Kevin Glenn set to lead again with B.C., thanks to Travis Lulay being placed on six-game list

Kevin Glenn may be the CFL's version of an indestructible cockroach, in the most complimentary sense. The 35-year-old quarterback is in his 13th CFL season and has played for five teams (Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Calgary and now B.C.); he's also briefly been a member of two more (Toronto and Ottawa) without playing a game. Time after time, he's looked to be on the outside of his current team's quarterback picture looking in, but has somehow found a way to still be named a starter. That's happening again in B.C., where he might be one of the offseason's most important acquisitions. Some wondered at first why Lions' general manager Wally Buono would move a first-round pick for a backup quarterback, but starter Travis Lulay's recovery from shoulder surgery hasn't gone well, and he was placed on the six-game injured list Friday. That means that Glenn's likely to be the starter for at least the season's first six games, including Saturday's opener against Edmonton (6 p.m. Eastern, TSN/ESPN3).

That's pretty remarkable, as Glenn looked to be left without a starting job at all this offseason. Ottawa plucked him from Calgary in the expansion draft, but then opted to grab Henry Burris when the Tiger-Cats released him, causing Glenn to officially ask for a trade in March. At that time, his options didn't look too great, as every other team appeared set for a starter. However, B.C.'s decision to step up and get him at the draft in May now looks brilliant. It raises the question of whether Buono was simply preparing for the worst, or if Lulay's rehabilitation struggles were known internally. Either way, the Lions now have an experienced starter to go with, despite their first-choice quarterback not being available.

That's similar to Glenn's role the past couple of years in Calgary, too. When the Stampeders acquired him from the Tiger-Cats in 2012 (for Burris, oddly enough), it didn't look like a great deal for the team; they already had a promising starter in Drew Tate and an intriguing apprentice in Bo Levi Mitchell. However, while Tate was the team's opening -day starter in both 2012 and 2013, his injury issues left plenty of opportunities for Glenn, who wound up starting more games than any other Calgary quarterback over the two years. The Stampeders did awfully well with him, too, going 12-6 and 14-4 in those seasons. If he can continue that run of success in B.C., the Lions will be very glad they grabbed him.

However, there's a reason Glenn didn't have a starting job heading into this season. While he's been a reasonably consistent and impressive performer throughout his career, his stats have been more solid than outstanding. His career completion percentage is just 62 per cent, and while his 222 career touchdowns against 151 interceptions aren't bad, they aren't world-shattering. Glenn did play well in Calgary over the past two years, completing 66.7 and 66.6 per cent of his passes with 25 touchdowns against 16 interceptions and 18 touchdowns against seven interceptions respectively, but he also received a lot of help from the Stamps' ground game (with league rushing leader Jon Cornish last season) and defence. Will he do as well in B.C., where those elements are more questionable? We'll have to wait and see, but Saturday's clash with a strong Edmonton defence (led by a guy who did very well game-planning against Glenn in the 2012 Grey Cup, former Toronto DC and current Edmonton HC Chris Jones) may give us an early indication of just how valuable he'll be to the Lions.