Should the Ticats Try and Keep Matthews and Masoli for 2016?

With the Grey Cup done, it is time to start thinking about the Ticats 2016 season. With quarterback Zach Collaros recovering from ACL surgery, and recent comments from him indicating he may not be ready for the start of the 2016, the Ticats backup quarterback situation becomes more important.

With backup Jeff Matthews injured with a concussion in the penultimate game of the regular season for the Ticats at home against Ottawa, Jeremiah Masoli ended up playing the end of the regular season game against Ottawa, the playoff win versus Toronto and the playoff loss versus Ottawa. Masoli is a free agent in 2016. In all three games, Masoli passed for 638 yards, with 53 completions on 81 attempts for a 65.4% completion percentage, with four TD passes versus two interceptions. Masoli rushed for 129 yards on 28 attempts, for a 4.6 yards per carry average.

Matthews in 2015 passed for 1296 yards, with 98 completions from 142 attempts, with 6 TDs and 6 interceptions and a 69% completion percentage. He rushed 33 times for 94 yards for a 2.8 yard average, although a lot of those were short conversions.

Certainly Masoli wouldn't have got much consideration to keep around before the Ottawa playoff game, as his previous two games were mediocre at best. With a bit more luck Masoli could have won the Ottawa playoff game if Nadon had managed to hold on to the ball for an interception late or Greg Ellingson not made his spectacular catch.

Masoli being a free agent though means other teams could want him and Masoli himself might prefer to go to a team where he might have a shot at being the starter, as once Collaros is back, barring injury, the starting job is his. The Cats may well just decide to go with Matthews as the backup and likely season starter until Collaros comes back. If say Collaros is out for the first six games, who gives a better chance of winning, Masoli or Matthews? At this stage I'm more inclined to say Masoli, as Matthews likes to stay too much in the pocket for the wide CFL field and his running ability is weak.