Ray in, Maas out?

[Angelus]

No Ray of sunshine for Maas

Vicki Hall
The Edmonton Journal

EDMONTON - Jason Maas doesn't see himself in a green and gold uniform next season if the Edmonton Eskimos sign quarterback Ricky Ray this winter.

"If that's the road this organization wants to take, I'm pretty sure I know the door I'm going to be out of," Maas said after a sleepless night following Sunday's loss to Saskatchewan in the CFL Western semifinal.

"I don't want to be an understudy. I want to play again. I'm 28 years old, not 38. I don't feel like the end of my career is any time soon."

Ray has said he will consider returning to the CFL -- more specifically, to the Eskimos -- in 2005 if things don't look up in his quest to play in the National Football League.

The 24-year-old took advantage of the escape clause in his contract with the Eskimos last winter to sign with the New York Jets. He had high hopes going into training camp, but ended up languishing on the practice roster for the first two months of the regular season.

Ray is expected to dress this weekend as the third stringer behind Quincy Carter and Brooks Bollinger, due to a rotator cuff injury suffered by starter Chad Pennington.

"I don't think there's any question he should be coming back," said Edmonton head coach Tom Higgins. "And he should be a member of the Eskimos. He had his start here. And he should have the opportunity to finish here. If he should become available, he should be here."

Maas said he understands why the Eskimos want Ray back.

"I won't blame them," he said. "Ricky is the guy who won the Grey Cup. He went to two Grey Cups. This city loves Ricky, and he's a great quarterback.

"If that's what they decide to do, I'll be going somewhere else, I'm sure."

Maas enjoyed a spectacular season in virtually every category this year except the ones that really count -- wins and losses. He passed for 5,270 yards, 31 touchdowns and just 14 interceptions.

But the defending Grey Cup champions struggled as a whole this year with a 9-9 record before Sunday's playoff loss.

Once again, Maas put up decent numbers. He completed 33 of 47 passes for 351 yards but no touchdowns and one fumble on a quarterback sneak.

"You just sit in your bed all night and replay the game in your head," he said. "We just didn't execute."

Maas is entering the option year of his contract with the Eskimos. He lives in Sherwood Park year round and wants to stay here. But he also wants to play.

"I want to be the starting quarterback of this organization," he said. "I want to win a Grey Cup. That's the only goal I have as a quarterback and as a person. That's all I want to accomplish in my life -- to win a Grey Cup for the Edmonton Eskimos."

[Angelus]

Re: Ray in, Maas out?

Return of Ray in the forecast

Mark Spector
National Post

EDMONTON - Ricky Ray was flying back from Buffalo on Sunday afternoon while his old job was hitting the classified pages back in Edmonton. He had generated zero points charting plays in the Jets' 22-17 loss to the Bills, while up at Commonwealth Stadium, Ray's friend, confidante and former teammate Jason Maas had played 60 minutes for the Edmonton Eskimos and only bettered Ray by a pair of field goals.

The Eskimos that Ray had installed as defending Grey Cup champions before handing the quarterbacking job over to Maas this season bowed out Sunday with an overall record of nine wins and 10 losses, and will now formulate an offer that could draw Ray back to the Canadian Football League.

"I don't think there should be any question that he should be coming back and be a member of the Edmonton Eskimos," said embattled Eskimos head coach Tom Higgins, who is about even money right now to be invited to Ray's press conference, should it occur. "He had his start here, and he should have the opportunity to finish here. If he should become available, he should be here."

"It's what I hope will happen," Ray said, "that I'll get some interest from up there, some from down here, and then I'll have some choices."

Buried on the Jets practice roster, there is some doubt as to whether another NFL general manager will lure Ray out of New York, promise significant pre-season playing time and a legitimate shot at the No. 2 spot, a prerequisite Ray has established for the continuation of his NFL career. Even with Jets starter Chad Pennington going down with a shoulder strain on Sunday, a promotion to third-string still leaves Ray a mighty distance from taking a snap in a live NFL game for the Jets.

"As far as this year, injuries are pretty well the only way I'll move on to the roster. Or, another team picking me up. It's a possibility, but it's unlikely," Ray said Friday from New York. "As far as getting on a roster this year, it's a pretty slim chance.

"I wanted to take a shot down here, and it hasn't really worked out for me. They decided to go with more experienced guys, and I kind of got left out."

If he ends the season on the Jets practice roster, Ray becomes a free agent. Toronto will make a pitch, as will Edmonton, which just finished its first season post-Ray. It was a disaster.

