February 13 - Free Agency Opens

[paulwoods13]

As decent as Costigan was last year, he was the least impactful player on the d-line IMO (other than Marion, who mostly played specials). Even a $20-30k salary saving can be meaningful when managing the cap. I'm betting Parish is seen as having greater impact potential, and I imagine there will be more new DLs signed in the coming days/weeks.

[popo]

The team also signed Thiadric Hansen for depth at DE. He was injured for a stretch last year, but otherwise is one of the better Global non-punter players in the league.
He can step in as a rotational DE, and contribute on Special Teams.

Hansen gives the team an option for their Global player. Presumably if Hajrullahu punts, they won't dress Haggerty.

[paulwoods13]

Hansen gives the team an option for their Global player. Presumably if Hajrullahu punts, they won't dress Haggerty.

That is certainly an option. Hansen is by far the best non-kicking Global the league has had to date. He is a much more useful player than, for instance, Tigie Sankoh, who has only ever played on specials. But Haggerty is a superb punter and I'd hate to lose that from the lineup.

[OV Argo]

No CFL teams went with one dual kicker handling both jobs last season as their main roster thinking. As i've harped on before here - IMO - it's a huge risk and dumb roster management to rely on just one kicker to do 3 jobs (including KOs where the guy can get clobbered trying to cover); you lose that one kicker early in a game to injury and unless you have another roster player dressed who has decent kicking ability (say a Dave Stala), you can pretty well kiss winning that game good-bye (unless you had a Doug Flutie at QB against a $hite defence) - and every game is important (usually) in an 18 game season. ZERO NFL teams in modern days have ever relied on just one dual kicker. Has been done in recent CFL history some and a guy like Bede (or Liam H) are certainly quite capable of doing both jobs very well.
An injury and no time to find a decent replacement for next game could happen; but a team could always use a PR spot for a kicker, or have a guy hanging around town.

I hope the Argos are not dumb enough to take this gamble and roll with Liam H. doing both jobs - and Haggerty is an outstanding punter; maybe if they could not find an even below average punter.

Jones in EE land might be dumb enough to go with just Bede dressed as his only kicker.

Some CFL teams dress just one back-up O-lineman still.

[Argo57]

Carey will be rejuvenated. Playing on natural grass for 9 games (Not 8…screw you annual neutral site “Home Game), playing with the leagues best QB and O-line….he will outshine the departed AJO. I stake my reputation on it.

I’m expecting a major bounce back year from Carey, as you said playing on grass and having a superior O-Line blocking for him will be a major boost.
Admittedly I was somewhat concerned when the Argonauts were losing star players during the negotiation window but they have done a brilliant job in replacing those players.
Hats off to Pinball, Magri and Murphy!

[ArgoRavi]

No CFL teams went with one dual kicker handling both jobs last season as their main roster thinking. As i've harped on before here - IMO - it's a huge risk and dumb roster management to rely on just one kicker to do 3 jobs (including KOs where the guy can get clobbered trying to cover); you lose that one kicker early in a game to injury and unless you have another roster player dressed who has decent kicking ability (say a Dave Stala), you can pretty well kiss winning that game good-bye (unless you had a Doug Flutie at QB against a $hite defence) - and every game is important (usually) in an 18 game season. ZERO NFL teams in modern days have ever relied on just one dual kicker. Has been done in recent CFL history some and a guy like Bede (or Liam H) are certainly quite capable of doing both jobs very well.
An injury and no time to find a decent replacement for next game could happen; but a team could always use a PR spot for a kicker, or have a guy hanging around town.

I hope the Argos are not dumb enough to take this gamble and roll with Liam H. doing both jobs - and Haggerty is an outstanding punter; maybe if they could not find an even below average punter.

Jones in EE land might be dumb enough to go with just Bede dressed as his only kicker.

Some CFL teams dress just one back-up O-lineman still.

I agree with OV about having two kickers dressed. I would imagine that Haggerty has practised placekicking at least a little in case something happens to Hajrullahu during a game.

[OV Argo]

I agree with OV about having two kickers dressed. I would imagine that Haggerty has practised placekicking at least a little in case something happens to Hajrullahu during a game.

Yeah; let's say you dress just one kicker to do all jobs, and on the opening kick-off of the game, the guy gets hurt trying to make a TD saving tackle - then what? - horrid field position from shank punts and no 25 yard FG possibility the rest of the game?

Most place-kickers only surely have some punt ability and vice versa for punters - they can practice both skills every day.

There are rarely any good to decent position players these days who have experience as a punter & place-kicker (like a Dave Stala - 1000 yard receiver but also can do both kicking jobs pretty well).

However - this CFL draft does feature one such guy - Alberta Bears Jon Giuistini was 2nd team all- Canadian at safety this past season AND has also been the Bears regular punter and place kicker (with some decent stats there) - nice versatile guy to have on the roster - safety prospect/capability; can likely play STs as well - and could be the emergency kicker for a team that thought their roster was better served dressing one do it all kicker. Wouldn't mind seeing the Argos draft this guy - might be there in the mid to late rounds

[Will]

The team also signed Thiadric Hansen for depth at DE. He was injured for a stretch last year, but otherwise is one of the better Global non-punter players in the league.
He can step in as a rotational DE, and contribute on Special Teams.

Hansen gives the team an option for their Global player. Presumably if Hajrullahu punts, they won't dress Haggerty.

por qué no los dos

[AngeloV]

No CFL teams went with one dual kicker handling both jobs last season as their main roster thinking. As i've harped on before here - IMO - it's a huge risk and dumb roster management to rely on just one kicker to do 3 jobs (including KOs where the guy can get clobbered trying to cover); .

In the Argos case, Haggerty can't place kick, so had Bede been injured during a game, they still would have been in bad shape. It only really makes a difference if the place kicker can punt and the punter can place kick which isn't always the case.

[OV Argo]

In the Argos case, Haggerty can't place kick, so had Bede been injured during a game, they still would have been in bad shape. It only really makes a difference if the place kicker can punt and the punter can place kick which isn't always the case.

Haggerty can't place kick at all? - i find this hard to believe.

Lewis Ward might not be a strong punter either, but in the case of injury to Leone, I bet he would be next up and be able to do a far better job than whoever else on the roster. I bet it would be the same with Parede having to punt for the Stamps if need be, or any punter on a CFL roster having to do emergency place-kick duties.

Teams that want to dress just one do it all kicker, or only one back-up O-lineman or one back-up QB, are free to do so - I just don't get the point of taking that risk with CFL rosters so large now.

[Rich]

Ya how do we know Haggerty hasn’t been working on his PK this off season? The Argos would certainly be negligent if they didn’t ask him to do so.

[AngeloV]

Ya how do we know Haggerty hasn’t been working on his PK this off season? The Argos would certainly be negligent if they didn’t ask him to do so.

Never seen him even attempt to in practice. I think Chad Kelly was actually the back up kicker last year. Punt, pass and kick champion in high school.

[OV Argo]

Never seen him even attempt to in practice. I think Chad Kelly was actually the back up kicker last year. Punt, pass and kick champion in high school.

Well maybe the coaching staff were happy with that in the bank - if Kelly could go in and place kick better than Haggerty in an emergency; why a team would not have both of their kickers practice both skills is beyond me.