Fajardo answers call for backup
Ray’s QB understudy showed athleticism by dabbling in punt coverage last season
With the release of veteran quarterback Drew Willy, the Argonauts have installed Cody Fajardo as the No. 2 man behind Ricky Ray.
Four quarterbacks remain, with another, Dakota Prukop, dispatched to the practice squad.
Behind Fajardo are former Hamilton Ticat Jeff Mathews and newcomer McLeod Bethel-Thompson.
The 25-year-old Fajardo is a big and mobile player who put up impressive passing and rushing numbers over four seasons after succeeding Colin Kaepernick at the University of Nevada, Reno.
In fact, Fajardo joined Kaepernick in becoming the only two players in FBS history to combine for 9,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards over their college careers.
Head coach Marc Trestman confirmed that if the season started to- day, Fajardo is his No. 2, although he added that the whole roster-trimming process was challenging.
“It was a difficult process,” Trestman said Monday at York University. “It’s always the most difficult job for a coach. But we felt very strongly that we made the right decisions.”
The decision to release Willy was not a contract dump to stay within the salary cap, Trestman said.
“This was all on the field,” the coach said. “It was a competition. And at the end of the day, we just felt that this was the way we wanted to go. And it will give Drew an opportunity to get on his feet and catch on with another team.”
In Willy’s one appearance in a preseason game against Montreal, he completed 8 of 12 passes for 58 yards. In that game, Fajardo completed 9 of 11 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown pass.
The roster is now pretty much set after last weekend’s flurry of cuts. The team also placed 10 players on the practice squad. Additional players will be moved to one-game and six-game injured lists later this week.
The Argos will go into their regularseason opener on Sunday at 4 p.m. at BMO Field against Hamilton with the 37-year-old Ray at the controls.
Fajardo is also the holder on field goals and converts, which adds to his value. He is also more familiar than Mathews with the Argos offence, having come aboard last year as a free agent.
Any further roster moves this week would pale in comparison to the release of Willy. Only three years ago, the former Winnipeg Blue Bomber finished third in the league with 3,769 passing yards. The Argos acquired him in a trade last year, giving up the eventual No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, a third-round pick in 2018 and defensive back TJ Heath.
In Fajardo, the Argos have a QB who has studied under Ray and understands coverages.
Fajardo saw the field more last year on punt cover teams than he did as a pivot, where he threw only 18 passes.
His willingness to go down field and make tackles showed the coaches what kind of teammate he is.
“It was a lot of fun,” the six-foottwo, 215-pound Fajardo said. “I’d never done it before. Coach just asked me if I would run down on punt team and tackle some people, and I said I’m all for it.”
At QB, Fajardo has learned a lot about how to read defences and recognize coverage it as soon as you break the huddle.
“When you break the huddle, you have to know if they’re bringing an all-out blitz, so you get the ball out of your hands and don’t take the hit,” Fajardo said.
The Argonaut wide receivers and slotbacks will feature a combination of size and speed. The biggest name is former Montreal all-star S.J. Green, who is expected to get his first start on Sunday.
He is surrounded by proven passcatchers such as Jeff Fuller, Armanti Edwards, Anthony Coombs and DeVier Posey.
The feature running back is veteran Brandon Whitaker, while a big, rumbling prospect in James Wilder Jr. is expected to get some touches too.
The Argos, for now, will go with two kickers. Lirim Hajrullahu is the incumbent, but Ronnie Pfeffer showed off a booming punting leg in Friday’s preseason finale in Hamilton.
Training camp is officially over, but the team will remain in at York University this week before moving to their permanent facility at Downsiew Park.