Argos aim to mesh quickly at camp
ROOKIE HEAD COACH A lot of new pieces and faces to fit together
The Toronto Argonauts will be back on the field Saturday for the first time since backto-back four-win seasons.
Saturday marks the first step in what promises to be a wild ride for a franchise that has changed just about everything, on and off the field. Saturday marks the opening day of camp, the first for rookie head coach Ryan Dinwiddie.
The University of Guelph will serve as the backdrop as the Argos try to figure out exactly how the many new pieces and faces can mesh amid stringent health and safety protocols.
At least on paper, the Argos appear to have a pretty solid team, with the requisite talent at the skilled positions, competent backups on both sides of the ball and a pretty deep Canadian core that often separates the good teams from the bad.
At least on paper, the only team in the East that appears to be better than this re-made Argos group is in Hamilton, where the Ticats have experience on the field and at coaching.
The Argos play the Ticats four times this coming season. Their schedule will consist of 14 games.
In a nine-team league where four make up the East, it’s stunning why Hamilton, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa didn’t play each other three times.
The remaining five games could have easily featured the five Western-based teams.
It should have been a no-brainer, but this is the CFL and it’s odd, to say the least, why four games featuring two teams in a 14-game season were scheduled.
No pre-season games will be played, which puts even more of a need to develop cohesion and chemistry at camp.
“We do have internal expectations, but we won’t be making them publicly,” said GM Michael Clemons. “We have a great roster with a great young coach.”
There’s depth, talent, some household CFL names and players with NFL experience. What the Argos don’t have is togetherness because this group has never been together, which is stating the obvious. It’s why camp looms so large.
Players have been together in places such as Calgary, but they are now members of the Argos.
Players have a resumé having played in other CFL cities, but this is the first time they’ll be suiting up in Double Blue.
Training camp, in the best of times, is an exercise in redundancy, a daily grind where the goal is to remain injury-free.
Dinwiddie isn’t about to anoint anyone as an incumbent, but it’s pretty obvious a guy such as Charleston Hughes will be asked to lead at rush end, one of many quality players the Argos have assembled on defence.
Eric Rogers figures to be the primary go-to target at receiver with Nick Arbuckle pulling the trigger at quarterback, and veteran Mcleod Bethel-thompson likely to serve as backup.
There’s a familiarity and a relationship for Dinwiddie and the likes of Rogers and Arbuckle given their history in Calgary, which should help.
How soon the collective comes together in a 14-game season will decide just how far this Argos team will go.
On paper, for what it’s worth, the Argos have the potential to compete with Hamilton, which should be the team to beat in the East.
For what it’s worth, at least based on talent, the Argos are better than Ottawa and slightly better than Montreal, though the Als do feature a proven Qb-coach tandem in Vernon Adams Jr. and Khari Jones.
The Argos’ schedule is a beast, a slate of games that are out of their control.
What they do control is how they mesh as a team, who emerges as leaders, and how Arbuckle handles the responsibility of being the incumbent at the game’s most pivotal position.
Equally important is Dinwiddie and how he handles being a first-time head coach. Paul Lapolice in Ottawa, Orlondo Steinauer in Hamilton and even Jones in Montreal have a leg up on Dinwiddie.
The East is a fascinating division featuring two defensive-minded head coaches and two head coaches whose backgrounds are on offence and specifically at the quarterback position.
Hamilton will play host to this year’s December Grey Cup and is favoured to emerge out of the East.
The Argos have a shot if all the new pieces fall into place. “Building that chemistry right away is going to be important for us,” said Dinwiddie. “We have to come together, expect to win and do everything what it takes to win.”
The Argos begin their 14-game season against the Stamps in Calgary on Aug. 7.
There is plenty of time for Dinwiddie to figure out what he has and how the pieces work.
Camp Dinwiddie is officially opened.