Anyone else feel like this offseason is dead,boring and frustrating in Argoland?

[1argoholic]

I keep checking in and ZERO new info about our future. Very little player info and it sure can suck the life out of you. Another long winter and hopes of any good Argo news seems to just fade. Braley really does drag his arse as we all wonder what's up.
Not to mention that the Leafs suck yet again and if you're a Raptor fan you can't be thrilled as they start to fade.

[AngeloV]

I keep checking in and ZERO new info about our future. Very little player info and it sure can suck the life out of you. Another long winter and hopes of any good Argo news seems to just fade. Braley really does drag his arse as we all wonder what's up.
Not to mention that the Leafs suck yet again and if you're a Raptor fan you can't be thrilled as they start to fade.

Really does suck. I mentioned yesterday (in a thread that seems to have been deleted) that the Argos need to do more to get themselves out in the media. Every little thing they do, whether it was the hiring of an assistant coach, or the signing of a rookie that most have never heard of, they should be having press conferences to announce this stuff and not just send out some little media release. It would make every thing they do seem significant. If you give the media free food and drink, they will show up, and you will get your name out in the public.

[gilthethrill]

It seems like every offseason for this team is void of information. In 2010, when Barker returned to coach, there was a big article on a FA camp in Florida, he was even interviewed on TSN radio. It was great information for the fans. What has made this offseason even worse is the frustrating ownership/stadium situations that should have been resolved long ago.

[matthew]

Hence this article
http://scratchingpost.thespec.com/20...ts-teams-.html

[Will]

Hence this article
http://scratchingpost.thespec.com/20...ts-teams-.html

What Schadenfreude? Don't many Hamiltonians still gravitate to the other Toronto sports teams aside from the Argos?

[Downtownfan]

Maybe someone has noticed the dearth of news. As if on cue:

Dear ...

Since being hired in 2010, it has been my personal and professional goal to put a team on the field of which Toronto Argonauts fans can truly be proud. Every decision made has been made with the vision of winning Grey Cups at the forefront. We have put together a group of professionals that are committed to this goal and I ask you, our loyal fans, to band with us and become a part of our army as we set out to once again achieve competitive greatness and bring the Grey Cup home to Toronto.

This past year was very difficult for all of us. I can assure you that we have worked diligently to overcome whatever obstacles that may lie ahead in the coming year. We have a unique situation here in Toronto and the challenges we face will make this season’s successes that much sweeter. While this market and team are special, all of us in this organization are proud to be a part of the oldest and most storied professional sports franchise in North America. I am blessed to be surrounded by a group of people, including fans, who believe in what we are doing and are committed to being better than the rest regardless of the situation.

In spite of the challenges we faced last year, we were one win away in Week 17 from again winning our Division and hosting the Eastern Final. We understand fully that missing the playoffs is not acceptable and our front office, coaches and players have worked tirelessly this off-season to make sure none of us go through the pain of watching other teams play in games meant for us this year.

When the 2015 regular season begins there will be so much different than last year. We will be at our fulltime practice facility, with coaches’ offices, at Downsview Park from day one. We anticipate holding training camp again at York University so that there will be a sense of familiarity for players and coaches. Our practices are always open to the public and we encourage you to check the schedule and come out whenever you can. Our players draw energy from the support they get from you. Again, this is OUR team and I will always be around to answer questions you may have about what is happening with our team.

While we endure another long road trip this year to start the season, the coaching staff is working hard to make sure we turn this into an advantage. One thing I can assure you, which you have witnessed over the past 4 years, is that our players and coaches do not make excuses and they will find a way to use this trip as a tool to solidify our Club for the long season. We expect our veteran players such as Chad Owens and Andre Durie to be healthy and ready to lead a number of new players in training camp this year that we’re particularly excited to watch make our team. Every year, in this salary cap world, you will see a 25% to 35% turnover in roster composition which puts pressure on our scouting staff to provide players that our coaches can work with and that fit our scheme.

Our organizational philosophy is to build our club through the draft and solid scouting – not free agency. We made trades to acquire Ricky Ray and Chad Owens, and have signed very few players through free agency. Our goal, as always, was to hold on to as many of our key free agents as we could. While we lost a couple of players we couldn’t afford to keep, the re-signing of Tyler Holmes, Jarriel King and Curtis Steele were key moves for us this year. Near the end of last season we signed Canadian linebacker Cory Greenwood, whom we drafted in 2010, and we expect him to be a player that will step in and be ready to lead our defence. The signing of Greenwood allowed us to make the trade with Saskatchewan to bring home veteran DE Ricky Foley, a three-time Grey Cup winner who is still among the best rush ends in the league, a native Torontonian and a man that truly loves being a Toronto Argonaut. His experience and leadership will also help many of our younger players on defence mature and understand what it takes to win in a big way.

