There is no use hiding it, the Ottawa Redblacks are in the market for another quarterback.
Speaking to the media this week, general manager Shawn Burke didn’t beat around the bush when asked if adding to that position group was a high priority for his team.
“I definitely would say we’re looking to be active,” Burke told reporters. “Obviously, the last two years haven’t gone how we envisioned in the quarterback room through no fault of anyone’s; injuries happen. But I talked at the end of the season that we need to have more consistency in that room in terms of who’s playing and we’ll investigate to improve our club.”
Cementing the quarterback position was one of Burke’s first acts when he was hired by Ottawa ahead of the 2022 season, bringing over Jeremiah Masoli from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. However, the 35-year-old has only been able to play five games over two years with his new club, suffering back-to-back season-ending injuries.
The veteran remains under contract with the Redblacks for next season but is due a $100,000 offseason bonus on January 15, creating a deadline for the organization to make a decision on his status for next year. With Masoli unlikely to be healthy to start the season, Ottawa can no longer afford to invest starter money into him and has been engaged in a contract renegotiation.
“We’re talking it through. At the end of the day, we have to do that,” Burke acknowledged. “(Masoli) knows that his role is changing with the team. Our perspective going into training camp this year is much different than the last two years.”
That leaves an open question regarding who the team’s starting quarterback will be in 2024. While third-year man Tyrie Adams also remains under contract, dual-threat Dustin Crum might be the only signal-caller healthy for training camp.
The six-foot-three, 207-pound pivot started 14 games as a rookie last season after beginning the year as the fourth-stringer, completing 266-of-385 passes (69.1 percent) for 3,109 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He also ran for 741 yards and nine majors, drawing praise from his GM for how he responded to being forced into action early in his career.
“I’m excited to see what the future brings for Dustin,” Burke said. “He’s obviously been a very productive quarterback at the college level. He did some great things for us last year, extremely intelligent and extremely competitive. When you have a competitive person, the sky’s the limit in my eyes.”
However, the Redblacks plan to leave no stone unturned after four straight seasons without a playoff appearance and Crum won’t be handed the job. Burke confirmed that the team was involved in conversations with 2022 Grey Cup winner McLeod Bethel-Thompson before the 35-year-old elected to sign in Edmonton, reiterating the team’s commitment to adding talent under centre by any means necessary.
“I won’t get into the negotiations, I think that’s between the agent, the player and myself. But I wouldn’t be doing my job if we didn’t look at all quarterback avenues,” he explained. “I said that at the end of the year, we’re gonna look at free agency, trades, neg list — wherever we have to look to solidify that position group.”
Bethel-Thompson was the last proven veteran option on the market but the Redblacks remain the perceived front-runners for another pending free agent, Blue Bombers’ backup Dru Brown. General manager Kyle Walters said this week that he doesn’t anticipate the 26-year-old returning to Winnipeg next season and Ottawa is the only CFL city with an open competition at quarterback.
Brown has completed 102-of-153 pass attempts (66.6 percent) for 1,484 yards, 14 touchdowns and two interceptions in three seasons with Winnipeg. Burke would not confirm his interest in the Oklahoma State product while his rights were held by another franchise but was complimentary of his skillset.
“I don’t like talking about other team’s quarterbacks obviously, but you watch the league,” he remarked. “We’re all football people that watch the league and what I’ve talked about with Dustin being progressed quickly through the league, Dru’s been the opposite where he’s been able to grow and you’ve seen that maturity and whatnot. Definitely a good young quarterback in this league.”
If Brown isn’t the solution, the Redblacks could also get into a bidding war with the Bombers for the uber-athletic Chris Streveler as he reportedly eyes a return from the NFL. The 29-year-old’s skillset would allow him to thrive in the same style of offence as Crum, though Burke opted to play his cards close to the vest regarding any conversations with the former Grey Cup winner.
“We’ll see more how that develops. It’s futures contract season so he’ll probably have an understanding of where he’s at,” he said. “But he’s definitely a talented quarterback that I wouldn’t be doing my job if I wasn’t conversing.”
A number of pieces will need to fall into place before the Redblacks have clarity at the most important position in football, with the first coming by Monday with the Masoli decision. The rest might have to wait until CFL free agency opens at noon ET on February 13.
Ottawa will begin their 2024 season when they host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Thursday, June 13 in what could be a reunion for one or more quarterbacks.
Editor’s Note: Shortly after the publishing of this article, the Redblacks and Jeremiah Masoli struck a deal on a renegotiated contract. You can read the details reported by 3DownNation’s Justin Dunk here.
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