Photo: Former B.C. Lions quarterback Casey Printers was cut by the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday but his agent says teams in the NFL and CFL have shown an interest in the 26-year-old.
It is clear that former Florida A&M University quarterback Casey Printers studied more than football under Coach Billy Joe. Herm Edward, head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs offered Printers the opportunity to re-sign on the Chiefs practice roster, but he declined and cleared waivers on Sunday. Returning to Kansas City would have earned Printers a yearly pay check of $200,000 on the practice roster.
Printers is a former CFL star with the British Columbia Lions. His best season came in 2004, when he was named the CFL's most outstanding player after throwing for 5,088 yards and 35 touchdowns while leading B.C. to the Grey Cup game. He has expressed no interest in wasting another year on the NFL sidelines and is expected to return to Canada as the highest paid player in the CFL, if not signed this week by an NFL team.
This decision by Printers is a no brain-er as the bigger bucks for his talents (for this season) are in the CFL, not the NFL. Mr. Printers and his agent have five of the eight CFL teams bidding for his services.
I can understand Printers disappointment with the NFL, especially in light of the fact he is a better quarterback than FAMU's Quinn Gray, that is now the back-up quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars. This is not to say that Quinn does not deserve the opportunity he has earned in the NFL, but they both are very talented QBs and deserve to be on the active roster of an NFL team.
However, it is very difficult to change perception and the existing system of recycling no talent poster boys. For example, what is the Washington Redskins Coach Joe Gibbs thinking by keeping a 14 year over-the-hill veteran like QB Mark Brunell with a weak arm? Perfect opportunity to sign a Casey Printers.
Now the story developing from Canada....
Quarterback Casey Printers 6-2/222
Experience: 1 year NFL/3 years CFL
CFL Stats: 45 games/20 as starter for B.C. Lions
457 of 712 passes for 6,763 yards with 45 TDs, 16 Int.
122 rushes for 849 yards (7.0 avg.) with 11 touchdowns.
Five teams interested in Printers
By Perry Lefko, Sportsnet.ca
Five Canadian Football League teams -- the Toronto Argonauts, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Calgary Stampeders, Winnipeg Blue Bombers and B.C. Lions -- are interested in free-agent quarterback Casey Printers, Sportsnet.ca has learned.
And his agent will be trying to make Printers the highest-paid player in the CFL.
Printers was cut earlier in the week by the Kansas City Chiefs, who signed him to a three-year, US$1.05-million deal in January 2006. He spent the entire season on the practice squad, receiving $5,200 per game for all 16 games. He rejected an offer to join the Chiefs practice roster.
Since clearing NFL waivers, five of the eight CFL teams have contacted Printers and/or his Houston-based agent, Jason Medlock.
Medlock would not confirm which CFL teams have made inquiries, only that he's talked to five. But sources confirmed Toronto, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Calgary and B.C.
Of the five teams, only Hamilton, which is last in the CFL with a 1-8 record, has an immediate pressing need at quarterback. Both veteran Jason Maas and rookie Timmy Chang have struggled this season as starters.
Toronto has Michael Bishop as its starter and he guided the team to a 32-14 Labour Day win over Hamilton, ending a five-game losing streak. All of the losses came with Bishop on the sidelines with a broken wrist. The Argos are playing host to the Grey Cup and their offensive co-ordinator, Steve Buratto, had a great working relationship with Printers when he played for B.C. Printers played for the Lions from 2003-2005 and was voted the CFL's Most Outstanding Player with B.C. in 2004.
B.C. has some issues at quarterback now with injuries to its top two quarterbacks, Dave Dickenson, who is sidelined indefinitely with concussion-like symptons, and Buck Pierce, who has a separated shoulder and is expected to be out another two weeks. The Lions are also battling with Saskatchewan for first in the West. The Roughriders lead by one point.
Both Winnipeg, with Kevin Glenn, and Calgary, with Henry Burris, have established starters, but sources tell Sportsnet.ca the two teams have made inquiries. The degree to which they will bid remains to be seen. There is the possibility they could sign Printers, then trade the other quarterback.
"You bring in a Casey Printers you bring in (people to the stands), you're bringing in hype, you bring in the best quarterback in the league," Medlock said. "You bring in the marquee player. That's what he was when he left and I believe he can be that for a few more years. So hopefully a CFL team can make a big enough push to commit him (to sign)."
Medlock expected to receive CFL offers by the end of the week, if not sooner, but also said the NFL is still on the radar and did not rule out Printers working out with some teams.
"Make no mistake about it, he'll probably sign with a (NFL club), but he has to weigh his options and still consider the CFL in order to ensure himself he's going to be playing football," Medlock said. "In the NFL there are a lot of politics and circumstances that he can't control. So if there are CFL offers, he's going to look at it really, really hard."
Medlock said he is expecting to make Printers the highest-paid player in the CFL. It's believed Edmonton's Ricky Ray is the top-paid player at about $460,000 a season.
"I'm hoping to make him the highest-paid player. Period," Medlock said. "Whatever that number is, I'm looking at him being the marquee player (in the CFL). He's young, exciting, he smiles, he has charisma and he's a heck of a football player. Canadian fans across the league enjoy players like that."
Medlock said the CFL's salary-cap of $4.05 million per team will impact on Printers receiving the kind of money that will make him the highest-paid player.
"We have to look (at the cap)," he said. "There are a lot of ways that you can do deals, but you've got to be creative. If it gets down to a number he likes from a club but it affects their cap, I'm savvy enough to make it work. If Casey decides that is what he wants to do, a deal can happen. I'm not worried about the cap. We can work around that. That's not an issue."
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