The Sad Story of Janzen Jackson

When I first heard the news that Janzen Jackson was charged with murder I was shocked. The former Tennessee Volunteer had a past, and like many CFL clubs, the Argos were willing to give him a chance. What is surprising is that he has been held in jail since September 2013 and the story of Jackson’s arrest was buried in the media for so long until now. The more I look into this story, the more I have realized that his release was rather odd and unusual.

Janzen was listed as the starter on the depth chart for the game on August 19, 2013 but was released on the morning of gameday. He had played in 5 games and showed a lot of promise. In his first game vs BC, he blocked a punt and was featured on Argos TV.

 

At the time of his release, I believe every fan in the know knew that something must have up since a starter just doesn’t get released in a span on 24 hours without incident. The Argos were silent at the time with Barker avoiding to give the real reason. The move was cited as “football reasons” and Barker commented “the first 6-8 weeks of the CFL season is devoted to finding players that fit for us and what we do…you will see players come and go rather often…we are not afraid to make moves once we feel a player is not a fit“. Barker then again refused to comment to another question related to the release of Jackson.

3 weeks after his release, if proven guilty, it seems that Jackson had murdered his mother’s boyfriend. If he hadn’t been released would have this happened at a later date or did the release cause him to act strange? This is where the story begins to get a little murky. When Jackson was released, he moved in with his mother who claimed that he was acting strange and talking to himself. She wanted him to get assessed by mental health workers and this was in August, the same month he was released. Now I have to ask the question – Were the Argos aware of his strange behaviour which prompted his release? Or did the release from Toronto cause a downward spiral? If the Argos were aware (there is no proof that they were) then did they push the issue under the rug by just outright releasing him? Did they seek help from mental health professionals? Or was it really just a football move?

I believe that is not a football decision since he was playing well. If this a “major” sport then the media would be all over this story but because its the Argos, the Toronto media probably aren’t even aware of the information surrounding his release plus the timing of the murder. I would hope if the Argos ever saw a player acting strange, that they would take the necessarily means to help that player out instead of wiping their hands clean but one thing is certain – we will never know unless someone with insider information speaks. Jim Barker never discusses moves in detail and is sometimes annoyed by the questions asked. Lately I have found the Argos be rather secretive so like I said, the fans will never know what transpired in August of 2013.

Hero or Villain? A fan’s analysis of what Braley & Rudge have done for the Argos so far.

 Lame title I know, but what I want to ask Argo fans is….Has Braley & Rudge done enough with the Argos as you had all hoped?

Braley did save the team from extinction, so he can be seen as the “saviour” or “hero” but as an absent owner, bringing little change, has he been a disappointment along with our highly experienced CEO, Chris Rudge? I thank Braley for keeping the team afloat (though, they’re probably still losing money) and it was expected that he would pretty much be invisible so I’m actually putting more of the blame on Rudge for not doing much. This post will be looking at the changes, both good and bad that were made in 2010 up to today, just before the 2014 season and then you can hopefully decide whether Braley, Rudge & co. are heroes or villains.

The Honourable Mr.David Braley took full control of the Boatmen in 2010, from David Cynamon and Howard Sokoloski. It became clear that C&S could no longer pay the bills and were more of the face of ownership than the actual owners with Braley actually helping them out with a loan. With no potential owners, Braley was our only hope. MLSE at the time did not any interest in purchasing a sinking ship and really showed no support for the Argos period! Braley, who was a more of a behind the scenes owner in BC was expected to take the same role with the Argos and has pretty much stayed away from the media.

Chris Rudge who retired as a senior executive with the world’s largest printing firm, Quebecor later became the the CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee and overlooked the “Own The Podium” campaign for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games. Rudge first got involved with the CFL in 2011 by becoming the chair for the 100th Grey Cup in Toronto and was quickly named the new CEO and President of the Toronto Argonauts, replacing Bob Nicholson on January 30, 2012. Rudge, coming from the best Winter Olympics in Canadian history was coming in with huge exceptions, perhaps Argo fans were expecting too much. I do admit that I personally have not seen much positive changes since Rudge came in and I am quite disappointed based on the expectations I had.

Here the pros of the Braley & Rudge partnership:

1) Stable Ownership & Saving The Franchise

Before Braley, the Argos have had plenty of short-stint owners since the sale from Carling O’Keefe in 1988. Braley actually funded C&S’ purchase of the Argos in 2004 and has also covered their losses. The Argos have never made much of a profit, if any at all in the last few years. Braley did make a hefty profit during the 2012 Grey Cup, earning up to $10 million. One scary thought is that Braley plans to sell one or both of his teams by his 75th birthday in 2016 but the newly run MLSE look to be the front runners with a potential deal being made soon. If true, MLSE will continue being stable owners. Braley did save the team from going bust so we can thank him for that.

2) Successful 2012 Grey Cup Festival

The 100th Grey Cup Festival was named the Canadian Sport Event of the Year for 2012 as voted by the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance (CSTA). A CFL.ca article writes, “The 100th Grey Cup Festival was an Invitation to Our Nation that transcended “beer and football” uniting Canadians from coast-to-coast in Toronto for a nine-day, ten-night festival which encompassed more than 50 events ranging from traditional team parties, galas and player awards to a football film festival and family fun zone at great venues including the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Yonge-Dundas Square and Nathan Phillips Square. Complete with street closures, extensive free-to-the-public entertainment and activities and youth programs, the 100th Grey Cup was a sport and cultural celebration that attracted in excess of 300,000 people.” Braley also cashed in, may be the first and only time he made a profit as owner.

