2007 CFL Eastern Preview - Toronto Argonauts

By Fred Williams Jun 27, 2007, 15:20 GMT

The Argos went into camp with five players battling for the No. 1 job, and all that's known is that former Indianapolis Colt Tom Arth and former Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch aren't in the mix. Arth was released during camp while Toronto placed Crouch on the nine-game injured list, meaning he'll have to miss the first half of the season.

That leaves CFL veterans Damon Allen and Michael Bishop, along with former NFLer Mike McMahon to start the year on the active roster.

Bishop started the first pre-season game and performed well, as did McMahon. Allen, pro football's career passing leader who is entering his 23rd CFL season, didn't play in the opener, but started the club's final exhibition game, and wasn't overly impressive. Again, McMahon came off the bench to play well, but again he wasn't facing a starting defense. This week in practice will likely play a big role in deciding who starts Thursday's season-opening game at Rogers Center against the B.C. Lions, the defending Grey Cup champions. The smart money is on Allen because the Lions last year had the league's best defense and Allen has much more experience as a CFL starter than both Bishop or McMahon.

However, with Bishop showing in last year's playoffs that he's capable of coming off the bench to rally Toronto, if Allen gets the nod he could be on a very short leash.

Toronto won't have former Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams to hand off to. Williams is awaiting reinstatement back into the NFL, leaving former NFL first-round pick John Avery and Canadian Jeff Johnson to carry the brunt of the running load.

The offensive line will also feature a different look, with Bernard Williams and Jerome Davis both gone. The Argos acquired Taylor Robertson from Calgary in the offseason, then signed six-foot-seven 330-pound Canadian Steve Morley, who spent time with both Green Bay and the New York Jets the past few years.

Speedsters Arland Bruce III and Tony Miles are the club's top two receivers. Bruce finished the season ranked second in receiving yards last year while Miles battled injuries after surpassing the 1,000-yard plateau in 2005.

The Argos tinkered with their defense in the offseason, releasing such veterans as linebacker Antonious Bonner, defensive end Eric England and defensive back Clifford Ivory. Toronto did sign former NFL safety Anthony Dorsett Jr., but he was released during training camp.

Toronto's defense was among the toughest to both pass and score against last year, but once again the 3-4 alignment had trouble stopping the run. The Argos allowed a league-high 135 yards rushing per game.

Canadian Mike O'Shea, who last year moved into third on the league's all-time tackles list, returns to anchor an active linebacking corps that includes veterans Michael Fletcher and Canadian Kevin Eiben. But gone is Antonious Bonner, who was released, and will likely be replaced by steady Chuck Winters.

The secondary returns veterans Orlondo Steinauer, Jordan Younger, Ken Wheaton and Anthony Parker, who finished second in interceptions last year with eight and returned four for touchdowns.

The kicking game is in solid shape with veteran Noel Prefontaine. With the CFL returning to more liberal blocking rules on kicks and punts, Bashir Levingston could reclaim his spot as the league's most dangerous returner.

Mike (Pinball) Clemons returns as head coach and has the difficult task of trying to lead Toronto to the Grey Cup as the host city. Not since 1994 with the B.C. Lions has a CFL team won the Grey Cup as the game's host city.

Sports Network predicted finish: First.

© 2007 The Sports Network