2025-2026 Offseason thread

[dealerd]

Clearly he was never in the plans (although I think he should have been because on paper we have now downgraded our quarterbacking). I’m wondering if Ed had an agreement with Hamilton to hang onto Ford until the last day so that Hamilton could scoop him right after his release without other teams having a chance to run up the price in exchange for Hamilton letting Powell walk. A kind of trade where Hamilton isn't faced with the awkward decision of having to pay the bonus or cut their new acquisition.

Signing Powell to replace Tre is a HUGE upgrade at QB now , at least we now have a solid back up , who has a bright future as our starter ,ESKS fans should be super excited with Cody and Powell , maybe best 1-2 punch in the CFL, best of all no more soap opera to hold this team back

[ben_the_eskimo]

Signing Powell to replace Tre is a HUGE upgrade at QB now , at least we now have a solid back up , who has a bright future as our starter ,ESKS fans should be super excited with Cody and Powell , maybe best 1-2 punch in the CFL, best of all no more soap opera to hold this team back

Zero evidence to support that claim.

Powells never been a stand out at any level he’s played at. He had a good stretch of games two seasons ago in relief of Bo but hasn’t done anything since.

If Hamilton thought he was a future franchise guy they wouldn’t have let him walk.

[ben_the_eskimo]

This is exactly what I have been saying.

I agree Ford as a pure athlete is better than Powel. If Ford the athlete can turn into a better, more consistent QB, then he could be really good. Even better he's Canadian. But for the Elks, that doesn't matter. The coach, OC and GM have decided they don't see him as a useable player for whatever reason. So where I disagree with you is when you said they should have tried to restructure and kept him based on his potential. IMO that's a complete waste of money, practice time and a roster spot because the coaches and GM don't see him as an option to play. So he will either just sit on the bench or maybe not even dress doing nothing but earning a paycheck and taking away time and reps from a guy who the coach might actually play.

The GM has to give the coach players he wants period, regardless if another guy might be better.

I agree, which is why I understand the move Hervey made.

I think it’s a risk but clearly it’s what the coaching staff wanted so hopefully it works out.

I think JM could have done a better job building a system that was suited to Tre’s strengths.

[dealerd]

Zero evidence to support that claim.

Powells never been a stand out at any level he’s played at. He had a good stretch of games two seasons ago in relief of Bo but hasn’t done anything since.

If Hamilton thought he was a future franchise guy they wouldn’t have let him walk.

Actually you are wrong , he is the brightest future qb by the experts , I’m guessing it was his decision to test FA instead of continuing to play behind Bo ,I’m guessing he sees a better opportunity to start in Edmonton before Hamilton , Tre will be lucky to win the back up job there with Dolegala coming back for 2 more years

[adb]

Zero evidence to support that claim.

Powells never been a stand out at any level he’s played at. He had a good stretch of games two seasons ago in relief of Bo but hasn’t done anything since.

If Hamilton thought he was a future franchise guy they wouldn’t have let him walk.

Farhan Lalji was recently asked to compare Powell to Ford and his opinion was that Powell has a higher floor but a lower ceiling than Ford. I think I agree with that assessment. Powell is probably more ready to start right now but we'll see who is rated higher in a few years. Tre could turn out to be a bust if he doesn't figure out how to read defenses quick enough but if he eventually does figure that out then he could turn out to be quite something. He picked a really good spot as he has a chance to learn from Scott Millanovich. If he's willing to put in the work then he has a really good shot at eventually becoming a bonafide starter in this league.

[ben_the_eskimo]

Farhan Lalji was recently asked to compare Powell to Ford and his opinion was that Powell has a higher floor but a lower ceiling than Ford. I think I agree with that assessment. Powell is probably more ready to start right now but we'll see who is rated higher in a few years. Tre could turn out to be a bust if he doesn't figure out how to read defenses quick enough but if he eventually does figure that out then he could turn out to be quite something. He picked a really good spot as he has a chance to learn from Scott Millanovich. If he's willing to put in the work then he has a really good shot at eventually becoming a bonafide starter in this league.

Sounds about right to me.

[ben_the_eskimo]

Actually you are wrong , he is the brightest future qb by the experts , I’m guessing it was his decision to test FA instead of continuing to play behind Bo ,I’m guessing he sees a better opportunity to start in Edmonton before Hamilton , Tre will be lucky to win the back up job there with Dolegala coming back for 2 more years

No experts are saying that. Powell is a game manager, he’s a safe QB that can run a system and play not to lose, much like Cody.

Here’s a good breakdown from ChatGPT:


Taylor Powell vs Tre Ford — Expert Comparison (CFL)

Category	Taylor Powell	Tre Ford
Archetype	Traditional pocket passer	Dual-threat playmaker
Height / Build	6’1–6’2, ~207-208 lb	Smaller, athletic QB
College pedigree	Missouri → Troy → Eastern Michigan	Waterloo (Hec Crighton winner — best U SPORTS player)
CFL experience	Spot starter / backup	Multiple-year starter/rotation QB
Playing style	Timing & reads	Improvisation & mobility

Production (recent seasons)

Taylor Powell

• 2023: 2,283 yards — 10 TD — 9 INT

• Career CFL: 2,752 yards — 12 TD — 9 INT

• 2025: only 6/8 for 47 yards

Translation: Had one real starting season — otherwise backup-level usage.

