The Khari Jones Trade

I was going to include this in the last post, but I thought it sort of deserved its own post. So, here are my thoughts on the Khari Jones deal:

I'm not one of those people that think Calgary got particularly hosed. Fleming was going to leave as a free agent anways, so while an expensive and old QB, a random fullback and a pick may not have been the ideal for one of the league's top D-lineman, one of your random fullbacks and a safety, it was better than nothing. As well, while B.C. may wind up having to offload Dickenson in the offseason (Printers doesn't enter his option year for another year, so he's safe from NFL poaching for at least a season, meaning that something's gotta give out there) Toronto and Hamilton may also be in the market for Quarterbacks. As well, Saskatchewan may wind up having to offload another one of their quarterbacks, but there's a bit less certainty there (alot will depend on how Greene comes back from the broken leg, and whether Danny and Roy decide to go with him or Burris, as I get the sense that neither is really all that keen on being back-up to the other). In theory the price for Jones could have fallen if the market was glutted, but then they wouldn't have a premier D-lineman as a bargaining chip. Is Jones an upgrade over what they have? I think so. Crandell, though younger, hasn't been as consistent as Jones (though, he did beat him in a Grey Cup) and their young quarterbacks are just too green at this stage. That being said, alot of Calgary's offensive problems stem from their receivers dropping the ball, and the lack of a running game. While Khari can't do much about the drops, he's shown a greater willingness to run than has Crandell, and that may help open up more holes for Victor Ike.

I think this is a good deal for Winnipeg too. Fleming will have an impact immediately and Lysack is a good safety. As well, it appears that Winnipeg is looking to go with Kevin Glenn for the long-term, so trading Khari just made sense. They also got rid of a large salary (and Glenn has already been locked in long-term, so they should be able to upgrade in other positions during the offseason). I'm not sure about trading within the division, but sometimes you just have to go with what works.

All in all, I'm looking forward to seeing how this all shakes down (and am a little concerned that we still have to play Winnipeg again, and they'll have Fleming in the lineup).