Thoughts on our off season so far?

[1argoholic]

Well personally I'm excited about Ray and seeing some of our new receivers. Love that we now have qb depth. Glad we signed Pott and Pile.
Not sure how our O line will be when we need a great one to protect Ray. To me many holes to fill and I just hope that we improve as a whole.
With so many new faces that will be with us this year I just hope for more than 6 wins. It takes time to grow and gel as a team.

[ArgoGabe22]

So far I'm disappointed with the lack of signings to the offensive line and defence. No movement yet on both other then signing Jones, Parenteau and resigning Pile and Potts. I know Barker doesn't like FA but I don't see anyone from the camps being signed either. It's probably too early but if you're going to not resign someone then you better have an idea who their replacement will be.

[Nob]

Barker got Ricky Ray. QB problems solved. The rest, while important, are details. After many years of watching poor QB play it is so apparent that if you don't have a QB then it doesn't matter how good the rest of the team is.

Plus we have a new, offensive-minded coach with CFL knowledge (and no, he's not "offensive genius" Bart Andrus.......ewwwww), and a new, proven DC.

As well, last year a lot of the signings were announced on the cusp of training camp. I would expect that something similar will happen again.

I would like to get more NI content, but there is still time, plus the draft is upcoming, and we have some (but it does need upgrading).

All in all it has been a terrific off season. Life is good again.

Plus with Montreal at some point in time regressing, Hamilton showing good improvement, and the Bombers coming off a GC appearance then 2012 should be a amazing year for the East division. I can't wait!

[argonaut11xx]

YAY.....The Argos have a REAL Quarterback...first REAL QB since Flutie...
That is the most exciting thing ...

Now...we need depth on the O Line...and more quailty Canadian content (depth)...

Hopefully Barker can shore that up....then maybe find one ringer of a reciever

[Area 51]

Getting a franchise QB that can throw beyond 7yds was the biggest challenge this off season. Couldn't have asked for a better one that Ricky Ray. Adding in Milanovich to replace the Tennis Player will also make a huge difference in the offensive performance. From the looks of it, Toronto appears to have pretty much the group of OLinemen they'll be going with this year. Coughman & Van Zeyl at OT is solid...Marcoux has one of the interior spots locked down....interior spots remaining to be filled by two of Eppele, Parenteau, St Pierre, Jones, Keeping. The others will be depth. I would like to see at one more capable G or C brought in, but for the most part OL isn't the biggest need right now.

WR looks to be solid now as well. Have to figure Minlanovich will try to implement something very similar to what was in Montreal. A pair of big receivers to mirror Green & Richardson. He's got Barnes as one and look for Ballard to be the second. Durie is a great #3 receiver. The remaining #4 and #5 spots will be filled by some combination of Mann, Bradwell, Owens, Watt or one of the FA signings.

Biggest area of need now is on defence.

At the very minimum they have to find at least one DLineman that can start, more likely they need two. From the CFL pool of FAs McElveen and Stewart would be the two best ones remaining followed by Kirk. Who knows what might be brought in from US ball. Last year's import signings on DL turned out to be pretty much worthless. Wroten was on another planet for most of the year...anybody know what happened to Bradwell???

Need at least one more starting LB, possibly two unless they figure Clement will take one spot. Also at least one more DB that can start - - what's happening with Dwight Anderson in Montreal? He'd be a great fit at CB.

[Area 51]

In terms of where the Argos match up in the East now...

Montreal has really improved in a big way through FA. Even with the loss of Milanovich you have to figure their offence will still be as solid as ever since Trestman is a HC that's very competent at running an offence. Adding Hunt and Rod Davis on defence is a major upgrade. Those two will be immediate starters without question. Restelli is a really smart signing - - not sure if he can be a starting LB as effective as he was two years ago, but even if he doesn't start he's a very good ST player.

