HARRIS PIVOTAL TO REDBLACKS’ FUTURE

Re-signing their No. 1 quarterback should be Ottawa’s priority before the year is out

We assume Trevor Harris was speaking metaphorically when he claimed that “80 per cent” of his teammates told him they love, respect and want him back as their leader after the Grey Cup. Otherwise, we’d like to talk with the other 20 per cent when the Redblacks clean out their lockers Tuesday.

What we do know is the 32-year old quarterback has the most important person in his corner as his contract runs out and he is eligible to become a free agent this winter.

“I hope he’s back,” general manager Marcel Desjardins said moments after the Redblacks fell 27-16 to the Calgary Stampeders Sunday at the 106th playing of the Grey Cup. “He may not have had the best of games today, but he did a great job for us all year. “He’s a winner. Just not today.” It’s impossible to know what the Redblacks will look like or what kind of team they will be when they return for training camp in the spring and attempt to get to the championship game for the fourth time in five years.

If the expiring collective bargaining agreement doesn’t put the league on hold, it will surely have some significant effect on rosters. Players will also be tempted by the new leagues starting up south of the border, where they can earn American bucks and travel not so far from home.

But Ottawa is going to require an established quarterback to have a hope of keeping its run of success going.

Without one, you need look no further than four hours down the 401 to see how a team can go from Cup champion to firing its coach in the span of 11 months.

Dominique Davis and Danny Collins might be OK, but the Redblacks can’t go into 2019 with a backup at the controls. Other starters should be available on the free-agent market, but you’re taking a chance if you wait for them to start listening to offers on Feb. 15.

It would be wise for the Redblacks to stick with Harris, sign him to a new deal while people are thinking of Christmas gift ideas and are considering the purchase of season tickets for a liked one.

As someone who has questioned his ability to win them a Grey Cup in the past, I do now think Harris is on the right track. In his first year as a starter, he led them to the playoffs. In his second, he brought them to the Grey Cup. Surrounded by the right personnel, he should be just about ready to become that “winner” Desjardins said he is.

At the very least, he’s trending upward.

Sunday night, Harris was adamant he wants to return for another shot at the Cup with the Redblacks, but then what was he supposed to say at that time? He was also visibly upset over failing to perform better against a Stamps team that took a comfortable 10-point lead into the second half.

“The two interceptions toward the end, we’re just trying to push the ball down the field and make plays,” said Harris, who threw three picks on the day. “It wasn’t errant throws, not seeing coverage ... those are the kinds of things that happen when you’re trying to play catch-up. A few times this year we’ve been able to convert those, we’ve been able to crawl back in and win games. This day it wasn’t that way.

“It wasn’t for a lack of preparation, it wasn’t for a lack of any of that. We just didn’t get it done.”

Against the league’s best defence in the biggest game, Harris completed just 52.6 per cent of his passes (20 of 38). That’s a far cry from his 70.1 per cent completion rate during the season — and his 90.6 per cent in the Eastern Final — but the icy turf made it difficult for receivers to cut and reach their desired destinations.

Noting, as everybody else did, that it was the same field for both teams, Desjardins also thought the slippery field made it difficult for his team to climb out of the hole.

“Especially when we’re such a precise offence,” said Desjardins. “You can’t get your footing, you can’t really do what you want to do. Unfortunately it bit us.”

Grey Cup MVP Bo Levi Mitchell was good on 66.7 per cent of his passes, but he has also been a starter for longer than two years. He’s already where Harris wants to be.

Harris and his representative will soon start considering what his options are for next year. Before that, Harris will look back on 2018 and see that both he and his team did a lot more right than wrong.

“There will be time for reflection on that,” said Harris. “I couldn’t be more proud to play for this organization, play for this group of guys. We’ll be able to look back at this in a few days, a few weeks, whenever it is, and be able to press forward.

“Hopefully we can keep the band together and come back to finish this thing.”