Crompton hired to oversee quarterbacks, while Avery fired as receivers coach ... Busy Chamblin wants to be more hands-on ... Campbell packs some punch
When this opportunity presented itself, it was a no-brainer. Jonathan Crompton
The Argonauts shook up their coaching ranks by adding Jonathan Crompton as quarterbacks coach and deleting receivers coach
Wendell Avery on Monday.
What all this means with the Argos about to play three straight divisional opponents is hard to say.
On the surface, the presence of Crompton, who played the position right up until he was injured in 2015 when he suited up for the Montreal Alouettes, allows
Jacques Chapdelaine to concentrate more on his co-ordinator role.
Friday night at BMO Field when Edmonton came to town, the Argos were able to move the football, but they had to settle for field goals.
The Eskimos countered by scoring touchdowns.
At least Toronto’s offence did not turn the ball over, a first this season for the onewin squad.
The Argos need to get more from the quarterback position and perhaps Crompton can help.
As soon as he left the CFL following his release from the Als, Crompton returned to his native North Carolina where he helped train players and became involved in the real estate business.
“My biggest thing is this (football) is what I’ve always done,’’ said Crompton, who was Montreal’s starter when it played the host Tiger-Cats in the 2014 East final. “I wasn’t going to just jump into a situation.”
There’s clearly an opportunity for Crompton to make a difference.
His ties with GM Jim Popp, who brought Crompton to Montreal from Edmonton when Popp ran the Als, helped in Crompton’s decision to join the Argos.
“When this opportunity presented itself, it was a no-brainer,” said Crompton.
Avery, meanwhile, was entering his third season in
Toronto. The former quarterback always had a smile on his face and brought a positive attitude every day.
“There’s a voice of experience guys can understand,’’ head coach Corey Chamblin said of Crompton and what he’ll bring to the Argos. “They can understand how he’s been there. When they hear the information he’s giving them, they know: ‘Hey, I really understand he knows where I’ve been.’ When they look in his eyes they understand he’s been in their shoes.”
Chamblin believes having Crompton work with the quarterbacks will free up Chapdelaine to look at the overall offence.
With Avery gone, Chapdelaine will work with the team’s receivers.
“It’s about us progressing and moving forward and growing,’’ added Chamblin. “It wasn’t what the last person wasn’t doing. It was what we needed to get better as a team.”
HIS PLATE IS FULL
From defensive co-ordinator to head coach, Chamblin has had to juggle so much with a lot more on his plate.
“I can’t be everywhere all the time,” said Chamblin, who serves as head coach and defensive co-ordinator. “If you’re comparing it to 2017, I had more time to spend as defensive co-ordinator. If you’re asking me to spend time with all three sides of the ball plus co-ordinate, there are only 24 hours in a day.
“That’s a part where some of the progress will take a little bit longer with me becoming more hands on. I can’t see everything with one time. We just have to make sure the coaches are reinforcing the message and even have a little greater leadership.
“It’s one of those things where I can only do one thing at a time. Sometimes I can do two things, but it’s hard to do three things at a time.”
The bottom line is Chamblin wants to be more hands-on.
Getting directly involved in the James Wilder Jr. saga is a start, but there’s more, much more, that requires his attention.
The one constant in pro football is change.
If the Argos don’t change their fortunes in the standings, there promises to be all kinds of change.
“I can’t say for the rest of the season,” said Chamblin when asked whether Wilder Jr. will be an Argo for the balance of the year. “I may not be coach for the rest of the season. That’s just the world we live in.”
The Wilder Jr. story does represent the first instance of a public issue Chamblin had to deal with and adjust accordingly.
There will be more if the Argos don’t turn this around.
“We’ll do what’s best for both parties, James Wilder and the Argonauts. And that’s where we are right now,” added Chamblin. “We have to find the right fit for everyone and make this a winning situation.”
CAMPBELL IS ALL BUSINESS
A budding entrepreneur, Jamal Campbell has been on a roll as he continues to evolve as an offensive lineman.
When Toronto earned its first win of the season, Campbell scored his first career touchdown.
Last week, he started for the first time in his career at right tackle.
If all goes well, he’ll one day bring Jamal’s Peanut Punch to market, a protein-based drink Campbell says is great following games or workouts.
“It’s protein-filled and I use all natural ingredients,’’ said Campbell. “That’s what I was doing this past off-season, it’s what I’ve been doing after games.”
Campbell’s family is from Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.
“It’s a Caribbean drink,” Campbell said of his protein concoction. “I found a way to master my own recipe. I’ve been giving it to the guys and they love it. It’s amazing.”
The goal is to bring Jamal’s Peanut Punch to the public.
“Obviously, football is first,” he said. “That’s my priority.”