Is this a joke: Cory Boyd Released

[RoRoYoBoat]

Well we will see, won't we? By dumping arguably the team's best and most popular player, he has put his neck and his precious "system" on the line. And he has clearly angered a lot of Argonaut supporters, including me. He needs to put a string of wins together in order to mollify the fans and to prove he knows what he's doing.

As opposed to the success the Argos had with Boyd and the previous system ?

[Wobbler]

Good grief. I'm much more optimistic than Rich is, but he's right that this is a major test of management's ability to improve the team. Releasing Boyd was a pretty radical move for a team that has played pretty well and could easily have been 5-1. I don't think we need a "string of wins" to justify this move, but if the team doesn't get noticeably better we'll have irritated some fans for no reason.

[RICKEARS]

here is new video of him in EDM

Cory Boyd joins the Eskimos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96KM...&feature=g-upl

Guessing most people on here will be at the next home game Aug 27 vs EDM?

[gilthethrill]

Good grief. I'm much more optimistic than Rich is, but he's right that this is a major test of management's ability to improve the team. Releasing Boyd was a pretty radical move for a team that has played pretty well and could easily have been 5-1. I don't think we need a "string of wins" to justify this move, but if the team doesn't get noticeably better we'll have irritated some fans for no reason.

Wobbler, I agree on most of your post, except the line where "the team has played pretty well". The offence has under achieved for the majority of the season. Something with it just has not been right.

[RoRoYoBoat]

Wobbler, I agree on most of your post, except the line where "the team has played pretty well". The offence has under achieved for the majority of the season. Something with it just has not been right.

You add 250 yards receiving from Boyd and the team might very well have been 5-1, yes.

[1argoholic]

Could they not see that Boyd wasn't the guy in training camp? He didn't change from then until now. This could have been all said,done and over with. Milanovich said today that they didn't want to release Riggs but it was a numbers thing. They blew the call out of camp and obviously our backs should have been Kachert and Riggs from the start for this new fangled system.

[Rich]

You add 250 yards receiving from Boyd and the team might very well have been 5-1, yes.

Yeah, and maybe if our genius OC had designed a running play for Boyd other than sending him into the middle of the line, he would have had another 250 yards rushing, too.

[paulwoods13]

Could they not see that Boyd wasn't the guy in training camp? He didn't change from then until now. This could have been all said,done and over with. Milanovich said today that they didn't want to release Riggs but it was a numbers thing. They blew the call out of camp and obviously our backs should have been Kachert and Riggs from the start for this new fangled system.

That's a false premise, IMO. People change all the time. It's entirely possible that Boyd bought into the system, including blocking requirements of the tailback, in camp and through the first few weeks of the season, then for whatever reason stopped doing what was required and gave no indication he was going to resume. Player performance (and effort) can be very fluid. It's easy to say this should have been done in camp (or before) but there's another possibility here -- that the best back in camp won the job, but by Week 6 he was no longer the best back on the team.

[AngeloV]

Yeah, and maybe if our genius OC had designed a running play for Boyd other than sending him into the middle of the line, he would have had another 250 yards rushing, too.

Boyd is a power back. He is not the type of back that you run wide. He just doesn't have the quickness for it. Look at his college hi-lights. Milanovich designed the same offence in Montreal. Why is it that Coborne and Whittaker have had no problems taking those short 2 yard passes and turning them into big gains? Time will tell if this move is right or not.

[jerrym]

For those who say Boyd was not much of a receiver, I disagree. When given the ball in swing and downfield passes the last two years and in college he did a good job both catching the ball and getting YAC yards. He obviously is not suited to dump passes where he has to start from a standstill position. Some also criticized his 160 yards against Hamilton, saying Hamilton has a weak defence against the run. During that game, once he got angry early in the game over a hit he sometimes carried 4 or 5 players for extra yards and even across the goal-line. On the other hand, he sometimes seems to need some event to get him motivated.

[R.J]

Better audio.
http://www.esks.com/video/index/id/77213


Check out the August 13th Edition of Doug Brown's spin show, half way through they start discussing Boyd and within the last 4 minutes, Brown and January get "confirmation" and I use that term lightly about why Boyd was cut, an Arland Bruce comparison is made as well.
http://www.cjob.com/Shows/Episodes.aspx?PID=1390

Boyd on Cybulski & co. with Bryan Hayes
http://iphone.tsn.ca/tsnpodcasts/CC%...20Aug%2014.mp3

TSN videos
http://watch.tsn.ca/cfl-news-and-highlights/#clip739941
http://watch.tsn.ca/cfl-news-and-highlights/#clip739808

[1argoholic]

Sounds like a fun show. Do they still have The Happy Honker Show after games. Winnipeg was my Western team until they got stuck in the east. Plenty of Winnipeg history in my family and my moms hometown. We're both hige Argo fans though.
I'll have to listen longer later to hear the Boyd stuff.

