Farhan: Lions on verge of acquiring Vernon Adams

[DanoT]

I doubt they will say anything this week given players are in the midst of their bye week time off. Probably just wait until next week to see how it is responding to treatment before offering comment.

Quite certain the club is going to be very cagey in the week leading up to the September 9 game against the Als as to whom will get the start. Likely want to keep Montreal’s coordinators guessing and prepare for Adams or O’Connor?/Pipkin.

Can’t wait to see true Leos in person. A group of us going.


DH

I don't really know but I suspect there would be very little difference in planing by coordinators based on whether Adams or O'Conner is the Lions QB. Adams is going to run more and have a smaller play book but that is about it.

[OV:54-40]

Isn't Pipkin the more likely starter next game? - while Adams learns the play-book and offence ? They might go to Adams fairly quickly though if Pipkin falters.

Still nothing further on O'Connor's injury/status? I think he may be done for playing time unless it's to back-up Rourke - if/when he returns - again as part of the 7 only game plan.

[cromartie]

I think Pipkin was brought in as insurance due to Thomson's injury and is not someone that the Lions would put their faith in to lead the team for a long period of time. If Rourke was never injured, I am sure that Pipkin would have been released once Thomson came back from injury.

I'm with you on everything else, but not this. It's worth noting that it was Pipkin, not O'Connor who was doing short yardage work while Rourke was healthy. The plan, I think, was a gradual playbook install with Pipkin as the backup and O'Connor being pushed down to third.

[cromartie]

You can't give up on O'Connor after only a quarter and half. Could you imagine the Lion's giving up on Rourke after the first quarter of his first start?

You also have to remember it took Vernon Adams 6 years to become a starter. 2018 was good, but then he got injured in 2019 and hasn't been the same.

Between his prior stops and now, I'm good, thanks. If you've played your entire amateur career in the Canadian game and still can't process a CFL offense satisfactorily in real time after three years of pro experience on top of it, you aren't going to learn if I keep tossing you out there now. I'm not interested in throwing this season away if I can avoid it, and my front office just avoided it.

[Hambone]

I think Pipkin was brought in as insurance due to Thomson's injury and is not someone that the Lions would put their faith in to lead the team for a long period of time. If Rourke was never injured, I am sure that Pipkin would have been released once Thomson came back from injury.

I'm with you on everything else, but not this. It's worth noting that it was Pipkin, not O'Connor who was doing short yardage work while Rourke was healthy. The plan, I think, was a gradual playbook install with Pipkin as the backup and O'Connor being pushed down to third.

Pipkin as insurance due to Thomson's injury I can't agree. They brought him in because having a 3rd QB was absolutely essential. They knew Thomson was out for a while which left them with only 2 QBs which means one more injury from only having 1. As a vet who had been released only days before Pipkin was an easy choice.

Right from the start of camp they only had Rourke, O'Connor and Thomson. Thomson was pushing O'Connor hard for #2 until the shoulder injury ended the competition. Had Thomson not suffered the injury it would have been interesting to see how the rest of camp played out when it came to #2. He and O'Connor bring different skills. O'Connor is more the protypical pocket passer. Thomson looked to be more proficient in using his legs to buy time or take the ball and run when things were breaking down. Both showed ability to hit receivers on the deep ball. Both had their moments on shorter routes.

It's all moot now but it wouldn't have surprised me to see Thomson wind up getting a shot at starting if one of O'Connor and Pipkin didn't take charge of things fairly quickly. It could be interesting to see what happens if O'Connor is good to go for the next game or game after but he could be out for a while which might take care of any decision related to depth chart moves. Groin or adductor strains can be stubborn with the severity causing a wide range of recovery times from 2-3 weeks for Grade 1 strain, 2-3 months for Grade 2 and 4 months or more for a Grade 3 strain.

[Hambone]

I doubt they will say anything this week given players are in the midst of their bye week time off. Probably just wait until next week to see how it is responding to treatment before offering comment.

