Thursday 15 December 2011

Three Questions: Calgary Stampeders

The end of the season always brings a host of questions, today we tackle three question facing the Calgary Stampeders.

1. Will Drew Tate be the next Travis Lulay?
When the Stampeders benched Henry Burris in favour of Drew Tate, it was a move made for the future. It was also similar to a move made a season before by the BC Lions. The Lions decided to cut Casey Printers and play Travis Lulay; a year later they were rewarded with a Grey Cup championship. Calgary is no doubt looking at that as the template for Tate, fairly or unfairly. Tate has the skills to get it done, so don't bet against the Iowa product turning into one the best in league.

2. Where will Henry Burris go?
With Drew Tate's accession means that Henry Burris's time in Calgary is up. There are really only two places that fit what Burris is looking for: Hamilton and Winnipeg. The money is on Burris landing in Hamilton, but Winnipeg could see Burris as an upgrade over Buck Pierce and could outbid the Ti-Cats for him. But if you are a betting man, put your money on the Tiger-Cats.

3. Is Joffrey Reynolds done?
The Stamps are getting younger, which means Joffrey Reynolds is unlikely to be in their plans going forward. Reynolds was benched prior to Calgary's game in Moncton for Jon Cornish, and all Cornish did was establish himself as the one of the best young Running Backs in the CFL. The Stamps even signed Cornish to a contract extension, which means he is the man that Calgary will be going with from here on out. That makes Reynolds expendable, and he'll have a tough time trying to find a job as a 32-year-old, eight-year veteran with almost 1,600 carries. A Running Back's shelf life is notoriously short, and the fact that Reynolds has been at or near the top since 2005 means we have probably seen the last of him on a CFL field.

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