3) New Rogers Centre Lease

This may be seen as bad thing for some but a final deal was made between the old Sky Dome and the Argos. The final license agreement will expire in 2017, with an option to exit earlier but cannot be extended, as the Blue Jays have plans to install grass. At least we’re not homeless!

4) A Winning Football Team

Scott Milanovich turned the Argos down before citing unstable ownership as his reason. Once everything straightened out, Milo become the HC and won a Grey Cup in his first year as an Argo. Barker has also done a fine job recruiting talent but just a note that Barker was apart of the organization before Braley and Rudge.

5) School Day Preseason Game

36,214 attended a pre-season game to watch the Argonauts beat Montreal on a Tuesday afternoon. Mostly school children, the game was a good initiative to promote the CFL to the younger demographic, even offering them and their families a discount if they choose to attend a regular season game. No one is really sure if it was successful in drawing in new fans but I applaud the effort.

6) Return to Varsity Stadium

I consider this a fluke but I did enjoy watching the Argos play outdoors at home for the first time in decades. The team really had no days available at the Rogers Centre so one staff member proposed Varsity and the rest is history. Note: It was 55 years since a CFL game was last played at Varsity. I sure hope the game didn’t disturb any nearby Annex residents.

7) Continued Community Support

Huddle Up Bullying Prevention, Level the Playing Field , & Argo-Cise have all done wonders in the community. I specially like Level the Playing Field, where the Argos support bringing back or creating new football programs to high schools in Toronto. The Argos are no longer involved with a past initiative called Stop the Violence.

8) Argos on Social Media

The Argos twitter page is very informative but still lacks detail. The Toronto media does not the cover the Argos as much as the other cities do to their respected team. Their really is no Argos beat writer so the Argos on social media have done a fine job but I always do expect more from them. More video, more interviews, more behind the scenes stuff is needed for fans like myself. I really enjoy watching Stamps TV and hopefully Argos TV will play a bigger role in 2014. it’s nice to see them cover Argos mini-camp, which was buried in the local news and most are probably not even aware of it taking place.

That’s all I could really think of on the positive side. Not very great is it?

Now for the cons:

1) There Still Is A Lack Of Marketing

Has anyone ever seen any marketing from the Argos from 2010 until now? There are a few ads out there but it’s mostly TSN from what I can see. We did have a controversial “Home is where the heart it is, its also where we hurt people” subway ad featuring Ricky Foley but that came before Rudge and it sure didn’t bring any fans in. Argos merchandise is also rare to find these days, outside of the Jays shop of course. The Argonauts online shop isn’t very exciting either.

2) No New Stadium

Braley will not spend money on a new stadium. While he says he’s looking into various locations in the GTA, as well as funding but as an temporary owner, its quite clear that this will never happen. We could be homeless by 2017 but if the stars align, the Argos will be shared tenants with TFC at BMO. Those in the loop know Braley is just bluffing about a new potential stadium and will not build us one in a million years. He’s just looking to strike a deal soon.

3) No New Practice Facilities

The Argos and their fans have been complaining about UTM for quite awhile. On the outside, it looks very unprofessional to have the oldest pro football team practice next to a bunch of portables for a locker-room with a barley maintained grass field. Then the portables caught fire and Braley and Rudge were discussing a new Training Facility, which never happened. The Argos stayed at UTM and then skedaddled to various nearby high-schools. It seems, the team finally got kicked out of UTM after many years and have announced that  2014 Training Camp will be held at York University, with no word where the team will practice during the season. Once again, if MLSE is involved, expect them to practice at Downsview.

4) Less Fan Activities

Ever since Rudge got involved, whether he’s to blame or not, there have been less opportunities for fans to interact with another. What I mean is, the Argos no longer have “See You On The Field” after home games, which is a favourite for the younger fans (which we desperately need) but the Rogers Centre may be at fault for this one. The Argos no longer have a 50% discount at the stadium store/kiosks on the last home game, also known as Fan Appreciation Night. It also looks as if Rudge & Braley completely removed the fan favourite – locker room sale. Every team in the CFL had one this season except for the Argos. Since 2012 the Argos did not sell any merchandise (specifically game-worn) after the season with the exception of unsold Grey Cup gear in 2012, which doesn’t count in my opinion as a locker room sale. This also may not be entirely the fault of management but there was no Fan Day scheduled in 2013, with UTM maybe playing a role. They did however schedule one in for 2014 at York University.

5) Declining Attendance

Here are the numbers. Despite a better team, a championship winning team, the Argos attendance did not jump as one would have thought for 2013. Horrible home schedules in the past couple seasons ( I blame Rogers) have surely not helped. 2012 saw a little increase after a horrendous 2011 season but then decreased after the GC win. You would think Toronto fans would go crazy to finally watch a championship winning team.

