"REDBLACKS acquire rights to Nick Arbuckle in deal with Stampeders"

This is an interesting move. You rarely see a team acquire a player a few weeks before he hits free agency.

The Ottawa REDBLACKS have acquired quarterback Nick Arbuckle from the Calgary Stampeders in exchange for Ottawa’s third-round pick in this year’s CFL Draft.  

The Stampeders will also receive a conditional draft selection if Arbuckle, a pending free agent, signs with Ottawa.  

The 26-year old Arbuckle impressed in his second year in the CFL in 2019 after taking over for an injured Bo Levi Mitchell. The Georgia State product finished the season having completed 191 passes for 2,247 yards and 12 touchdowns.

So now it's just a matter of signing him. It's kind of an important step but it shouldn't surprise anyone if there was some sort of framework in place on a deal already. Calgary was well aware that Arbuckle intended to seek a starting role somewhere so they'd have no objection to Ottawa talking to him (and his agent) in order to get something for a player they were near-certain to lose anyway.

I do question the necessity of the move a little bit. To achieve his goal of being a regular starter in 2020, Arbuckle did not have many options besides Ottawa. Only Toronto and perhaps Winnipeg might be looking for such a player. Every other team pretty much has its starter firmly in place.

So Ottawa essentially gives up a 3rd round pick to get a head start on Toronto in negotiations with Arbuckle. Arbuckle's former QB coach in Calgary is now the head coach in Toronto so maybe that isn't a bad idea.

What kind of production has that pick produced in the past? Let's check that out.

FB Gabe Polan
OL Andrew Pickett
DE Eli Ankou
DT Mehdi Abdesmad
DE Nigel Romick

Wow. Romick is the only one to provide any sort of production on that list. Pickett and Polan still could, mind you.

Ankou and Abdesmad were gambles based on interest they received from the NFL. So burning this third round pick on a free-agent-to-be is just a different kind of gamble, at worst.

Early reaction to the move seems good. After a year that was difficult from beginning to end, that alone is value for the pick.