⸻

Tre Ford

• 2022-23: 2,069 yards pass + 622 rush yards

• 2024: 1,137 yards — 10 TD — 71.8% completion

• 2025: 984 yards — 5 TD — 3 INT (5 starts)

• Example game: 325 pass + 81 rush in one win

Translation: When he plays, the offense changes shape.

⸻

Film-Style Evaluation

Taylor Powell — “System QB”

Strengths

• Accurate on short & intermediate routes

• Reads coverage normally

• Quick rhythm throws

• Low turnover profile

Weaknesses

• Limited arm talent

• No real running threat

• Needs protection & structure

• Ceiling: game manager

What he is:

➡️ Reliable backup / low-variance starter

➡️ Coaches trust him to run the playbook exactly

Think: Bo Levi Mitchell lite

⸻

Tre Ford — “Chaos Creator”

Strengths

• Elite mobility

• Extends broken plays

• Deep ball outside structure

• Creates rushing offense himself

Weaknesses

• Inconsistent reads

• Can struggle from the pocket

• Scheme dependent

• Higher variance

What he is:

➡️ Offense becomes unpredictable

➡️ High ceiling but coaching-dependent

Think: Lamar-style CFL QB

Ceiling vs Floor

Trait	Advantage
Accuracy	Powell
Processing	Powell
Athleticism	Ford
Big-play ability	Ford
Consistency	Powell
Game-changing ability	Ford
Long-term starter potential	Ford
Safe backup	Powell

Why Teams Value Them Differently

• Coaches who want control → Powell

• Coaches who want explosive offense → Ford

In modern CFL (wide field, motion, waggle):

Mobility matters a LOT more than NFL-style pocket play.

That tilts upside toward Ford.

Bottom Line

Taylor Powell

• Higher floor

• Lower ceiling

• Backup-quality starter

• “Don’t lose the game” QB

Tre Ford

• Lower floor

• Much higher ceiling

• Playmaker QB

• “Win or lose because of him” QB

⸻

✅ Pure talent: Ford

✅ Stability: Powell

✅ Franchise upside: Ford

✅ Coach comfort: Powell

⸻

Simple Verdict

• If your team is already good → Powell

• If your team needs a difference-maker → Ford

The Elks went with the safe option.

[BeaverSports]

interesting article on Ford

https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/f...-edmonton-elks

This was an unknown story? Seems like an obvious - and dry - story for most of us.

[Looner]

If the coach has made the decision they like Panarin better, regardless of what anyone else thinks or even if the other player is better, as you said, you have to give the coach what he wants. Having a player the coach either doesn't trust or doesn't like or won't play, is pointless. All the team is doing is paying money and using up a roster spot on a guy that will just sit on the bench and watch. It's better to put that money and roster spot towards a guy that the coach will actually use.

agreed

[adb]

agreed

Wish someone would have told Eric Tillman that back in the day.

[ben_the_eskimo]

Wish someone would have told Eric Tillman that back in the day.

The BOD’s decision to hire Tillman back in 2010 arguably set in motion the entire disastrous chain of events that lead to the eventual sale of the club to a private owner.

Thankfully the EEFC seems to be back on track now, finally.

[Esks4ever]

Signing Powell to replace Tre is a HUGE upgrade at QB now , at least we now have a solid back up , who has a bright future as our starter ,ESKS fans should be super excited with Cody and Powell , maybe best 1-2 punch in the CFL, best of all no more soap opera to hold this team back

[Esks4ever]

Actually you are wrong , he is the brightest future qb by the experts , I’m guessing it was his decision to test FA instead of continuing to play behind Bo ,I’m guessing he sees a better opportunity to start in Edmonton before Hamilton , Tre will be lucky to win the back up job there with Dolegala coming back for 2 more years

[ben_the_eskimo]

I’ve got nothing against Powell, I’m sure he’ll be serviceable if Cody goes down for any length of time but I’m not ready to go out and bet the farm on him becoming our next franchise quarterback at this point that’s for sure.

Looks like Kilams preference is to go with a game manager at QB, not make mistakes on Offence, and win on the strength of the Defence. Which is a legit strategy that may not be flashy, but has worked in this league.

[Hammer24]

Actually you are wrong , he is the brightest future qb by the experts , I’m guessing it was his decision to test FA instead of continuing to play behind Bo ,I’m guessing he sees a better opportunity to start in Edmonton before Hamilton , Tre will be lucky to win the back up job there with Dolegala coming back for 2 more years

I think you're greatly overrating Dolegala. I think Hamilton is keeping him more for his short yardage abilities than as backup QB. He's going to be their version of Riders' Tommy Stevens albeit with more upside to be QB if Hamilton needs to call upon QB3. Much like the previous Farhan quote about Powell having a lower ceiling than Ford but higher floor same goes for Dolegala. Compared to Powell Dolegala has bother a lower ceiling and lower floor. Jake's ceiling is fringe QB2 or decent QB3.