The beauty of this season is that almost everyone is coming in with a clean slate. It's easy to look at past performance and say this guy stinks, but different cultures often bring out a difference in performance. I honestly have no idea where the Argos will finish this year. In this league especially, nobody can. But I am really excited to see this team form through TC and into the season.
It's us vs the rest of the country
I think 8 wins minimum. WR is a crap shoot with a lot of inexperience minus Green.
As for QB, I'm not betting on Ray being the starter as the season goes on.
I understand what Trestman can do for our QB's. I just don't think Ray has the tools anymore. (hope I'm wrong)
I'm no expert, but I think Trestman had more to work with in Calvillo. Both have limited mobility. But Calvillo had a quick release, and could gun the ball in when needed.
Ray's release seems slow compared to other QB's in the league. And he's never been known to have a cannon of an arm.
I think as the season goes Trestman will see more potential in one of our other QB's to lead the offense.
As for the team, I expect more discipline and intensity. Too many flat starts last year as the players had turned on SM.
While I agree that there is a good chance Ray will not remain the starter as the season wears on, IMO it will be due to injury as has happened often in the past. He may not have the strongest arm but few can match the touch he puts on the ball. While I am not down on Willy to the same extent as some here, I don't think he is anywhere near even an aging Ray. Given Trestman's record in Montreal, I think he ride the veteran horse as long as it shows it's leading the team towards a Ray of sunshine (sorry for the mixed metaphors).
I listened to the TSN interview. I liked what Trestman said. Declaring Ray the starter, but also being honest as it will also be based on performance.
And Ray being agreeable to it as well. I have complete faith in Trestman. If he feels Ray gives us the best chance at winning then he'll play.
If one of the others comes around and gives us a better change, then they'll play.
Going with Ray is a mistake in my mind. I think our offense could be a disaster. Even if Ray stays healthy, he's over-the-hill, and I don't like our backups or o-line. Ownership missed a chance for a massive reboot last November.
I hope I'm dead wrong, but this is the least optimistic I've been about a season since I started following the league.
Throwing a bunch of check downs helps inflate Ray's completion percentage numbers. Likewise for any other QB for that matter.
Year of the Rocket: John Candy, Wayne Gretzky, a Crooked Tycoon, and the Craziest Season in Football History (https://sutherlandhousebooks.com/pro...of-the-rocket/)
Bouncing Back: From National Joke to Grey Cup Champs (https://bit.ly/3fvip5x)
YOTR YouTube https://bit.ly/37jtG4f
BB YouTube https://bit.ly/2TSYPs7
You implied that Ray's age isn't a factor because Burris was healthy in the latter end of his career outside of last year and put up numbers.
Ray has started 12 games in 2 seasons. Burris, 3 years older, never had injury issues until last year.
You are also ignoring the fact Burris is a far superior athlete to Ray.
I'm not comfortable with Ray being our starter and expect him to play 8 games or less. Hopefully I'm wrong and he finds the fountain of youth like Favre did with the Vikings.
I just don't see how Ricky Ray can be considered "over the hill" even if he stays healthy. Last season he completed 74.5% of his passes, second-highest percentage of his career. His TD/INT ratio (2.5/1) was fourth-best of his career and just slightly behind his second-best of 2.7/1 -(2013 was an outlier at 10.5/1). His average gain per pass (8.0) was just 10th-highest out of the 13 seasons in which he played at least nine games, but basically where he has been throughout his career (8.0 last season, 8.3 career).
In his five years with the Argos, he has had a higher completion percentage (71.2 vs. 66.8), higher TD/INT ratio (2.5 vs. 1.6) and slightly lower avg gain (8.2 vs. 8.4) than in his first nine seasons. The only thing he is demonstrably worse at is staying off the injury list. When he's been healthy his play has been at least equal to, and arguably better than, what it was for the first nine years of his career.
Year of the Rocket: John Candy, Wayne Gretzky, a Crooked Tycoon, and the Craziest Season in Football History (https://sutherlandhousebooks.com/pro...of-the-rocket/)
Bouncing Back: From National Joke to Grey Cup Champs (https://bit.ly/3fvip5x)
YOTR YouTube https://bit.ly/37jtG4f
BB YouTube https://bit.ly/2TSYPs7
Kind of an important thing.
From what we've seen, what leads you or anyone to believe Ray can stay healthy and on the field? He isn't half the athlete Burris is/was, and imo he's a worse athlete than Calvillo.
Ray will turn 38 during the season. He's started 11 games the past 2 seasons. His arm strength isn't what it was 4 years ago. All of those factors can make him over the hill.
I gather you are basing the over-the-hill contention entirely on his injury history, and you don't wish to address any of the other points I raised about his performance when healthy?
His injuries have been to different areas, and some of them have been fluky -- anyone (even a great athlete) could have been hurt in the same position. Arm strength was never his calling card. I disagree he's a worse athlete than Calvillo.
Year of the Rocket: John Candy, Wayne Gretzky, a Crooked Tycoon, and the Craziest Season in Football History (https://sutherlandhousebooks.com/pro...of-the-rocket/)
Bouncing Back: From National Joke to Grey Cup Champs (https://bit.ly/3fvip5x)
YOTR YouTube https://bit.ly/37jtG4f
BB YouTube https://bit.ly/2TSYPs7
So injury history isn't relevant? Nor is age?
And my own pair of eyes watching the game. Stats don't tell the whole story.
The fact he never had a great arm should be a concern as at 37, unless he starts taking steroids, that will only get worse, as will mobility.
Calvillo was one of the faster semi-fat dudes I've seen. Ray is faster than he looks, but I'd take Calvillo in an obstacle course challenge.
I agree there are was red flags going forward with Ricky. But, IMO he is still the best QB available for the Argos right now. The thing is to keep the big hits from happening. The late hit from Vaughan Martin was more of a fluke injury IMO and the hit he took in the Hamilton game shouldn't have happened because a DE came unblocked. I have confidence in Trestman's offence to design plays for quick release plays that made Cavillo so successful. Would love to see a big back like Messam back there to ride shotgun for Ricky and pick up the blitz's that defenses will use, but that never seems to happen in Toronto. Only (unsuccessful) lol teams like Calgary would think of doing such a thing.
IMO the hit in Hamilton should never have happened because on the previous play Tom Valessi and his crew ruled an obvious target area PI in the endzone as an illegal contact. That placed the ball on the 4 yard line rather than the 1. Had the correct call been made, Fajardo would have been in for the goal line situation, and Ray would never have been hit.
It's us vs the rest of the country
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