Argonauts.ca Staff
The Argonauts will conclude the 2015 Preseason with a visit to Percival Molson Stadium to take on the Montreal Alouettes on Thursday night at 7:30 PM (TSN2 / TSN 1050). Argonauts.ca gives you five notes to consider heading to Thursday game in the first installment of “Five Yards”.
1) Harris at the helm
With the Argos announcing that quarterback Ricky Ray has been placed on the team’s 6-game injured list earlier this week, fourth-year CFL QB Trevor Harris will take charge of the Argonauts offence. Thursday night’s game will give Harris more comfort in the starting role as the team is one week away from kicking off their 2015 regular season in Fort McMurray. Harris, who will enter the season as a first time starter, could see up to a full half of play vs. the Alouettes on Thursday night as noted by Scott Milanovich earlier in the week. Another half under Harris’ belt will give the Argonauts’ quarterback time to continue building on his chemistry with some of his favourite targets, Chad Owens and Andre Durie, in a live game.
2) Owens and Durie to get first taste of live action
Thursday night will be the first opportunity for two of the Argonauts biggest stars, Chad Owens and Andre Durie, to get a taste of live game action in 2015. Durie and Owens both missed the club’s pre-season opener last week, and will look to use the finale to get their feet wet in preparation for next weekend’s season opener vs. the Edmonton Eskimos. Coming off an injury plagued season in 2014, Durie expressed during training camp his excitement for the season as he is finally at full strength again. Owens, who is still not happy with the way the Boatmen concluded the season last year, feels he needs this game to get back in the flow of things.
3) The RB Auditions Continues
With veteran running back Curtis Steele sidelined due to a lower body injury this week, the Argonauts’ backfield is wide open for the taking. The team currently has rookie backs Henry Josey, Lyle McCombs, and CFL Draft pick Dillon Campbell vying for the starting role, in addition to sophomore Anthony Coombs. Josey impressed coaches with a strong training camp and will look to take advantage of his opportunity to start in Montreal. The former Missouri standout showed some burst and the ability to find crevices in the Bombers defence last week, leading all running backs in total yards. McCombs was a victim of the first round of cuts, but was brought back in after the injury to Curtis Steele and the announcement that Argos QB Ricky Ray will start the season on the six-game injured list. The graduate of Rhode Island likely wants to use this second opportunity to show that he has got what the Argonauts are looking for in that position. National Dillon Campbell, who was a stalwart back at Wilfrid Laurier, didn’t see much game action last week vs. the Bombers, but hopes to see some touches and game time in the Argonauts pre-season finale. Finally, Anthony Coombs returns to the Argonauts after his rookie campaign was cut short by a shoulder injury, and has looked every bit a starting tailback in training camp, while also having the ability to play at a variety of receiver spots. With all backs competing for the starting job and even a spot on the 46-man roster, the biggest factor for Scott Milanovich and GM Jim Barker isn’t simply how they can run or catch the ball, but how they work in pass protection.
4) Logjam on the D-Line:
The Argonauts made a splash in the 2014 off-season when they reacquired hometown hero Ricky Foley in a trade with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Foley comes back to Toronto after his most successful season as a pro in 2014, though he believes the best is yet to come. He’ll line up opposite sophomore Tristan Okpalaugo, who led the Argonauts in 2014 with 12 sacks and was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie. Behind the two All-Star defensive ends, there are another 10 players competing for just four more roster spots. Foley stated earlier this week that this group is the most talented he’s ever worked with, which may indicate why Milanovich and Barker neglected to release any defensive linemen in the first roster cutdown. For rookies like Martin Wright, Tracy Robertson, Martez Wilson and 2015 CFL Draft pick Daryl Waud, a strong performance Thursday could mean a spot on the roster.
5) Cutdown is Coming:
In addition to the positions discussed previously, Thursday is the de-facto final opportunity for all 70+ players currently on the Argos roster to prove their value to the coaching staff and personnel department. Though the last three weeks of training camp have been vital in player assessment, what matters most to coaches is how these individuals are able to perform under the pressure of a game situation; something that simply cannot be replicated on a practice field. While there are some positions where the starters are decided, others are still wide open in addition to the always important back-up and special teams roles. With final roster spots up for grabs, fans can expect maximum effort from every player wearing Double Blue on Thursday night, as there’s no room for complacency with so much on the line.