It began on Sunday.
A mere 175 days after winning the 111th Grey Cup, and fresh off three days of rookie camp, the Toronto Argonauts began their title defence with the opening of training camp at the University of Guelph.
Eighty-seven players reported, prepared to compete for spots on the roster.
For head coach Ryan Dinwiddie the goal is simple, to get back to, and win the Grey Cup for the third time in four years.
“I thought it was pretty good,” Dinwiddie told reporters after watching the initial practice. “Every time you start camp the defence is always ahead of the offence. We threw a lot of ‘install’ (playbook installation) at those guys and I thought they did a good job handling it. In ‘team compete’ (full scrimmage) at the end, the offence won that competition.”
The good news for Dinwiddie, and his coaching staff is thrilled that it has a lot of toys to play with.
“There’s a lot of talent on the field; it was good to see some of our new players and who they are in person. You see them on film from other teams, but now you get to see them work. We’re excited about our additions and obviously very excited about the guys that are still part of us from last year.”
It’s a mostly healthy camp. Kicker Lirim Hajrullahu and cornerback Benjie Franklin are both close to being able to participate after off-season surgeries, while quarterback Chad Kelly was wearing his familiar number 12. But instead of a helmet he was relegated to wearing an Argo cap.
Kelly broke his leg at the end of the third quarter of the Eastern Final in Montreal. He had surgery on the leg before leaving Quebec and was unable to travel to Vancouver for the Grey Cup victory over Winnipeg.
The quarterback has worked hard at rehabbing the injury, but Dinwiddie says that the QB isn’t ready to go quite yet, though he is getting close.
“Two weeks from now, at the end of camp,” the coach replied when asked about a timeline for Kelly’s return to practice. “I don’t want to rush him back.”
Dinwiddie was asked if Kelly has been fully cleared by doctors to return to football activity.
“Not fully cleared,” the coach replied. “We’ve got one more x-ray (to examine), but it’s almost fully healed. We got good results on the last x-ray, and we feel good about it.”
Dinwiddie said after that, two weeks from now, they’ll have a better indication of when Kelly will be able to get back in the lineup, adding that the QB being ready for the season opener in Montreal is “probably 50/50 at this stage.”
Aside from being an elite quarterback, Kelly assumes a leadership role in the locker room. He’s not alone though, as players like Wynton McManis and DaVaris Daniels also take on that duty with the team.
But other Argos have now been around long enough where they’ve grown from young players to experienced veterans.
Cornerback Tarvarus McFadden is entering his fourth season in Double Blue. The man known to teammates as “T Time” is ready to go, able to put last year’s championship in the rearview mirror.
“Last year was last year, 2025 is a new year,” McFadden told Argonauts.ca. “We try and take everything a day at a time and if we do that, the I think we have a good chance to be back where we were last year.”
To get back to the big game they’ll have to follow a script not unlike last year’s, which saw the team go through some significant changes in the secondary, including McFadden. The Florida State product was a surprise cut at the end of training camp, returning to the Argos in July after a brief stint in Ottawa.
With the departures of key components like DaShaun Amos and Royce Metchie, starting jobs are there for the taking. With backups from a year ago looking to take a starting spot, and with newcomers from other CFL teams and rookies new to the league, it’s anyone’s guess as to not only who starts, but where those players line up.
McFadden, who has played corner and halfback with the Argos, started Sunday’s scrimmage at his familiar field corner spot, though he’s ready to play wherever he’s needed.
“It’s camp, so I expect to be anywhere at any time. I’m ready for it all.”
Also back for another season is receiver Damonte Coxie. The club was thrilled to get his name on a contract in late January, just before he was eligible to become a free agent.
He spent a busy off-season in Detroit, having his soft hands full with the arrival of he and his wife Khyla’s second child.
“I was dad, full-time,” Coxie said with a smile following practice. “Anything I wanted to do had to be with the kids. I enjoyed it, I enjoy my time with my family, so the off-season was either working or family.”
The football related work is now about fine tuning his talents as opposed to learning the pro game.
“This year it will be more about attention to details,” he told Argonauts.ca. “Getting in and out of breaks, taking more time for film study to study my opponents. I’m really learning the game and really diving into it a little more than I already have.”
Just what opposing defensive backs didn’t want to hear.
ARGO NOTES: The team announced on Sunday that defensive end Jeremiah Ojo, their first round pick and seventh overall in this year’s draft, has signed a contact…Three players have been transferred to the team’s suspended list; Andre Carter, Alfredo Gachuz, and Jai Nunn-Liddell, while Vyncint Smith and Brian Holloway were released…It’s a fools game to predict starting lineups on the first day of camp, but the team fielded a lot of veterans when the first offensive group faced the first defensive group on Sunday. On offence it was Nick Arbuckle at quarterback, Ka’Deem Carey at running back, the receivers were Damonte Coxie, DaVaris Daniels, Dejon Brissett, Dave Ungerer III, and Kevin Mital. The offensive line saw George Moore and Jean Delance at tackle, Ryan Hunter and Anthony Vandal at guard, with Pete Nicastro at centre. Defensively, the front four consisted of Bryan Cox Jr. and Derek Parish at end, with Demarcus Christmas and Jordan Williams at tackle. The linebackers were Wynton McManis, Cameron Judge, and Quincy Mauger. Tarvarus McFadden and Darrius Bratton lined up on the corner, Mark Milton and Ciante Evens were at halfback, with Armani Watts at safety…Mital was particularly impressive on day one…Anthony Lanier II swatted down a pass during the scrimmage…The players were welcomed to the field for their warmup by the Sidewalk Crusaders band from Toronto, which prompted several players to dance their way onto the field…After practice Guelph mayor Cam Guthrie dropped by the stadium to raise an Argo flag at Alumni Stadium, officially welcoming the team back for another year, and promoting the pre-season game between the Argos and Ticats in Guelph on May 30. Tickets HERE.