2009 (before Braley) – Avg: 26,374 , Record: 3-15

2010 (beginning of Braley era) – Avg: 22,069 , Record: 9-9

2011 – Avg: 20,017 , Record: 6-12

2012 (Rudge’s 1st season) – Avg: 23,689 , Record: 9-9 & GC Champs

2013 (post GC victory) – Avg: 21,926 , Record: 11-7

6) Failed Ethnic Nights

The GTA is very multicultural, I get it but the ethnic nights haven’t really done much for attendance or spreading the word out to these communities. Perhaps signing the next Normie Kwong or Obby Khan may do the trick. I found these ethnic nights to be very poorly organized and it’s usually a crowd of 10 or so people.

7) Half-Time Shows That No One Cares For

Remember the no name rapper at the Varisty pre-season game with the big costume head? No one will buy tickets to watch the half-time show so you can stop bringing in guys like Karl Wolf, Rock Tenors, Maestro etc. Bring back the dog show! I do respect the fact they try to bring in local artists but it’s not going to draw in any new fans in the seats.

8) Argo Fan Surveys

The team invested in and developed a fan survey to capture the demographics of it’s fans. A lot of fans did not receive or know of the survey. A lot of the questions weren’t very useful in my opinion and they could have done so much more in finding out why fans don’t attend the games in person.

UPDATE: 9) Lack Of Tradition.

Firstly, the Argonauts organization does not use the Argonotes enough. Seriously, does anyone even know the Argo fight song by Dal Richards? Other than honouring the Grey Cup Champs in 1983 and the year before with the 1971 team, there is not enough alumni events. A lot of alumni who I have talked to, have not been to game in years. Why can’t the Argos organize some sort of arrangement to have transported to games and honour them before the game. They don’t need their number retired or their name in the rafters but show some clips of the players who most fans have either forgotten or never knew they even existed. Bring back the boat logo more often, more retro merchandise, more retro jerseys etc. Those were when the Argos had packed stadiums so bring back some nostalgia and those who went as a kid, may come back to a few to games.

There are probably more out there that I can’t remember.

In a nutshell, Braley was never going to be that owner that turns the franchise into something special. He’s just a quick fix, a temporary owner who isn’t willing to go over the top to fund the team. He’s prepared to cover the expenses and loses but will not give the team a penny more. Some say that Braley only took the team over to cash in on the 2012 Grey Cup. I wouldn’t go that far to suggest that, since he’s been into the team for far longer than just one profitable season.

Rudge on the other hand deserves a little more criticism, since he’s a bit of a big talker. I haven’t seen anything done from Rudge yet that is any different from what was done in the past or anything spectacular for that matter. He came in with an impressive resume and is far from impressing me. I’m not here to bash Rudge like some have done on online forums, going on and on but I do know that many fans aren’t very fond of him.

Rudge always says that the fans are old white guys which I find troubling. While the majority probably are, I do not necessary fit in that group as I am a 22 year old, 2nd generation Canadian with a family that was not much into football before, but now is. If you want to target younger fans why not target the younger age group who are already fans and ask them how they became fans and what would they like to see at games instead of doing the same old thing that has been done before.

In my opinion, Chris Rudge has not done enough as the President & CEO and he will have to pull off a miracle before I say he was the right man for the job. I expected much more in terms of the team’s marketing and the cancellation of events like the locker room sale was a huge let down. Honestly, I really can’t think of anything that Rudge has done better than that of the last president, Bob Nicholson.

I am really interested in what other fans think about Braley & Rudge. Please share thoughts by commenting or tweet them to me @doubleblueblog

2014 CFL Mock Draft 1.0 Rds 1&2

In preparation of the 2014 CFL draft which will be held on Tuesday May 13, I have prepared my first mock draft.

ROUND 1

1. Ottawa RedBlacks —  David Foucault, OL, Montreal

RedBlacks will be going for an OL with the 1st Pick. It will be between Foucault and Lavertu but I think Faucalt is just too good of a prospect to pass up.

2. Winnipeg Blue Bombers — Pierre Lavertu, OL, Laval

Bombers are in need of a centre so Lavertu or Goosen would be a good pick at #2.

3. Edmonton Eskimos — Quinn Smith, DL, Concordia

I believe Ted Laurent will walk via free agency when he returns from NFL workouts so Smith will be a perfect replacement. Jones is a defensive minded coach so watch out for a more defensive draft but the Eskimos also did have the worst offensive line in 2013. Goosen would be the OL choice at #3.

4. Montreal Alouettes — Adam Thibault, DB, Laval

Good French-Canadian prospect. Could be the next Ettiene Boulay or Mathieu Proulx.

5. B.C. Lions — Dylan Ainsworth, DL, Western

I’m taking a bit of a chance here with the Lions going DL. Ainsworth’s stock has risen and the Lions have good Canadian depth elsewhere.

6. Toronto Argonauts — Evan Gill, DT, Manitoba

Argos need more Canadian depth on the Defensive Line. Argos already have Clayon Laing but he could move to DE with Gill at DT. It will be interesting to see what new DC, Tim Burke wants.

7. Calgary Stampeders — Andrew Lue, DB, Queens

Tall 6-2 DB could be what Calgary is looking for. Lost S Eric Fraser to Ottawa Expansion Draft.

8. Saskatchewan Roughriders (from Hamilton) — Beau Landry, LB, Western

Pretty much a clone to the departed Craig Butler.

9. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (from Saskatchewan) — Devon Bailey, WR, St.Francis Xavier

Local GTA product. If he falls to #9, look for Hamilton to snap him up. I think Giguere’s days may be coming  to an end, quite overrated in my opinion.

ROUND 2

10. Ottawa RedBlacks — Matthias Goosen, OL, Simon Fraser

Ottawa took a chance and lost Hage to retirement. He may be the centre for the future with a long career ahead of him.

11. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (from Saskatchewan, via Winnipeg) — OL Terry Hart, St. Francis-Xavier

Tiger-Cats lost Hage to reitirment and Dyakowski is still recovering from his injury. As the best OL available, it’s a no brainier to selct Hart

12. B.C. Lions (via Edmonton) — Casey Chin, LB, Simon Fraser

Stats machine at SF & local product. Smart pick by the Leos. Chin can also long snap.

13. Montreal Alouettes — David Menard, DL, Montreal

I always assume the Als will go Quebec heavy with their draft choices. Anwar Stewart has finally retired and there is always a need at DL. Already have Messam and Lumbala, will pass on Coombs.

14. B.C. Lions — Kris Bastien, WR, Concordia

Lots of depth at receiver but at this point the Lions may be taking the best player available and Bastien had a good combine. With Harris, it’s unlikely Coombs will go to BC.

15. Toronto Argonauts — Anthony Coombs, RB, Manitoba

Will teams draft a Canadian running back in the 1st round? I’m not convinced and I hope that he’ll fall down to 15 for the Argos to select. Jeff Johnson just retired after a long career, Kackert is coming back from a serious injury and Coombs will probably be a better option than Woodson, who the Argos already have as a non-import RB. Bombers won’t select in the 2nd Round and won’t pick him at third, unless there is a trade made.

16. Calgary Stampeders — Derek Wiggan, DL, Queens

Have the Stamps given up on Corey Mace? He’s always out injured and can’t be relied on. Could provide depth behind Junior Turner.

17. Hamilton Tiger-Cats — Max Caron, LB, Concordia

Hamilton is just taking the best player available. Lost Simoni Lawrence to the Vikings and Plesius hasn’t done much at LB so Caron can provide some competition and be a regular on special teams.

18. Saskatchewan Roughriders — Kit Hillis, WR, Saskatchewan

Local receiver to provide depth behind Getzlaf, Bagg, McHenry.

Former Argo, Orlando Bowen visits native communities

Bowen visits native communities.

2013 Draft Recap

2012 saw a rise of NCAA talent being drafted into the CFL but 2013 was quite the opposite. Of 60 draft selections, 44 players were drafted from the CIS, which is the highest number of CIS players taken since the 1987 draft. This draft also expanded to a 7th round and it was Ottawa’s first draft, although limited to selecting NCAA redshirt juniors. The 2013 draft also marks the end of redshirt juniors being available. Therefore, in 2014 only seniors can be drafted and are to join their CFL club immediately (unless there are NFL offers on the table), eliminating the option of returning for an extra season of university football (Ex. Cleyon Laing & Matt Sewell)

Dave Naylor actually wrote a great piece as to why players go back for a 5th CIS season instead of going pro – http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/dave_naylor/?id=397687. If I understand the changes for 2014 correctly, then this will no longer be allowed.

It’s too early to tell whether or not this draft class was strong but it does have 3 current NFLers and 2 potential NFL draft picks – DT Linden Gaydosh (Panthers), LB Andy Mulumba (Packers), DT Stefan Charles (Bills) as well as prospects DE Brent Urban and LB Bo Lokombo. Gaydosh and Mulumba went 1,2 in the draft and aren’t expected back anytime soon, though Gaydosh is on the IR and could be released, Mulumba on the other hand had 30 tackles and 1 sack in his rookie season with Green Bay.

Right now, excluding those in the NFL, I would say that this draft only has 3 standout players so far. LB/S Mike Edem from the Alouettes (49 Tackles, 5 Sacks, 3 Int), CFL Rookie of Year OL Brett Jones of the Stampeders and the Argos very own, S Jermaine Gabriel (21 Tackles, 22 STT, 3 Sacks).

The Argos were short on picks for 2012 and thus only selected 5 players and like always (at least for the Argos ) only the top 3 picks look to be good prospects while those coming from the later rounds being early cuts.

Anyways, here is how the Argos have done….

R:1 / P:8 – Matt Sewell OL 2014. Signed with the Tennessee Titans but was released and returned for a 5th season with McMaster. On February 12, 2014, Sewell eventually signed with Argonauts.

R:2 / P:17 – Jermaine Gabriel S 2013-present (21 Tackles, 22 STT, 3 Sacks). The star of special teams and may replace Matt Black as starting safety for 2014.

R:3 / P:22 – Natey Adjei WR 2014. Played final season with UBuff before signing with the Argos last week. Did not contribute much but is known for his speed.

R:6 / P:52 – Michael Di Domenico OL 2013. Made the practice roster but was released few weeks later on July 23, 2013.

R:7 / P:60 – Paul Spencer LB 2013. Released during camp.