Quite certain the club is going to be very cagey in the week leading up to the September 9 game against the Als as to whom will get the start. Likely want to keep Montreal’s coordinators guessing and prepare for Adams or O’Connor?/Pipkin.

Can’t wait to see true Leos in person. A group of us going.


DH

If Noel Thorpe is worth his salt he'll prepare for all 3 possibilities. In doing that he'll prepare for BC's offense first and foremost and consider QBs later. It's not like there's an extended book on O'Connor and Pipkin running the offense anyways. O' Connor ran 21 plays last week and Pipkin 28. If anything Maksymic might dummy the offense down for Adams vs building in a bunch of wrinkles Thorpe hasn't seen.

Adams has worked under several OCs including Calvillo, Chapdelaine, McAdoo and Jones. As he himself alluded he didn't expect he'd see anything in BC's offense that would be new. The challenge would be learning the terminology. That's something he can be acclimatizing himself with right now to be ready for the first practice next week. Building a rapport with the receivers will be the biggest challenge.

[David]

Rick Campbell has just announced VA as the starter for Sunday's game vs the Stampeders.

If we weren't getting anywhere with Pipkin on Friday and the game was out of reach in the 4th quarter, why not give VA some much-needed reps? At minimum to get his timing down knowing that he would be the starter the following week.

Sometimes, Campbell's decisions perplex me.


DH

[B.C.FAN]

VA comments on getting the start and facing Calgary for the second time this year:

[Toppy Vann]

Rick Campbell has just announced VA as the starter for Sunday's game vs the Stampeders.

If we weren't getting anywhere with Pipkin on Friday and the game was out of reach in the 4th quarter, why not give VA some much-needed reps? At minimum to get his timing down knowing that he would be the starter the following week.

Sometimes, Campbell's decisions perplex me.


DH

It was a bit perplexing how Adams was put in and then put back in after Hatcher's fumble.

I didn't think in the one practice I took in that either excelled, however, I'd have given the edge to Adams in terms of his overall demeanour that day. However, we did see him with MTL toss a few INTs and look broken on the bench with his head between his hands like he just lost the Grey Cup on the final play with an errant pass.

If anyone took in the Tampa Bay Bucs - Dallas game last night if there was one message from the broadcast crew it was how Tom Brady wants to be able to run the ball well as a foundation for his passing with 'this is what Tom Brady likes' when Tampa run effectively.

My take on why Pipkin took short yardage reps and not O'Connor when Rourke was no.1 QB is simply that is what Pipkin is good at. It wasn't about who'd have gone in if Rourke didn't play. Last week O'Connor ran no plays but dressed for practice. I suspect it's his injury still.

Kevin Thomson released and last week he was not doing much at all other than tossing the ball with the QBs. Maybe he's going to get a look next year or not.

[Hambone]

Rick Campbell has just announced VA as the starter for Sunday's game vs the Stampeders.

If we weren't getting anywhere with Pipkin on Friday and the game was out of reach in the 4th quarter, why not give VA some much-needed reps? At minimum to get his timing down knowing that he would be the starter the following week.

Sometimes, Campbell's decisions perplex me.


DH

I had left home last Friday to go on a moose hunt east of Horsefly thus had no cell service and hadn't yet been given the wi-fi password for what was 0 bar to 1 bar connection. Needless to say I didn't see the game or even know the score until the next day.

After I found out the score I was able to check out the stats and the CFL website's play by play. Given the score I was quite surprised at the limited time Adams was given. In hindsight though I wondered if it wasn't actually prudent. After Montreal BC has the home and home with Calgary. The more Adams played the more video Calgary would have to work with to prepare for him. Maybe not a bad thing to keep him under wraps.

[David]

Hmmm, I'm afraid I'll have to disagree.

I gladly trade "in-game reps with new receivers in real-time to get the rust off and timing down" vs "film for opponent." After all, they've had the better part of 5 years of film to study his tendencies.


DH