Dan LeFevour's roller-coaster ride takes him from NFL to Argos' practice squad

After a phenomenal college career at Central Michigan that saw him finish second all-time in NCAA FBS history in both total touchdowns and total offensive yards, Dan LeFevour's pro football career has had more ups and downs than most roller coasters. That continued with Monday's announcement from the Toronto Argonauts that they'd signed him to their practice squad. LeFevour had one of the more unusual offseasons out there, as he was released by the Montreal Alouettes in January and passed over by the rest of the CFL, but the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided to sign him in April, causing plenty of stir around the Canadian league. If the NFL's signing those who played north of the border, it's usually (but not always) those who shone in the CFL, and while LeFevour has shown some potential, he hasn't been able to establish himself as even a consistent backup to date.

The Buccaneers wound up cutting LeFevour in August, though, and the Argos' decision to sign him to their practice squad looks like a smart gamble for them. At the very least, he gives them some more depth, which may be valuable with Ricky Ray out. If he can stay healthy and illustrate some of the promise he's shown in various college and NFL stops, he might turn into something more than just a practice-roster player. That's perhaps especially true in Toronto, where he'll be under the tutelage of head coach Scott Milanovich and offensive coordinator Marcus Brady, both former quarterbacks who have shown great skill in calling plays and developing other CFL pivots. Still, this is just the latest stop in LeFevour's roller-coaster ride, and being on the practice squad of a CFL team's a particularly low valley compared to where else he's been. There might still be peaks ahead for him, however.

LeFevour was amazing in college over his four years with the Chippewas, throwing for 12,905 yards and 102 touchdowns (against just 36 interceptions), rushing for 2,938 yards and 47 touchdowns, and adding three receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown. The NFL's Chicago Bears drafted him in the sixth round in 2010, but cut him in favour of Todd Collins after the preseason, and the Cincinnati Bengals claimed him before the Bears could sign him to their practice squad. He spent 2010 as the Bengals' third-stringer, then was released  September 4, 2011, signed to their practice squad, and then released again two days later. The Indianapolis Colts signed him to their practice squad on November 8, 2011, then the Jacksonville Jaguars signed him off Indianapolis' practice squad to their active roster later that month, but cut him in May 2012. That led to the start of LeFevour's CFL career.

In June 2012, former Hamilton Tiger-Cats' general manager Bob O'Billovich signed LeFevour, and he served as the team's third-string quarterback for much of the season, but didn't see playing time. After Kent Austin came in as general manager and head coach ahead of the 2013 season, LeFevour's role increased; he outdueled Brian Brohm and Jeremiah Masoli to win the backup role, and the team started using him to spell Henry Burris in run-focused packages. He finished the season with 40 completions on 62 attempts (64.5 per cent) for 394 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions and added 54 carries for 317 yards (5.9 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns.

In 2014, things seemed to be trending further up for LeFevour. He even took the starting role for a while thanks to an injury to Collaros and ineffectiveness from Masoli. However, after he threw for 1,670 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 314 yards and four more touchdowns, he tore his ACL that August. That knocked him out for the season, and wound up ending his time in Hamilton.

It's interesting to ponder what might have happened if LeFevour hadn't suffered that injury. At that time, he was doing quite well as the Ticats' starter, and while Collaros had entered Hamilton that year as the presumed starter after showing potential in a backup role in Toronto, he wasn't firmly established as a top CFL pivot at that point. If LeFevour had continued to shine while Collaros was out, there might have been a bit of a quarterback controversy when he returned, and it's possible LeFevour might even have won out and been established as the team's top pivot going forward. At the least, he might have continued to serve in run-focused packages and as a valuable backup. Instead, Collaros returned and started to really make his mark, taking the Ticats to the 2014 Grey Cup, and LeFevour hit free agency that offseason and the Montreal Alouettes brought him in.

Joining the Alouettes turned out to be another opportunity that didn't come to fruition for LeFevour. He entered the 2015 season as the backup to Jonathan Crompton, who eventually struggled and was replaced by the likes of Rakeem Cato and Kevin Glenn. LeFevour didn't get the chance to replace Crompton himself, as he dislocated his shoulder in a June game and was knocked out for the year. That led to Montreal cutting him this offseason ahead of free agency, and the lack of takers suggested LeFevour's CFL career might be over.

While LeFevour's only 29, that's not as young as many teams are looking for in developmental quarterbacks. Also, his injury history may have scared some teams off. The Buccaneers gave him a shot, though (perhaps motivated by quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian being LeFevour's old offensive coordinator at Central Michigan), and while he wasn't able to crack their depth chart behind Jameis Winston, Mike Glennon and Ryan Griffin, that NFL stint may have helped him get back on the CFL radar.

Ray's injury and the trade of Mitchell Gale to Saskatchewan also helped LeFevour get this deal, as that's created some spots in Toronto. The Argos used to have another CFL guy who left (for arena football) and then returned on the practice roster in Adrian McPherson, but McPherson was promoted to the active roster following Ray's injury. It's unlikely we'll see LeFevour play any time soon, as he's behind Logan Kilgore (who earned a win in his first CFL start last week), Cody Fajardo and McPherson, and he'll have to learn the Argos' playbook and system, but he's certainly an intriguing pickup.

Also, the dual-threat abilities LeFevour's shown give him an advantage over most low-on-the-depth chart QBs. He may not be ready to start as a pass-focused QB soon, but if he still has the rushing ability he's demonstrated in the past, he could eventually be used in run-focused packages and short-yardage situations. That certainly worked out well for him in Hamilton. Being on a CFL practice roster may seem like a low for LeFevour compared to where else he's been, but if he can impress in practice, there may still be another climb ahead for him.