TSN Reports Printers Headed to the CFL

The Place for BC Lion Discussion. A forum for Lions fans to talk and chat about our team.
Discussion, News, Information and Speculation regarding the BC Lions and the CFL.
Prowl, Growl and Roar!

Moderator: Team Captains

Post Reply
Blitz
Team Captain
Posts: 9181
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2005 8:44 am

So, if Printers did come back to the Lions, would you become a season ticket holder to help put more butts in the seats?
I wonder right now how long this discussion will continue! As soon as Kansas City picked up Thigpen Printers was gone to the practice roster. Kansass City will go with Huard, Croyle and Thigpen this year. Printers will either take the practice roster spot or come back to the CFL and right now the CFL is looking like the better option.

If that is the case, we won't be able to sign him at this stage in the season and preferred not to anyway. It means he'll likely be gone to another CFL team, likely Toronto...although he could accept the practice roster spot and wait until the off-season...who knows for sure!

As for Printers putting more fans in the seat he likely would have. The fact is that most of us die hard fans would still support the team if he was here or not. However, Printers provides an opportunity to bring in younger fans and as David as noted, perhaps be able to get us up over that 40,000 mark.

I have no problem with fans who side with Printers or do not want him to return. We all have personal preferences for quarterbacks whose style or personality we like. During Printers 2005 season it was controversial as we had a quarterback challenging an incumbent for the starters position. He was coming off an MOP season and from his point of view he had the right to challenge for it as any player does at any position. Of course the controversy really got out of hand for a lot of reasons that don't need repeating.

However, what drives me crazy is the comments about Printers not being able to read a defense, or that he is a one read quarterback, or that his only skill was taking off and freelancing.

While we have different views and coaches can also make mistakes they are not stupid. They are pros and it's their job to evaluate talent and develop it. George Cortez didn't fall off a turnup truck and he obviously wants Printers in Calgary because he would have been consulted. Burratto has worked with Printers and knows his abilities or they wouldn't be trying to sign him in Toronto. Eight teams aren't interested in a quarterback who can't read a defense, is a one quarterback read, is easy for a defense to figure out.

These teams will likely be offering Printers in the neighbourhood of half a million dollars a season, a big chunk of their SMS. They don't make those offers public and be willing to pay those kinds of dollars for a quarterback who is so criticized on Lionbackers. Burris is probably already very upset in Calgary after just coming off a four touchdown win. I doubt the quarterbacks in Toronto are all that thrilled either but that's the game of pro football...it's about winning, not congeniality contests!!

I'll be happy to have this thing over one way or the other one day! It will be a relief to be able to read the usual threads on Lionbackers that are so good and so informative...because when it comes to Printers or the quarterback controversy rational thought sometimes seem to leave this website with some posters!

Dickenson is a quality quarterback. So is Casey Printers. Buck Pierce looks like he could be a very good one. Jarious Jackson appears to be coming along! It's about choices and winning! It has nothing to do with cell phones (and I have a few thoughts of what I'd like to do with mine :wink: ) or some of the other junk that gets posted here!!

Wherever Printers ends up...somewhere else or here he's going to be a very good quarterback who will do a lot to help a team win. #*#@ do you think Wally and Ackles and O'Billovich also had concussions when they offered Printers the contract at the end of 2005 to become the Leos starter.

At the same time, Dickenson, when healthy, was a smart, gutsy quarterback who helped us win a lot of games. Buck Pierce came in last season, in his second season and helped win a number of important games. The problem is that we don't know if Dickenson can play again. We don't know if Jarious wants to sign back here as a free agent next season or wether he'll get a better offer and a better situation.

A football team needs depth at quarterback. We've learned that over the past four seasons. For those hoping that Printers signs elsewhere have no idea what our situation could be next season. For those wanting him back right now, regardless of the fact that we're in mid-season, don't seem to understand that having a quartertback like Printers come in mid-season could be very unsettling.

All these kinds of decisions are tough choices, as they were at the end of 2005! They are choices that have ghosts in the past, loyalties in the present, and are very important for our Leos future. We might have preferences and reasons for those preferences but the decisions our Leos may make or may not even get to make are very important and will not be based upon agents, cell phones, or which player likes which player. They weren't in the past and if our Leos get to make a decision they won't in the future!
Last edited by Blitz on Tue Sep 04, 2007 6:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"When I went to Catholic high school in Philadelphia, we just had one coach for football and basketball. He took all of us who turned out and had us run through a forest. The ones who ran into the trees were on the football team". (George Raveling)
120dB
Legend
Posts: 1476
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 7:25 pm

As of now, how much money do the Lions have available under the salary cap to throw around? I thought I had heard $ 750,000
Solar Max
Hall of Famer
Posts: 6820
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 8:15 pm

120dB wrote:As of now, how much money do the Lions have available under the salary cap to throw around? I thought I had heard $ 750,000
I'd be curious to know how you arrived at that figure.
User avatar
B.C.FAN
Team Captain
Posts: 12990
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2004 10:28 pm

All reports have indicated that Hamilton is about the only team with cap space available to sign Printers this year. His expected salary of $400,000 to $500,000 would equal $200,000 to $250,000 for the second half of this season.

