ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF
TORONTO — Entering training camp, one could argue that QB Dalton Bell was the forgotten man by many fans and media in the Argos’ list of options behind centre.
There was Cleo Lemon, a starter with the Miami Dolphins, who possessed all of the physical traits that one looks for in a quarterback. He has size, reasonable mobility and arm strength. There was Gibran Hamdan, who had been pursued by the Argos for quite some time, and he too had some grooming at the pro level down south. Ken Dorsey also had a superstar career at the University of Miami to place on his resume. Then there’s the buzz that doesn’t seem to escape the signing of hometown pivot Danny Brannagan.
“If it does (come down to me being the starter) then I will be ready and if not, I will be ready for whoever is number one. The big goal here is to get the Toronto Argonauts into the playoffs and win the Grey Cup.”
– Argos QB Dalton Bell in regards to where he stands in the club’s quarterback picture.
Heading into camp, little attention was given to the only quarterback that had completed an entire CFL training camp. Overshadowed last year by Darian Durant, Bell saw limited action in the pre-season and failed to take a snap all of last season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Since arriving in Argos camp, however, Bell has shown his coaches that he not only competes with the other quarterbacks but is a legitimate candidate to take the starters role. If his play in practice and in the club’s final pre-season game, next Saturday in Montreal, continue to improve then fans will also start to pay closer attention to the soft-spoken Texan.
On Sunday afternoon, Bell played the entire third quarter against Hamilton in his Argos debut and was arguably the most efficient of the four players behind centre. Bell completed seven of 10 passes for 94 yards and, despite not throwing for a touchdown, led two drives ending in field goals.
One quarter is hardly enough to get into a groove in football and although he was satisfied with his play, Bell knows that there is plenty of room for improvement.
“It went well. I made a few wrong decisions and a few wrong reads but overall I felt good about it,” Bell said of his first performance in Double Blue. “I’m excited about what we can do.”
Bell is going to have to remain positive this year as nobody really knows how the Argos quarterback situation will unfold this season. When talking with reporters following Sunday’s game it seems like the second-year CFLer is approaching this competition with the right attitude.
“If it does (come down to me being the starter) then I will be ready and if not, I will be ready for whoever is number one,” Bell said of where he stands in the QB picture. “The big goal here is to get the Toronto Argonauts into the playoffs and win the Grey Cup.”
After two difficult seasons, the job is still up in the air and fans would certainly be happy to get behind whichever quarterback can win games and take them back to the playoffs.