The Big Three

[Will]

http://www.tsn.ca/video/the-big-three~686739

Profile about Tori Gurley, Kevin Elliott and Vidal Hazelton

[1argoholic]

That was a cool segment. How do we possibly keep all of these guys for the long haul. To have three rookie receivers doing this well has to be a first.

["Issues"Mcgee]

The big three are certainly fun to watch. I'm wondering how much of their performance is aided by the positive and tight-knit environment the team has right now. If they came in at some point during the previous two seasons, when the future was uncertain and the team was scrambling just to accomplish day-to-day functions, would they be as hot right now? I suppose there is really no way of knowing, but I bet the strong locker room has helped.

[PullTogether73]

That was a cool segment. How do we possibly keep all of these guys for the long haul. To have three rookie receivers doing this well has to be a first.

If we have to lose any of them, I say dump Elliot.
He is a hothead who boils over at the slightest provocation and ends up costing us penalty yards.

[OV Argo]

The new Esks rookie receiver is blowing any of the Argos "big 3" out of the water and by a mile - in his first 2 games anyways.

[argolio]

The new Esks rookie receiver is blowing any of the Argos "big 3" out of the water and by a mile - in his first 2 games anyways.

Derel Walker -- yeah, I noticed him as well. He's looked good as far as personal stats go, but the Esks threw 56 passes trying in vain to make up a big deficit against the Ticats. I take QB and receiver stats for the losing team with a grain of salt in those types of games.

[Argocister]

The new Esks rookie receiver is blowing any of the Argos "big 3" out of the water and by a mile - in his first 2 games anyways.

Could be that theres only one of him .... Harris has 3 to choose from..... I like Trevors problem .

[D-Gap-Willie]

If we have to lose any of them, I say dump Elliot.
He is a hothead who boils over at the slightest provocation and ends up costing us penalty yards.

Personally, I don't want to lose any of them. They are all emotional ( like many rookies) but that is part of why they are so good.
BTW, I think your description of "hothead" best fits Hazelton and not Elliot. Elliot is the most complete football player of the three -- receiving, blocking, special teams.

The new Esks rookie receiver is blowing any of the Argos "big 3" out of the water and by a mile - in his first 2 games anyways.

Walker has a lot of yards - quite a few of them in garbage time which came early last weekend in Edmonton - it's obvious that he is Franklin's favorite receiver - strange that he has not yet scored touchdown though. Let's wait and see !

[AngeloV]

If we have to lose any of them, I say dump Elliot.
He is a hothead who boils over at the slightest provocation and ends up costing us penalty yards.

I disagree. I was sold on Elliott in the pre-season game against Montreal. Not for any catches he made, but there was a play when Chip Cox manhandled Durie out of bounds against the signage. Elliott was there to stand up for Durie and rag doll Cox out of there. That is what team play is all about.

If it's penalty yards you are referring to, don't you mean Hazelton? To the best of my knowledge, He's had 3 OC penalties this year and was also sat down because of it.

[Will]

Why are we even speculating or worried about which one we'll have to drop?

[R.J]

Edmonton offense runs on having 1 dominant receiver a game it seems. Bowman was the guy pretty much all last season, early on this season as well until injury, Stafford took over for a game or two, then Walker the last game or 2. Not only that, but garbage time sure does help pad some stats.

Personally I'd rather have the Argonauts problem. Would have to agree with d-gap in that Elliot looks to be the most complete football player of the 3, love the way he plays.

[Argo]

It is simply great having these three receivers on the team. I could rave on, but the video record is there for the viewing.

I hope they are all around for as long as possible.

[Gill The Thrill]

Hate to be a Debbie Downer but you have to critically look at why these guys could not stick in the league they probably dreamed of playing in as kids, the NFL. Hazelton does not appear the leanest, tallest or quickest of the guys, so there's he's out as far as the coaches down there are concerned. Elliot has good hands and has the size to be looked at down there, so I have not seen or noticed any bad habits yet. Tori Gurley has potential and definite size to be given plenty of oppurtunities in the NFL, but I have noticed a few dropped passes and unforced bobbles. This would've definitely costed him oppurtunities to stick down there. This means that he may not be able to come down with it in traffic, because he has those concentration lapses which cause him to bobble or not make as many clean catches as possible. I think a good comparison to him is Manny Arcenaux in BC who does get a lot flack from Lions fans for not fighting off tight coverages to make catches.

