TBURGESS

We're paying $800K for our QB's (600K+140K+min $ 3rd string QB), which is more than we paid last year, likely more than any other team is paying its QB stable. Brady's worth north of $180K and Schoen is worth north of $250K on the open market. Both of those salaries are way higher than last year (Brady 100-110K, Schoen not even on the top 20 list). Cutting some part time starters and special teams players, replacing them with min salaried players, won't be enough to offset the bigger salaries.

Ecstatic at getting Strev back! $120K is a steal of a price. Good job Walters.

Both of them will wait until tampering week to find out what they are worth on the open market.

Please provide a link for the retraction & your new numbers. I haven't seen any of it. Until then, your argument is 'If I make up a bunch of numbers without sources then apply them to another made up number without sources... that proves you are wrong' As I stated in my 'diatribe', I don't know what Adams '24 salary is so I can only compare his '23 salary to Brown's '24. You think that starting salaries for QB's has gone up significantly since last year? I don't. Looking at the article for the 15 highest paid QB's in 2023, #2 BLM, #3 Harris, #4 Masoli, & #5 Maier have all taken pay cuts. #6 Cornelius has been cut. #9 Arbuckle hasn't been re-signed. #14 Kelly got a huge payday because he proved that he earned it by taking the Argos to 16-2. New Contracts this year: BLM: Hard 225K, Max 312K - https://www.tsn.ca/bo-levi-mitchell-restructures-contract-with-hamilton-tiger-cats-1.2058216 2023 - Hard 502K Max 520K Masoli: Hard 326.2K, Max 508K - https://3downnation.com/2024/01/08/six-figure-roster-bonus-deadline-looms-for-qb-jeremiah-masoli-ottawa-redblacks/ 2023 - Hard 425K Max 433K Maier: Hard 339K, Max 381K - https://3downnation.com/2024/01/11/stampeders-give-qb-jake-maier-six-figure-signing-bonus-in-exchange-for-salary-cap-space/ 2023 - Hard 405K Max 447K Harris: Hard 473K, Max 500K - https://3downnation.com/2024/01/15/riders-give-qb-trevor-harris-quarter-million-signing-bonus-for-salary-cap-space/ 2023 - Hard 500K Max 500K I'd say that QB money has gone down or stayed the same this year. Adams vs Brown: Adams started in the CFL 2016, has passed for 13K+ yards and run for 1400+ yards. Started 29 games. Signed by BC in 2023 Brown started in the CFL 2021, has passed for 1.4K+ yards and run for 110+ yards. Started 3 games. Signed by Ott in 2024. You, and others think that means Brown should get about the same amount of money, cuz that's what starters make, but we don't even know if he will be the starter yet. Brown got a contract based on what they hope he can do, not on what he has done. I call that an overpay & yes, you can say a contract is an overpay if it doesn't match what the player has done. He'll get the money no matter if he turns out to be Arbukle-ish or Reilly-ish or somewhere in between.

I agree, but Reilly's the only QB in the last decade to get overpaid for what he'd accomplished and lived up to the hype.

From: https://3downnation.com/2024/01/24/qb-dru-brown-signs-two-year-contract-with-ottawa-redblacks/ Fact: $286K < $300K From: https://3downnation.com/2023/04/17/the-cfls-15-highest-paid-quarterbacks-for-2023-season/ Fact: $286K > $285K Opinion: The redblacks overpaid him because they are a crap team that has to overpay to get the players they want just like we used to have to. Your confident ignorant guess as to how much Brown would get was better than my confident ignorant guess. Congratulations. Take a victory lap. You've finally earned one.