[ArgoRavi]

Basically, Glen January said that his source in the Argo dressing room - a defensive player - said that Boyd was not a good blocker and had no interest in performing that task. I guess January wasn't a fan of Arland Bruce's either when they were teammates in Toronto and that is where the comparison to Boyd comes in - i.e., they are both bad teammates.

[tennyis]

As opposed to the success the Argos had with Boyd and the previous system ?

when they gave him enough hand offs for him to rush over 100 yards they are 10-3.

[OV Argo]

[QUOTE=tennyis;13904]when they gave him enough hand offs for him to rush over 100 yards they are 10-3.[/QUOTEe]

Yep - but that would mean an offensive game plan that sees your tailback getting 15+ carries a game; not really in the cards for a Millanovich style offence seems to me; time to move on with a different style back and see if pays off; Kackert might be that guy; don't know anything about Riggs - other than some good TC reports; Durie might be ideal as that shifty, quick YAC yards type receiving back - plus i think he could be very good as a pure runner - but i guess they are happy with his role as more of a slotback; could move him to tailback and put somebody else in his place at slot - Bradwell or whoever; but i don't think a NI is going to get a starting tailback gig with this Argo O.

[BATKINSON001]

I still think this will hurt the argos. time will tell however.

[ArgoZ]

Pinball would be great in this offence. Remember when he used to catch all those hitches and shovel passes from Flutie? He would always, always juke the first defender.

[Rich]

Boyd is a power back. He is not the type of back that you run wide. He just doesn't have the quickness for it. Look at his college hi-lights. Milanovich designed the same offence in Montreal. Why is it that Coborne and Whittaker have had no problems taking those short 2 yard passes and turning them into big gains? Time will tell if this move is right or not.

Yes I remember watching Boyd at South Carolina running the option -- a lot. I don't have to explain to you what an option play is. Yes he's a power back, but a bit of a hybrid. He's got decent downfield speed, but not the quick moves to beat a guy from a standing start like on those two-yard check downs. That's why some of us consider it a failure that the coaching staff couldn't take advantage of his strengths by giving him some different looks carrying the ball. I'm not saying sending him wide all the time. I'm saying mix it up a little. Milanovich and his staff didn't, or couldn't do it.

Tell me honestly, Angelo, you're a smart football man: do you think the Argonauts showed enough variety in their running plays this year?

Basically, Glen January said that his source in the Argo dressing room - a defensive player - said that Boyd was not a good blocker and had no interest in performing that task. I guess January wasn't a fan of Arland Bruce's either when they were teammates in Toronto and that is where the comparison to Boyd comes in - i.e., they are both bad teammates.

Ah yes, Arland Bruce, the last time the team unceremoniously dumped my favourite player in mid season. I remember it well. I remember everyone here saying good riddance, he is done, washed up anyway. I remember everyone here saying Bruce was a cancer on the team and a disruptive, polarizing force in the dressing room. Pity the poor team that picked up this disturber.

Let me remind you what happened. Bruce went on to become a two-time CFL all-star for the first time in his career. He was praised and loved by teammates, and called a model player and citizen by no less than Bob O'Billovich and Wally Buono.

The scapegoaters here were dead wrong about Bruce. The Argonauts have been paying for his absence ever since. Now, anyone want to take bets on how Boyd is gonna do in Edmonton?

[jerrym]

It is interesting that Milt Stegall, who was the leading receiver all-time when he retired and therefore would seem to know something about receiving, called Cory Boyd, after the Hamilton game, the best all-round running back in the league. He expanded on that by saying he was, in his opinion, not the fastest or even necessarily most powerful runner, nor the best receiver, nor the best blocker but the best combination of these three traits. In view of Rich's comment about Arland Bruce, it will be most interesting to follow what happens to Cory in Edmonton.

[AngeloV]

Yes I remember watching Boyd at South Carolina running the option -- a lot. I don't have to explain to you what an option play is. Yes he's a power back, but a bit of a hybrid. He's got decent downfield speed, but not the quick moves to beat a guy from a standing start like on those two-yard check downs. That's why some of us consider it a failure that the coaching staff couldn't take advantage of his strengths by giving him some different looks carrying the ball. I'm not saying sending him wide all the time. I'm saying mix it up a little. Milanovich and his staff didn't, or couldn't do it.

Tell me honestly, Angelo, you're a smart football man: do you think the Argonauts showed enough variety in their running plays this year?

I don't believe Boyd was released because of their running game. As I have mentioned earlier, their are 5 of the other 7 backs in the league that have more yards from scrimmage than Boyd. I've watched every game this season, and I don't see those backs necessarily being used differently in the pass game than Boyd. The major difference is that their first step after catching the ball in the backfield has been considerably quicker than Boyd's. The argos are looking for more all around production from that spot. Now, if Kackert of Riggs or anyone else doesn't improve the overall production, then, and only then, will this prove to have been a bad football decision. Until then, let's wait and see.