If I have to rate their hands 1) Hazelton - great catches, stretches out, shown some ability to get inside to make catches. 2) Elliot - good hands, good size, good speed, ability to get seperation from coverage 3) Gurley - Good size, ability to get seperation on wide Canadian Football field.

[Wobbler]

Why are we even speculating or worried about which one we'll have to drop?

ArgoFans.com is definitely a glass-half-empty sort of place.

[argolio]

Hate to be a Debbie Downer but you have to critically look at why these guys could not stick in the league they probably dreamed of playing in as kids, the NFL.

Why do I have to?

[Gill The Thrill]

Why do I have to?

Because they're still in their first go-around as far as other teams seeing their game. It's kind of like a 1st year QB or 1st year Goaltender that hasn't been through the league once. They may take off like a storm but will they maintain that consistency when the defenses plan for them more as the season continues. I hope they do, but I've already given you my ranking which explains whom I think can maintain the pace and who may possibly not.

Bringing the conversation to CFL football and my analogy. Case in point, remember David Williams who won the Grey Cup with the Argos in 1991, he was a pretty good receiver with size but did he ever have the same numbers that he had in his rookie year with the BC Lions in 1988. He won the Most Outstanding Player award in his first year but was never nominated again.

[AngeloV]

Bringing the conversation to CFL football and my analogy. Case in point, remember David Williams who won the Grey Cup with the Argos in 1991, he was a pretty good receiver with size but did he ever have the same numbers that he had in his rookie year with the BC Lions in 1988. I believe he won both Rookie of the Year and Most Outstanding Player or at least may have been nominated for MOP in his first year.

It was well know that David Williams was quite the head case. The only QB he ever had success with was Matt Dunnigan, both in B.C and Toronto.

[Gill The Thrill]

It was well know that David Williams was quite the head case. The only QB he ever had success with was Matt Dunnigan, both in B.C and Toronto.

Casey Printers as a QB also had that early success and was never able to duplicate it...perhaps in the same category as Williams. For awhile people doubted whether Henry Burris could have that same initial success but he has maintained that level and is why he is still playing. It's like Milt Stegall said on the panel, there doing great, but let's see a longer body of work.

[Will]

David Williams may have never duplicated his 1988 season, but it is not like he turned into a bad receiver either.

1988	CFL BC	83	1468	17.7	77	18
1989	CFL BC	79	1446	18.3	71	14
1990	CFL Ottawa	61	895	14.7	55	12
1991	CFL Edmonton	37	597	16.1	46	9
1991	CFL Toronto	29	552	19.0	68	6
1992	CFL Toronto	30	444	14.8	39	1
1993	CFL Winnipeg	84	1144	13.6	44	15
1994	CFL Winnipeg	30	565	18.8	64	3
1995	CFL Winnipeg	6	86	14.3	32	0

Bringing the conversation to CFL football and my analogy. Case in point, remember David Williams who won the Grey Cup with the Argos in 1991, he was a pretty good receiver with size but did he ever have the same numbers that he had in his rookie year with the BC Lions in 1988. He won the Most Outstanding Player award in his first year but was never nominated again.

While receivers have won MOP awards in the past, how often can you say that they've been nominated again? Was Pinball ever nominated again after 1990 or Owens after 2012. The 1988 season was kinda "iffy" for QB's as well. Tom Clements had retired in 1987 and was replaced by a melange of names that rode the Winnipeg defense's coattails to a Grey Cup championship. The Eskimos were just developing Tracy Ham and Damon Allen at that point and Calgary was also a rotation of QB's. The Roughriders were experimenting with Tom Burgess and Kent Austin. Hamilton and Ottawa did not have great QB play that year either. The only viable candidates for MOP that year at the QB position were really Dunigan and (gulp) Gilbert Renfroe.

[Gill The Thrill]

No, not a bad receiver at all, but he did bounce around the league and did seem too have success with just Dunigan throwing to him. In Toronto, once Dunigan got hurt in 1992, his numbers fell. They rose again in 1993 when he went to Winnipeg and guess who the Bombers got that year to play QB in free agency...Matt Dunigan, so Angelo did raise a valid point.