Jones Keeping An Eye On Talent

[DanTheFan]

http://www.argonauts.ca/article/jones-keeping-an-eye-on-talent

JONES KEEPING AN EYE ON TALENT

January 11, 2012

ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF

TORONTO—The Toronto Argonauts are wasting no time in trying to improve their roster for 2012.

Newly appointed Assistant Head Coach, Defensive Coordinator and Assistant G.M. Chris Jones, along with new Offensive Coordinator Jonathan Himebauch, have been hosting tryouts all across the United States since late December for any free agent football players who want a shot with the Double Blue.

“The fact of the matter remains that it’s difficult for some of these players to travel across the country to try out for a team,” explained Jones. “So, instead, we will go to them.”

The camps mirror the assessment process of the CFL Evaluation Camps, held in early March every year in Toronto. The attendees have their vertical jump and broad jump tested while also testing their speed and quickness with the 40-yard dash and 20-yard shuttle runs.

Afterwards, the players break off into groups based on position and they are put through specific drills that Jones feels will help him gauge whether or not they are worth a look.

“With these camps, we are looking for players who have a combination of great athleticism and football knowledge,” said Jones. “The good thing about [the camps] is that since I have done a lot of them in the past, I know exactly what I’m looking for.”

While in Calgary, Jones brought in impactful CFL players such as Milton Collins, Juwan Simpson, and 2011 CFL sack leader Odell Willis, now with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. All three of these players, along with plenty more around the league, earned professional contracts from off-season tryouts.

“You never know who you’re liable to run into when you host these camps,” said Jones. “There are so many players who can make an impact in our league if given the chance.”

The camps will be running until late February, where the focus then immediately changes to the pool of Canadian talent at the 2012 CFL Evaluation Camp

[backer@oldclarke]

Great write-up and looking forward to see who is brought in on the Offensive side of the ball. Free Agency is also a focus on who is going where.

[Padre29]

Those tryout guys also save $$$ on the SMS, they usually play for the base 45k salaries so I hope they land some guys who stick and make an impact.

[Argonauter]

Thats a good article. On another note I hope this is the last time this forum moves for awhile.