Argos, Milanovich move forward with present and future in mind

TORONTO — With an eye on today, Scott Milanovich is also peering into his crystal ball.

The fifth-year Argos head coach addressed the media on Tuesday for the first time since news broke that second-year receivers Tori Gurley, Vidal Hazelton, Kevin Elliott and Phil Bates had all been released.

While fans wondered why, Milanovich offered a number of reasons but the simplest? Production won’t decline, he answered on Tuesday afternoon during an off day at the team’s practice facility in Downsview.

“Any time you make a move like this, there’s more than one reason,” Milanovich told the team’s official website, Argonauts.ca. “That’s the case today as well. The biggest reason is because I think we’ve got younger players that can contribute and do as much on the field as what we’ve got.

“The biggest reason we made this move was because I do not think we are going to lose any production with [Brian] Jones and Llevi Noel playing in those two spots.”

“We still haven’t gotten the production and it’s time to give these guys an opportunity. They can play the game.”

Scott Milanovich

Scott Milanovich on the sideline during the Argos’ loss to Montreal in Week 15 (Argonauts.ca)

Milanovich also confirmed that he expects Drew Willy to start at quarterback for the remainder of the season for the Argos, while the sidelined Ricky Ray could serve as the backup should he return healthy in 2016.

Suffice to say, the four roster moves made Monday sent shockwaves across the CFL.

In a season defined by the move to BMO Field and a new ownership group, the Argos have struggled to a 5-9 record after losing seven of their last eight games. Gurley and Elliott are stars, yet the Argo offence ranks seventh in the league with 346 yards per game – including dead last through the air with 266.1 yards per game.

While a revolving door at quarterback has played a role – Willy made his first start as an Argo after only three weeks in Toronto and was the fourth different starter Milanovich has deployed this season – those offensive numbers are uncharacteristic for a Milanovich-led offence.

In turning to young players like Jones and Noel along with Anthony Coombs, Devon Wylie and others, Milanovich is looking to jump-start not only the future but the Argos’ current season, one that’s hanging by a thread but still very much in the balance.

“We still haven’t gotten the production and it’s time to give these guys an opportunity,” said Milanovich. “They can play the game.

“It’s something we’ve discussed for several weeks actually. And that’s one of the reasons we didn’t make the move early . . . younger players take time.”

» Related: Argos release receiving trio of Gurley, Elliott and Hazelton

There were also signs that the four players released weren’t coming to work with the right attitude. Milanovich hinted as much shortly after Sunday’s loss, suggesting that changes could soon be on the way.

On Tuesday the axe finally fell and no matter the reason, Milanovich is hoping that now is the time those younger players are ready.

Monday’s Thanksgiving showdown against the Calgary Stampeders, the class of the CFL and a team that hasn’t lost since Week 1, is a difficult first test for an Argos team that has changed directions so suddenly.

With Willy in at quarterback and throwing passes to Noel and this year’s fourth overall pick Jones, among other new and young faces, Argos fans along with Milanovich may see a glimpse of what they hope will be a long-lasting future.

“I have that faith in him,” Milanovich said of Willy. “We need to get him out there. We need to get him more comfortable with the system. I think he’s a dynamic quarterback. I think he’s going to be a great quarterback and we need to get that out of him.

“Llevi Noel might be the best special teams player in the league right now because those are the opportunities that he’s had,” Milanovich added. “Brian Jones, obviously our first round draft pick, he’s similar in stature to Elliott, similar body type and it’s a guy that needs to get out there and play.”

And then there’s the now.

The Argos currently sit three points back of the first-place REDBLACKS and two behind the second-place Tiger-Cats. They could miss the playoffs, host the Eastern Semi-Final or even host the Eastern Final.

Milanovich has been right before. Consider in 2012, when the team released then-leading rusher Cory Boyd in the middle of the season. His replacement, Chad Kackert, wound up winning Grey Cup MVP that November.

As quickly as Gurley, Elliott and Hazelton became the ‘big three’, new stars can emerge for the Boatmen.

“I can honestly tell you I think we’re a better team than we were yesterday, and going forward,” said Milanovich. “I don’t expect these guys to do anything but fight like hell and try to win three or four games.

“I can see from everybody’s perspective – it’s hard to see,” he lamented. “And it’s something that’s gonna have to be proven over a period of time by their play. And I believe it will.”