Rourke NFL workouts: chooses Jacksonville

[Toppy Vann]

Here's the dilemma for Rourke.

Try out now as the window is open.

OR

Wait until established as the winner he looks to be and when a window opens again, tryout.

By then it might result in the Bo Levi Mitchell scenario where your NFL offer isn't worth the risk-reward as by this time you have family, connections, roots and a good paying job as highest paid player on your team with future prospects here - so you stay in the CFL.


I have no insights into how Nathan Rourke thinks other than what he says on TV or whether he's a good strategic decision-maker when it comes to his career.

I'd hazard a guess that his injury has unimaginably been a shock given how he was playing when he got hurt.
Even being in Regina for his outstanding Canadian award must have been a bitter sweet moment.

Actually Rourke has given us quite a bit of insight into his strategic decision making regarding his career: He went to a high school in Oakville, Ont that is known for its football program. Then in his senior HS year he moves with his family to Ohio (I think) to get the benefit of superior American HS coaching, then on to a US college for again better coaching than in Canada. AFAIK he is currently living in Vancouver with his parents and concentrating on football instead of bachelor life/bachelor apartment, or getting married and raising a family of his own. I would say that he has demonstrated that he is more about becoming a great football player than great NFL $ at this point. This is why I think the best route to the NFL for Rourke is to play a full season in 2023 as a starting CFL QB vs going to the NFL at this point to hold a clip board.

These details add more perspective to the mix than I was aware of.

Based on your post, I'd think chances are that he'd take a decent offer over coming back to the CFL and establishing himself in Canada with one caveat - his injury.

More on his injury and statements on the NFL try outs to the media from Regina as it seems he's swollen and limping still:

“(My foot) still wasn’t exactly where I wanted it, to be honest, at the West Final but I gave it my best shot. It was certainly pain management but it was more so management on the tendons and on the foot itself.”

He is definitely very strong on the NFL:

"I never got an opportunity to play quarterback at the NFL level. And I think I wouldn’t be able to walk away from this game, hopefully years from now, knowing that I never gave myself that chance or gave myself that look, so that’s why we’re doing it this way,

“I think the biggest thing is just being able to show them in person what they see on tape. ... I just hope that I can show that my game in the CFL can translate.”

https://3downnation.com/2022/11/18/cana ... te-to-nfl/





Here's 3Down's review on how CFL players can head to the NFL.

https://3downnation.com/2021/12/23/deta ... dow-works/

[OV:54-40]

IF there was real, serious NFL interest in Rourke by an NFL team, would they not already have a nice $ deal on paper, in place (to sign him ASAP with the "window") - having watched lots of film of his outstanding CFL play this season, plus having maybe been able to talk with the Lions' medical staff ? Why wait for him to do a tour of a bunch of NFL teams (limited throwing reps to impress?), and then maybe lose out to another team that becomes interested? Or is that not possible / Rourke & his agent will prefer the tour route ?

[David]

“(My foot) still wasn’t exactly where I wanted it, to be honest, at the West Final but I gave it my best shot. It was certainly pain management but it was more so management on the tendons and on the foot itself.”

The part I can’t reconcile is this.

Nathan’s desire to explore his NFL chances & giving himself the best opportunity to catch on, with doing so at a time when, clearly, his foot will be compromising his ability to fully showcase his talents.

Even if he is not running that much, is he not worried that his mechanics will be just a bit off if he is still “managing” his foot in the coming weeks?


DH

[B.C.FAN]

“(My foot) still wasn’t exactly where I wanted it, to be honest, at the West Final but I gave it my best shot. It was certainly pain management but it was more so management on the tendons and on the foot itself.”

The part I can’t reconcile is this.

Nathan’s desire to explore his NFL chances & giving himself the best opportunity to catch on, with doing so at a time when, clearly, his foot will be compromising his ability to fully showcase his talents.

Even if he is not running that much, is he not worried that his mechanics will be just a bit off if he is still “managing” his foot in the coming weeks?


DH

NFL teams are reluctant to sign injured players. Will anyone be willing to offer a signing bonus or salary guarantee to Rourke, knowing he is still recovering from a significant injury? He may be limiting his potential by trying out now before he is fullly healed.

[DanoT]

“(My foot) still wasn’t exactly where I wanted it, to be honest, at the West Final but I gave it my best shot. It was certainly pain management but it was more so management on the tendons and on the foot itself.”

The part I can’t reconcile is this.

Nathan’s desire to explore his NFL chances & giving himself the best opportunity to catch on, with doing so at a time when, clearly, his foot will be compromising his ability to fully showcase his talents.

Even if he is not running that much, is he not worried that his mechanics will be just a bit off if he is still “managing” his foot in the coming weeks?


DH

NFL teams are reluctant to sign injured players. Will anyone be willing to offer a signing bonus or salary guarantee to Rourke, knowing he is still recovering from a significant injury? He may be limiting his potential by trying out now before he is fullly healed.

