Next Game
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Toronto Argonauts General Manager Jim Barker today officially unveiled the team’s player personnel and scouting staff for the 2016 season.
Vince Magri Director of Canadian Scouting
Curtis Rukavina Director of Player Personnel
Spencer Zimmerman Director of U.S. Scouting and Pro Development
“It is exciting for this Club, and our League, to have three young Canadians hold significant personnel positions”, said Argonauts GM Jim Barker. “All three of these individuals have earned their stripes within the CFL and our organization to get to the positions they are now. Through their display of hard work, commitment and knowledge, I strongly believe that our football product will be second to none, and our pipeline will continue to be filled with great talent.”
Magri will enter his fourth season with the Argonauts and third as the Argonauts Director of Canadian Scouting. He originally joined the club as the Canadian Scouting and Video Coordinator prior to the 2013 season. As the Argos Director of Canadian Scouting his duties involve evaluating, identifying and ranking Canadian talent, tracking and keeping record of Canadian prospects throughout the football season and working closely with Jim Barker, Curtis Rukavina and Spencer Zimmerman to prepare for the CFL Draft.
Rukavina, who originally joined the club as a Scouting Assistant in 2014 and served as the club’s Player Personnel Assistant in 2015, has been promoted to the Director of Player Personnel. Learning quickly under General Manager Jim Barker and his scouting network as well as Chris Rossetti, current Pro Personnel Assistant for the Miami Dolphins and former Director of Player Personnel for the Argos, whom he worked directly under, Rukavina’s strong work ethic and keen knowledge of the game earned him a promotion to become the club’s Director of Player Personnel. His duties include development and execution of recruitment strategies in both Canada and the U.S., hosting free agent camps, scouting NFL training camps and NCAA All-Star Games, managing the negotiation list and contract negotiations.
Zimmerman joined the Argonauts’ scouting ranks in January after spending four seasons (2012-15) with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats where he served in a variety of Football Operations and Scouting roles. As Director, Scouting and Pro Development, his focus will be managing the club’s negotiation list, player acquisition and personnel evaluation alongside General Manager Jim Barker and Director, Player Personnel, Curtis Rukavina. Working collectively within the Argonauts scouting department, he will also assist in developing and executing scouting strategies in Canada and the United States, scout NFL camps and NCAA Bowl and All-Star Games, and engage in contract negotiations.
All three are products of CIS & OUA programs: McMaster (Magri), Guelph (Rukavina) and Waterloo (Zimmerman).