Ricky Ray's Future with Argos A Wait and See Game

[Shirley]

Shirley, you can't be serious. We could use a guy like Gurley, but after he was run out of town on a rail he probably wouldn't be too interested.

Welcome to the site, by the way! :)

Ya you are probably right on Gurley. As for the welcome thank you, my name was not taken yet, I figure this means it was meant to be

[OV Argo]

Coomb has shown some ability to catch the ball on short passes but has shown no ability to break tackles or elusiveness. I also wonder, considering his size, whether he can survive the pounding if he is to be used as a RB. Nor have I seen any sign that he could be a blocking back, an important skill in a passing offence.
If they do decide to go with him, they may well go with a National backup RB, such as Walter or Woodson, as some other teams have done. Otherwise you are using up an International in a backup role rather than as one of 17 starters.

Kienan Lafrance - who helped lead Ottawa to a GC win - played behind Coombs at RB at Manitoba.

Coombs might be capable of playing as the main RB - as far as taking a pounding - he's around the same size as Whitaker and it's not like the Argo offence is about to start pounding a ground game anyways (at least with Condell or some other standard procedure GOB running the offence). A good plan might be to go with a platoon system at RB - Coombs, plus find a good new (and big) import RB - who could even be a DI.

The Argos could also thinking of drafting a NI RB to compete; not a lot of RB talent this coming draft IMO, but Carabins' RB Sean Thomas-Earlington was a good CFL style RB in CIS ball - seemed to be a decent package of running skills, plus good blocker & pass catcher; decent size too at 205 or so. Bet he will be available mid to late rounds ?

[gilthethrill]

Kienan Lafrance - who helped lead Ottawa to a GC win - played behind Coombs at RB at Manitoba.

Coombs might be capable of playing as the main RB - as far as taking a pounding - he's around the same size as Whitaker and it's not like the Argo offence is about to start pounding a ground game anyways (at least with Condell or some other standard procedure GOB running the offence). A good plan might be to go with a platoon system at RB - Coombs, plus find a good new (and big) import RB - who could even be a DI.

The Argos could also thinking of drafting a NI RB to compete; not a lot of RB talent this coming draft IMO, but Carabins' RB Sean Thomas-Earlington was a good CFL style RB in CIS ball - seemed to be a decent package of running skills, plus good blocker & pass catcher; decent size too at 205 or so. Bet he will be available mid to late rounds ?

I am a big fan of Guelph RB Johnny Augustine myself.

[doubleblue]

Right now he's by far the best QB on our roster.

Ricky Ray even with some zip gone on his throws is still the best QB on the roster IMO. Just need to give him the right players to work with.

[OV Argo]

I am a big fan of Guelph RB Johnny Augustine myself.

Yeah - a tough little inside runner - sort of Mike Pringle build and style (wears #27 too).

Not going to get a legit shot to compete for playing time at RB in the CFL right away though - wrong passport there; might be able to make a roster if he can play STs well, and then maybe progress - good back-up RB who could eventually emerge like Lafrance did ?

[R.J]

Ricky Ray even with some zip gone on his throws is still the best QB on the roster IMO.

That's not saying much.

[OV Argo]

That's not saying much.

Yet Trestman with an aging Calvillo got the Als to some success/GCs? - who's the better QB Ray or Calvillo? - if you pick the latter, then no need to carry on this discussion.

[Rich]

Yet Trestman with an aging Calvillo got the Als to some success/GCs? - who's the better QB Ray or Calvillo? - if you pick the latter, then no need to carry on this discussion.

I'll agree that Ricky was a better QB in his prime than Calvillo. But Calvillo was a better, more durable athlete, allowing him to maintain a high level through his late 30s. There were times last year when Ricky looked like Betty White out there. Good O-Line or not, Ricky has zero escapability any more, he's just gonna get more beat up if he plays this year.

[Shatto]

Even though both were outstanding, most would agree that Ray in his prime was the better QB--a future HOFer. Trestman's system stresses a quick release of the ball by the QB. If Ray has regained strength in his throwing arm and he can master Trestman's system, we could be on the way to a far better offense than last year's. Pity the team lost Shaw and Spencer but if some of the receivers can achieve their potential (Jones, Noel, Debose, Fuller, Posey. Wylie, Worthy, Morgan etc,), the team may provide Ray with some good targets. At least there is reason for a little more optimism, than this time last week.

[R.J]

Yet Trestman with an aging Calvillo got the Als to some success/GCs? - who's the better QB Ray or Calvillo? - if you pick the latter, then no need to carry on this discussion.

At their peaks, I'd give Ray the edge, even though he never threw for 6,000, but Calvillo was still playing at a high level into his mid to late 30's, where as Ray is nowhere near the player he was in until 2014.

Ray's no longer an elite QB IMO. Jennings, Reilly, Mitchell, Collaros, and Harris are all QB's I'd take over Ray.

[OV Argo]

At their peaks, I'd give Ray the edge, even though he never threw for 6,000, but Calvillo was still playing at a high level into his mid to late 30's, where as Ray is nowhere near the player he was in until 2014.

Ray's no longer an elite QB IMO. Jennings, Reilly, Mitchell, Collaros, and Harris are all QB's I'd take over Ray.

You might be right, but though I'm tempted, I'm not 100% down with writing off Ricky as a very good CFL QB still. The health of his passing arm is the big issue IMO - if it's even 85% of what it once was, that's easily good enough; his accuracy & smarts could still do lots in a sharp Trestman passing offence = could be better than what Calvillo did late in his career.

