Riders GM Hits Home Run with Trevor Harris

Riders GM Hits Home Run with Trevor Harris

Published: Tuesday, Feb 7th 2023, 12:02am

By Alex Dormuth (@RealAlexD)

 

Down to his final strike in the 8th inning, Riders General Manager Jeremy O’Day has seemingly hit a home run to give some hope to fans by becoming the favourites to sign QB Trevor Harris to a 2 year deal when free agency opens up on Valentine’s Day next Tuesday. Farhan Lalji of TSN was first to report that Harris is favoured to sign a 2 year deal with the Riders to become the starting QB here in Riderville. 

 

After the way the 2022 season ended for Cody Fajardo and the Riders, it was clear that the team was moving on and was going to find a new QB. Was Harris the first choice? Definitely not (we all know it was Bo Levi Mitchell prior to him signing in Hamilton), but once things soured between Harris and the Montreal Alouettes, it became the ONLY choice that O’Day had. He HAD to get this deal done, not only to satisfy Rider fans with a name they’ll recognise, but also to try and salvage his career as GM of the team. 

 

O’Day is on an expiring contract and while I think that he would have gotten another contract (and head coach) for 2024 even if this season went off the rails, that seat was getting hotter and hotter. Rider fans have been ALL OVER O’Day lately for not doing anything, but credit where credit is due, O’Day has brought back Pete Robertson and Anthony Lanier on the D-Line over the last few days and with this Harris signing, he is showing he IS addressing some of the biggest needs.

 

Now, do I think Trevor Harris will lead the Riders to a Grey Cup? No. But he is an instant upgrade over Cody Fajardo and will put the Riders back into the playoff conversation. Harris will need some more help though… I’m talking O-Line. If that’s something O’Day can upgrade in free agency, I no longer worry too much about Darnell Sankey and Larry Dean being let go.

 

This move just makes too much sense. Harris was actually set to work with the Riders new Offensive Coordinator Kelly Jeffrey in Edmonton before the cancelled 2020 season, so they do have some familiarity with each other. And outside of Saskatchewan, the only other team looking for a starting QB is the team that Harris is leaving. 

 

Of course, there is still a week to go before anything can become official and things can change. But assuming this Harris signing does happen, O’Day can trot around the bases with his arms in the air. Just how BIG was the home run in getting Harris? To me, it’s only a Grand Slam if he can bring Harris’ Alouette teammate Eugene Lewis with him. Then I’ll start thinking that O’Day DOES deserve another at bat for 2024, regardless of how this one goes in 2023.