CFL: Protecting Ray is Top Priority for Argos

The Argonauts went all in to get the man they want under center. Now they need to make sure he can stay on his feet. Al Dannity looks at Toronto’s efforts to find the right protection for Ricky Ray.

Don’t make Ricky the next Buck Pierce
Buck Pierce knows a good pass rush when he sees one. He knows it even better when he doesn’t. The current Winnipeg quarterback was the victim of some ferocious, and perfectly legal, beatings last year. Pierce, to his credit, put up good numbers but he was left unguarded far too often. Toronto should look at the low-light reel for the 2011 Bombers and treat it as a blueprint for what not to do with Ricky Ray. The QB is now stranger to seeing the dirt. Pierce may have taken more explosive hits but Edmonton allowed a league worst 46 sacks last year. Ray joins a Toronto team that fared little better, surrendering 40 sacks in 2011.

In Ray the Argos have a premium passer but they lack the best kind of cover. That leaves Scott McAdoo, Toronto’s offensive line coach, with a big task this training camp. On Monday he watched left tackle Wayne Smith, left guard Andrew Jones, centre Marc Parenteau, right guard Joe Eppele, and right tackle Chris Van Zeyl. All five are non-imports, but other players such as Jeff Keeping and imports Chris Patrick and Stephen Good. The Argonauts have been open in their desire to have an all-Canadian offensive line. With 20 non-import spots on the roster needing to be filled, focussing on finding big men to block seems a logical priority. Sacrificing a skill position import slot to protect Ray will however remain an option but only if the right import player can be found to strengthen the line.

Milanovich in the right frame of mind
For the well-travelled Scott Milanovich, this training camp gives the Toronto head coach a sense of home. No matter where in the world he’s worked, Milanovich is right at home on the sideline. His journey has brought him from the NFL as a player, to Dusseldorf and then Calgary as a coach, before finally settling into his first head coaching job with the Argos. Milanovich has shown a sense of positivity at the start of camp but also accepts the size of the job ahead. He doesn’t just have to return the Argos to the win column, he needs to make the city buy into this team again. It’s a tough task but no matter where he goes, Milanovich knows winning is a great remedy.

Follow Sports Interaction on Twitter.