Our young Canadians drafted in the past few years are now ready to step up and we feel our core Canadian talent is second to none in the CFL. In addition to national stalwarts Andre Durie, Ricky Foley, Chris Van Zeyl, Cory Greenwood, and special teams standouts James Yurichuk and Matt Black, former East Division Most Outstanding Lineman Jeff Keeping, veterans Wayne Smith and Mike Bradwell, and newly signed Tyler Holmes, we have added bright young prospects such as Jermaine Gabriel, who started most of the season at free safety last year, Cleyon Laing, our outstanding young defensive tackle, 2013 first round pick OL Matt Sewell and last year’s first round pick RB Anthony Coombs.

Former third round pick Zander Robinson has become one of the league’s top tight ends while third round WR Natey Adjei, fourth round picks Thomas Miles, Herve Tonye-Tonye and Alexander Dupuis have all shown tremendous ability and proven that they can be contributing members to a championship team. As you can see, the core of our Canadian players has been acquired through the draft and this May we will have the third pick in the 2015 CFL Draft and we will use it to continue to build this football team from the inside.

We are paid to win. Every player, coach and staff member associated with this proud organization understands this. We will continue to focus on gaining your respect as professionals dedicated to achieving at the highest level. We all understand that the only way this level of excellence will be attained is through hard work, sacrifice, belief in one another and true enthusiasm for the task at hand. Together, with a premise of respect and trust for one another, we will achieve competitive greatness and, ultimately, another championship.

I ask you to stand and fight with us as we overcome whatever challenges are in front of us this season. The satisfaction gained will be immense and the knowledge that you were a part of the army every step of the way will be gratifying to you personally as well as appreciated by every other person in the ranks.

I would like each of you to join me for a live Reddit AMA on Wednesday, March 18 where I will answer as many of your questions related to our football team as I can. Watch the Argonauts Facebook and Twitter accounts for the specific time.


Jim Barker
General Manager
Toronto Argonauts Football Club

[1argoholic]

Time was right for my original post I guess. Good on Barker But I need news on the future. Really two,three, ten years down the road is where I'm thinking.

I suppose there's still hope of a new very rich owner building a stadium just for our team. MLSE doesn't seem like a winner to me but if we end up at BMO then that's what it has to be. I'm still not sure how TO didn't get a stadium out of these Pan Am Games that would be perfect for the Argos.

Hard to believe that just a few short years ago the Dome was ROCKING like never before from Calgary's first offensive snap until the last. I've never heard fans help the Argos like that before. Now things are as down as ever.

As per that article, I've often said that TO's drinking water should be checked. Has to be something. Perhaps it's karma for all of that World Class City BS yapped on about by the media.

[Wobbler]

Doh! - the 18th is a terrible day for me. Oh well.

I find it interesting that he highlighted Zander Robinson in particular. I'm a big fan of the way we've used him in the offense (and want more!), and it sounds like Barker feels the same way.

[argonaut11xx]

whats a reddit?

[R.J]

The doom and gloom around here is becoming alarming, have never seen this place like this. The media ignores the Argos and CFL and Braley's stewardship of the Argonauts seems to be killing the Argos as opposed to helping them/giving them what they actually need (paying the bills is not enough IMO). Fans seem to be getting depressed by this whole situation and the Argonauts don't seem to be helping this by doing nothing. Think we all know what needs to happen, the waiting game however is taking it's toll.

[shayman]

whats a reddit?

"Reddit AMA" = an "Ask Me Anything" session on the popular web site reddit.com

See some previous ones here - http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA

[doubleblue]

So in a round about way Jim has insinuated that their starting seven Canadians will be Holmes, Keeping, Van Zeyl, Durie, Greenwood, Foley and Gabriel. That would leave Robinson and Dupuis to see some time at FB/TE and maybe Adjei at WR. Laing will see time at DT in a rotation situation and Yurichuk and Miles have shown they can play LB as needed. Matt Black can play at Corner or Safety as well.
With this depth I believe they can afford to take someone in the up coming draft that they feel is the best player available even if he is going to a NFL camp. I can see the whole projected CFL Draft first round being in NFL camps this summer. How many stick long term is another story as they will be up against a lot of good American players where citizen doesn't count. IMO the Argos are in a position of being able to wait on their 1st round pick this year and will still be able to pick up real good players in the top four rounds.

