Buck Pierce and March 1???

[Blue In BC]

Any news on what happened with the bonus due today? Did they pay it. Did they renegotiate?

[ik17]

i think it's due march 5th... LU mentioned both days in two different articles though... so one of the two was a mistake

[Blue In BC]

I doubt the Lions would have the guts to cut Buck.

Maybe not, but if they plan Printers to be the starter, they can't afford to pay Pierce what they are paying him as a back up.

Who knows. They may trade Printers to Toronto if they feel Pierce is healthy.

If Pierce is healthy, he's probably the most skilled QB at the moment.

I think Printers can be better in the longer term, but whether he's the best QB now is another question.

[longtimefan]

Sorry...I think Buck is gone. BIG salary,too many concussions and other injuries. Printers is ...I don't know what he is but he improvises and given the OC position, I think he stays.

[Toppy Vann]

Sorry...I think Buck is gone. BIG salary,too many concussions and other injuries. Printers is ...I don't know what he is but he improvises and given the OC position, I think he stays.

The OC likes Buck. If there were any negative history with QBs it'd be Casey with the current OC. However, he came back to BC having what appears as his only option other than motivational speaking and book writing for youth. His football chances looked totally done no matter how positive Casey seemed to be. I doubt there are any issues as Casey is not a bad team guy and never was. He has had injury problems including last year. He is no different than a lot of other QBs that way. Even Jarius who is considered a stud when it comes to toughness got his thumb hurt in 2005 in the first play of the exhibition game in Regina and that season for him was pretty much a lost one. Oh and Buck won that game off the bench.

Casey still has to prove himself which in last year's short season showed he can regain and did regain his magic and stifle media and fan criticism of him being a bad guy.

If Buck were to go, it'd be due to money I suspect and the Lions giving up on him due to his injuries. If they know he is OK health wise I am sure they are not anxious to see him go elsewhere other than the owner might want him in Toronto. We know David Braley leaves the football decisions to his guys. Not sure I like the direction the Argos have gone with their new coach. If I were doing retro, I 'd have gone for a successful former HC like Dave Ritchie and give him the order to develop a prospective HC to replace himself when he chooses to go.

I don't know the extent of Buck's injuries as it doesn't seem to be out in the public domain what is behind these recurring shoulder problems and what the prognosis is to keep healthy. The concussion issues are clearer it seems but it is the stuff that got him hurt so he could not play on last season that is perplexing. The stuff about how they elected not to do surgery a ways back - all this contributes to some fans wanting him retired or moved.

I don't much focus on what players are being paid but I do see the CFL SMS is leading to a lot of player personnel movement the like of which reminds me of the dismal years in the CFL where fans lost interest as too many player moves led to a loss of fans being able to identify with their teams.

The CFL has to seriously look at the unintended consequences of their SMS when player movements lead to too much movement as a team struggling to find a LB will pay more than a team with depth at that spot but who might want a high paid RB so they take some other team's free agent. Economics are a reality but so too are player acquisitions from other teams versus finding your own through free agent camps in the US which every CFL should be doing regardless of their depth. The Lions have done well with these camps as has the CFL. If I had a dollar for every time someone criticized the CFL for player movements over the years I'd be rich! This is one of the things that give the small CFL a poor image unlike the free agent markets in other sports where the movements are big news for massive dollars that crank up fan and media attention versus a team signing another team's LB or kick returner.

[ik17]

I doubt the Lions would have the guts to cut Buck.

Yeah, because they never had the guts to cut...

Jason Clermont
Tyrone Williams
Kelly Bates
Lavar Glover
Ian Smart
Javy Glatt
Jason Jiminez

Can't even remember them all but there are definately other that took guts to cut.

[B.C.FAN]

I posted this link in another thread, but it appears Buck's days are numbered. No one will trade for him.
CFL's passing on Buck

[Blue In BC]

I doubt the SMS can be blamed for player movement. No matter what value is set to the SMS, players will always move for a better opportunity on another team.

[Tighthead]

If you are paying $300K to a guy who the rest of the league has no interest in, the story writes itself.

[Lionheart]

If you are paying $300K to a guy who the rest of the league has no interest in, the story writes itself.

Although I don't need to read the link to surmise that while the league may not want a 300k Buck, they may want a less than 300k Buck.

[Tighthead]

If you are paying $300K to a guy who the rest of the league has no interest in, the story writes itself.

Although I don't need to read the link to surmise that while the league may not want a 300k Buck, they may want a less than 300k Buck.

Agreed, but right now we only have the $300K model in stock.

[notahomer]

I'm going to be sorry to see Buck go the same way I was when Clermont was cut. These cuts make sense from a 'football is a business' perspective. But CFL football is not 'just a business', IMO. I saw things in Buck during a preseason game the first year he was here and I said to myself I'm glad this guy is a BC Lion. I fully understand why Buck may get cut but outside of the business aspect of it, I'm going to be sorry to see Buck go. At the time I thought Buono was wrong to cut Clermont but it looks like he was right to do so. Buono just let Clermont go, at least he's trying to get something for Buck, even if there doesn't seem to be any takers.