[Scooter McCray]

Having Ray as a backup that wants to transition to coaching is great for the Argos. He can learn under Trestman and having a HOF QB available off the bench is great like Wilkinson on the Eskimos tutoring Moon. Now Popp just needs to find the Argos a Warren Moon. That's not asking too much. Expecting Ray to start 18 games is asking too much of him at this stage or going into a season with that expectation is too risky.

[paulwoods13]

You might be right, but though I'm tempted, I'm not 100% down with writing off Ricky as a very good CFL QB still. The health of his passing arm is the big issue IMO - if it's even 85% of what it once was, that's easily good enough; his accuracy & smarts could still do lots in a sharp Trestman passing offence = could be better than what Calvillo did late in his career.

75% accuracy in 2016, and 15/6 TD/INT ratio. Clearly he can still hit his receivers with catchable passes. Whether he can sling it downfield well enough is TBD, but I think he can probably do it well enough to be effective in a Trestman offence.

[ArgoGabe22]

I'm stoked to hear Ray will be the starter, unless he shows otherwise. Ray is also prepared to be the backup.

[mchesher03]

Given what I’m seeing, appears that ricky ray’s future is no longer a “wait and see” – trestman is a fan, Ricky is the undisputed starter and let’s see where this goes!

[Neely2005]

I'm stoked to hear Ray will be the starter, unless he shows otherwise. Ray is also prepared to be the backup.

It makes sense. A healthy Ray is still one of the best IMO.

[argotom]

For me AC was a much better than Ricky when comparing their respective prime.
Better arm, with greater strength.
Although I have stated as have some here about Ray being done not just last year but a few years ago, I am willing to give the professor a chance to work with Ray.
He did it with AC, made him a quick 3 step drop back passer and this definitely extended his Hall of Fame career.
I am not sure he can do it with either Willy or Ray, but there is currently no other option?

[jerrym]

Don Landry discusses why a Trestman-Ray combo may be highly successful:

“There’s no competition starting out. Ricky Ray’s going to be our quarterback until he shows us he can’t be.”
With those straightforward words, the new head coach of the Toronto Argonauts settled the team’s most important question on day one of his employment.
Marc Trestman is just about the perfect coach for Ray at this late stage of the veteran quarterback’s career and there are a number of reasons for that, the most important being that Trestman is first and foremost a coach who painstakingly ensures that his quarterback is comfortable, protected and equipped for the job, both mentally and in how the players around that quarterback are employed.
Ray and Trestman will be speaking the same language right out of the gate, or at least close to it. Trestman and Scott Milanovich developed a way of doing things in Montreal and when Milanovich left the Als to become the head coach of the Argonauts in 2012, he brought much of that blueprint to Toronto, handing off those schemes and processes to Ray.
After at first being uncomfortable with it all, Ray blossomed during the late stages of 2012 and has been reading defences using an off-shoot of the Marc Trestman way ever since. No surprise, then, that Trestman announced that Ray would be his starter, when asked the million dollar question at his first media conference as Argos’ coach. Trestman’s presence should certainly give Ray cause for optimism; Ray’s presence most certainly provides the new coach with something he’s valued in the past and that is a proven veteran working the levers. ...

Personally, I think Ricky Ray – at the age of 37 – has plenty left to offer and that is not entirely based on just his career-long reputation, but on what I saw from him when he returned to action in the late stages of a disastrous Argonauts’ 2016 season.
Ray, who’d been beaten up and battered something fierce over the course of three seasons, came back after major shoulder surgery only to suffer an early season knee strain and then a mid-season broken rib. However, he was looking as good as could be expected in a game against the powerhouse Calgary Stampeders last October.
The Argos lost that game by a score of 31-13, which was expected, all things considered. Ray, however had a good night, personally, when he wasn’t on his duff, throwing for 311 yards and a touchdown, although he tossed a couple of picks and didn’t finish with your usual Ray-like completion percentage, going 28-for-42. When he was afforded time in the pocket, he looked fine. When the Stampeders decided to tinker with that pocket – with extreme prejudice – Ray faltered. What I thought, on that night, was; How good would Ricky Ray look if he were taking snaps behind that Calgary offensive line right now?
Very good, was my conclusion. Therein lies the key for Trestman, new General Manager Jim Popp and for Ray as the Argonauts try to make up for lost off-season time and attempt to be as competitive as possible right away; Give Ricky Ray time.

http://www.argonauts.ca/2017/03/01/landry-working-trestman-will-prove-ray-left/

[hugoagogo]

Having Ray as a backup that wants to transition to coaching is great for the Argos. He can learn under Trestman and having a HOF QB available off the bench is great like Wilkinson on the Eskimos tutoring Moon. Now Popp just needs to find the Argos a Warren Moon. That's not asking too much. Expecting Ray to start 18 games is asking too much of him at this stage or going into a season with that expectation is too risky.

I will go on record as saying I believe James Franklin will be the next great quarterback in the CFL. I think Ed Hervey would rather see him wind up in Toronto versus Saskatchewan. If he's going to leave Edmonton, I hope you guys get him.

[argotom]

I will go on record as saying I believe James Franklin will be the next great quarterback in the CFL. I think Ed Hervey would rather see him wind up in Toronto versus Saskatchewan. If he's going to leave Edmonton, I hope you guys get him.

I agree with you completely.
I said before how the Argos and especially now with this new combo make a full court press to trade for him.
Offer a package, couple of 1st round picks for the next two years and a starter.
This kid is worth it and like you say going east is his destination as Hervey has to trade him before he turns FA at the end of the year.