Jobs at stake for Argos in Friday’s exhibition
Final roster shaping up as season nears
MONTREAL • All you need to know about Friday night’s CFL pre- season finale was neatly summed up by Toronto Argonauts head coach Scott Milanovich on the eve of kickoff.
“Offensively, we’re not playing a single starter,’’ Milanovich said. “And a lot of them we’ve left at home.
“Defensively, we’ ll play our starters a little bit because for some of them, we’re trying to figure out who they are.”
The Argos took a charter flight to Montreal and aren’t expected back home until the wee hours Saturday.
Cuts need to be made almost as the plane touches down, what with the regular season kicking off Thursday against Hamilton.
The Argos have little time with which to work, and that’s why Milanovich isn’t thrilled about Friday night’s start time and the fact the game is being televised, which can make for a rather lengthy evening.
“The guys who make it ( team) are going to have to find a place to live,’’ said Milanovich of what is shaping up as a whirlwind day Saturday.
“They’re going to learn about their finances and that kind of stuff. Sunday, we’re back to work. It’s going to happen quickly.”
It will be a short week to prepare for Thursday’s kickoff at BMO Field against the Ticats.
Whatever terminology is used, the Argos’ schedule is tight, almost too tight for their liking, but that’s the way it is and no one is feeling any sense of sorrow or sympathy.
Milanovich has been preparing for Hamilton for weeks, but evaluation must still be made and that’s why Friday’s game looms so large.
Milanovich said Thursday that running back Chad Kackert, released Wednesday, may yet be back, but it depends on how the team’s other running backs perform against Montreal.
A returner needs to be secured, a field cornerback and depth pieces along the offensive line.
“There are a handful of guys still fighting for a spot,’’ said Milanovich. “( Friday’s game) be a huge tool for those guys.
“It’ ll certainly be the determining factor.”
One never knows which player, on either side of the ball, will make an impression and play at a level that earns him a roster spot.
Receiver Llevi Noel, for example, turned heads last week.
The rookie who left the University of Toronto program for j unior football in Windsor displays good hands and quickness. He no longer is on the bubble.
Mitchell Gale may have earned a spot as the thirdstring quarterback, summoned by the Argonauts from his home in Oklahoma last Friday when Milanovich feared an injury to Logan Kilgore would force him to use Ricky Ray for four quarters.
Kilgore will get the start against the Alouettes, but expect a lot of the running game to be featured.
From there, Cody Fajardo will get snaps and then Gale.
Against the Alouettes, it could be receiver Devon Wylie’s turn to shine. The Argos were impressed by Wylie’s talent at mini- camp, but Wylie has been hurt for most of training camp. He’ll get his chance to line up at slotback and be used in the return game.
“We’re anxious to see him,’’ said Milanovich.
Milanovich feels particularly bad for the many American players whose status with the team is unclear.
The players who do make the roster will have to find living arrangements quickly, on top of preparing for the start of a season.
“That’s a challenge,’’ said Milanovich.