Ray First in QB ratings, Durie and Owens 3rd and 4th in receiving

[gilthethrill]

Watt has caught everything thrown in his direction, and don't forget he would have had a long TD reception (after getting wide open in the end zone) had it not been for a holding penalty. I believe he is playing the wide-side wideout spot so he will get the fewest looks. The Argos' receiving corps looks very solid right now.

Agreed about the receiver corps looking very solid Paul...so, if/when Rambo gets a clean bill of health, do you insert him in the lineup? If so, at whose expense? A nice problem to have.

[doubleblue]

Nice to finally have a real QB for a change. After watching Edmonton's two ex-Argos last night I feel for the Edmonton fans. There's no doubt the Edmonton franchise took one for the League in trading Ray to Toronto, so hopefully one of their young QB's will emerge this year as an eventual replacement for Ricky.

[Will]

Nice to finally have a real QB for a change. After watching Edmonton's two ex-Argos last night I feel for the Edmonton fans. There's no doubt the Edmonton franchise took one for the League in trading Ray to Toronto, so hopefully one of their young QB's will emerge this year as an eventual replacement for Ricky.

Do you believe there was a conspiracy at play? That's the implications of your post.

[AngeloV]

Nice to finally have a real QB for a change.

It's even nicer to have an OC that knows what he's doing.

[1argoholic]

Edmonton looked lifeless yesterday. Jyles was tossing up prayers and Joesph ran around like a chicken with his head cut off. Both looked like they've played minimal amounts of football in their lives. Tillman will be even more hated there.

[AngeloV]

Watt has caught everything thrown in his direction, and don't forget he would have had a long TD reception (after getting wide open in the end zone) had it not been for a holding penalty. I believe he is playing the wide-side wideout spot so he will get the fewest looks. The Argos' receiving corps looks very solid right now.

I still find it hilarious how many people gave up on Watt last season. He didn't play a whole lot of University ball, and won't turn 23 until the season is over. I think he has a very bright future. One thing I like about the offence is how on many plays the wideout comes down theline prior to the snap and actually lines up closer to the QB than the slots. That makes it very difficult to cover in a press man type coverage and likely forces teams to play more zone.

[gilthethrill]

Edmonton looked lifeless yesterday. Jyles was tossing up prayers and Joesph ran around like a chicken with his head cut off. Both looked like they've played minimal amounts of football in their lives. Tillman will be even more hated there.

Yes, I was reading the Eskimo fan forum, Tillman is really taking heat. What a difference a week makes for both Edmonton & Toronto.

Eric Tillman made the Ray/Jyles trade on his own...the CFL had nothing to do with it..that theory is absurd.

[ArgoRavi]

Nice to finally have a real QB for a change. After watching Edmonton's two ex-Argos last night I feel for the Edmonton fans. There's no doubt the Edmonton franchise took one for the League in trading Ray to Toronto, so hopefully one of their young QB's will emerge this year as an eventual replacement for Ricky.

The Eskimos didn't take anything for the league. Tillman thinks that he is the smartest man in football and he has simply outsmarted himself here. Ray wasn't one of his guys and he wants to win with his guys with Jyles and Joseph being two of them. You have to wonder about all of the talk about freeing up cap space considering that Tillman currently has 17 players on the one-game injured list earning full salaries. The respected Edmonton Sun columnist, Terry Jones, for one believes that most of those players are quite healthy. Interestingly, the Esks also have four kickers on their roster and one person on Esksfans.com joked that they have replaced Ray with those four kickers.

[CptArcher]

Tillman thinks that he is the smartest man in football and he has simply outsmarted himself here. Ray wasn't one of his guys and he wants to win with his guys with Jyles and Joseph being two of them. You have to wonder about all of the talk about freeing up cap space considering that Tillman currently has 17 players on the one-game injured list earning full salaries. The respected Edmonton Sun columnist, Terry Jones, for one believes that most of those players are quite healthy. Interestingly, the Esks also have four kickers on their roster and one person on Esksfans.com joked that they have replaced Ray with those four kickers.

Powerful analysis Ravi. Especially the first part. Kudos.

[doubleblue]

Do you believe there was a conspiracy at play? That's the implications of your post.

I believe (and I'm sure not complaining) that the descision to trade Ricky Ray to Toronto was made at the B of G level for the over all good of the CFL with an eye toward the upcoming TV contract. The Toronto market is critical to the CFL because of the huge TV audience and media center of Canada. It is still a business and the eight teams are all in this together and something had to be done in Argo land and fast. If anybody here doesn't think Dave Braley has a huge say in the affairs of the CFL they are dreaming. We wouldn't have the CFL if Braley pulled out, and the other teams know it.

[AngeloV]

I believe (and I'm sure not complaining) that the descision to trade Ricky Ray to Toronto was made at the B of G level for the over all good of the CFL with an eye toward the upcoming TV contract. The Toronto market is critical to the CFL because of the huge TV audience and media center of Canada. It is still a business and the eight teams are all in this together and something had to be done in Argo land and fast. If anybody here doesn't think Dave Braley has a huge say in the affairs of the CFL they are dreaming. We wouldn't have the CFL if Braley pulled out, and the other teams know it.

I don't buy that. I tend to agree with Ravi's theory. Tillman did this to the Agos twice before (after the '94 season with Kent Austin, and after the '07 season with Kerry Joseph). He knows the Toronto market well, and knows all the pressure there is to have a good team with a good QB, and thought it would be the same result as the other 2 times.

[1argoholic]

I don't buy that either. But the word always gets out that Toronto does this and that. I remember all the flack we heard as Argo fans in Hamilton in 96 about buying the cup. So in Edmonton the following year we played it up real good by tossing monopoly money around. Oh it's all fun.

[paulwoods13]

If this was trade mandated by the league, it would be impossible to keep that fact a secret, and when it came out the league's credibility would be seriously (possibly irreparably) damaged. There is no way the league dictated it, but I'm sure Mark Cohon is not displeased about having one of the best QBs in the most important -- and most challenging -- market.

[CptArcher]

I believe the Argos did this trade to attract more fan interest and go towards a cup. That part is true. Tillman thought it would be good for him. After week 1 it looked like he may have been correct. End of story.