Perry Lefko says the Kerry Joseph trade made perfect sense for Saskatchewan and Toronto.
There are many ways to analyze the trade that sent Kerry Joseph from the Saskatchewan Roughriders to the Toronto Argonauts, but this is really about business, nothing else.
The Roughriders won the Grey Cup in November for the first time since 1989, a feat that will stand the team in good stead for some time. But as loyal and true as the Roughriders' faithful are, they must be wondering what's going on with their beloved team.
First they lose their head coach, Kent Austin, to his alma mater, the University of Mississippi, who had an opening for an offensive co-ordinator. Austin couldn't be blamed for leaving the Roughriders, even if he had only been there for a year. This was an opportunity to more or less go home. Austin quarterbacked the Roughriders to the '89 Cup but over time grew disenchanted with the organization and sought a trade, which elicited bitter feelings among the Roughriders' fans. This time Roughriders hated to see Austin go, but wished him well.
But the Roughriders' team has been undergoing a noticeable facelift beyond just the loss of the head coach. Several star players have been purged in trades or releases, either because they have been deemed to be past their prime and/or too costly. In the new economics of the Canadian Football League, you must adhere to the cap or pay the price - literally.
The Roughriders exceeded the $4.05 million salary cap last year and, pending a final audit, are expected to pay a fine and possibly lose draft picks. The Roughriders blew the budget because of injuries last year, but like many teams this off-season they have been trimming their payroll.
Kerry Joseph simply wanted more money than the Roughriders wanted to pay. He is slated to earn $250,000 this year, which is low for premium quarterbacks in the CFL. It's about half what Ricky Ray earns in Edmonton and about $150,000-$200,000 less compared to the likes of Calgary's Henry Burris, Hamilton's Casey Printers and Montreal's Anthony Calvillo.
Joseph had been in that salary sphere two years ago, but took a whopping $125,000 pay cut last year to show he's a team player. By helping the Roughriders win the Cup and being voted the Most Outstanding Player in the league, he was hoping to have a raise in salary.
Rather than making it a festering issue, Roughriders' general manager Eric Tillman decided to make a trade. Understand, Tillman resurrected Joseph's career in 2003 from a flag-football league, giving him the chance to play quarterback at the pro level. The two had a special relationship, which presumably hasn't been tarnished by the trade. Again, this is about business, nothing personal. Then again, Joseph did the team a favour last year and played well enough to merit a raise.
Trader Tillman cut a deal while the market offered an opportunity at a solid return. He received two starters from the Argos' roster last year - defensive end Ronald Flemons and offensive lineman Glenn January - a first-round pick in this year's Canadian draft and a supplementary pick. All and all, not bad for a player who has been streaky at times, but whose value has never been higher.
Given the fact Tillman delivered the Cup in his first full season and ended a franchise drought after 18 long years, well, the Roughriders' faithful aren't about to throw him under the team bus just yet. In Tillman they trust.
The Roughriders have four other quarterbacks, though none with the profile or cache as Joseph. But, and this should be weighed considerably, Joseph's best seasons in the CFL came with Austin as either his quarterback coach or head coach. Time will tell if Joseph has the same success without him.
For the Argos, a year after coming up one game short of making it to the Grey Cup in their own town, the chance to acquire Joseph had to be taken. The one missing link in this team for several years now has been consistent quarterbacking.
But there's also the need for the Argos to be relevant in the marketplace. This is the year following a hugely successful Grey Cup in Toronto, the first since 1992, and the first year without head coach Pinball Clemons, who has moved up to the role of chief executive officer.
Combined with the fact the Buffalo Bills will be playing some games in Toronto this year, the Argos are facing serious competition for the football dollar. Granted, the Argos are connected to the Bills venture in terms of ticket purchasing, but if the Argos can continue to be a strong team in the East, it will help impact public and corporate attention. The trade has created a buzz in Toronto, which is hard to do in a city that is mad about the Maple Leafs, win or lose.
The Argos' ownership of Howard Sokolowski and David Cynamon still have a solid interest in the team and given the track record of some of the previous proprietors of this historic franchise, that says a lot. They understand what it means to get to the goal line and the bottom line.
Having a fresh quarterback with an impressive resume, the Argos can market the charismatic Joseph, who is entering his option year.
"It truly has been a blessing for me," Joseph said Thursday about the trade. "It has taken me a while to let it sink in to know this is real. I've been smiling for the last 24-48 hours. It's not about goals, personal issues. It's about winning and going to war with your teammates.
As for his contract status, he said he hasn't had that conversation yet.
"Right now, I'm taking it one day at a time, that's the way I'm handling this situation," he said. "I truly enjoyed my time (in Saskatchewan), but sometimes the man upstairs has a different plan for you and you just have to take it in stride and move on in life. In this business here, one thing that's guaranteed is change. You have to be prepared for it."
The CFL has strict rules about bonuses, personal services deals and endorsements as they apply to contracts and the cap. If the Argos are going to do a new deal with Joseph - and presumably they will, otherwise he won't happy in his new environment - it's going to involve some other moves, either player releases or restructuring.
So, this is a deal about economics and affordability. The Roughriders couldn't afford to keep Joseph and the Argos couldn't afford not to acquire him.
Chalk it all up to the business of sports.
