CHRIS ROSSETTI
Argonauts.ca Staff
MISSISSAUGA — On a bright sunny day at day two of QBs and Rookies camp, it was the defence that shined brightest. With the quarterback battle raging on, it was hard for them to do anything today with the constant pressure from the front seven and the blanket coverage by the secondary throughout practice.
The defensive line unit had quite an afternoon. They were virtually un-blockable during the one on one and team periods. #79 DL Nate Robinson proved to be a headache for the offensive line as he used his quick hands to penetrate the backfield on several occasions. #93 DL Chris Bradwell showed his brute strength as he bullrushed consecutive offensive lineman and earned praise from the coaching staff. #48 LB Durrell Mapp practiced with the defensive line today, and the transition seemed to go smoothly. Mapp made several excellent reads on play action passes which caused havoc for the offence.
With the defensive line raising their level of play, the linebackers and defensive backs did not want to be left out. Former Georgia Bulldog #49 LB Greg Blue laid a bone-crushing hit on #38 WR/KR Jerome Hewitt down the sideline, ramping up the level of intensity at practice. Blue also drew praise from linebackers coach Greg Quick for his excellent coverage during ‘skelly’ period.
In the secondary, it was newcomer #43 CB Armando Murillo and #15 CB Dee Webb that displayed their mental toughness and coverage ability. After getting beat deep in the one on one period, Murillo answered during skelly by jumping in front of a pass and returning it for a touchdown. In the same capacity, former Florida Gators cornerback Webb drew criticism from Coach Barker for retaliating after the whistle on a #71 WR Djems Kouame catch. Yet, when the offence was knocking on the door, it was Webb who responded by intercepting a pass in the endzone which drew high praise from Barker at the conclusion of practice. In fact, Webb was asked to breakdown the huddle.
The offence did show a lot of potential throughout the day. #12 QB Dalton Bell started practice looking great, putting the ball right on the money several times during one on one and skelly period. His best ball of the day came on a deep corner route to #38 WR Jerome Hewitt which left the defensive backs looking for answers.
The trio of Canadian receivers seemed to be much more comfortable on day two. Kouame showed flashes of his excellent athletic ability. Whenever he caught the ball his explosiveness after the catch immediately jumped out. He’s not afraid of contact either as he lowered his shoulder on Dee Webb during the team period. Fellow draft pick #42 WR Jedd Gardner responded after an early drop with a nice catch down the sideline on a well placed ball from #19 QB B.J. Hall. #81 WR Steven Turner showed off his breakaway speed on a go route for a TD. He also showed his quick change of pace on a nice slant route in the team period.
While there have been several great individual plays, the two most consistent players have been #11 RB Gerald Riggs and #52 OL Mike Warner. Riggs, a former star at Tennessee, showed his speed around the edge picking up several big gains throughout the afternoon. He also displayed soft hands, something which caught the eye of Barker. Warner continued to impress today with a solid one on one period, showcasing solid footwork and power.
Argos rookies & QBs will be back on the field again at 2:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon at University of Toronto Mississauga (Upper Field).
Notes: Veterans Jermaine Copeland, Chad Owens, Brandon Rideau and Mike Bradwell organized their own drills and all ran routes immediately following practice with Cleo Lemon and Dalton Bell throwing.