Buck Pierce is back in B.C., as the Bombers have traded their former starter for Akeem Foster

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have traded their opening-day starting quarterback, sending veteran pivot Buck Pierce to the B.C. Lions in exchange for Canadian wide receiver Akeem Foster. It's a move that might work out well for both teams. B.C. instantly addresses the concerns that were raised about their lack of experienced quarterback depth behind starter Travis Lulay when they cut Joey Elliott (another former Bomber), bringing in a former Lion who's worked well with general manager Wally Buono, head coach Mike Benevides and offensive coordinator Jacques Chapdelaine in the past (as well as Lulay, who started his B.C. tenure as a third-stringer in 2009 when Pierce was the starter). Meanwhile, Winnipeg now has one less distraction at quarterback, and they also add a guy who's shown potential at times, but was buried on the Lions' depth chart. Neither team's giving up a lot here, but the players they're adding may work out well for them.

The main question for B.C. is if Pierce is willing to accept a backup's role, something he seemed to chafe at with the Bombers. If not, he could become a distraction and have to be cut. A case can be made that he might be more willing to serve as a backup behind a proven CFL quarterback like Lulay instead of the young guys in Winnipeg, though. Pierce was the Bombers' best option at the start of this year, and while his own ineffectiveness played a role in his demotion, it was also about the team's struggles on the offensive line, in the ground game and in the receiving corps. The moves to Justin Goltz, Max Hall and then Goltz again were at least partly made because the Bombers were looking to the future rather than just this season, and Pierce's age, injury history and lack of recent success made it clear he wasn't the guy they wanted at quarterback going forward.

It's tough to adjust from starter to backup in one city, though, especially when you believe you're better than the guys playing ahead of you. It may be easier for Pierce to make that transition heading to a place where he's clearly only the #2, at best. Moreover, if he can fit into the Lions' system and accept the backup role, he could be an excellent option for them. Pierce hasn't been a great CFL quarterback for the last few years, but he's been a capable one, and it's rare to have a guy with his level of experience available if your starter goes down. As Calgary's found out again and again over the last few years, it's always nice to have a capable quarterback ready to step in when injuries happen.

Meanwhile, Winnipeg may prove a great change of scenery for Foster. The St. Francis Xavier product has definitely shown potential during his time in B.C., particularly in 2011 where he caught 33 balls for 593 yards and six touchdowns and was important to the team's Grey Cup win, but he's become less and less featured since then. Shawn Gore and Marco Iannuzzi have emerged as B.C.'s favoured starting Canadian receivers, leading Foster to rarely play and only record one catch to date this season. He was also reportedly almost cut during training camp.

The Lions' non-import receiving depth isn't quite as strong with Foster gone, but they do have veteran Paris Jackson and promising rookie Seydou Junior Haidara, both of whom have appeared to be preferred internally over Foster this year. If they weren't going to play Foster, it makes sense to use him as a trade chip to bring in a veteran quarterback, and that may lead to him getting more of a chance to shine in Winnipeg. In the end, this deal is both clubs getting rid of players they considered expendable and hoping that the player they acquired will prove more valuable in a new setting. We'll see if either or both teams are proven right here.