For the second year in a row the Argos have been involved in a significant January trade.
Last year they caused shock waves when they dealt receiver Kurleigh Gittens Jr. to Edmonton for defensive lineman Jake Ceresna. Fan reaction wasn’t great, as trading a popular, talented player rarely elicits warm and fuzzy feelings among the base.
But it worked out. Ceresna was a vital piece of the Grey Cup puzzle last year.
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Almost one year to the day later the Argos have pulled off another high-profile deal, sending offensive tackle Dejon Allen to the BC Lions in exchange for linebacker Ryder Varga and a second-round pick in the 2026 CFL Draft.
There is no question Allen is an extremely talented player. A two-time Grey Cup champion and an all-star in each of his last three seasons, he was named the Argos Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman twice, winning the league award in that category in 2023.
Holding it down all season long 🧱
Your 2023 Most Oustanding Lineman, Dejon Allen. #CFLAwards pic.twitter.com/mcCBtKD2L4
— Toronto Argonauts (@TorontoArgos) November 17, 2023
To give up a player of that calibre the Boatmen had to get quality back. They did. Not only do they get a high draft pick in 2026, but in Varga they also get one of the best up and coming Canadians in the CFL.
“To see how this young man has matured into a player that’s not only a great special teams player but has proven that he can be a solid defensive player strengthens us at our core,” general manager Michael Clemons told Argonauts.ca. “To add youth and excellence to our tremendous base of players is a real victory for us.”
The Argos head coach is also excited to bring the Regina native to Toronto.
“He’s a hard-nosed football player,” Ryan DinwiddIe told Argonauts.ca. “Obviously he’s going to help us out on special teams, we’ll see how we can get him involved in the defence and go from there. I think he’s going to make us a better football club; he’s a blue-collar guy who’s going to add to our room.”
Varga didn’t come into the league with a ton of fanfare. Though he was an All-Canadian and Canada West’s defensive player of the year with the Regina Rams, he fell to the third round of the 2022 CFL Draft, selected 29th overall by the Lions.
He was named the Lions Most Outstanding Rookie in 2023 despite starting slowly. The 6’3”, 225-pound Varga got his feet wet on special teams and excelled in that role, then got the chance to play more defensive snaps as the season progressed.
Last season also started slowly as Varga battled mononucleosis just before training camp. He didn’t miss any regular season games and eventually became a solid starter for BC, finishing 13th in the CFL with 88 total defensive plays, highlighted by 73 defensive tackles.
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With all that said, change isn’t always easy to accept.
Along with the loss of Gittens last year, Argo fans were distraught with the free agency departures of players like AJ Ouellette, Adarius Pickett, Javon Leake, Jamal Peters, Dewayne Hendrix, and Boris Bede, among others.
Despite those departures and the suspension of Chad Kelly for half a season, the Double Blue went 10-8 and won the 111th Grey Cup. The replacements – many of them relatively anonymous to many Argo fans before the season began – filled for the departed players nicely.
Which leads to the question of how the team replaces Allen at right tackle.
“We have the luxury that Ryan Hunter can bounce out and play that position,” said Dinwiddie of last year’s CFL Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman. “We have George Moore, the kid we brought in last year from Oregon, we have high hopes for him, and obviously Sage Doxtater‘s got a chance to compete for that spot. We feel like whoever wins that job is going to be well deserving of it and make us better.”
If Doxtater, the 12th overall pick in the 2021 draft, was to win the job, they could keep Hunter at left tackle which would allow the Argos to start five Canadians along the offensive line, which would give them incredible ratio flexibility. In the CFL, when it comes to Canadian depth, you can never have enough.
The acquisition of Varga adds to an already impressive stable of National players on the roster.
“As we go forward, we will continue to build our roster as we have the last four years,” said Clemons.” First of all, ensuring that our Canadian talent is deep. It’s an embarrassment of riches along our offensive line; we have such great depth there. We’ve made a trade in a place where we have great depth to continue to reinforce our Canadian talent.”