Vernon Adams as starter for 2023?

[johnchow604]

If Nathan Rourke isn't available for 2023, should Vernon Adams be the starter or should outside help like Bo Levi Mitchell be brought in?

Bo's probably a better choice but more expensive and the Lions need the money to resign key free agents. Adams might perform better with a full training camp under his belt and having had a chance to get to know the playbook and his receivers better. Thoughts?

[B.C.FAN]

Adams will be the starter in 2023 if Rourke doesn’t come back. Mitchell is probably a better passer when healthy but I doubt that the Lions are interested in getting into a bidding war for his services.

[maxlion]

There may be a QB carousel in the off season.

I was surprised to learn that, if the season started tomorrow, Mitchell would be the youngest starting QB in the east by a couple of years. Perhaps he could have a career renaissance like Collaros. He is a smart QB but can he be effective over a full season with his shoulder issues?

I could live with Adams as starting QB. I get the sense that Adams is a fan favourite, but may not be a coach's favourite. I wonder if Trevor Harris might be more Maksymic's style--a high percentage pocket passer--rather than the more exciting but more erratic Adams. There is a good chance that Harris re-signs in Montreal before free agency opens but, if not, could the Lions be interested?

Dane Evans is another possibility. He had some issues last year, but has shown some promise as well.

[SammyGreene]

I’m fine with Adams and would love to see an offensive playbook designed around his strengths which is doing a lot more throwing out of the pocket.
It was very obvious his job was to try to pick up where Rourke left off with those quick reads and staying in the pocket.

I actually thought he looked good against the Bombers first unit defence in the regular season finale until he was working mostly with back-ups in the 2nd half.

With the right adjustments from Maksymic he very well could be the 2nd best QB in the West right behind Collaros. BC also better figure out how to run the ball against the Bombers if they want to close the gap further in 2023.

[TheLionKing]

I hope that Adams is not the starter. Seems tentative and indecisive.

[Sir Purrcival]

As likely as it is that he will be a starter, I'm not sure that Vernon Adams is really a starter. He has had opportunities to really establish himself and has failed to be anything other than variable. He has been shunted around the league a bit and is now on his fifth team (twice with the Als and never played a down with the TiCats who looked at him as a possible wide receiver). I mean maybe he has never had the right situation to flourish so maybe he needs a fair shot to really say one way or the other but great QB's take advantage of the opportunities they have and so far VA has managed to not stick anywhere.

[ddanny]

Adams was catching on before Rourke came back I think he will be great . But we need another QB behind him to for the future because I have a feeling Nathen when he gets a chance to play he is going to stick

[MacNews]

I think with Bo Levi Mitchell we risk another Mike Reilly situation: An old, injury-prone QB who's arm is getting tired.

I would rather re-design the playbook around VA.

[cromartie]

BLM will start in Hamilton next season and lead that team to, at a minimum, the EDF.

I nearly spit out my coffee at the suggestion we take Dane Evans over Vernon Adams. That guy is terrible. If you're going to start a guy with a noodle for an arm, at least ensure he can make the progressions across receivers running routes he can't hit before he scrambles incoherently.

In lieu of Rourke going south, Adams will be the starter here next year, the offense will be tweaked to enable him to make better reads from the pocket, and we will go to the WDF and lose again. No need to overthink things.

[Hambone]

I'm with you Cro. I'd take Adams' brand of inconsistency over that of Evans. One at least is entertaining. The other not so much.

Regardless whoever might be called on to start in the event Rourke winds up south of the 49th will get a sense of how Danny Barrett felt when he had to fill Doug Flutie's cleats.

[cromartie]

I'm with you Cro. I'd take Adams' brand of inconsistency over that of Evans. One at least is entertaining. The other not so much.

Regardless whoever might be called on to start in the event Rourke winds up south of the 49th will get a sense of how Danny Barrett felt when he had to fill Doug Flutie's cleats.

Somewhere in another thread that I'm too lazy to look up I elaborated on why Adams is the way he is. It has a lot to do to what type of offense he operates best out of and it is primarily one, from the pocket, with longer developing deeper routes. He thrives with Whitehead types who can leverage speed to get open on deeper routes.

Because these routes take longer he can look "tentative". The arm strength is there, the decision making within that framework is fine. However, that offense has its limitations when you run across teams that can play good man to man, and somebody is going to be better than you.

[David]

Yup. At the risk of a gross generalization here, I find VA3 performs better against zone.

If he is our #1 next year, I am fine with it. Great team-first guy. But I want Maksymic to design an offense that's a little more tailored to his skillset.


DH