Hamilton took two steps forward followed by two steps backward. Bringing in Fantuz was a big time addition and Peach might be able to be a useful DE again. But losing a quality NI starter like Rottier was a big loss, as was Hickman leaving for the NFL. Eiben and O'Neill are more for depth than for being impact starters. Replacing Glenn for Hank pretty much describes Hamilton's offseason - - treading water.

Winnipeg has taken the biggest downturn in the league. They've lost some big pieces of the team and replaced them with nobody as of yet. If old yeller follows through with his retirement talk, look out below for the Bombers bumrushing the basement. It's impossible to find three Canadians off the street to replace him LaBatte and Donny O.

[1argoholic]

I'm ok with Winnipeg in the crapper. haha. Montreal will figure out a way to win like usual. Will Hamilton ever figure out a way to get over the hump? Hopefully with our changes everywhere we can be in the running.

[Ron]

My take on the off season? Seeing 1argoholic being optimistic is freaking me out. :hmmmm:

[ArgoRavi]

anybody know what happened to Bradwell???

That particular Bradwell was released in mid-season.

[argonaut11xx]

. Replacing Glenn for Hank pretty much describes Hamilton's offseason - - treading water.

One THOUSAND percent correct !!!!!....

Burris is a minor upgrade on Glenn, yet he is being touted as the second coming of Warren Moon by some in the media...Smilin Hank lost his job MID SEASON, to an unproven rookie...he's on the down side, or maybe, hopefully down SLIDE of his career...The Argo's/Al's will battle for first place, the Ticats a comfortable 3rd, the Bombers will bomb out...

[Padre29]

Not thrilled tbh, Ray was a huge get, but we lost Shell and Parker and Murphy (more than likely) so we have more holes to fill then when the offseason began.

[R.J]

Off season moves so far should be better, upgrade QBs, bringing in Barnes should help, but that's about it. The offensive line and defensive line worry me a bit, upgrades badly needed especially for Huntley and Wroten and even Flemons. The defense is something people should worry about, yes bringing in Chris Jones will help, but Jones also needs talent, Calgary's D didn't look too good when they lost Anderson and Browner last season.

[Oarsman]

Quarterbacks (+++)
Receivers (+)
Offensive Line (even)
Defensive Line (-1)
Linebackers (even)
Defensive Secondary (even)

[1argoholic]

I'd love to see what's going to happen on the D line. I'd love to see plenty more pressue and sacks.

[matchuk]

i must say i am the most excited this season then i ever have for the argos...

[OV Argo]

Off season moves so far should be better, upgrade QBs, bringing in Barnes should help, but that's about it. The offensive line and defensive line worry me a bit, upgrades badly needed especially for Huntley and Wroten and even Flemons. The defense is something people should worry about, yes bringing in Chris Jones will help, but Jones also needs talent, Calgary's D didn't look too good when they lost Anderson and Browner last season.

I guess D-Line is an area of concern; but I wouldn`t give up on any of Huntley, Flemons and Wroten at this pre-TC point; Huntley and Flemons have had excellent CFL seasons - we`ve seen what they can do when they`re on; Wroten was more a one game wonder last season (his first game) - but still he flashed talent and has an impressive resume; with Foley a given as a league best calibre DE, love to see those other 3 rebound to gel into an excellent Argo D-line (like i had hoped they would be at the start of last season); however - if any of those 3 are not up to form, or nicked or uninspired to play in the CFL - then sure - they get cut. Jones will have some touch decisions i guess - but i hope he is going to be eyes wide-open to real, tough TC competition and not going with pencilled-in stuff.

Greg Alexandre could get a real look at DT - and the Argos could think of going NI with one of the DT spots`- and the Argos could add another DT to not only back-up but supplement Alexandre with some real playing time - this coming draft features a number of promising CIS DT prospects - Van Praaet (Western), Thomas (Acadia), Charles (Regina) , Postuma (Windsor) - and i believe one or two of them could still be available with the picks the Argos still hold in the mid to later rounds - grab one of them and see if they can pan-out; Bilukidi (Georgia State) sounds like a top CFL draft pick as a D-lineman - star at both DT & DE in US college ball (the Argos could possibly grab him at 9 overall - but not sure they would go D-Line thereÉ) there is also the possibility of Robinson or FA Pierre-Etienne ( a very good play-making DE in CIS ball) grading out for some playing time at DE; no way in hell the Argos start 2 NI DEs (simply due to to the good ole pencilled-in thinking stuff); but they may be able to contribute some on D.

