Argos James Wilder Jr issues statement that he won't be playing in 2018

[Joe Barnes]

Wilder seems all over the map. He tweeted support for Butler, Knox and Awe on the one hand, but on the other hand tried to distance himself from some of Butler's more extreme​ comments.

Just conjecture, but maybe Wilder was only hoping to get a raise, be it NFL or Argos, when he originally posted and didn't expect it to snowball as it has. Probably didn't know Butler was going to come out as negatively he did...now Wilder is scrambling to not look like a bad guy.

[ArgoZ]

Just conjecture, but maybe Wilder was only hoping to get a raise, be it NFL or Argos, when he originally posted and didn't expect it to snowball as it has. Probably didn't know Butler was going to come out as negatively he did...now Wilder is scrambling to not look like a bad guy.

If Wilder wants to sit out, he's entitled and I must respect that, even though I think a year off is the wrong decision to advance his football career. He's been respectful, almost apologetic at times, and still speaks highly about the fans and Argonauts. He did not trash the team like Butler, using terms like hostage and crime of humanity, while publicly exposing all the faults of the franchise. I still wouldn't be surprised to see him in camp, should a raise be offered, with an "ah shucks" explanation. He's a good dude.

[1971GreyCup]

If Wilder wants to sit out, he's entitled and I must respect that, even though I think a year off is the wrong decision to advance his football career. He did not trash the team like Butler however, using terms like hostage and crime of humanity, while publicly exposing all the faults of the franchise. I still wouldn't be surprised to see him in camp, should a raise be offered, with an "ah shucks" explanation. He's a good dude.

Definitely a good teammate. Played his way from ST to starting RB. With no NFL regular season experience, it would be a big mistake to sit out 2018. Doubtful he could earn up to $77,000 in six months. His best option is to play, and prove he merits a shot at the NFL. If he chooses to sit, he runs the risk of being considered a marginal, malcontent, or worse just forgotten. I am sure he'll be at training camp just as motivated as he was in 2017.