The Edmonton Elks have officially made McLeod Bethel-Thompson their franchise quarterback, raising questions about the future of Tre Ford. One move the team could make that seems beneficial for all parties is trading the young star to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in exchange for fellow quarterback Taylor Powell.
The Elks are in win-now mode. That might sound odd for a team that’s won only eight games over the past two seasons, but it’s true. Interim president Rick LeLacheur has been tasked with preparing the club for sale on a relatively short timeline. Chris Jones surely knows the team needs to make considerable headway in 2024 for him to have any chance of staying on when ownership changes hands.
Many local fans have fallen in love with Ford, though one can argue that Bethel-Thompson is a safer option. While he’s unlikely ever to win M.O.P., the 36-year-old has proven himself to be a consistent passer who can stay healthy. Of all the options available to the Elks, he’s probably the best one to try to drag them to a 9-9 record and potentially save the jobs of those in the front office and on the coaching staff.
Ford remains only 25 and has a far more boom-or-bust style of play. His highlights from this past season were as good as any player in the CFL, though he also made plenty of mistakes as a young player making the transitioning to the professional level. There are also questions regarding how sustainable his play is given how often he runs the ball weighing under 200 pounds.
The chances of Ford staying in Edmonton beyond this year appear slim to none. Jones publicly criticized his performance in practice during the 2023 season and let him rot on the bench for half of the year while Taylor Cornelius struggled. Jones has now made Bethel-Thompson one of the highest-paid players in the CFL, a sure sign Ford will again be relegated to a backup role come training camp.
The Elks invested a first-round pick in Ford, though it doesn’t appear he’s in their long-term plans. Even if the team wanted to keep him beyond this year, it’d be perfectly understandable if he chose to move closer to home in free agency. Ford played at the University of Waterloo and was born in Niagara Falls, Ont. where he owns a home. It’d make perfect sense to spend more time there.
This is why the Elks should trade Ford for Powell. Though he’s a little smaller than Bethel-Thompson, Powell has a very similar playing style. He throws from the pocket and doesn’t take many risks, choosing instead to take what the defence gives him. His conservative style proved effective last year as he went 4-5 as a starter with a quarterback rating of 89.5, the best of any quarterback on the Tiger-Cats.
Jones won plenty of games with the Saskatchewan Roughriders during the 2017 and 2018 seasons with mediocre quarterback play. Bethel-Thompson is capable of providing that and more in the short term, while Powell could be a logical long-term option if Jones sticks around beyond 2024.
On the flip side, Hamilton’s not under a lot of pressure this year. The team squandered opportunities to win the Grey Cup at home in 2021 and 2023 and while its championship drought remains ongoing, significant changes were made this off-season as Scott Milanovich was promoted to head coach and Ed Hervey was named general manager.
In a way, the club has a clean slate. Orlondo Steinauer remains Hamilton’s president of football operations but disgruntled fans got the change they craved. A new voice will lead the team this season without the added pressure of a home Grey Cup. In an East Division that’s suddenly the most competitive it’s been in a decade, even the most diehard fans in Steeltown are unlikely to complain if the Ticats don’t significantly improve this season.
Bo Levi Mitchell will be back after agreeing to a $300,000 pay cut but he’s clearly not the long-term answer in Steeltown. The soon-to-be 34-year-old played only six games this past season due to injury and struggled when healthy, throwing six touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. Though he remains under contract through 2025, Mitchell’s future in television is probably brighter than his future on the field.
Ford’s style of play is the complete opposite of Mitchell’s, which could make for a nice change of pace. Milanovich has generally worked with pocket passers in the past but seems more than capable of putting together packages for Ford to play a handful of snaps each game. He could also get extra creative and put Mitchell and Ford on the field at the same time in a specific playset, which could be a nightmare for opposing defences.
Hamilton’s reconfigured brain trust has the chance to take a big swing in their first year running the team. Ford would not only be a home run off the field but could help win games in the short term while potentially developing into the club’s future starter.
This trade seems like it would benefit all parties involved and Chris Jones has never been one to shy away from bold moves. Get it done, gentlemen.