The three first picks all look very promising. Sewell and Adjei will be at their first Argo training camp while Jermaine Gabriel may be looking at a starting position at safety for next season. I would actually move Black to the corner and give Gabriel the start at safety. Gabriel has had a bit of a rocky start to his football career with Bishops and after sitting out the 2011 season due to academics, he joined the Calgary Colts in the CJFL. Gabriel attended the regional combine in Edmonton and after impressing there, he was then invited to the main E-Camp in Toronto. Barker called Gabriel a “Matt Black clone”, which I think means he can do it all, play DB or safety and is one of the best on the coverage team.

We could have selected OL Brett Jones instead of Sewell but he was a risk with medical school aspirations and who knows if he wanted to play out East. Also you never know, maybe Sewell will be an even better player than Jones.

Overall grade for the 2013 Argos draft class: N/A

2012 Draft Recap

The 2012 draft was a bit of strange one. 25 picks were involved in trades and there were 3 forfeited picks due to the 2011 supplementary draft. Winnipeg selected  WR Kito Poblah and lost it’s 2012 first round pick, EDM selected DT Ted Laurent and forfeited it’s third round pick and the BC Lions chose Alex Ellis in exchange of their 6th round draft pick.

In 2011 the Argos had traded their first and third round picks to Winnipeg for Steven Jyles. Prior to the 2012 Draft the Argos then traded QB Steven Jyles, K/P Grant Shaw and their 1st round draft pick to the Eskimos for QB Ricky Ray. The Argos also traded away Delroy Clarke (EDM) and Steve Schmidt (HAM) for a 4th and 6th round draft pick.

The 2012 draft class has the potential to become a great draft class in a few years time, with the exception of after the third round where it’s rare for any player selected below in the 4th,5th,6th Round to have much of a career. This draft is much deeper than drafts in the past and features much more players from the NCAA. Just look at the comparison of NCAA players drafted in the CFL – 2009: 10, 2010: 11, 2011: 13, 2012: 21. I’m not sure it’s because this draft class is deep with talent, is just the result of more Canadians getting looks from NCAA schools and moving away to attend high school in the States, or have CFL scouts begun to undervalue CIS talent?

Local boy OL Ben Heenan was selected with the first pick overall by the Saskatchewan Roughriders. A couple of NFLers have been selected in this draft and have yet to feature in the CFL – Jacksonville Jaguars OL Austin Pasztor (EDM), Cincinatti Bengals DT Christo Bilukidi (WPG), and Seattle Seahawks TE Luke Willson (TOR). Top ranked prospect DL Tyrone Crawford went undrafted in the CFL but was selected in the 3rd round of the NFL by America’s Team, the Dallas Cowboys.

The key players who have the potential to become big contributors to their team from this draft are OL Ben Hennan (R:1 / P:1), Jabar Westerman (R:1 / P:2), WR Shamawd Chambers (R:1 / P:6), OL Kirby Fabien (R:1 / P:7), DB Courtney Stephen (R:2 / P:8), Cleyon Laing (R:2 / P:9), and RB Patrick Lavoie (R:2 / P:11) who had a strong rookie season but regressed in his sophomore season.

Here are how the Argos have done….

R:2 / P: 9 – Clayon Laing DT/DE 2013-present (15 Tackles, 4 Sacks, 1 Fumble caused). Great rookie season in 2013 and is expected to have much more reps in 2014. Potential starter.

R:4 / P:24 – Herve Tonye-Tonye LB 2013-present (8 Tackles, 5 STT). Likely to continue as a back up LB and play specials in 2014.

R:4 / P:28 – Quincy Hurst WR 2012-2013. Tore his right posterior cruciate ligament. Released in June of 2013.

R:5 / P:32 – Luke Willson TE. Signed with the Blue Jays in 2011 and drafted in 5th round of NFL (Seattle). Still a member of the Super Bowl Champion Seahawks.

R:6 / P:40 – Aaron Crawford LB 2012. Coaches converted him to a FB and also tried out as a backup Long-Snapper but was soon released during camp. He was put on Saskatchewan’s Practice Roster for a brief time and was last signed by Hamilton but it is yet unknown if he will return with the Ti-Cats for 2014.

R:6 / P:41 – Shea Pierre DB 2012. Released during training camp. Signed with Eskimos and has active in first two weeks of 2013 season but was then put on the PR for the remainder of the season.

The Argos didn’t have much of their top draft picks (1st & 3rd) available since they were both traded away but we did gain two picks by trading away Clarke and Schmidt. Clayon Laing and Hevre Tony-Tonye were both Juniors when they were drafted so it took them a year to eventually sign. Laing was been impressive and has been  more invloved as the season preogressed. Both were pretty good picks and I expect Laing to get a look at being a starter this season and Tonye-Tonye will probably remain as a backup LB and a starter on Special Teams. The 4 players selected below however have not been so impressive with all 4 not being current members of the Argos.

At the time Quincy Hurst was a good prospect, seeing him at camp myself I thought he would be a pretty good kick returner one day and he actually did beat a lot of DBs in 1 on 1s with his blazing speed. It`s always hard to evaluate a draft pick after an injury because there is always the “what if”. He had great speed but like the rest of them , injuries are always a problem (Ex. Steven Turner).