From April 2023: https://3downnation.com/2023/04/17/the-cfls-15-highest-paid-quarterbacks-for-2023-season/ Note this is after the article that you posted & the article you posted said he'd make just over $400K IF he made all of his bonuses, which is definitely NOT $450-500K. From Jan 24/24: https://3downnation.com/2024/01/24/qb-dru-brown-signs-two-year-contract-with-ottawa-redblacks/ According to two articles from the same source, Brown, a complete unknown, is making more hard money with a higher signing bonus than Adams & his maximum is just $10K lower than Adams signed for last year. What I'd like to know, and I haven't found out, is what Adams is scheduled to make in '24. It's likely higher, but that doesn't change the fact that Brown is making out like a bandit because Ottawa is a crap team that has to overpay to get players, just like we used to be.

How much is he getting then?

It's more than Adams is getting. You know Adams, been in the league since 2016, thrown for more than 13,000 yards, ran for 1400, the third best QB in the league last year, took his team to the Western Final, that Vernon Adams.

So you're saying the Strev is worth more than Brown? I can't see us dropping $290K+ hard money on Strev.

@Brandon It's absolutely a gamble, but is it a good or a bad gamble? Is it a gamble that they had to take? (IE: Were their other bidders who pushed the price up?)

I stand corrected: Collaros, Kelly, Harris, Fajardo, MBT, Maier, Brown, Adams. (One of these QB's is still not like the others) I don't think it's a forgone conclusion that Brown will be the starter. Crumb has way more experience in the same system. Trevor Harris prior to going to Ottawa to back up Burris: 6 Years of pro experience. (2010 Jacksonville Jaguars*, 2011 Arizona Rattlers, 2011 Hartford Colonials*, 2011 Buffalo Bills*, 2011 Sacramento Mountain Lions, 2012 Orlando Predators, 2012–2015 Toronto Argonauts) Dru Brown prior to going to Ottawa: 3 years pro experience. (Bombers) I don't remember Harris being paid as a starter when he went to Ottawa, they already had Burris' big salary on the books, so I doubt they paid two QB's as starters. Harris is a competent QB, but is he an example of paying big for hoped for performance that worked out?

When does paying for anticipated future performance work out for young QB's with very few reps? Mike Reilly in 2013 is the only one I can remember. Before that??? Brown is more likely to Arbuckle than Reilly.

$290K is the hard money. $340K is what he could earn if he starts all the games and hits all the bonuses. Big overpay IMO. They are paying a starters salary to a guy who has yet to become a starter. At $290K he's making more than Adams, the third best QB in the league last year & BLM ($225K hard money) & Masoli ($133K Hard Money) all vets with tons of experience, although BLM and Masoli also have huge injury issues & should have retired IMO. My guess on top QB contracts: Collaros, Harris, Fajardo, MBT, Maier, Brown. (One of these QB's is not like the others)

Way more money than I was expecting. Good for Dru. Then again... "Brown will earn $290,000 in hard money in 2024" isn't $300K+

I think it's a crazy rule in the first place.

We could have upped Schoen's salary last year to get extra year(s) on the contract and didn't so IMO he goes to the highest bidder & I don't think that's going to be us.

I'm really interested to see how much Brown gets with the redblacks.

BOO to Lions?

You're comparing Collaros to Maier and Harris? That's this kind of insight I expect from you.

To everyone who thinks that Collaros should take a pay cut... How would you react if your boss came to you and said "How 'bout taking a $100K pay cut so we can keep the guy who wants to take your job around?". I don't think it would go well.

Toronto was the best team during the season & Montreal was the best team in the playoffs last year.

We have good Cdn talent. Other teams don't. Brady solves two problems. First he upgrades the Cdn talent. Second he's the best RB in the league. The Riders for example could overpay him and use the free'd up import spot to help fix their O line with a cheap import.

I think we lose: Brown to a team that can give him a chance at being a starter, likely Ottawa or Hamilton. Brady O to the highest bidder, not the NFL. BOO to a team that can give him more playing time. Gray to a team who over pays him. Schoen to a team who overpays him. I'm hoping we can find the money to keep him and Lawler, but $500K on two receivers seems like a lot to me.