Dave Campbell
CFL.ca
The one member of the Edmonton Eskimos who is the constant lightning rod for fans whether good or bad is quarterback Ricky Ray.
It’s a love-hate relationship really. Some fans love the poise he exudes in the pocket, the calm demeanor he displays on the football field. On the flip side, some can’t stand the fact Ray never seems fazed by anything. That it doesn’t matter if the game is close or a blowout either way, he seems almost expressionless. Some fans also don’t like that he’s not a mobile quarterback like a Henry Burris or a Darian Durant.
Love him or hate him, number 15 of the green and gold will be chucking passes for the next three seasons in Edmonton. On Monday, Ray signed a two-year contract extension plus an option through to the end of the 2013 season.
“The way we analyze it is that Ricky Ray is by far a top three quarterback in this league,” said head coach Kavis Reed. “You have to have a solid quarterback in order to be able to compete for a championship year in and year out. Ricky is in the prime of his career, his numbers haven’t changed that much. We feel that in order to expedite our process back to the championship, Ricky Ray had to be a part of it.”
Ray is 31 years old, compare him to the likes of a Henry Burris or an Anthony Calvillo, he’s still relatively young. Compare him to Darian Durant or a Travis Lulay, he’s older. He’s in the middle of the pack as far as age goes in the CFL; he’ll be 34 when this current deal runs out. Ray says he always wanted to remain an Eskimo.
“I’ve played my whole career here in Edmonton and want to finish it there,” Ray explained on the telephone from California. “I want to win like everybody else and be the guy in Edmonton. It’s a great city, fans are great, and the players who have gone through there and set the standard for us have been really good too.”
2005 seems like a long time ago. That’s the last time the Eskimos won the Grey Cup.
Since then, the Eskimos have missed the playoffs three times and have recorded just one season with a winning record (10-8 in 2008). That year, they had to crossover to the East Division for the playoffs which is like drinking castor oil to some.
That track record just won’t cut it in a city like Edmonton for long. Okay, you miss the playoff for two straight years, fine. The Eskimos have been hanging out in the gutter too long and fans are sick of it. GM Eric Tillman is the man in charge of bringing the Eskimos back to a competitive level. Ricky Ray believes in the vision of Tillman.
“You know Eric’s a proven guy, he’s got a great track record in the CFL, he’s won some championships,” Ray said. “He knows how to get it done so that excites me knowing that he’s been there and done that. I just want to be here and be a part of it.”
Often times in Edmonton, the favourite player amongst Eskimo fans seems to be the backup quarterback. Jason Maas has been the darling for years. Funny though, Ray was the quarterback fans wanted when he left for the NFL….anyway I digress.
Ricky Ray’s career-high 135 rushing yards in a 2010 week 16 OT win over the Lions shows the type of competitor he is says Dave Campbell.
> Watch Video
It would be no surprise if Maas steps aside this season. Then there’s the young hotshot from Boise State, Jared Zabransky; The man with great mobility and a fiery personality who’s not afraid to throw the ball downfield. The Eskimos do need to groom a successor but to suggest Zabransky is ready for prime time is going way overboard.
Right now, Zabransky is the better athlete but Ray is by far the better quarterback. Ray is a game-manager, take what the defence gives you, and protect the football. Zabranksy still needs to learn the CFL game so he doesn’t throw the ball to the other coloured shirts so much. Ray is still the man and that doesn’t mean Zabransky isn’t relevant but Ray certainly isn’t in the twilight of his career. Kavis Reed has proclaimed Ray as his starter for the 2011 season.
Ray’s numbers were down last season. 3,565 yards passing, 11 touchdowns to 16 interceptions, and a 64.3 completion percentage (very low for Ray who’s used to hanging around 70 per cent). As far as the demeanor, what do they say? It’s the silent ones you have to worry about. Ray is a fierce competitor, evidenced by his 135-yard rushing performance last October in Vancouver. In that game which the Eskimos won 31-28 in overtime, Ray fought for first downs and touchdowns in short yardage on a bad shoulder which knocked him out for two games.
What Ray needs most is an upgrade on the offensive line. He could also use a more talented receiving corps with some added depth behind Fred Stamps. He has the running attack though, whether it’s Arkee Whitlock or Daniel Porter.
If Ray has the time to throw with legitimate weapons around him and still struggles, then it may be time to take a closer look at the quarterback position. If Ray can have weapons like he had in the early to mid 2000’s: Ed Hervey, Terry Vaughn, Mookie Mitchell, Jason Tucker, and an offensive line that surrenders around 25 sacks a season like the championship team in 2003, then I bet Ray and the Eskimos will be sipping champagne from the Grey Cup very soon.