Luke Willson was a bit of a risk since he was on the NFL’s radar. He didn’t have a very strong Senior season at Rice but did impress in the combine. He also could have went back to baseball if the NFL didn’t work out for him. The Seahawks signed veteran NFL TE Zach Miller and currently have 4 experienced TEs on their roster with Willson being the 5th. There are also rumours that the Seahawks are trying to convert newly acquired QB Terelle Pryor into a TE. I’m not sure not what this means for Willson, who had 2 catches in the Super Bowl but I sure wouldn’t get my hopes up of him signing with the Argos anytime soon. Interestingly, Jim Barker held a Q&A before the draft and I asked a question regarding Luke Willson and the revival of the TE in Milanovich’s offence. Barker sort of beat around the bush and answered that Willson is a member of the Blue Jays. So what did Barker do? He drafted him! I will take the credit for this selection.

Looking at who the Argos could have drafted instead of Hurst, Willson, Crawford and Pierre is hard since a lot of the players chosen are either back ups or on the PR. Instead of Willson or Hurst, LB/LS Ryan King could have been selected and since we’re now looking for a Long-Snapper to replace Chad Rempel, who signed with the Chicago Bears, it would have made a great pick. Other options include OL Mike Filer, DE Hasan Hazime, LB Jordan Verdone, DB Keynan Parker, and WR Ismael Bamba, who is already on his third team.

Barker likes to trade draft picks and I was really hoping he would have traded up to select hometown boy, Shamawd Chambers. Having watched him in Laurier, I was convinced he was the “real deal” and would be the next great Canadian receiver. He had slow rookie season in 2012 and had a slow start to 2013 but has shown flashes of greatness and here’s hoping one day he’ll come home to play in Double Blue.

Overall Grade for the 2012 Argo draft class: C, without the fact that the Ricky Ray trade involved our first round draft pick.

The Ricky Ray trade deserves a grade of A+++ since we practically stole him. Shaw has been okay, Jyles was horrible and the Eskimos traded down with BC, who selected Westerman, only to draft Austin Pasztor.

2011 Draft Recap

Today I will once again be looking back at a previous draft, this time analyzing the crop from 2011. It would be nice to look at these drafts from a whole, team by team but because I am an Argos fan and I actually hate to write, I’ll just stick to my beloved Argos with a few tidbits on the top picks.

The CFL Scouting Bureau ranked OL Scott Mitchell first, WR Anthony Parker second and LB Henoc Muamba third. Muamba jumped up from an original ranking of eleventh. Winnipeg made a great pick taking Muamba first overall and has already had a much much better career than Mitchell and Parker combined. After a rookie year on special teams, he finally contributed heavily defensively in 2012 and in 2013 really stood out as a top LB having an all-star deserving season. His outstanding 2013 campaign was recognized by the Blue Bombers as he was unanimously voted as the teams Most Outstanding Player, Most Outstanding Defensive Player and Most Outstanding Canadian. His great 2013 season led him to be noticed by NFL scouts and as of today, he is a member of the Indianapolis Colts.

Overall the 2011 wasn’t spectacular but has a few current CFL backups, lots of receivers and a few NFLers (Philip Blake & Vaughn Martin) compared to drafts in the past. The key players from this draft are: LB Henoc Muamba (R:1 / P:1), WR Nathan Coehoorn (R:1 / P:5), WR Marco Iannuzzi (R:1 / P:6), LB Craig Butler (R:2 / P:12), QB/WR Brad Sinopoli (R:4 / P:29) although he only contributed this past season as a receiver, and K Chris Milo (R:4 / P:30).

2011 is Jim Barker’s second draft as GM and based on his drafting from 2010, he has done a much better job rebuilding the team with Canadian talent than Adam Rita has in his last few years as the GM but will he do just as well in 2011?

Here is a look at the Argonauts’ 2011 draft class. I will include their draft position, name, position, years as an Argo, stats as an Argo, where they are today and highlight their best season.

R:1 / P:7 – Tyler Holmes OL 2013-present. Signed in 2013 after a few years on the Minnesota Vikings practice roster.

R:3 / P:18 – Djems Kouame WR 2011-2012. No stats to report. Broke his leg in a preseason game vs Montreal. Converted to DB for 2013 but was soon released.

R:3 / P:22 – Alexander Robinson DL/FB 2011-present. (1 TKL, 23 STT, 10 Rec – 117 Yards, 2 TD). Originally a DL but Scott Milanovich now uses him primarily as a fullback. Had NFL workout this past offseason but re-signed with the Argos until 2015.

R:4 / P:28 – Jedd Gardner WR 2011. Returned to play for Guelph in the OUA. Did not sign with any other team afterwards.

R:5 / P:35 – Gregory Alexandre DT 2011. No stats to report. Now with EDM and spent the entire 2013 season on the Eskimos practice roster.

R:5 / P:38 – Julian Feoli-Gudino WR 2012-2013 (2 Rec – 26 Yards, 2 STT). Signed as FA with the Bombers. Used primarily on special teams.

R:6 / P:43 – Micheal Knill OL 2011. Broke the E-camp bench press record but never made it to the CFL. Did not sign with Argos, had a job offer from IBM.

The Argos didn’t do too well with only 3/8 players making a contribution to the Argos. Holmes just signed half way through this past season and still has a bright future ahead to anchor the offensive line. If Robinson continued as a DL, he would have probably been released by now but he seems to be doing very well in his new FB position. Although uncommon now, the use of fullback / tight-end was something Milanovich liked to use in Montreal and continues to do so with Robinson.

