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After an off-season of change both on and off the field, the Argos new sideline boss, Bart Andrus, will get his first taste of CFL action when the Argos open the pre-season against the Montreal Alouettes on Wednesday night at Rogers Centre.
Andrus, who joined the Argos earlier in the year, will face a coach across the field that found himself in an almost identical situation at this time last season. Andrus faces some of the same challenges that Alouettes coach Marc Trestman faced last season.
Coach Andrus will not be the only key off-season pickup that will make his Argos debut on Wednesday as fans will get their first opportunity to see OT Rob Murphy, OC Dominic Picard, CFL All-Star LB Zeke Moreno and former second overall CFL draft pick LB Jason Pottinger. In addition, CB Jordan Younger and OL Jeff Keeping will make their returns to the Argos lineup for the first time since 2007 after spending the ’08 campaign with the Edmonton Eskimos and Montreal Alouettes respectively.
What To Look For:
Pre-season is an evaluation for everyone on both sides of the ball, however, there are three positions in particular that will draw significant interest from the coaching staff – running back and punter/kicker.
It has been well documented throughout training camp that the Argos have a solid list of running backs capable of carrying the load either individually or by sharing reps over an 18-game schedule. The challenge for Andrus and his staff is trying to figure out which one or two fit best within the new offence. Imports Tyler Ebell, Jay Lucas, Jarrett Payton and Jamal Robertson will all dress for Wednesday’s contest and will be joined in the backfield by non-imports Andre Durie, Bryan Crawford and Jeff Johnson. It is unsure, at this point, who will take the majority of the carries come game time but perhaps the first game will give the Argos coaching staff an idea on how to handle what is perceived to be a ‘good problem’.
The other position to focus on will be the punter/kickers with two import candidates vying for a spot on the roster. It is understood that Eddie Johnson and Justin Medlock are neck-in-neck right now and the Wednesday’s contest could possibly push one above the other.
Roster Moves:
With the wear and tear of camp already taking its toll, the Argos have placed the following players on the injured list for Wednesday: Receivers Kinsmon Lancaster, Obed Cétoute and Jerome Mathis, OL Brian Ramsay, defensive linemen Kevin Huntley, Adriano Belli, Ronald Jones and Jonathan Brown and TE Steve Schmidt.
Gametime:
Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday evening at Rogers Centre and you can purchase tickets by calling 416.872.5000 or clicking here to purchase online. The game can be heard on the Fan590.com and on Sirius Satellite Radio. There is no television broadcast for this game.