ARBUCKLE TO REDBLACKS!
OTTAWA – The Ottawa Redblacks have made a deal for a potential new starting quarterback.
The RedBlacks – who finished a CFL-worst 3-15 in 2019 – acquired the rights to quarterback Nick Arbuckle from the Calgary Stampeders on Friday.
The Redblacks sent a 2020 third-round pick to the Stampeders and Calgary gets a conditional pick if Arbuckle signs with Ottawa. The quarterback is eligible to become a free agent on Feb. 11.
Arbuckle, 26, was backup to Bo Levi Mitchell last season. He rallied the Stamps to a victory in late June when Mitchell got hurt and then went 4-3 as a starter.
In nine games last season, his second in the CFL, Arbuckle completed 174 of 248 passes (73.1 per cent) with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions.
“I thank Nick for everything he did for the Stampeders organization and particularly for the way he performed during Bo’s absence last season,” Stampeders president/general manager John Hufnagel said in a statement.
The Redblacks struggled badly at quarterback last season after losing Trevor Harris to the Edmonton Eskimos in free agency.
Dominique Davis, Jonathon Jennings and Will Arndt all made starts for Ottawa last season.
The Toronto Argonauts, who hired ex-Stamps QB coach Ryan Dinwiddie as their new head coach late last year, also had been seen as a potential landing spot for Arbuckle. Toronto has just one quarterback – Canadian Michael O’Connor – under contract for next season.
The Redblacks also have a new head coach in former Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive co-ordinator Paul LaPolice.
All three of LaPolice’s starting quarterbacks in Winnipeg’s Grey Cup 2019 season – Matt Nichols, Chris Streveler and Zach Collaros – are eligible for free agency.
(Canadian Press)
Global News, Posted January 3, 2020 4:13 PM Updated January 3 2020 4: 46 PM Elections, champions and warm winters: psychic predictions for Saskatchewan in decade ahead. Regina psychic predicts no Grey Cup 2020 for the Saskatchewan Roughriders as Calgary and Hamilton face off for the championship title in Regina but we will see a Grey Cup in the next 3 years because there are going to be big dynamic changes in the organization. Cody Fajardo will see improvement this 2020 season but unpredictable if he hoists the the Grey Cup with the Roughriders. Fajardo is going to receive some… Read more »
Riders are an old team & need to get younger. That’s the biggest problem there.
No surprise here. Dinwiddie may still convince him to go to Toronto. It happened in 2013 when Reilly was being sought by both Winnipeg & Edmonton. Hervey pre-empted the Bombers by trading for his rights previous to free agency. Smart move as it turned out. A couple of years later it was hotly anticipated by a number of teams, including the Riders, that Franklin would be a hot item @ free agency & a slew of Rider fans said he was definitely going to Regina because of the Jones connection. Turns out Franklin didn’t like Jones. In any case why… Read more »
PS,
Nick Arbuckle_ he’s just not ready.