"We were average," Higgins said. "Nine and nine [in the regular season] is average. We were not as good as we need to be."

The Eskimos roster was wanting in more positions than just quarterback, but with Maas at the helm, Edmonton surrendered without even a chance to defend its two-year reign in the West in the division final -- without even scoring a touchdown on home field, against a Roughriders team that needed just 14 points to walk away victorious.

It was the Eskimos who unearthed Ray seemingly out of nowhere in 2002. He was invited to Eskimos training camp as a favour called in by a friend of someone in Edmonton management, then led Edmonton to the Grey Cup in both '02 and '03. He stole Maas's starting job along the way, and would have no regrets about doing it again next season.

"Not really," Ray said. "He's a competitor, I'm a competitor. You obviously have to go out and prove yourself wherever you go, but ..."

But, if he signs in Edmonton, the No. 1 job will be his. That much Maas knows for sure.

"It would mean I'm outta here, pretty much," Maas said yesterday, as the Eskimos cleaned out their lockers. "If that's the road they want to go down, I'm pretty sure I know the door I'm going to be going out of. They probably should have wrapped him up when they had the chance.

"I totally understand. But if that's the way it's going to go, I'm outta here."

"That's the way this business goes," Ray said. "It's what you worry about all the time, getting hurt, or some guy stepping up and taking your job. Nothing's guaranteed. There are always 10 guys waiting in line to take your job."

Maas had a five-star receiving corps this season, but played behind a weak offensive line and received little help from a backfield where Mike Pringle, at a stage in his career he is unable to carry the running load, did not have a complementary fullback.

Still, Maas's 2004 numbers were strikingly similar to Ray's in 2003. Maas passed for 5,270 yards, where Ray had 4,640; Maas's completion percentage was 65.8, Ray's 67.6; Maas's overall efficiency rating was 105.1, Ray's was 108.1; Maas threw 14 interceptions this season, Ray threw 13 in '03.

But the category that measures the most valuable asset of a quarterback's makeup does not appear in the post-game stats package. The important questions -- Why did Maas appear terrified, fumbling the ball five times in the biggest game of the season at a chilly Taylor Field in Regina three weeks ago? Why did Ray, in a far colder Regina Grey Cup game last November, deliver the penultimate big-game performance of his pro career? -- cannot be punched into a calculator that spits the answers out on a white paper scroll.

"Quarterbacks," Ray said, "you've got to prove yourself a winner, and do it by winning in the playoffs. No other position is graded that way."

The jury is in for Maas in Edmonton, where he has posted good numbers but produced virtually nothing when it counts in the post-season. In his two playoff starts -- both losses -- he has engineered 16 and six points, respectively. He racked up 351 yards passing on Sunday, almost doubling Henry Burris's 158 yards.

But Burris put it in the end zone twice, where Maas stalled four times inside Saskatchewan's 38-yard line. And Burris's team won.

The stat that counts isn't a number at all, but a letter. And the Eskimos have read enough to know how Roberto Duran once felt.

No Maas.

[Sandy - Edmonton]

Re: Ray in, Maas out?

I don't like it one bit....

Like I said...watching this year, Maas in my opinion, is just as good as Ray.

Advantages of Maas: Stonger arm, quicker release, more accuracy (threw the deep ball much more than Ray, and got nearly the same completion percentage).

Advantages Ray: Less streaky, short passing game, more scrambling ability.

Maas will likely be in the CFL long term. Ray could come back, but for how long? 2 more years before he jumps to the NFL again?

I still say if Maas played in the 2003 team (no rookie o-linemen, no Fabian Burke which possibly cost us the Western Division, a quality full back, effective runningback, much better d-line) , he would have had the same success.

Age shouldn't be a factor in this decision. Maas isn't that old...only 28. Like I said, Ray could just jump back to the NFL in 2 years, and will cost the Esks around 400K...money can be used elsewhere in postions of NEED.

Maas is undeserving of what he's taking right now....

[Angelus]

Re: Ray in, Maas out?

Maas is undeserving of what he's taking right now....

Agreed.

[Sandy - Edmonton]

Re: Ray in, Maas out?

Agreed.

What are your thoughts on this whole "issue?"

[Angelus]

Re: Ray in, Maas out?

What are your thoughts on this whole "issue?"

My head says Ray.
My heart says Maas.

I'm torn.

[earl2]

Re: Ray in, Maas out?

I believe Ray is a better QB. But the Esks better make sure they dont tick off Maas with this whole "is he-or isn't he" issue regarding Ray. IMO Ray will take another shot at the NFL and will likely generate enough interest to at least delay his return to the CFL. The Esks need Maas.

