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Stampeders' release of Jasper Simmons ends one weird CFL saga, starts another

Montreal Alouettes' Tyrell Sutton (20) is tackled by Calgary Stampeders' Fred Bennett (L) and Jasper Simmons (bottom) during the second half of their CFL football game in Montreal, July 3, 2015. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi (REUTERS)

For someone who has only played in four games and contributed four tackles (all of which came in a single game against Montreal in Week Two), Jasper Simmons has had a heck of an impact on the CFL this year. Simmons was released by the Calgary Stampeders Tuesday  following a weekend that saw his agent Sammy Gahagan blast the team on Twitter, calling them the "worst organization in the CFL" and saying they were holding Simmons "hostage." That was just the start of it, though; the Stampeders acquired Simmons, an import linebacker, from Ottawa in the Maurice Price trade in January, and Twitter comments about Simmons and Price from Calgary receiver Marquay McDaniel Sunday night quickly turned into a social media feud between McDaniel, Price and others. The drama then continued Monday, with Simmons taking to Twitter himself (earning him a fine on the way out for violating the club's social media policy) to protest and getting called out by teammates like QB Bo Levi Mitchell, plus Gahagan talking to Scott Mitchell of The Calgary Sun. The Stampeders' release of Simmons (something they'd previously said they wouldn't do) brings an end to one chapter of this odd CFL story, but it sets the stage for another one; will any other team in this league now take a chance on Simmons, a talented young player, but one who's now shown he'll complain if he doesn't get the playing time he wants?

First, let's examine just what led to Simmons' release. Calgary acquired him in January in the Price trade (along with import receiver Dan Buckner, who was cut in camp), and there were reasons to think he could potentially help the Stampeders; he led Ottawa last year with 80 tackles and added three interceptions, earning selections as the Redblacks' top defensive player and top player overall. However, the Price trade wasn't made specifically to pick up Simmons; the key for Calgary seemed to be clearing Price's salary off their cap and easing their logjam at receiver, with returns from the players they acquired as a bonus rather than the main feature, and the Stampeders already had strong depth at linebacker. They may have targeted Simmons as a depth piece and a young player (he turns 26 on Thursday) who could potentially start down the road rather than an immediate contributor. Gahagan, in his comments to Mitchell Monday, doesn't seem to feel that's fair:

“This is not a publicity stunt, this is more about awareness,” Gahagan said from Tampa, Fla. on Monday. “We truly feel that the organization is holding him hostage. If they think he’s such a valuable backup, then why don’t they dress him? Just even dress him? They dress other people at his position in front of him.

“You’re basically, out of spite, not playing him, not starting him, not dressing him, whatever you’re doing, and this kid’s got a family.”

...“How much can you take? Gahagan questioned. “When you’re coming from a team where you were just an MOP candidate, the MVP of your team and you’re a four-year guy, not a rookie. I think that’s where I lot of the misconception is when they talk about him. He’s not a rookie. This is a four-year guy who’s been in the league for four years.”

...“They said it themselves that they won’t get enough value for him in a trade, so they know that they have, essentially, the best backup linebacker in the league who can go and start on any team in the CFL right now,” Gahagan said.

“There’s plenty of teams he can go play for.

Gahagan told Mitchell he's trying to do the best for his client long-term:

“We’re looking five or six years down the line for Jasper, not just what’s happening right now. They’re not going to sit Juwan Simpson, who’s a fixture in Calgary, and the Mayo kid is good. I would never discredit him. The kid is good and probably one of the best in the league. But, I think, Jasper is one of the best in the league.”

After calling the Stampeders “the worst organization in the CFL” on Twitter, Gahagan admitted his view of the franchise has changed in the past few weeks and is still trying to find a way to get Simmons, who is signed for this season as well as 2016, out of Calgary.

“Unfortunately, contractually, and this is what we don’t like, Calgary can do whatever they want to him,” Gahagan said. “Hufnagel and Murphy have, obviously, taken offence to this — I’ve received text messages from John Murphy since this happened. This isn’t a personal attack. I’m trying to get my client on the field, who deserves to be there. Jasper Simmons should be playing and starting in the CFL. Hands down, that’s all there is to it."

All of that should be taken with a heavy dose of salt, though, as Gahagan's incredibly biased here. Just because Simmons started on the 2-16 Redblacks and was named their best player (in a vote of local Football Reporters of Canada members and Ottawa's head coach; it's not an insignificant award, but it's not the be-all and end-all evaluation of a player's worth either) doesn't mean he's better than the players ahead of him in Calgary. The comments about his family aren't entirely fair, either, as Simmons makes the same amount as a healthy scratch or on the one-game injured list as he does if he starts, and the "he's a four-year guy" claim should be seen in context, too. Yes, Simmons is in his fourth season in the CFL, but the first two came with Toronto in 2011 and 2012, where he saw next to no playing time, and he doesn't appear to have played any high-level football in 2013 (neither his Wikipedia page nor the Redblacks' announcement of his signing have any details on what he did that year).

Yes, Simmons had one good season in Ottawa last year. Even that is being primarily judged by tackles, though, and tackles can be a flawed stat for defenders; both a player who's flying around and cleaning up others' mistakes and a player who's thrown at a lot thanks to poor coverage skills will often record high tackle numbers. There's a lot to suggest Simmons has talent and potential, but that doesn't necessarily make him better than the linebackers currently starting across the CFL. We'll see if any team elects to take a chance on him.

Simmons and Gahagan got what they wanted with his release, and they hurt the Stampeders in the process by killing the trade market for him. However, this isn't necessarily going to work out great for him. Yes, there are a few spots where he may well wind up: the 0-7 Saskatchewan Roughriders and their struggling defence comes to mind, as does B.C. now that MLB Solomon Elimimian has been hurt, and a return to Ottawa is possible as well. Anywhere other than Ottawa, though, he'd have to adjust to an entirely new defensive scheme, and he'd have to do so without the benefits of a training camp and preseason games. It's rare to see a player acquired midseason slot in as a starter right away, and teams may be wary of acquiring Simmons in a backup role initially considering the headaches he created in Calgary with these demands about playing time. The Stampeders eventually decided that he was more of a distraction, a divisive locker-room presence and a general liability than an asset, and that's why they cut him lose; they certainly didn't have to. That won't help his reputation around the league.

Perhaps Simmons will find a perfect landing spot, one where he can come in and quickly make an impact, and perhaps that new situation will work out well for both him and his new team. Perhaps the problem all along was really Calgary's front office. There are lots of players biding their time in backup roles across this league, though, and few of them are making a public stink about it either themselves or through their agent (Simmons did both). For some, keeping quiet can work out very well; Calgary GM John Hufnagel cited the case of current San Francisco 49ers' linebacker Shawn Lemon on the weekend, who was unhappy as a backup, but lobbied for more playing time internally, eventually got it the following season, and used it as a path to the bright lights of the NFL. Simmons has taken a very different approach, and while it may lead to him getting the starting role he wants with another team, it may not work out that way at all.