Re: Game Thread: Toronto Argonauts @ Calgary Stampeders - October 18, 2025

[argolio]

I stand corrected -- he is dressing, but so is Gachuz. I saw the latter on the list of incoming players and just assumed he'd be handling the place-kicking. I still think he will do at least some of it. Bizarrely, the Argos are dressing five specialists: two PKs, one punter and two long snappers. That says something about the club's NAT depth, does it not?

Didn't we start 9 Canadians all year?

Which I was told pretty much guarantees a winning team, but that's another story.

[ArgoRavi]

I stand corrected -- he is dressing, but so is Gachuz. I saw the latter on the list of incoming players and just assumed he'd be handling the place-kicking. I still think he will do at least some of it. Bizarrely, the Argos are dressing five specialists: two PKs, one punter and two long snappers. That says something about the club's NAT depth, does it not?

Didn't we start 9 Canadians all year?

Which I was told pretty much guarantees a winning team, but that's another story.

I don't think that lack of Canadian depth is an issue for the Argos. Far too many injuries this year - more than I can ever recall - has been the issue.

[paulwoods13]

Yeah, it says they have 10 Nationals on the injured lists. Not sure what you think it says.

It also says we don't have enough decent NATs to fill for the injured. Maybe that would have been impossible, maybe not. Having more than one 2025 draft pick stick around wouldn't have hurt.

[paulwoods13]

I don't think that lack of Canadian depth is an issue for the Argos. Far too many injuries this year - more than I can ever recall - has been the issue.

Injuries have been a big story for sure, Ravi, but I disagree re NAT depth. Of the nine NATs on the injured lists, how many are truly important players?

6-game: Dankwah, Herdman-Reed, Hergott, Sceviour, Varga -- one potential starter, three special-teamers and a guy who has never suited up for the Argos.

1-game: Doxtater, Edouard, Giffen, Ojo -- one starter, one STer, one former starter who can't stay healthy and one STer who has potential to become more than that.

The active roster for tomorrow's game has 12 guys I believe will (or should) be in the team's plans for 2026: Blackburn, Judge, Cassar, Hunter, Bosse, Vandal, Nicastro, Ungerer, Mital, Brissett, Hajrallahu and Guillemette. And eight who are unlikely to be back or have topped out on specials: Harelimana, Smith, Pelley, Tiede, Ciraco, Richards, Garand-Gauthier, Chaves. Obviously some of those guys like the two LBs and even Garand-Gauthier have been useful at times. But this is not a group of NATs that screams quality and depth from top to bottom the way we had the past three seasons.

[AngeloV]

Yeah, it says they have 10 Nationals on the injured lists. Not sure what you think it says.

It also says we don't have enough decent NATs to fill for the injured. Maybe that would have been impossible, maybe not. Having more than one 2025 draft pick stick around wouldn't have hurt.

What team does have enough good Nationals to fill in for 10 injured? My personal feeling, you make way too much out of the 2025 draft. There are players from the draft that may be here next year, like Paris Shand, Istvan Assibo-Dadzie and Jalen Rayam.

[OV Argo]

I stand corrected -- he is dressing, but so is Gachuz. I saw the latter on the list of incoming players and just assumed he'd be handling the place-kicking. I still think he will do at least some of it. Bizarrely, the Argos are dressing five specialists: two PKs, one punter and two long snappers. That says something about the club's NAT depth, does it not?

Didn't we start 9 Canadians all year?

Which I was told pretty much guarantees a winning team, but that's another story.

Nope; mostly 8: 4 O-line + 3 receivers; then just one on D (Judge). Pelley started playing some DT reps once they brought him in.

A number of other teams sub in several Canadians for roles/depth - usually more on the D side; the likes of Varga, Blackburn, Ojo, Cassar, for the Argos sat on the bench mostly or just played some STs. How did the Americans first/preferred style work out for you with the Argo D this year ?

[paulwoods13]

What team does have enough good Nationals to fill in for 10 injured? My personal feeling, you make way too much out of the 2025 draft. There are players from the draft that may be here next year, like Paris Shand, Istvan Assibo-Dadzie and Jalen Rayam.

Unless I'm miscounting, there are nine NATs on IL, not 10. And sure, maybe no team could replace so many adequately, although only three or four of the nine (Doxtater, Dankwah, Ojo and maybe Giffen, altho I'm wavering on him) are what I would consider core pieces.

The draft may or may not turn out fine, but as of right now I think it scores a D. Shand, if he ever gets here, should be a keeper. Rayam's a gigantic mystery.

[paulwoods13]

A number of other teams sub in several Canadians for roles/depth - usually more on the D side; the likes of Varga, Blackburn, Ojo, Cassar, for the Argos sat on the bench mostly or just played some STs. How did the Americans first/preferred style work out for you with the Argo D this year ?

This is a point that hasn't really been discussed here. In Dinwiddie's first four seasons, he and the coaches seemed committed to giving playing time, beyond specials, to a lot of NAT "backups." This year's staff did not do that. Was it a change in philosophy (perhaps tied to some new coaches coming in on defence)? Or lack of faith in the quality of the NAT depth guys? Perhaps a bit of both.

[ARGO57]

A number of other teams sub in several Canadians for roles/depth - usually more on the D side; the likes of Varga, Blackburn, Ojo, Cassar, for the Argos sat on the bench mostly or just played some STs. How did the Americans first/preferred style work out for you with the Argo D this year ?

This is a point that hasn't really been discussed here. In Dinwiddie's first four seasons, he and the coaches seemed committed to giving playing time, beyond specials, to a lot of NAT "backups." This year's staff did not do that. Was it a change in philosophy (perhaps tied to some new coaches coming in on defence)? Or lack of faith in the quality of the NAT depth guys? Perhaps a bit of both.

I suspect a bit of both.

[shatto]

Glad to see Allen, Wallace and Reaves on the DL. The team needs to see if any of those players should be invited back for training camp. Who knows---could one or more be future starters? It looks as if Vandal and Ciraco has lost out to Richards and Bosse as potential starters--a bit of a surprise. Glad to see Horn and Duggan getting some playing time but would have preferred Doege not to have been the starting QB. Will be an interesting game with all the new faces.