After the third round, there weren’t many quality players available. Kouame was drafted in the third round and hung around for two seasons but didn’t do much for the Argos. Sinopoli could have been drafted instead but he was originally a QB and only really became a full-time starting receiver this season so it’s unfair to say that Barker should have drafted him instead. We also could have drafted Milo as a replacement for Pre, instead of drafting Gardner or Kouame.

Feoli-Gudino was a great receiver in the CIS but just couldn’t translate that in the pro game for whatever reason. O’Shea knows what he can do on specials, hence the free-agent signing but in all honesty, he won’t be missed.

I would have liked to see Greg Alexandre get a longer look by the coaches as a Canadian defensive lineman is something the team lacks and I feel they gave up on him too soon. He was soon picked up after by EDM but has only hanged around the PR so it’s not like he became an all-star or something.

Overall grade for the Argonauts 2011 draft: C

2010 Draft Recap

Yesterday we looked back at the 2009 draft and we will continue to look at the draft today, with the 2010 draft class.

Shomari Williams, who was picked first overall by the Riders, interestingly was originally ranked 15th in September by the scouting bureau and jumped to first prior to the draft. Some fans would probably prefer if he still ranked 15th so the Riders wouldn’t waste its pick on Williams, who is viewed as somewhat of a bust. He never really found a position, played as both a LB and at DE and mostly played as a backup and on special teams. He did have however a breakout year in 2012, with 59 TKL, 2 Sacks and 1 INT but disappointed in 2013 with only 1 TKL and 1 STT with the Ticats. He was later traded back to the Riders.

The 2010 Draft featured a lot of older players. Williams along with Cory Watson, Cory Greenwood and Danny Watkins are 3-4 years older than the typical college player entering the draft. Out of the four, only Williams and Watson have ever played a down in the CFL.

I would say that the standout players from this draft were all-star punter Rob Maver (Round:1 / Pick:5), DL Brian Bulcke (Round:1 / Pick:6), WR Shawn Gore (Round:2 / Pick:10), LB Marc-Olivier Brouillette (Round: 3 / Pick:23).

Here is a look at the Argonauts’ 2010 draft class. I will include their draft position, name, position, years as an Argo, stats as an Argo, where they are today and highlight their best season.

2010 was Jim Barker’s first season as head coach and would be his first draft as GM after taking over in December as Adam Rita’s contract was not renewed.

R:1 / P:2 – Joe Eppele OL 2010-2013. Selected by the REDBLACKS in the expansion draft. As an Argo he was in and out of the lineup and never really became a true starter. He struggled early on but played a key role in the Grey Cup win in 2012.

R:1 / P:3 – Cory Greenwood LB – Has not signed with the Argonauts. Signed a FA contract with the Chiefs and is now a member of the Detroit Lions.

R: 2 / P:11 – Grant Shaw K/P 2010-2011 (26/38 FG, 40.8 Punt Avg.). Traded to the Eskimos along with Steven Jyles and 2012 1st Rd Draft Pick for Ricky Ray. His best season was in 2013 going 21/27 in FG and having punted 139 times for a 43.7 yard average.

R:3 / P:18 – Spencer Watt WR 2010-Present (100 Rec, 1359 Yds, 6 TDs). His best season was in 2012, Ricky Ray’s first season as an Argo (34 Rec, 424 Yds)

R:4 / P:26 – Joel Reinders OL 2012-2013. Never was a starter, filled in a few times. After being released in September of last season, he was picked up immediately by the hated Tiger-Cats.

R:4 / P:30 – Steven Turner RB/SB 2010-2011. Broke Jamall Lee’s E-Camp 40 time record with 4.31 seconds. Ruptured left achilles tendon in camp. Came back to Training Camp in 2011 but was soon released. Turner was last seen playing flag football in Mississauga.

R:5 / P:32 – Michael Warner OL 2010-2011. Attended camp both in 2010 and 2011 but never made the final roster.

R:6 / P:40 – Nasser Jamal OL 2011. Did not make the team or resurface with any other team.

R:6 / P:44 – Conor Elliott LB 2010. Did not make the team and was not picked up by anyone else.

Looking back at this draft, the Argos have actually fared pretty well, compared to past drafts. It’s unfortunate to lose a player like Eppele to expansion but this draft saw 5 out of the 9 players chosen play a down of professional football. Eppele was not a bad pick at #2 overall and is only 26, so he has a lot of years left and I expect Ottawa to see him in their long term plans. Shaw was traded for Ricky Ray so in the end he was very useful. With Jyles a goner, Shaw became the centrepiece of that trade.

The Argos however did not luck out on Concordia’s Cory Greenwood and some Argo fans will argue he had the “NFL” written all over him but I disagree, though he is represented by the CFL’s most hated agent – Johnathon Hardaway. The Argos actually traded up to select Greenwood so it’s a hard pill for fans to swallow and no one knows if he’ll ever be an Argonaut. Greenwood really only made the Chiefs due to the injuries to their other linebackers and he kind of lucked out in my opinion. Although, his NFL future does look to be ending as he is on injured reserve and NFL teams will be looking to replace a backup like himself with younger, cheaper players. The question now is if he his willing to to come back to Canada and play for less money.

