Final Cuts?

[Will]

I don't know if these are the final final cuts but here they are.

Ben Holmes, not surprisingly, has been released.

[ArgoGabe22]

Holmes is really the only name I recognize

[Shatto]

No real surprises. Only mildly surprised that Can LB Enoch Penny-Laryea and Am WR Rajae Johnson were not put on Practice Roster. Johnson has been suspended so there may a story about that.

[ArgoZ]

Some decent talent on the practice roster such as McMahon, Byrd, Pierce, Calver, Haydel and Sankoh. Got to think some of these guys will get taken.

[Rich]

Interesting that they kept Spencer Nichols, this year’s 4th rd pk, the OL-turned-receiver who caught 13 passes in his OUA career, and released the only other 2 FBs on the roster. Hey OV - tight end alert ;-)

Hopefully Coach can put Adeboboye at H-back sometimes, he’s the perfect guy to revive those beautiful Declan Cross swing passes. Plus he’s an excellent blocker too.

[paulwoods13]

Most of these moves seem logical and appropriate. We've kept together a veteran-laden roster, mixing in some newbies with tantalizing potential.

Holmes has been cut twice previously by CFL teams, so his departure should not come as a big surprise. All he had to do last year was be better than Austin Simmons, which was not that hard. People who watched the club practise seemed to really like him, but he's now been found wanting by three CFL teams.

I'm glad the club did not surrender to the temptation to let Leake go in favour of Byrd, McMahon or Pierce. Leake has tons of potential and letting him go would have been as dumb as letting Chandler Worthy go was last year.

By my count there are still 56 guys on the "main" roster, so 11 will need to either be placed on IR, traded or released before Game 1.

[paulwoods13]

Breaking things down further, we currently have a roster configured like this:

11 DB (we will likely dress seven or eight) *this includes Pickett, who can also play LB
10 DL (we will likely dress eight)
6 LB (we will likely dress them all, if healthy)
10 OL (we will likely dress seven, maybe eight)
3 QB (we will dress two)
4 RB (we will likely dress all four)
8 WR (we will likely dress seven or all eight)
1 FB
1 LS
1 K
1 P

[AngeloV]

I'm glad the club did not surrender to the temptation to let Leake go in favour of Byrd, McMahon or Pierce. Leake has tons of potential and letting him go would have been as dumb as letting Chandler Worthy go was last year.

I couldn’t agree more. I was shocked to hear Ben and JB suggest this on the podcast and be in favour of it. I believe rookies need to wait their turn and either take the job away from an incumbent, or have incumbent lose the job. AJO waited his opportunity and so should the likes of McMahon and Byrd.

[ArgoRavi]

I couldn’t agree more. I was shocked to hear Ben and JB suggest this on the podcast and be in favour of it. I believe rookies need to wait their turn and either take the job away from an incumbent, or have incumbent lose the job. AJO waited his opportunity and so should the likes of McMahon and Byrd.

Agreed. They also thought that Cam Phillips might be in trouble which also made no sense to me.

[ArgoRavi]

No real surprises. Only mildly surprised that Can LB Enoch Penny-Laryea and Am WR Rajae Johnson were not put on Practice Roster. Johnson has been suspended so there may a story about that.

I suspect that they are trying to figure out what to do with Johnson, but will keep him. He was added late and perhaps has to go back to the US to get more of this possessions, so he is "suspended" for now until he returns to Toronto. The others on the suspended list are all CIS players who can go back to school, if I am not mistaken.

[ArgoRavi]

Some decent talent on the practice roster such as McMahon, Byrd, Pierce, Calver, Haydel and Sankoh. Got to think some of these guys will get taken.

Another team would have to activate that player immediately if they pluck them from the Argos' PR. I also believe that the Argos would first be given a chance to activate said player themselves.

Honestly, I know many, including Ben and JB on X's and Argos, expect other teams to pick up the Argos' cuts, but I don't see that happening for several weeks at least, as everyone is trying to cut down their rosters and will be partial to the players they recruited in the off-season. The only exception would be if a team has a dire need for someone at a particular position due to being injury-ravaged at that position.

[paulwoods13]

I suspect that they are trying to figure out what to do with Johnson, but will keep him. He was added late and perhaps has to go back to the US to get more of this possessions, so he is "suspended" for now until he returns to Toronto. The others on the suspended list are all CIS players who can go back to school, if I am not mistaken.

Yes, the "suspension" of the four NAT draft choices is a paper move to allow Argos to retain their rights for a year and bring them back to camp next year. I assume the four all agreed to this. IMO this type of roster move should benefit both the team and the player -- the latter by allowing the suspension year to burn off one year of the rookie contract rules.

[paulwoods13]

Another team would have to activate that player immediately if they pluck them from the Argos' PR. I also believe that the Argos would first be given a chance to activate said player themselves.

Honestly, I know many, including Ben and JB on X's and Argos, expect other teams to pick up the Argos' cuts, but I don't see that happening for several weeks at least, as everyone is trying to cut down their rosters and will be partial to the players they recruited in the off-season. The only exception would be if a team has a dire need for someone at a particular position due to being injury-ravaged at that position.

This, 1,000 times this. This ain't Steve Stapler Mark II.

[paulwoods13]

Some decent talent on the practice roster such as McMahon, Byrd, Pierce, Calver, Haydel and Sankoh. Got to think some of these guys will get taken.

McMahon and Byrd look like excellent prospects for sure. Pierce seemed to be out of his depth in the secondary the other night, but had a nice return -- a nice prospect, but not yet ready for prime time IMO. Calver is a useful special teamer but has been available to other teams in the past -- there are all kinds of guys similar to him around the league. Haydel has some potential but I doubt there is a team that sees him as instantly better than any INT receivers they have. Sankoh is by all accounts a good guy but he is here only because of the global initiative. In two years with the Argos I don't know if he has had more than half a dozen snaps on defence. Most teams presumably have two or more Globals they already know and like.