Julian Feoli-Gudino is doing well in Winnipeg. After two years with the Argos and no receptions, he currently ranks tied for eighth in receptions with 14. Although he is only 29th in reception yardage with 105 yards, it does raise the question of whether the Argos could have used his skills more effectively.
His number of receptions reflects the fact that he has good hands, as demonstrated throughout his CIS career and especially in the 2011 Vanier Cup where he won the Most Valuable Player Award and made some outstanding catches.
On the other hand, his lack of major speed means he is rarely going to be a deep threat as can be seen in his total receiving yardage.
Nevertheless, it seems to me the Argos could have used him in second and short yardage situations, thereby taking advantage of his good hands to keep drives alive. By substituting him for Watts, who is more of a deep threat but does not have Julian's hands, or for one of the internationals without great hands in second and short, the Argos might have been able to sustain more drives, something that has been a problem in the last two years. While Owens definitely fulfills this role and has the added bonus of being able to take a short gain deep because of his speed, having another sure-handed receiver to toss to in such situations might have helped sustained drives and forced defences to either cover Feoli-Gudino as he established himself as a short threat, thereby taking some of the pressure off Owens to make such completions, or leave Julian open to make such catches.
It also shows once again O'Shea's skills at assessing players and getting the most out of them.
If the Argos ever replace Milanovich, O'Shea should be given prime consideration. With his long ties to the Argos and Toronto, there is a good chance the Argos could get him.
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