[Sandy - Edmonton]

Re: Ray in, Maas out?

My head really says Maas.....he's not perfect, but he's a top 2 QB in the league.

Right now it's just speculation as to if Ray will come to the CFL....any team could sign Ray at the camps next year.

We were talking all year that if Ray came back this season, that he likely would be the backup...

[Delorean]

Re: Ray in, Maas out?

I'm a big RR fan, but I'd be afraid that we'd run Maas out of town before we knew for sure Ray would come back here. He could pull an Avery and claim he'd come back, Maas decides to sign elsewhere, then Ray changes his mind and signs with another club. Then we'd have nobody to take the controls next season.

But that's just the paranoid in me talking.

[TurfToe]

Re: Ray in, Maas out?

In my most humble opinion...

The Esks would do well to stick with Jason Maas. There will be other changes that the team will have to deal with. Stability at QB - as opposed to a revolving door - will be crucial.

I do think that with a better O-Line and a full and consistent running game Maas would have preformed even better.

Add this intangible... if the Esks do decide to stick with Jason, how much more will it mean to him to preform to his ultimate? to do whatever he can - for the team and the fans - to get that win.

And go one step further... the Ricky Ray sweepstakes will be rich indeed (I'll post separately about that in the 'CFL' section as it will involve numerous other teams). If the Esks cough up the cash for RR then something else somewhere will have to give. Factor in the idea that Wright will start to make moves to at least give some bite to the salary cap and the Esks might find that they don't have pockets deep enough to replace the veterans that will soon need replacing. It would be short term gain for long term pain. Something that neither Don Matthews nor Wally Buono believe in... and they don't seem to do so badly!

[Sandy - Edmonton]

Re: Ray in, Maas out?

In my most humble opinion...

The Esks would do well to stick with Jason Maas. There will be other changes that the team will have to deal with. Stability at QB - as opposed to a revolving door - will be crucial.

I do think that with a better O-Line and a full and consistent running game Maas would have preformed even better.

Add this intangible... if the Esks do decide to stick with Jason, how much more will it mean to him to preform to his ultimate? to do whatever he can - for the team and the fans - to get that win.

And go one step further... the Ricky Ray sweepstakes will be rich indeed (I'll post separately about that in the 'CFL' section as it will involve numerous other teams). If the Esks cough up the cash for RR then something else somewhere will have to give. Factor in the idea that Wright will start to make moves to at least give some bite to the salary cap and the Esks might find that they don't have pockets deep enough to replace the veterans that will soon need replacing. It would be short term gain for long term pain. Something that neither Don Matthews nor Wally Buono believe in... and they don't seem to do so badly!

Great post...

What's puzzling is Higgins is creating an issue when there isn't one. Reading in between the lines, he saying that if Ray comes back, bye bye Maas. Way to give your quarterback who performed among the league's best a vote of confidence!

[Muley69]

Re: Ray in, Maas out?

I can see it now.


Maas will leave the Esks if we re-sign Ray. IF MAAS WINS EVEN ONE CUP, he'll garner the respect he has deserved (IMO) from the league as a whole; and the whole of the CFL (including some Eskimo fans!) will remark on what a stupid idea it was to get rid of Maas.

[TurfToe]

Re: Ray in, Maas out?

Great post...

What's puzzling is Higgins is creating an issue when there isn't one. Reading in between the lines, he saying that if Ray comes back, bye bye Maas. Way to give your quarterback who performed among the league's best a vote of confidence!

quite right... and therein lies a question about Mr. Higgins and his mandate.

The view from afar would say that Higsy isn't the biggest Maas fan... that, in a round-about way, he's trying to lay blame at Jason's feet... maybe in an attempt to save his own skin? Who knows?

[donniewilson#20]

Re: Ray in, Maas out?

quite right... and therein lies a question about Mr. Higgins and his mandate.

The view from afar would say that Higsy isn't the biggest Maas fan... that, in a round-about way, he's trying to lay blame at Jason's feet... maybe in an attempt to save his own skin? Who knows?

I agree - thats how it appears. I do think that RR made the O-line appear better then they are by using his quick release ( even though Beaton retired and Prinsen was hurt. the Oline problems were going on before prinsen went down).

[Mrs Bigs]

Re: Ray in, Maas out?

I agree I think the Eskies management need to get behind Maas now before this thing gets beyond repair and we find ourselves without a QB next year at all. Even if RR comes back I can't see it being long term...he has made it clear that his dream is to play in the NFL. I say lets get behind Maas and go get him an Oline to protect him.