[AngeloV]

The doom and gloom around here is becoming alarming, have never seen this place like this. The media ignores the Argos and CFL and Braley's stewardship of the Argonauts seems to be killing the Argos as opposed to helping them/giving them what they actually need (paying the bills is not enough IMO). Fans seem to be getting depressed by this whole situation and the Argonauts don't seem to be helping this by doing nothing. Think we all know what needs to happen, the waiting game however is taking it's toll.

Agreed totally with this. I am certainly very frustrated. To the point, where I am taking my sweet time in renewing my tickets. I may wait until days before the pre-season game to do so.

[ArgoRavi]

Really does suck. I mentioned yesterday (in a thread that seems to have been deleted) that the Argos need to do more to get themselves out in the media. Every little thing they do, whether it was the hiring of an assistant coach, or the signing of a rookie that most have never heard of, they should be having press conferences to announce this stuff and not just send out some little media release. It would make every thing they do seem significant. If you give the media free food and drink, they will show up, and you will get your name out in the public.

And who is going to pay for this food and drink, AV? You and I both know it won't be Braley.

Anyway, that was a nice letter from Barker and the one area of the franchise that I still have lots of faith in is the football operations. I still can't believe that almost two full off-seasons have gone by without any kind of deal with MLSE.

[Argo57]

Agreed totally with this. I am certainly very frustrated. To the point, where I am taking my sweet time in renewing my tickets. I may wait until days before the pre-season game to do so.

Angelo, you are playing with fire here!!
Renew now or risk losing your seats to someone else!!!

[argotom]

whats a reddit?

Ditto for me!

Angelo, you are playing with fire here!!
Renew now or risk losing your seats to someone else!!!

Ah yes, would you rather have the MLSE corporation(oh oh! what have I said) announcing first there would be no Leafs increase in the already obnoxious prices, but wait the kick in the teeth you have to pay for them upfront already for next season.
Chiching, take out a mortgage.

[OV Argo]

So in a round about way Jim has insinuated that their starting seven Canadians will be Holmes, Keeping, Van Zeyl, Durie, Greenwood, Foley and Gabriel. That would leave Robinson and Dupuis to see some time at FB/TE and maybe Adjei at WR. Laing will see time at DT in a rotation situation and Yurichuk and Miles have shown they can play LB as needed. Matt Black can play at Corner or Safety as well.
With this depth I believe they can afford to take someone in the up coming draft that they feel is the best player available even if he is going to a NFL camp. I can see the whole projected CFL Draft first round being in NFL camps this summer. How many stick long term is another story as they will be up against a lot of good American players where citizen doesn't count. IMO the Argos are in a position of being able to wait on their 1st round pick this year and will still be able to pick up real good players in the top four rounds.

I basically totally disagree with the notion of drafting a "best player" type who is obviously NFL bound with the thinking - "oh well, maybe we get him down the road, and besides our NI talent is so strong anyways" - it isn't IMO.

I appreciate and like Mr. Barker's letter/effort there, but obviously he is going to say nice things and be positive about the players and team he has built.

The Argos IMO have huge or at least decent sized holes at several position groups; and the draft is one way to address such needs. And this is not a real, deep talented team where you can just wait for young guys to develop for years down the road (wish it was though).

This draft has some serious talent and in areas where the Argos have need - like DT, receiver, O-line; so go out and draft some players who you are darn sure will show up for TC and can maybe help right away. Let's see if the wait for Cory Greenwood is well worth it - maybe he is an impact starter at MLB - i hope so (i wouldn't count on him being handed the job though with Greg Jones still around). I do know that Nick Kaczur did ZERO for the Argos. And that some other 1st round or early draft picks did little to nothing. Time to step-up to the plate with real smart, sharp drafting; and stop with the good ole pre-determined notion that we only need 7 NI starters ... Foley, Greenwood, Laing (in platoon with a draft pick DT), Gabriel at safety, maybe Matt Black given a real shot at corner = 5 potential starting NIs on D; Durie, another NI receiver (including maybe former or this year draft picks), maybe 4 O-linemen (including a draft pick this year); Coombs (or another draft pick this year) some at RB, or Dupuis/Robinson some at H-back = another 6 or so NI starters on O. Maybe this is too much though and would boggle a good ole mind ? ;o)

[Mookie Fan]

Our goal, as always, was to hold on to as many of our key free agents as we could. While we lost a couple of players we couldn’t afford to keep, the re-signing of Tyler Holmes, Jarriel King and Curtis Steele were key moves for us this year. -Jim Barker

We lost a couple of players we couldn't afford to keep??? We actually lost 5, and that's 6 if you count Jason Barnes who hasn't been re-signed. Of those 6, I think it could be argued that at least half of them (Rogers, Woodson, Watt) could have been useful players for 2015. Barnes and Darvin Adams were disappointing last year and likely more expendable and if I recall correctly Mitchell at OL was our other loss in free agency. He wasn't used much last year and bringing him back was not seen as essential given our mix of veteran and young depth at OL.