The Lions have signed two extra QBs in recent weeks and have placed only two players on IR this year (Marsh and Clovis), so I don't know how they could have anywhere near $750,000 available.
Gerry
Legend
Posts: 1040
Joined: Fri Aug 01, 2003 8:26 pm
Location: Surrey, BC

Man, I hope Printers gets picked up by an NFL team soon. :bang:
User avatar
Ravi
Legend
Posts: 1051
Joined: Fri Nov 12, 2004 9:01 pm
Location: St Catharines, Ontario

B.C.FAN wrote:All reports have indicated that Hamilton is about the only team with cap space available to sign Printers this year. His expected salary of $400,000 to $500,000 would equal $200,000 to $250,000 for the second half of this season.

The Lions have signed two extra QBs in recent weeks and have placed only two players on IR this year (Marsh and Clovis), so I don't know how they could have anywhere near $750,000 available.
One can be creative with the SMS though by not giving Printers a lot of money right now but then giving him a huge signing bonus in December that would be applied to next year's cap.
User avatar
lion24
Legend
Posts: 1810
Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2006 6:12 am
Location: edmonton

120dB wrote:As of now, how much money do the Lions have available under the salary cap to throw around? I thought I had heard $ 750,000
I believe this is the amount that is being paid to DD,BP and JJ combined?
Thank you for everything you did for OUR Lions Mr.Ackles, we will never forget you...RIP
Sharpo

120dB wrote:It's time for Dickenson and Wally to sit down and have a heart to heart talk.

Dave has to make a decision here and put the interests of the club first.

I think you all know what that decision has to be. And I hope Dave makes the right decision. The time for that decision is now.

Dave has done a lot in the past but this is Here and Now.
the only things that dave has to think about first and foremost is his health and his family. club is irrelivant, he's on the shelf for 9 games.
120dB
Legend
Posts: 1476
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 7:25 pm

Yes indeed, the $ 750,000 is the amount being paid to all 3 QBs right now. So what I'm seeking is how many dollars are left under the cap to play with.

The August 31 deadline for guaranteed contracts for players with 6 or more years in the League was August 31. That is different from the 9 game injured list. Two different situations with different ramifications.

First off, what can they do with Buck? He can be traded for a draft pick to free up some money. Even Ullrich mentioned that his salary status changes next month:

"The Lions, who tabled the former most outstanding player a deal worth $425,000 in 2005, currently have $750,000 invested in quarterbacks and their play-time bonuses. The only salary of a remotely proven quarterback not guaranteed as yet that could be cut belongs to Buck Pierce, and that status changes next month"

At this point I think the most creative thing the Lions can do is pay Printers less now and pay him a huge signing bonus next year when they're on a clean cap slate.

Wally can make this deal happen. All he has to do is just do it. There is a way to do it. It can be done.
120dB
Legend
Posts: 1476
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 7:25 pm

Furthermore, Medlock has already said there are ways around the salary cap and there's a way to work it.

So it can be made to work. Don't count out the Lions yet.
Gerry
Legend
Posts: 1040
Joined: Fri Aug 01, 2003 8:26 pm
Location: Surrey, BC

Trade Buck for a draft pick? Are you nuts? He's the best and most exciting young QB to hit the CFL in at least a decade. He's the future of the BC Lions.
Enough is enough.
User avatar
Lion Guy
Hall of Famer
Posts: 3707
Joined: Thu Nov 25, 2004 10:41 am
Location: Lion Country

120dB wrote:Furthermore, Medlock has already said there are ways around the salary cap and there's a way to work it.

So it can be made to work. Don't count out the Lions yet.
Medlock said that?!! Wow!!! HE should be the Lion's GM!! Enough of this Buono fellow with his 1st place finishes and Grey Cups.
.G.
All Star
Posts: 390
Joined: Mon Aug 09, 2004 10:28 pm
Location: Port Moody

so; is all the hate on here about printers because you don't like printers or because you guys don't like 120db? it's a little confusing :lol:
MABEY!
User avatar
Big Time
Champion
Posts: 972
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2003 6:45 pm

Personally, I think we should steer clear of Casey just because of his agent. The guy is a first class idiot who comes off as the Don King of football agents. There was already frustration back when Casey was with the Lions because of his agent. Do you think an NFL agent would dare make a comment about how "there are ways around the salary cap?" Medlock is clearing implying that he would want a team to either blatantly exceed the cap, or simply mortgage their future (i.e. trade Buck) so that they could sign a guy who has only practised for the last year and a half. I also can't believe that Medlock would declare himself "savvy" enough to work around the CFL rules. IMO, Medlock has shown zero respect for the CFL from the moment Casey came into the league. Does this guy have any formal training at all? Does this guy represent anyone other than his nephew? There's a saying that a client who represents himself in a court of law has a fool for a lawyer. I'd say the player who has a family member represent himself in contract negotiations has a fool for an agent.
120dB
Legend
Posts: 1476
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 7:25 pm

Buck's the future when Casey isn't here, not when Casey is here. When Casey was here we sure didn't hear too much about Buck, did we?

If Buck is as talented as Casey is, how come Buck didn't demand and get the big bucks that teams are offering Casey right now? Numbers being thrown around for Casey right now are $ 400,000 - 500,000 / year.

Could Buck demand $ 400,000 or $ 500,000 / season from a team and get it?

How much is Buck getting right now? Answer that question !
Post Reply