Argo coach Mike Clemons admits incumbent starter Damon Allen, pictured, is facing a tough challenge from emerging understudy Michael Bishop. (Canadian Press)

As the kick off to the 2007 CFL season rapidly approaches, only a handful of teams can claim to have a clear-cut number one option at quarterback.

Alouettes head coach and general manager Jim Popp declared that the starting job behind centre in Montreal is still Anthony Calvillo's to lose. The veteran entering his 10th year with the Alouettes may not have had his most brilliant year statistically in 2006, but another Grey Cup appearance shows that he can still get results.

Ricky Ray led the league in passing with an even 5,000 yards last season for the Edmonton Eskimos and should have every opportunity to duplicate those numbers in 2007 as neither Steven Jyles nor Stefan LeFors have looked capable of unseating him.

Meanwhile, Kevin Glenn appears to be assured of the number one position in Winnipeg, where the bigger problem might be trying to find a suitable option for a back-up. Kliff Kingsbury was recently acquired from Montreal for Brad Banks, but the former NFL clipboard holder shouldn’t pose a threat to Glenn.

It would appear that every other team in the league however, has an element of uncertainty behind centre and each offers a unique storyline heading into the regular season.

Argonauts face dilemma of depth

With all due respect to Mike McMahon and Eric Crouch, two players with NFL-experience waiting in the wings for an opportunity with the Argonauts, the real battle is between the grizzled experience of Damon Allen versus the patient maturation of understudy Michael Bishop.

Allen has been a virtual fixture at quarterback for the Argonauts since his arrival in Toronto in 2003 and hasn’t been challenged for a starting role since the late 80s but age and health concerns have opened the door for Bishop to step up and take the reins.

Bishop began to seriously complicate the depth chart in last season's East Division playoffs with a pair of sublime performances in substitution for Allen, who continued to suffer the effects of a broken middle finger on his throwing hand sustained back on opening day.

With Bishop at the helm, the Argos came back in the second-half to defeat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 31-27 in the East Semifinal and almost cued another late charge against the Montreal Alouettes in the East Final before falling short.

Argonauts management rewarded Bishop with a new deal through 2009 in May, officially making the pecking order at pivot wide open entering this season.

“[Bishop] is going to come into training camp this year with the opportunity to win the starting quarterback job and regardless of where he is on the depth chart, he is dedicated to helping the team in any way he can,” GM Adam Rita said in a release on May 17.

Allen meanwhile, who had successful surgery on his finger in January and since made a complete recovery, has taken the challenge in stride.

“In the back of your mind, every time you come to training camp you're coming to compete and win a job," Allen told the Canadian Press on May 30. “It (facing competition) isn't tough.

“I'm just glad they were able to tell me the situation and what they wanted to do this year. There's no question you come out here with the mindset that you want to win a job just like every other quarterback that's out here.”

With Bishop looking impressive in the Argos first pre-season game, it appears that Allen – who looked a bit out of sorts in the Argos' final tune up against Montreal – will need more than a positive mindset to stay number one. Stay tuned.

No guarantees for defending champs

Buck Pierce proved last season that he can be a difference maker, filling in admirably for the oft-injured Dave Dickenson. (Canadian Press)

Much like Allen in Toronto, veteran Dave Dickenson is the likely starter on opening day for the defending Grey Cup Champions in B.C., but should his recent health concerns continue, he'll also face stiff competition from young up-and-comer Buck Pierce.

Despite signing a recent three-year extension with the Lions that will see him under contract through 2009, Dickenson remains a huge question mark as a result of concussions in each of the past two seasons.

“I'm not thinking about going three, five or seven more years,” Dickenson told the Canadian Press after the signing. “Just a good year in '07 is all I'm trying to focus on."

But Pierce’s rapid development might complicate that. After seeing significant minutes and looking solid in his 2005 rookie season, Pierce showed no effect of a sophomore slump in 2006 – vaulting backup Jarious Jackson on the depth chart with a string of solid performances.

By season’s end, Pierce had completed 137 of 186 of his passes for 11 touchdowns with six interceptions to earn the league’s highest completion percentage and the second-highest efficiency rating (109.0). His play has relegated Jackson to the trading block and made a strong case for increased playing time in the process.

Should Dickenson miss time due to injury again, Pierce will have an opportunity to take the starting role and just could hold on to it.

Burris faces little room for error in Calgary

No Calgary Stampeder should be more relieved to start a new season than Henry Burris.

The 32-year-old is coming off a disastrous performance in the last year’s West Semifinal that saw him throw four interceptions and cough up a fumble for good measure. Much of the frustration and blame for another playoff failure fell squarely on his shoulders as a result.

Head coach Tom Higgins has thrown his thrown his support behind Burris, believing he deserves a chance at a clean slate in Calgary but clearly there no longer any guarantees at quarterback.

“Henry should be able to make the football team, but we'd like to think that he doesn't necessarily get to be anointed with the No. 1 spot,” Higgins said at the start of training camp in June. “He's the No. 1 quarterback today, but we hope over the course of time Akili Smith might be able to push him.”

Smith certainly helped his cause in his CFL debut – engineering two first quarter touchdown drives in his CFL debut in Calgary’s 28-3 pre-season blowout of Edmonton.

Tiger-Cats look for growth from Maas

University of Hawaii quarterback Timmy Chang has looked impressive during the pre-season. (Canadian Press)

With the start of a first full season for general manager Marcel Desjardins and a coaching staff led by Charlie Taaffe, the expectations have to be higher in Hamilton, where the Tiger-Cats are coming off back-to-back last place finishes.

Jason Maas is the incumbent, but Taaffe will undoubtedly be looking for the player who excelled in Edmonton in 2004 and not the one who struggled with injuries and consistency throughout 2006.

“Jason's the starting quarterback and it's his job to lose,” Taaffe said. “He knows that. He knows he has to perform.

“But I don't want quarterbacks looking over their shoulder, too, every time they make a mistake out there. You've got to show them some confidence and trust.”

Should Maas fail to ignite the offence in Hamilton, NCAA all-time passing leader Timmy Chang is probably the best bet to supplant him. Chang looked solid in the Tiger-Cats’ 35-23 pre-season win over the Blue Bombers on June 14 – completing 10 of 17 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns.

“He's such a gunslinger,” said Taaffe of the performance. “I thought he made a lot of strides tonight.”

The performance was strong enough to help prompt the Tiger-Cats to cut recently signed former NFL veteran Shaun King. But even with King gone, veteran Rocky Butler still remains and could also step up and challenge for the role.

It’s a lot of pressure for Maas, who will make his first start since December bicep surgery in Hamilton’s final pre-season game against Winnipeg on June 22 and might need a solid showing in order to stay number one.

Joseph, Crandell duel in Saskatchewan

Kent Austin knows exactly what he’s looking for from his quarterback this season.

The Roughriders new head coach is also the former quarterback of the 1989 Grey Cup-winning edition of the team and will be looking to stretch the field this season with a heavy dose of the passing game. But it remains to be seen exactly who is going to execute that plan as the starter.

Kerry Joseph is coming off an up-and-down season with the Roughriders that saw him throw 22 touchdowns as well as 17 interceptions. Expect him to get the start on opening day, but should he fail to deliver with Austin’s expansive playbook, expect the coach to have no qualms about a little healthy competition.

Marcus Crandell is the challenger in Saskatchewan and has the requisite experience and career numbers for the job. The 2001 Grey Cup MVP has tailed off somewhat from his most productive seasons but he’s already looked capable in limited pre-season minutes and could very well be in the mix when the regular season kicks off.