Marcus Crandell released

[TheLionKing]

http://tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=247793&lid= ... lines_main

[Big Time]

If the Lions go anywhere near him, I'll puke.

[Lion Guy]

If the Lions go anywhere near him, I'll puke.

No chance. Wally has seen that movie.

[Rammer]

Expected, the only team with any interest should/could be the Bombers and they are at the top of the waiver board should they want him at his current salary. The problem with him right now, is that his contract is at a starter level and he is really only a depth QB for someone, so he will hit the FA market.

[DanoT]

I'm guessing that the Argos will sign Crandell as a back up but didn't trade for him because of his salary.

[Hambone]

I'm guessing that the Argos will sign Crandell as a back up but didn't trade for him because of his salary.

They might if he'll work for peanuts but I doubt it. If the Argos wanted QB insurance they would've hung on to Bishop who I expect is working for worse case scenario the same salary as Crandell, but probably less. I think the trade of Bishop was 1/3 salary dump, 1/3 remove any semblance of QB controversy and 1/3 open things up for their remaining backups to move up the food chain to get more quality reps in practice. I still believe QB "controversies" are 90% media induced events and not necessarily the reality in the locker room. If QB insurance is important then it doesn't make much sense to get rid of a veteran QB in mid-season who knows your system inside and out then replace him with another veteran who doesn't. At least in moving to Regina Bishop works under Ken Miller who was the Argos OC before moving to Regina with Austin. Bishop is familiar with Miller. The same wouldn't be the case for Crandell going to Hogtown.

In trading Bishop they declared that they were tying their wagon to Joseph and would sink or swim with him. The Argos are 3-5 with lots of problems in other areas. If Joseph gets hurt Crandell is certainly not going to overcome those other problems. I think what we're seeing is the Argos starting to rebuild in mid-season instead of waiting until next year by shedding some payroll and veterans. Even with Steinauer gone they still have 8 defensive players who are over 30. Thus they likely feel it's time to prepare Pickett and McNeal for a more significant role. If you're 3-5 and spinning your wheels there's not a lot of sense in adding a 34 year old backup to the mix to push the other two back a notch. If they were 6-2 and looking like GC contenders that would be another story. Then again if that was the case they would never have moved Bishop.

[firstdown45]

What a stupid move by Sask. Who got them to the top of the league?

The Lions chances of landing a Western Final in Vancouver are slightly better now, but only slightly.

Edmonton and Calgary remain very dangerous.

[Lion Guy]

What a stupid move by Sask. Who got them to the top of the league?

The Lions chances of landing a Western Final in Vancouver are slightly better now, but only slightly.

Edmonton and Calgary remain very dangerous.

I don't understand this post. It has nothing to do with noise, or attendance, or BC Place, or Casey Printers........

WTF?

[Hambone]

What a stupid move by Sask. Who got them to the top of the league?

The Lions chances of landing a Western Final in Vancouver are slightly better now, but only slightly.

Edmonton and Calgary remain very dangerous.

What's stupid about it? In my opinion they've upgraded themselves considerably at QB by replacing Crandell with Bishop. Doing so is bold to be sure in mid-season. Again Eric Tillman proves he's not afraid to make bold moves when necessary and it cost him nothing but a conditional draft pick. Their salaries were similar so he wasn't forced to make any other moves to offset that. Miller was on the Argos coaching staff from 2002 through 2006 so he certainly knows exactly what he's getting in Bishop.

The signs were there that Crandell was not getting the job done. Their offence was flatter than the surrounding prairies. They'd scored 3 offensive TDs in the last 10 quarters and 2 of them were effectively in garbage time. Last week their offence scored on the second drive of the game then put up a big fat bagel for the next 52 minutes.

Sometimes an offence will move the ball fairly effectively then stall once they get inside the red zone and are forced to settle for a FG. Even while looking this up I found it incredible to believe. You have to go back to the last series of the 1st quarter of the Riders 22-21 win in Calgary on August 2 to find the last time the Riders SCRIMMAGED the ball from inside their opponents' 25 yard line. That's 11 straight quarters where they couldn't GET to the freakin' red zone. Their 3 TDs came on longer passing plays of 52, 25 and 38 yards.

Stupid would've been Tillman doing nothing.

[wildthing]

What a stupid move by Sask. Who got them to the top of the league?

The Lions chances of landing a Western Final in Vancouver are slightly better now, but only slightly.

Edmonton and Calgary remain very dangerous.

Wes Cates and Darian Durrant for the most part, Crandell had 1 win as a starter out of the 8 games played.

[Hambone]

What a stupid move by Sask. Who got them to the top of the league?

The Lions chances of landing a Western Final in Vancouver are slightly better now, but only slightly.

Edmonton and Calgary remain very dangerous.

Wes Cates and Darian Durrant for the most part, Crandell had 1 win as a starter out of the 8 games played.

Crandell started 5 games and the Riders won 3. They won in Week 1 and were ahead of the Lions 3-1 in Week 2 when he was hurt. The Lions would get a TD on the ensuing drive after the FG making it 8-3 when Jyles took over. So it effectively is a no decision for Crandell. He'd go 1-2 in the 3 starts since to finish 2-2 as the starter. Even in the season opener the signs were there that he was not exactly going to warm the Rider offence up past warm. The Riders exploded in the 4th to turn a 16-13 nailbiter into a 34-13 blowout. His numbers over 3 quarters in that game were fairly mediocre.