With CFL awards voting set to begin shortly, 3DownNation’s Justin Dunk has talked with football people across the country to get their thoughts on the top candidates. Finally, Most Outstanding Player.
Other awards:
Most Outstanding Canadian
Most Outstanding Defensive Player
Most Outstanding Lineman
Most Outstanding Special Teams Player
Most Outstanding Rookie
Unlike 2016 when Bo Levi Mitchell was the unanimous Most Outstanding Player, there are some intriguing names with legitimate cases for the most coveted individual honour in the CFL.
East Division
Receivers Greg Ellingson and S.J. Green have put together excellent seasons, Ottawa’s leading pass catcher the best of his career without threats such as Chris Williams and Ernest Jackson there to take focus away. Toronto’s 32-year-old target is off an ACL injury and reached a new single-season yardage total. As great as both are, their respective quarterbacks played pivotal roles for each too.
Trevor Harris amassed the highest passing yards in in year during his career, Ricky Ray went over 5,000 for the first time since 2008. Each passer’s numbers are impressive, but working against them on the league level are losing records.
One high-ranking West Division source singled out Ellingson and he should be the East nominee for MOP.
West Division
Matt Nichols and Andrew Harris have been a dynamic tandem for Winnipeg. What the Bombers quarterback has done with a collective receiving core that would rank behind Edmonton, Saskatchewan, B.C. and possibly even Calgary makes the case for Nichols.
Ed Gainey’s league-leading interception total should get attention, but the only real contender for MOP in Saskatchewan must be Duron Carter. He’s got an impressive receiving stats and a couple more pick-sixes could enhance his chance.
Brandon Zylstra has been outstanding for Edmonton and tops the CFL in receiving yards. And the man throwing him the football, Mike Reilly could post career highs in passing yards and touchdowns, plus he’s got another nine majors on the ground.
“Reilly has carried the team on his shoulders with all of the injuries,” a talent evaluator said.
Alex Singleton stands out regardless of what nationality his passport reads. The Canadian linebacker has been a purebred horse in the middle for the Stampeders. Bo Levi Mitchell, 2016 CFL MOP, has been put lower in the award ranks coming off a spectacular campaign one year ago. However, it’s worth considering Mitchell in 2017.
“Name of the game is winning and that’s all Mitchell does, regardless of the roster Calgary puts out there,” one rival football executive said.
“The media gets bored of the story,” another scout added.
Mitchell is the quarterback of the best team in the league and that seems to have been forgotten this time around. Yes, the pure numbers are down compared to last season, but two of his top receivers missed extensive time – Kamar Jorden and DaVaris Daniels – leaving Mitchell to develop a rapport with rookies Marken Michel and Reggie Begelton. Add to that the fact he’s played most of the season injured. Despite the ailment, Mitchell remains among the league’s elite pivots in the big statistical categories. And most importantly, yet again, Mitchell has more wins than any other starting quarterbacks.
But the key word on the award is ‘outstanding’ and there has been one player that fits the definition above all others. When it’s all said and done the special ratio-breaking playmaker could make CFL history (900-900 or 1,000-1,000) and touch the football around 300 times in a single season while being durable and leading the league in yards from scrimmage.
“There is no other player that’s been more outstanding than Harris. What he allows Winnipeg to do ratio-wise and as a multi-purpose back has been special,” one football man said about Harris who sits second in rushing and top 16 in receiving yards.
Winnipeg’s Canadian back should be the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player for 2017.
