It’s like playing Tetris, but with 300-pound men.
The Toronto Argonauts have tremendous depth on the offensive line, now it’s a question of which player lines up in which starting spot, and who will be their primary backup.
With both last year’s regular season starters at tackle gone, the competition to replace Dejon Allen and Isiah Cage is underway at the team’s training camp, held at the University of Guelph.
A baker’s dozen players are battling for five starting positions and two spots on the gameday roster.
Peter Nicastro started at centre last year due to an injury to Darius Ciraco, which kept him out of all but two games. Ciraco is now back, giving head coach Ryan Dinwiddie an option of either keeping Nicastro there, or moving him to guard and getting Ciraco back in the starting lineup. Draft pick Ethan Pyle also projects as a centre down the road.
That potentially leaves incredible depth at guard. Nicastro could start there, but if he’s back at centre it leaves two starting jobs open. Ciraco could compete for a job, but also in the mix are Ryan Hunter, last year’s CFL Most Outstanding Offensive Linemen, as well as the two starting guards from last year’s Grey Cup game, Dylan Giffen and Anthony Vandal.
Also in the mix are rookie Jas Kharia from Queen’s, and a pair of returning players, 2024 third-round draft pick John Bosse, and 2021 second-rounder Sage Doxtater.
Doxtater had first round talent but fell in the draft because it was well known he was going to try his luck in the NFL. After spending some time with the New Orleans Saints, then in the XFL and UFL, the native of Oneida Nation of the Thames, just outside London, Ontario, returned to Canada, signing with the Argos last October.
While getting generally getting reacquainted with the Canadian game – he hasn’t played three-down ball since Grade 10 – he’s also trying to master a new position, moving inside to play guard.
“I’m learning a lot,” Doxtater replied to Argonauts.ca when asked how camp was going. “I’m still trying to transition to guard, but I’m having a lot of fun. The contact happens a lot quicker than at tackle. It’s way different than tackle.”
He knew the potential of moving inside was strong and his body is showing how seriously he’s taken it. He looks considerably different than when he arrived in Toronto late last season.
“When we left the Grey Cup last year I was, like 350 (pounds),” said Doxtater. “I wanted to cut down to 325 so I could move a little better because you have to get on screens.”
He hired a dietician and started watching what he ate, saying that giving up the quantity of Mexican food he used to eat was particularly tough.
George Moore also has reported in better shape. He’s one of four Americans looking to start at offensive tackle, along with Jean Delance, Hampton Ergle, and Justin Redd.
The former Oregon Duck signed with the Argos last year, spending his rookie year on the practice roster before getting a chance to start in the season finale in Edmonton. His first experience with the Canadian game taught him, like Doxtater, that he had to work on his body.
“I took a different approach,” Moore told Argonauts.ca. “Especially with the conditioning and all the other things the CFL comes with, like the wider field, so I took a different approach to do more conditioning and get slimmer so I can move a little bit better. I’m still about 315 (pounds) but it’s just different. I’m a lot stronger; I’m a lot slimmer, I feel like I’m a lot faster.”
Like Doxtater, he changed his diet, but admitted he couldn’t give up all his favourite cheat foods.
“I didn’t give up the sweets,” he said while breaking into a big smile. “I’m a sweets person. I was eating a lot of salads, chicken, broccoli, but tried to keep it simple. My girlfriend and I both have sweet tooths, so late at night we’re both like ‘Let’s go get cookies!’ but we tried to take it out (of our diets) as much as possible.”
The four American tackles will be competing for two, or perhaps just one spot in the starting lineup. Hunter kicked outside to tackle last year and fared well, and playing outside is also Doxtater’s natural domain, so there’s a possibility the Argos could start four Canadians on the offensive line.
It’s a great position to be in as most teams don’t have the luxury of this much talented, experienced depth on the o-line, especially with Canadians.
ARGO NOTES It was picture day at Guelph. Following practice players, coaches, and staff posed for their individual photos…It was a cool, overcast day with strong winds for much of the practice…The highlight of the day was provided in one-on-one drills by a rookie defensive back. A ball was thrown behind a receiver on a crossing route and was intercepted by Delonte Hood, who was forced to spin around in midair, catching the ball while facing in the other direction from how he had been running, then completing the 360 spin-a-rama.