It does look pretty bad, but Barker's trade history (i.e. near 100% success) makes me think that there's probably more to this than we realize right now - perhaps Winnipeg is picking up part of Willy's salary, for example.
If they could have got him for a 5th round pick as an insurance policy, I would have done that first. I don't have a problem with Willy, but it might turn out to be a steep price. I hate parting with the #1 pick more than I do with Heath to be honest, because Mitchell looked good today, and I also like Rankin.
It's us vs the rest of the country
TORONTO ARGONAUTS FOOTBALL CLUB
GREY CUP CHAMPIONS: 1914, 1921, 1933, 1937, 1938, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1950, 1952, 1983, 1991, 1996, 1997, 2004, 2012, 2017, 2022
Sounds like the trade has been in the works for weeks but the Ray injury really sped things up.
Argos Season Ticket Holder 2016-2021.
Bombers trade for Kevin Glenn from Montreal.
I'm not exactly sure how much of a QB guru Milanovich is, but maybe this is something that Willy needs and will benefit from. This may not be as bad as first thought, if it works out. IF!
Argos Season Ticket Holder 2016-2021.
If Willy pulls a Hajrullahu and returns to form after leaving Winnipeg we'll forget all about Heath. As a draft guy I hate losing the first round pick, so... let's kick ass and make sure it's not a valuable one!
But it's hard not to see this as a vote of non-confidence in Ray. Sure, we need a solid QB for the playoff push but Willy seems like more of a 2017 move. I wouldn't be surprised if Ray told Barker that he's tired of all the injuries and that he plans to retire at the end of the season, and Barker saw Willy as both a distressed asset and the only good young experienced QB available.
It comes down to what are the Argos' expectations for Willy? I think that Barker and Milanovich see him as an ideal fit for their offensive system and a potential starter in the not-too-distant future. Glenn probably would not be as good of a fit, especially with his penchant for bad interceptions.
The key for Willy is if he can get over his "gun-shyness" which seems to have developed while taking a pounding in Winnipeg the last couple of years. If he can, he could still develop into an elite QB but I will concede that is a big "if".
I didn't necessarily think that the Argos, despite the rumours, needed to trade for a veteran QB. The three that were rumoured were Durant, Willy and Glenn. Out of those three, Durant would have been my top pick with Willy at #2 and Glenn a distant #3. It could be that Barker felt some additional pressure to bring another veteran QB in with Toronto hosting the Grey Cup this year.
Cameron Dukes + Dan Adeboboye + Kevin Mital + David Ungerer + Damonte Coxie + DaVaris Daniels + Dejon Brissett = Unstoppable Force
Game Ball - Plane ticket. Wow. A shame cos this team has been a little shallow in the game breaker department in the backfield as of late. I think in light of how Johnny La-Fever played, I might have been more comfortable with Kevin Glenn for what the Bombers gave up. Principally however, anytime you can get a potential starting QB with league experience, it hard not to justify. Seems to me the Argos have lots of faith in Josh Mitchell. Must have a reason.
This deal is all about readying for post- Ray. With his wisdom, I don't see how if he's on an incentive based deal, that he wouldn't help a team.
Could we be looking at 2017 with Willy, Ray, LeFevour and Fajardo? Or maybe its time to move on from Ricky?
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Ugh, seems like an awful trade. Must be something going on behind the scenes for Barker to think this is a good idea.
Love this deal for the Argos. A little steep with the draft picks but still love it. Ray has not been right since the first game of the season, I don't think he'll ever get it back. As I've said previously about Willy and LeFevour, we haven't seen the best of them yet.
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