Spencer Watt was only 21 when he was drafted and is 25 today. Watt actually did not attend the official CFL combine but was invited to Duane Ford’s own private combine instead. Originally a track and field athlete, Watt transferred to SFU and was known for his speed. A lot of fans are not happy with having Watt as a starting receiver due to his lack of production but as the far side receiver (Z position) you cannot expect many balls to come his way. Though it is encouraging that his production has increased when playing with Ricky Ray. Some of the comments I read regarding the Watt pick is that we should have drafted Gore instead. That wouldn’t be possible since Watt was picked in the 3rd round while other receivers like Sisco, Watson and Gore were drafted higher in the 2nd round. The only receiver we could have drafted instead was Akeem Foster. Looking at statistics alone, Watt actually hasn’t done too bad. Gore is the best from this draft, with Watson at a close second. Watt is 600 yards away from Watson but remember that Watt played two season with the “dink and dunk” pass specialist, Cleo Lemon, who was under the guidance of Offensive Discoordinator, Jamie Elizondo. Watt also has more TDs than Watson and has done better overall in production than Foster . There is no point comparing Watt with Sisco, since he only has 9 catches to his name.

The Joel Reinders pick was frustrating since Reinders only played one or two seasons at Waterloo but was convinced he could make an NFL roster, bouncing back and forth from the Browns and Giants every few months. 2.5 years later he finally signed his CFL contract but obviously couldn’t hold onto his job as he was released part way through the 2013 season.

Steven Turner was not a bad pick at the time, well worth the chance in the 4th round with his speed. I was rooting for the “Afterburner” to make it out of camp but unfortunately couldn’t make it after his injury.

Overall this was a pretty good draft class. If Greenwood makes his to Toronto then my grading of this class may be improved. Eppele and Shaw are both gone due to good reason, really isn’t any of their fault and both have the potential to become good players in this league. Greenwood is no doubt a talented player and no one expected him to make it down South. Watt has a big future ahead of him in Toronto and Reinders was picked more for his potential and was well worth the risk but something obviously  just didn’t work out there.

Final Grade for Class of 2010: B-

2009 Draft Recap

In 2004 the Toronto Raptors wasted their 8th pick on Brazilian bust, Rafael Arujo. Interestingly enough, NBA All-Star Andre Iguodala was picked right after. All fans would agree that the Raps should have drafted Iguodala instead.

The CFL draft is sometimes such a crapshoot that its fun to go back and review how picks have fared since their big day. In lead up to the Canadian Football Draft, I will be recapping the past 5 Argonaut draft classes starting with the 2009 Draft.

The 2009 Draft was a very weak class league wide. No draft pick has made a Division All-Star team or the CFL All-Star team and many of the players drafted did not have much of career. The 3 biggest picks from this draft were probably Simeon Rottier (EDM / Round: 1 / Pick: 1), James Yurichuck (BC / Round: 1 / Pick: 4) and Eric Fraser (CAL / Round: 1 / Pick: 8). Jamall Lee (BC / Round: 1 / Pick: 3) seemed to be a very promising player at the time, breaking the E-Camp 40 yard dash time at 4.39 seconds and the vertical jump at 44 inches. He even got an invite from the Carolina Panthers but he chose to retire in 2012 after 3 seasons as a back up running back and a special teams player for the BC Lions.

At this time the Argos were lead by General Manager, Adam Rita and Head Coach, Bart “Can you pass the hair gel” Andrus and boy, was this a weak draft class. To give the Argos credit, it’s not like any team had fared any better.

Here are the players the Argos have selected. I will include their draft position, name, position, years as an Argo, stats as an Argo, where they are today and highlight their best season.

R:1/ P:2 – Étienne Légaré DT 2009-2010 (4 TKL, 3 STT). Now a member of the Calgary Stampeders. Career year was in 2011 with EDM (17 TKL, 5 Sacks, 1 Fumble Recovery).

R:2 / P:10 – Matt Lambros WR 2009 (1 Rec – 22 Yds, 1 TD). Out of the league, was a victim of a prank where he was reported to have died in an accident on Wikipedia.

R:3 / P:19 – James Green LB 2009 (19 STT). Now a member of the Ottawa Redblacks. Best season was in 2013 with WPG (20 STT)

R:4 / P:26 – Zachary Pollari OT 2010-2012. Bounced around the Argos transaction page being signed and released multiple times but it seems that his Argo days are finally over.

R:5 / P:34 – Gordon Sawler DL 2010. Did not make the team

R:6 / P:42 – Anthony DesLauriers DB  2010. Did not make the team, signed with Montreal but was soon released.

R:6 / P:43 – Brad Crawford RB 2010. Did not make the team, brother of former Special Teams captain Bryan Crawford.

Looking back at this draft, none of these players have made a big contribution for the Argos. Green had the most potential as a Special Teams player but only lasted one season so I’m not sure why he was let go. The Legare pick made sense at the time and he has had a pretty okay career so far. FYI He was traded to EDM for Noel Prefontaine.

This draft wasn’t our best but if you were to look at the draft as a whole, there isn’t one player who we could say should have been drafted instead, like in the case of the Raptors debacle in ’04. The only player who was picked in the later rounds and is still in the league is receiver, Scott McHenry. So maybe we should have drafted McHenry over Lambros? Who knows.

Overall grade for the 2009 Argos Draft class: D-