Ray eyes a repeat for his sweet 16th
Veteran quarterback stayed healthy last year and Boatmen won it all
Ricky Ray isn’t concerned about heading into the 2018 CFL season without the benefit of any pre-season reps.
Ray didn’t play in either of Toronto’s two exhibition games as Argonauts head coach Marc Trestman gave youngsters McLeod Bethel-Thompson and James Franklin the starts. But the 38-year-old Ray says he’ll be more than ready Friday night when the Argos open the season in Regina against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
“The way we have practise here it’s like a game for us every day,” Ray said. “We’re doing (starting offence) versus (starting defence) at full speed … so the speed of the game is there.
“Obviously I’m not getting hit in practice. That’s going to be the biggest adjustment going into a game. It’s just getting hit a few times and then reacting to that.”
Protecting Ray will be vitally important for the defending Grey Cup champions. After enduring two injury-plagued campaigns, Ray made 17 regular-season starts last year before leading Toronto to a 27-24 upset Grey Cup win over Calgary, a league-record fourth as a starter and second with the Argos.
Ray took time in the off-season to ponder his future, eventually deciding to return for a 16th CFL season.
Ray enjoyed a resurgence under Trestman, finishing second to CFL most outstanding player Mike Reilly of Edmonton in passing with 5,546 yards to go with 28 touchdowns against just 11 interceptions. After being limited to just12 games over the previous two seasons, Ray led Toronto (9-9) to first place in the East Division after finishing last in 2016 with a 5-13 mark.
The day Trestman was hired last year, he named Ray his starter. Ray responded by leading Toronto back to the CFL playoffs and being named the East Division’s outstanding player for a third time.
Still, in December the Argos acquired Franklin from Edmonton and signed the 26year-old to a two-year deal. However Trestman said he’s not yet decided whether Franklin or Bethel-Thompson will back up Ray.
“I don’t see the separation right now we’d be looking for,” he said. “We’ll go at it a little bit this week.”
Ray has played in 233 career CFL games. He enters 2018 as the league’s fourth-leading career passer (60,429 yards) behind Anthony Calvillo (79,816), Damon Allen (72,381) and Henry Burris (63,227).
Veteran S.J. Green (104 catches, 1,462 yards, 10 TDs) anchors Toronto’s receiving corps while running back James Wilder Jr. (872 yards rushing, 51 catches for 533 yards) returns after being named the league’s top rookie last season.
Linebacker Marcus Ball will again be the leader of Toronto’s defence that will be without veteran Bear Woods (back) to open the 2018 campaign.
Although Ray didn’t play in either exhibition game, he still stayed sharp mentally on the sidelines.
“It’s a good perspective on the sidelines just kind of getting to look at the defence and see how they’re adjusting to things,” he said.
Ray will have two new offensive coaches in 2018. Former receivers coach Tommy Condell replaces Marcus Brady (Baltimore Ravens) as offensive coordinator while Calvillo is now Toronto’s quarterbacks coach.
Toronto also will have a new defensive co-ordinator, promoting former linebackers coach Mike Archer to the post after Corey Chamblin decided not to return. Greg Quick replaces Archer as linebackers coach.
Ronnie Pfeffer, of Kitchener, Ont., is handling the full-time kicking chores.