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BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Purdue grad Joey Elliott is a big favourite of Bombers GM Joe Mack.

One down, but will it be one or two to go?

The first of the free agent quarterback dominoes fell in Winnipeg when the Blue Bombers announced the signing of backup quarterback Joey Elliott Wednesday. The 25-year-old, who could have been a free agent Feb. 15, is coming off a torn ACL in his left knee last season, an injury that sidelined the former Purdue pivot for all but three games.

Elliott says the knee is "100 per cent" and that if the season started today he would be the first guy on the field. He's been rehabbing the knee all winter and working out in Indianapolis, throwing to college guys three times a week

Elliott said never once did he consider testing the free agent waters.

It was always going to be Winnipeg.

"This is the place to be. This is where it all started. (Fellow Purdue alum) Drew Brees once told me you have to go where you're liked. My agent and I decided this is the best place for me to play. We have a great offence here, we had a great team last year..."

Sage advice from the New Orleans Saints quarterback because make no mistake: The Bomber brass loves the 6-foot-3, 216-pound Elliott. From the time GM Joe Mack brought him in July 2010, there was an instant attraction to his skill set, specifically the pocket awareness and the leadership component; qualities that actually carried Elliott past Alex Brink on the depth chart before the start of last season.

Elliott shared a story Wednesday of how Mack assured him that the club would bring him back for the 2012 season two weeks after he suffered the knee injury.

This infatuation has yet to blossom into anything substantial, though.

In four career games, he is just 45-of-91 for 522 yards (a 49 per cent completion percentage) with two touchdowns and three interceptions, and has yet to be an active, on-field member of any Bomber victory. The knee injury suffered late in the home loss to Calgary three games into last season -- an injury which he played through -- obviously delayed his development, so when looking at the free agent possibilities for Elliott it's easy to see why the two sides were able to come to an agreement.

These optics weren't lost on the quarterback, either.

"I want to be here. There's nowhere else for me to go," he said.

With Elliott locked up for the foreseeable future, the focus moves to the other two free agent pivots.

As of this writing, Buck Pierce and Alex Brink are still without deals. Mack has gone on record in the past saying that it would be unlikely that the club could sign all three free agent quarterbacks, but the wind appears to be shifting.

While a contract for Pierce is progressing slowly, no one inside the Polo Park offices seems to be concerned a deal won't get done. Guaranteed money remains the sticking point; the club wants a more incentive-based deal, while the player is looking for an increase in base money.

Brink's future, meanwhile, seems tied to Pierce. He wants to come back to Winnipeg, but will there be enough in the budget if Pierce and Elliott are already on board? On top of that, Brink put together some film last season and feels like he's more than a third-string arm -- will he get a fair shot in Winnipeg?

Should a deal materialize with Pierce first, Brink might be left out in the cold. And vice versa.

Head coach Paul LaPolice sounded optimistic when asked about the quarterbacks Wednesday.

"We've had good conversations with all the guys and I think the big thing is they really enjoy it here," he said. "They believe in us and believe in the organization. Certainly bringing Gary on board is somebody they're going to enjoy. He's had conversations with all those guys."

Earlier this week, the club announced the addition of longtime NCAA offensive co-ordinator Gary Crowton to the coaching staff. Interestingly, one of the first players to offer a 'Welcome to Winnipeg' message on Twitter was Brink.

The Bombers are expected to make more player announcements this week.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca

EXTRA POINTS

With quarterback Joey Elliott back in the fold, the Bombers still have 10 pending free agents to consider before the CFL free agency deadline (Feb. 15; 11:01 p.m. Central time). On that list that includes starting offensive linemen Brendon LaBatte, Glenn January, Steve Morley, and Andre Douglas. It's believed the club is trying to lock up LaBatte and Douglas before they hit the open market.

Closing in on a new deal: Receiver Greg Carr. His new contract could be announced before the week is up. Carr, who has had trouble staying healthy during his time in Winnipeg, had 46 catches for 648 yards and four touchdowns in 11 games last season.

Wednesday saw a flurry of player moves around the CFL. Hamilton released three players, including vocal running back Avon Cobourne. The Ticats brought in tailback Martell Mallett this week, so the move wasn't unexpected. The B.C. Lions also made some noise on the first day of February, releasing backup quarterback Jarious Jackson.

Workers at the Investors Group Field construction site had to deal with an electrical fire in a transformer box Wednesday morning. Emergency crews responded to the situation and power was soon restored. No one was injured in the incident.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 2, 2012 D1