Fantasy Football Cafe Forum

by **Canacuna** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 5:25 pm

ProFootballTalk.com wrote:If former Steelers and Bears quarterback Kordell Stewart can't find an acceptable gig in the NFL, he can always take refuge in Canada.

Last week, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers put Stewart's name on their exclusive negotiation list after he was released by the Bears last week.

"As soon as I saw it I put him on, because I figured 'Hmm, maybe he won't get signed in the NFL'," said G.M. Brendan Taman. "You never know."

Stewart joins Shaun King, Tee Martin, and Ray Lucas on the Blue Bombers' list of players as to whom the team holds exclusive negotiation rights.

"If they can't get back in the NFL and maybe they don't want to play [in the] Arena [League], maybe they'll try their luck in Canada for a year or two."

Though Stewart likely is too proud to resort to Canada if he can't find an acceptable NFL gig, Canada presents his best opportunity for a starting job. The prevailing sentiment around the NFL is that Stewart is a one-dimensional player, and that the offense in which he plays must be tailored to his primary skills as a rollout passer who can read only half of the field.

So if someone decides to add Stewart as a backup, they'll need to have a separate set of plays that they use whenever Kordell gets into the game -- which means that, as a practical matter, those plays will need to be in the broader playbook used for the starter.

This dynamic suggests to us that the Bills won't be interested in adding Kordell, since current starter Drew Bledsoe wouldn't be able to execute the bread-and-butter plays that new head coach Mike Mularkey designed for Stewart when they were together in Pittsburgh.

As we see it, Stewart's best bet might be Atlanta, where starter Mike Vick plays a lot like a young Kordell -- moving out of the pocket and throwing on the run.

Source: BOMBERS SQUAT ON STEWART