CFL on TSN analyst Matt Dunigan breaks down the quarterback situation for each team heading into the 2012 regular season.
Steven Jyles, Loiusiana Monroe (7th CFL/3rd Edmonton)
What goes around comes around, just ask Jyles who started in Edmonton and is now back after stops in Saskatchewan, Winnipeg and Toronto.
Steven is an extremely enticing quarterback with the complete skill set to succeed in the CFL. I believe, in spite of all the different teams he's played on, Steven has not been in the right scenario to have success. Timing, bad luck, injuries, system and inexperience have all played a factor in Jyles' first six years being nothing more than mediocre.
But like I said, Jyles has all the parts and Tillman is counting on them coming together, this second time around in an Eskimos uniform. Preseason play indicates he still has a few things to work out. Hence keeping the veteran QB Kerry Joseph...
Kerry Joseph, McNeese State (10th CFL/3rd Edmonton)
Kerry continues to bulldoze his way to an impressive CFL career, albeit most of the time not being shown the love he deserves. I encourage everyone to look at his bio on the Edmonton Eskimos website. What he has accomplished is truly incredible, check it out!
Remember, often times this game is about trust and relationships. Joseph and GM Eric Tillman have a history. Tillman brought Kerry into this league as a Ottawa Renegade, and they went to the Big Dance together in Saskatchewan, winning it in '07. You also have to remember that Tillman sent Joseph packing to Toronto after that season. We have a reoccurring theme here!
Joseph is a proven and bonified quarterback with a veteran presence that will be big for not only Jyles but the other two young guns in Edmonton as well.
Matt Nichols, Eastern Washington (3rd CFL/3rd Edmonton) and Jeremiah Masoli, Mississippi (1st CFL/1st Edmonton)
Matt Nichols was and is highly regarded in and around Eskimo territory. His pre-season play was impressive at times and showed signs that made you say "okay, I get it!" It would be nice to see Edmonton cultivate another great QB, and that's what they are trying to do with Nichols.
Masoli this pre-season has looked like The Mississippi Scrambler. This is understandable, as he's just getting his feet wet in this wild and crazy Canadian game. One thing is for sure, we know he has some moxy, and scrambling ability, which are always positive attributes to possess in the CFL.