by Sean Murphy
Wednesday, Aug 04, 2021The last time we saw the Toronto Argonauts they were mired in a disappointing 4-14 campaign back in 2019. Here's a look at what to expect from the Argos in 2021.
There's reason for optimism as far as the offense goes with two capable options at quarterback in McLeod Bethel-Thompson and Nick Arbuckle. New head coach Ryan Dinwiddie has a good rapport with Arbuckle in particular from the pair's days in Calgary. Arbuckle was of course pressed into action after Bo Levi Mitchell went down to injury in 2019. Improvement is expected from the Argos aerial attack with Eric Rogers coming over from Calgary and much-maligned but talented former NFL wide receiver Martavis Bryant in the mix as well.
Running back John White was brought in to stabilize the backfield. He's coming off a 1,000-yard rushing season with the B.C. Lions in 2019 and will serve as a relief valve for whoever is under center thanks to his versatility as a pass-catcher.
There are upgrades all over the field on defense, with perhaps none bigger than defensive lineman Charleston Hughes up front. The former Blue Bomber led the league with a whopping 16 sacks in 2019 and provides a veteran presence to anchor the defense. The Argos linebacking corps should be among the best in the league led by Henoc Muamba. The question is whether all of that talent and experience up front can make up for what could be a leaky secondary. With defensive back Alden Darby no longer in the mix, Toronto's pass defense could be a work in progress at least in the early stages of the season.
While the Tiger-Cats are decided front-runners, the rest of the East Division is wide open with Toronto looking more than capable of settling into the second slot.
Toronto is currently priced in the middle-of-the-pack at around 7-1 to win the Grey Cup.
There's reason for optimism as far as the offense goes with two capable options at quarterback in McLeod Bethel-Thompson and Nick Arbuckle. New head coach Ryan Dinwiddie has a good rapport with Arbuckle in particular from the pair's days in Calgary. Arbuckle was of course pressed into action after Bo Levi Mitchell went down to injury in 2019. Improvement is expected from the Argos aerial attack with Eric Rogers coming over from Calgary and much-maligned but talented former NFL wide receiver Martavis Bryant in the mix as well.
Running back John White was brought in to stabilize the backfield. He's coming off a 1,000-yard rushing season with the B.C. Lions in 2019 and will serve as a relief valve for whoever is under center thanks to his versatility as a pass-catcher.
There are upgrades all over the field on defense, with perhaps none bigger than defensive lineman Charleston Hughes up front. The former Blue Bomber led the league with a whopping 16 sacks in 2019 and provides a veteran presence to anchor the defense. The Argos linebacking corps should be among the best in the league led by Henoc Muamba. The question is whether all of that talent and experience up front can make up for what could be a leaky secondary. With defensive back Alden Darby no longer in the mix, Toronto's pass defense could be a work in progress at least in the early stages of the season.
While the Tiger-Cats are decided front-runners, the rest of the East Division is wide open with Toronto looking more than capable of settling into the second slot.
Toronto is currently priced in the middle-of-the-pack at around 7-1 to win the Grey Cup.