If the goal was to hold on to as many of our key free agents as we could, which two of those were the ones we "couldn't afford to keep"? Which ones were deemed by Barker as expendable, and which were unaffordable? Also, were they unaffordable because of Ricky Ray's high salary and the high salaries of other veterans like Durie and Owens? Or were they unaffordable because David Braley is (possibly?) shortchanging the GM about 1 million dollars (as some have suggested) and Barker is being forced to spend close to the floor of the salary cap, rather than close to the maximum allowed? There are a number of personnel decisions that could have been made to keep some of those free agents we lost, had there been a desire and willingness to do so.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders apparently re-signed 12 players (!!!) and brought in many new players as well. We re-signed 3 and have likely lost 6. The Argos have brought in a number of players new to the CFL, but no new free agents with CFL experience. Maybe the Riders had more pending free agents, but the numbers are a bit strange. Injuries do happen, and this current Argo roster likely does not have the depth to survive multiple injuries without a huge drop-off in performance at certain positions. This was also a problem in 2014.

What's wrong with signing the odd free agent with CFL experience? Why is not doing this Barker's philosophy? A lack of money to spend? Nothing is guaranteed with any player, but often they are players who have some track record and are more likely to be proven commodities that you can have a bit more faith in, barring injury.

Rather than congratulating Barker on saving money by passing on the contracts of Woodson and Watt, I think we have to ask some tough questions about how Braley is funding this team. I think Mr. Moneybags can spare another 1 million.

[1argoholic]

Barker might be looking at the Leafs. When they sign free agents they get to TO and crap out. Part of me always thinks that Barker loves to dig up talent that everyone else has passed on or knows nothing about. He's been great at that. Laing and Gabriel are two names that come to mind.

[doubleblue]

I basically totally disagree with the notion of drafting a "best player" type who is obviously NFL bound with the thinking - "oh well, maybe we get him down the road, and besides our NI talent is so strong anyways" - it isn't IMO.

I appreciate and like Mr. Barker's letter/effort there, but obviously he is going to say nice things and be positive about the players and team he has built.

The Argos IMO have huge or at least decent sized holes at several position groups; and the draft is one way to address such needs. And this is not a real, deep talented team where you can just wait for young guys to develop for years down the road (wish it was though).

This draft has some serious talent and in areas where the Argos have need - like DT, receiver, O-line; so go out and draft some players who you are darn sure will show up for TC and can maybe help right away. Let's see if the wait for Cory Greenwood is well worth it - maybe he is an impact starter at MLB - i hope so (i wouldn't count on him being handed the job though with Greg Jones still around). I do know that Nick Kaczur did ZERO for the Argos. And that some other 1st round or early draft picks did little to nothing. Time to step-up to the plate with real smart, sharp drafting; and stop with the good ole pre-determined notion that we only need 7 NI starters ... Foley, Greenwood, Laing (in platoon with a draft pick DT), Gabriel at safety, maybe Matt Black given a real shot at corner = 5 potential starting NIs on D; Durie, another NI receiver (including maybe former or this year draft picks), maybe 4 O-linemen (including a draft pick this year); Coombs (or another draft pick this year) some at RB, or Dupuis/Robinson some at H-back = another 6 or so NI starters on O. Maybe this is too much though and would boggle a good ole mind ? ;o)

I can see your point that if Barker knows from his NFL contacts that such and such a player is projected to play in the NFL, that it would be advisable to take him in the later rounds. CFL teams will know when they draft who has been already drafted by the NFL and may shy away from taking those guys early. Covington would be one such player. Most of the players signed as free agents down there get moved out in a year or two by the next crop of free agents. Pay them the minimum for a year or two and then move them out when their pay scale goes up.
I'm not so sure Brett Boyko will be the top projected pick by Draft time in May. I don't think some NFL teams are as high on him as CFL.ca or whoever is rating them.
My top three choices on a wish list for the Argos would be Daryl Waud, Sukh Chung and Nic Demski. But I know they will probably only get a shot at one of them.