Ferguson: The ‘big 3’ just didn’t fit in Toronto

The Canadian Football League seems to always have a plot twist that nobody saw coming. When the Toronto Argonauts released a foursome of receivers this week, that should have been one of those moments but many could be see it coming from a country kilometre away.

Tori Gurley is as talented as any Argos receiver in 2016. For all his production as the third-leading receiver this year, there were always questions about his hands and buy-in level. Gurley has 36 catches so far this season and that is great, until you factor in that he has been targeted 61 times in 2016, resulting in a less than stellar catch percentage of 59 per cent. When production is not there and the coach is forced to consistently question whether or not you would do anything to make the football team better, a plane ticket is usually not far behind.

Vidal Hazleton and Kevin Elliot had been healthy scratches sporadically through the last two years; sometimes to meet ratio standards, other times because Milanovich decided to go another direction on game day. They both possessed a statistic which tied them to Gurley, a 59 per cent catch rate. While one stat does not an entire story tell, the fact that these receivers were cut after creating similar mediocre results in an offence accustomed to high-flying completion percentages sends a strong message to all within the organization.

Tori Gurley, the biggest name on his way out of Toronto, is still available (The Canadian Press)

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Perhaps the most direct release of the four was Phil Bates. Bates was a rarely-used asset with just three catches this season. To me, his pink slip reveals the true meaning of these moves: either you produce and buy in or you will not be asked to stay.

The decision to cut four players at the same positional group must have been made with great care and thought by Scott Milanovich, Jim Barker and the rest of the Double Blue staff. To make a move of this magnitude and volume this late in the season demands that a plan be in place.

That plan is clear and direct. Christmas will come early for University of Toronto alumni Llevi Noel and 2016 fourth overall selection from Acadia Brian Jones.

“Going forward, the biggest reason that we made this move was because I don’t think we’re going to lose any production with (Brian) Jones and Llevi Noel playing in those two spots,” Milanovich told the media Tuesday.

That production was immediately in question when the cuts were announced. It’s not as though the Argos’ now former pass catches were setting the league on fire like Derel Walker and Adarius Bowman in Edmonton and the likes, but every contribution matters and saying goodbye to so many contributions at once had many scratching their heads and asking questions.

Not to worry, though, if the replacements can duplicate their production from other areas of the game on offence. Milanovich has already received plenty to celebrate from the canuck kids on special teams; a traditional proving ground for national players. Jones blocked a Hamilton Tiger-Cats punt on Labour Day while Noel has been among the CFL’s leaders in special teams tackles all season.

The timing of the moves left yours truly questioning: why now? The Argonauts have a clear philosophical directive from their bench boss that anything less than total buy-in and understanding of what is required as a member of the Toronto Argonauts organization will result in a trip south.

ARGOS 2016 TARGETS AND RECEPTIONS

The problem I have is that has always been the standard, so why shake up your lineup and trust unproven youth at the receiver position with just weeks to go in a heated east division playoff race?

Hindsight is 20/20, so maybe we get an answer on that by December.

While the headline was saying goodbye to four recognizable names, I believe we all buried the lead on this one. It is no accident to me that moments after explaining the cuts, Milanovich confirmed his offensive intentions moving forward on Tuesday.

“I anticipate that Drew is our quarterback; that’s why we brought him in. We have that faith in him. We need to get him out there we need to get him comfortable with the system. I think he’s a dynamic quarterback I think he’s going to be a great football player and we need to get that out of him”.

The bold headline at the top of any Argos 2016 season review will not look at the past, but the future:

Argos pin all hope on new quarterback Drew Willy.

The Argos seem to believe they are making the team better immediately by pulling the plug on stagnant receivers in order to overhaul the lineup and match Willy with the pass catchers Milanovich believes will be in Toronto for the long haul. The clear downside to this approach is the timing and limited practice reps to make a playoff charge towards a home Grey Cup in November. The positive, like the Maple Leafs, is that the youth movement is officially on and there is a clear plan in place.

“What it gives us now at our receiver core is a group currently that is either in their first or second year and it’s going to give us the opportunity to grow with these guys hopefully for a lot of years where they can play together and improve. The fact that they both happen to be young guys, the fact that they both happen to be Canadian, is a bonus.”

I for one applaud the move. No locker room or executive should be held hostage by timing and stage of the season. You have a responsibility to the fans to improve your roster and chances to win at all times, and at all costs. Professional football is a ruthless business and it’s unfortunate what happened to those four men trying to make a living, but rest assured they will land on their feet.

Vidal Hazleton already has by signing with Edmonton Wednesday while the true big catch from the cuts in Tori Gurley remains available. Many fans in Hamilton seem to approve the possibility of seeing Tori join the Ticats after another former Argo gone Hamiltonian Chad Owens suffered a season ending foot injury.

The Argos brass clearly believes it has improved the organization with the cut of Gurley, Hazleton, Bates and Elliot. As the old three-part Friday Night Lights saying goes, Scott Milanovich appeared to have clear eyes and a full heart when discussing the moves. Can’t lose? We will see sooner rather than later, with two games remaining against the class of the CFL and Grey Cup favourites, the Calgary Stampeders.