[Will]

Head Coach: It all started when someone during Grey Cup informed me that they had heard that Scott Milanovich was going to be the new head coach of the Toronto Argonauts. It took a few weeks for that to develop, but I was pleased to see some new blood brought into Toronto. He is a rookie head coach, but hiring Chris Jones as defensive co-ordinator and retaining some of the veterans from the Argonaut coaching staff should help him. We still haven't heard any news about an offensive co-ordinator though, and I suppose in many respects Milanovich will be that guy, but I wonder when he'll bring someone in to replace Himebauch.
Quarterbacks: Ricky Ray, Jarious Jackson, Adam Tafralis and B.J Hall give the Argos their best stable of QB's in years! Ricky Ray gives the Argos something they haven't had since 2005 and that's someone I can trust at QB week in and week out. Jackson, to me, isn't necessarily someone I'd want having to start for an extended period of time, but is a quality backup who can spell Ray if needed. I'm also interested to see what Tafralis can do, some Ti-Cat fans were quite high on him. I don't know if the arrival of Jackson and Tafralis dooms B.J Hall, but it makes his position a lot more awkward considering Jackson can do the short-yardage sneaks.

Free Agency: The Argos have lost Dominic Picard, Byron Parker, Lin-J-Shell, Kevin Eiben and likely both Rob Murphy and Taylor Robertson. I'm eager to see if Coughman and Eppele can replace Murphy and Robertson, but am more concerned about replacing Picard. I know that St. Pierre or Gagne-Marcoux could play C, but will it necessarily translate to quality play from that position? Nice moves to bring in Parenteau and Jones for some veteran presence. I doubt that Barker is through tinkering with the OL though. The Argos re-signed Jason Pottinger, Willie Pile and Jordan Younger and it's likely that Pile and Younger will trade places. I'm not too sure of what the Argos have to replace Shell. Who were our depth players at halfback last season?

[Area 51]

I guess D-Line is an area of concern; but I wouldn`t give up on any of Huntley, Flemons and Wroten at this pre-TC point; Huntley and Flemons have had excellent CFL seasons - we`ve seen what they can do when they`re on; Wroten was more a one game wonder last season (his first game) - but still he flashed talent and has an impressive resume; with Foley a given as a league best calibre DE, love to see those other 3 rebound to gel into an excellent Argo D-line (like i had hoped they would be at the start of last season); however - if any of those 3 are not up to form, or nicked or uninspired to play in the CFL - then sure - they get cut.



I don't see the sense in bringing any of those three back. From what I've heard through pretty good sources, Flemons is pulling in $130k and Huntley's at $120k. Anybody think those two are worth a combined $250k? Cut them both and they could have signed Hunt and Donny O and still had money left over to bring in Anwar Stewart. Remember though, Flemons and Huntley were two of Barker's fantastic signings from last year. Cut them and he looks like an idiot for overpaying like he did.

Yes, Foley can be one of the top DEs in the league - - but not when he's playing next two a pair of DTs that are constantly out of position and in his rush lane. When they decide to go high on the G, which happened more often than not, Foley has to either wait for them to clear or go outside the T. It's the worst possible outcome - - the DTs are in the way of the DEs and take away their passrush, plus the middle is left wide open. The DTs have to be willing to collapse the inside to free up the DEs for a two way go.

Nicked up and uninspired to play? Check how many games Huntley's sat out over the past couple years. It's up to him if he wants to play hurt or not, but if he won't or can't, then he can't be taking up a starting spot and a starting salary.

[1argoholic]

I'm most concerned about those guys as well. I don't want guys who are just collecting a pay check who really don't give a rats ass.