I agree, to the point where as a result of his injury, Rourke will not get any significant NFL offers but in terms of performing in front of NFL scouts, coaches it will be a learning experience. Then, I predict Rourke will return to the Lions for 2023 and do another NFL window a year from now as a healthy, experienced pro QB and that is when the serious well paying NFL offers happen.

[KnowItAll]

as good as Rourke is, what he did at the beginning of the season, what the team did, I dont expect to continue at the same level next year. They can still be very good but I think it is too much to expect the same

[ddanny]

I think his brother is going to get drafted in the NFL he is 6 foot 5 tearing up the league
Nathen will be back this year have a gut feeling

[Hambone]

Apparently Rourke has finally started his NFL workout tour that was delayed by a bout of the flu. First stop...Las Vegas Raiders.

[johnchow604]

Looks like the next stops after that are Indianapolis, Tampa Bay and Minnesota. Indy and Tampa Bay could be good spots for him to make the roster as a backup or 3rd stringer.

[Toppy Vann]

Looks like the next stops after that are Indianapolis, Tampa Bay and Minnesota. Indy and Tampa Bay could be good spots for him to make the roster as a backup or 3rd stringer.

If Nathan Rourke's younger brother didn't suffer a knee injury ending his season, he'd be on TSN right now (9am kickoff) in the MAC championship.

It's one thing to get injured and not play but for both young Rourke QBs getting injured when you're flying so high play-wise has to brutally tough!

It sure feels like Nathan Rourke will see coming back to the CFL for next season somewhat of a letdown.
Not that he wouldn't give it all if he were back in the CFL. He'll still perform well here.

Unlike the older Bo Levi Mitchell who is more media talkative, we're not as clear yet on how Nathan Rourke will evaluate NFL offers.
We know he'll do his football due diligence as he's not going to sign just to get a contract there.

[Hambone]

Speaking as a Colts fan the way Indy's season has gone I expect them to be in the thick of things when it comes to using their 1st round pick on one of the top QB prospects. For the past 3 years they've been relying on recycling veteran QBs going to first Rivers then Wentz and now Ryan without much success. Time to draft a high end prospect. The way things are shaping up they will likely be picking in the 7th to 12th range.

[Toppy Vann]

JC Abbott ranks every NFL team for a fit for Nathan Rourke to become who Abbott says is "looking for a legitimate shot at a number two job next year, with the potential to take over as starter somewhere down the road. He isn’t interested in being buried on an NFL practice roster or landing somewhere where he’ll never see the field."

https://3downnation.com/2022/12/04/rank ... an-rourke/


The rub with this scenario below is always how safe are the jobs of a young QB's internal team advocates if this is the best destination. I think that is part of what happened to Dave Dickenson in the NFL.

The purrfect destination for Kid Canada must be a team with an opening at backup quarterback and a middle-of-the-pack starter, someone whose job is safe for now but not forever.

Abbott says the list of teams is guarded but the pundits seem to have posted some of his schedule on Twitter as shown in this thread.

While the list of teams planning to work out Rourke remains a closely guarded secret, that won’t stop us from speculating about his best fits. Here are all 32 NFL franchises, ranked from his worst potential landing spot to his very best.

[B.C.FAN]

I enjoyed Abbott’s analysis. It's all speculation at this point but the biggest risk for Rourke or any CFL free agent is that they’ll sign with a team that ends up drafting a highly touted prospect. The path to a No. 2 spot can slam shut in a hurry.

[johnchow604]

I was wondering who the last CFL QB that got on an NFL roster and was able to stay up there. Looks like it was Chris Streveler but after getting some playing time his first season he's been on practice squads since. I wonder whether Streveler originally had the same idea of not leaving the CFL for NFL practice rosters, but after getting that opportunity his first year now sticks with it on the chance he'll get back in again. Makes me wonder if the same thing would happen to Rourke.

[Hambone]

I was wondering who the last CFL QB that got on an NFL roster and was able to stay up there. Looks like it was Chris Streveler but after getting some playing time his first season he's been on practice squads since. I wonder whether Streveler originally had the same idea of not leaving the CFL for NFL practice rosters, but after getting that opportunity his first year now sticks with it on the chance he'll get back in again. Makes me wonder if the same thing would happen to Rourke.

I'm probably forgetting someone but I think Jeff Garcia is the last one to go down and really forge a career. He went down after the 1998 CFL season. Doug Flutie would return to the NFL after the 1997 CFL season and would chalk up another 9 seasons down south. Trent Green had a brief stint as Lions' 4th stringer in 1994 before spending 14 years in the NFL. Former Dallas HC Jason Garrett was a backup with Ottawa for about 6 weeks in 1991. He would go on to play 12 years in the NFL mostly as a backup.

Most of us are aware of the likes of future CFLers like Dickenson, Ray, Burris, Printers and Brock venturing down for a year or two. There's a host of others I can recall off the top of my head:
Erik Kramer
Kerwin Bell
John Fourcade
Pete Liske
Joe Pisarcik
And of course Joe Kapp, Joe Theismann and Warren Moon