game, with the right scheme for both, would be murder for a defence. Neither has had the right scheme. Dickenson needs an offensive scheme that will use a fullback to provide protection for him to give him the time he needs to pick a defence apart. Printers needs a style that will let him utilize his tremendous arm with something other than deep crossing patterns...and Printers can also throw underneath.

That said....if the decision was to keep Dickenson he won't be easy to trade. He has a high salary, he's older, he's been injured a lot, he's not that mobile, and teams that need a quarterback...and there aren't many..might not want to build their future around him.

Printers will be easier to trade...not that I necessarily want to see that happen. However, teams would be more excited to build around a younger quarterback, he's one an MVP award in his only season of starting, he's big, strong, and mobile and he has more upside than Dickenson. His salary demands will likely be in the same area as Dickenson, maybe higher but teams will consider him more worth that because his style will also put more fans in the seats. We would also get more in return in a trade for Printers.

Just one more factor to consider!!!

Agreed that we may get "more."

However, there's not much more needed, I feel - and you don't generally get a new Offensive Co-Ordinator through a trade.

A better o-line may be gotten through good moves in the free-agent market.

A better kicker could be drafted (the Lions have 3 first-round draft picks next year).

Also, with a trade you never know what you're getting; while with what you have, you have a known quantity.

Winnipeg, Ottawa and Hamilton could each use a new quarterback. What do any of them have that the Lions could really use? (Winnipeg already gave us their first round draft pick!)

Let's trade DD to Ottawa for another pick. Or to Winnipeg for Milt.

The other gaps can be filled without trading Casey away.

[crburrows]

BTW, Blitz:

You should be running the "Football 201" course.

I think there would be more than a few takers from here!

[Blitz]

It may just be DD by default

You're probably right Sammy!! I wish we could have signed him in the off-season. However with Dickenson having two years on his contract and the decision to start Dickenson in last years Grey Cup Printers didn't want to sit on the bench for a long time. The Leos were willing to pay both Dickenson and Printers decent money without a cap this year but a cap in the future means we can't keep both.

I wish we could have found a way to have created a transition between the two, with Dickenson starting this year and Printers continuing to get to play and continuing to improve. That didn't happen and Printers early season arm problem didn't help. I would love Dickenson to become a coach and with his injuries he needs to start thinking about that possiblity for the future. It would have been great to have Dickenson as an offensive coach while still being a back up quarterback for one year...however the timeline didn't quite work. It's been done before..but it would have needed one more year on Dickenson's contract, not two years.
Buck Pierce still has promise but its usually an exception to become a very good quarterback in a second year of playing (Printers was a real exception last year with what he did..you just don't see an MVP season out of quarterback in his first year of playing time) ..but in his third year Pierce could be a very good backup quarterback with the potential of being a starter as well.

My guess is that Printers will likely try the NFL but that wasn't his original plan. He wanted to do the Warren Moon route if possible and play up here more. Printers wants to play...he doesn't want to be a clipboard holder. So if we want him...depending on which NFL teams are interested in him, we could still get him I think. Printers is smart enough to know whether there is the potential for him to move up the quarterback depth ladder with an NFL team, depending on the situation. There's a lot of politics in the NFL...they give their top round draft choices every opportunity....so he would be wise to play some more up here unless the NFL team really convinces him they want to develop him...and he thinks that is a real promise. I hope he stays in the CFL...its the game that best suits his style and he still needs more experience playing...whether that is with us or another CFL team!!

[crburrows]

Blitz:

Do you think the new CBA and the potential for a big (46%) increase in the "cap" could influence CP's decision?

For instance, a C$700k per year to lead a CFL team vs US$450k to play #2 in, say, Houston?

Or do you think that a $3.8M cap is just a recognition of what has already happened, and that actual salaries won't really increase?

[Lions_Fan_4_Life]

I think that Casey's too fragile and that DD should get the nod next year.

DD all the way baby!

[crburrows]

I think that Casey's too fragile and that DD should get the nod next year.

DD all the way baby!

I love DD.

But I don't think he's any less fragile than CP.

[Lions_Fan_4_Life]

I think that Casey's too fragile and that DD should get the nod next year.

DD all the way baby!

I love DD.

But I don't think he's any less fragile than CP.

Meh. DD doesn't have an agent who will be a liability to the team. A.K.A. Medlock!

[crburrows]

Meh. DD doesn't have an agent who will be a liability to the team. A.K.A. Medlock!

There's the joker in the deck!

[Don Miller]

This decision I suspect will be made by the entire organizaton from Mr Braley down. The decision affects the bottom line $$$$. If Casey is committed to the organizatiion for say 3yrs, we go with him, otherwise we move on with Dave and Buck and get some offensive line help with the trade. I like the youth of Casey and the savy of Dave. Too bad they can't play together. THis really broke this team up more than a lot of people will admit. I really don't think that they liked each other a lot. I think Wally's loyalty to Dave hurt this team in the long run.