Argos give former New York Giant Hendricks a look

Defensive tackle won Super Bowl ring with Giants in 2011

A Super Bowl champion took to the field with the Toronto Argonauts’ practice squad on Tuesday.

Defensive tackle Dwayne Hendricks, 27, has spent the last few seasons on the New York Giants’ practice roster, appearing in just one game with the Giants. Nonetheless, he received a Super Bowl ring when they won in 2011.

“It’s always difficult to release players that have been here and have really worked hard and have earned our respect and our admiration,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said last year. “Those are guys like Dwayne Hendricks, who I have great respect for.”

Hendricks was cut from the Giants because a player can only spend three seasons on a practice squad in the NFL.

He last played for the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League.

On Tuesday, Argos head coach Scott Milanovich said he hasn’t had a chance to check Hendricks out yet.

“We’re always evaluating,” he said. “If we feel like there may be a need down the line, we’ll try to get him in here.”

That time likely won’t be coming soon, as Hendricks will have to first learn the team’s playbook and then earn a spot.

The Argos have been relying upon newcomer Khalif Mitchell, acquired in a trade with the B.C. Lions in April. Mitchell had a career-high 33 tackles and six sacks in 2011 with the Lions. He’s well off that pace halfway through this season, with just two sacks thus far.

But Milanovich said he remains confident in Mitchell. “I have no problems with him,” he said. The Argos are third-worst in the CFL with just 15 sacks this season so far.

But the team is on a four-game win streak nonetheless because of the stellar play of quarterback Ricky Ray, named the offensive player of the week for the second time this season. Ray set an Argonauts’ franchise record for single-game consecutive completions with 17.

“You can just see it in his feet, how much more comfortable he is in the pocket,” said Milanovich. “A huge part of it is that he’s not getting hit a lot.”

The Argos face the Calgary Stampeders on Friday, when Milanovich is hoping to have his running back Curtis Steele back to full health.

Steele has been suffering from a groin injury and left last Sunday’s victory over the Edmonton Eskimos in the second half, having carried the ball just five times for 27 yards; one rush accounted for 26 yards.

“Curtis’ issue is cramping,” said Milanovich. “Hopefully there’s something we can do to alleviate that.”