Jake Reinhart (58) during the 2016 Toronto Argonauts training camp in Guelph, ON. (Photo: Johany Jutras)
Two days ahead of their first preseason game of 2016, the Toronto Argonauts returned to the practice field at the University of Guelph’s Alumni Stadium on Wednesday morning.
Wednesday’s session saw the team hit yet another gear in competition and tempo as players worked to secure playing time in the upcoming game.
“That’s what I like to see,” said Argos head coach Scott Milanovich. “I like to see back and forth, both sides competing, and the same thing on special teams.”
The most intense moments of this morning’s practice came during team sessions, in which the team’s number one units went head-to-head with both sides coming out on top on different occasions.
“That’s part of the foundation of what we believe in – that competition makes everybody better throughout the course of a season,” stated Milanovich.
2016 Training Camp Prospectus: http://bit.ly/1TGT2tc
Preseason planning
Following Wednesday morning’s practice, the Argos have just one practice and a walkthrough scheduled before they’ll take the field for the first preseason game of 2016.
Head Coach Scott Milanovich admitted after practice that some players have begun to separate themselves from others in position battles, but he was clear in identifying that the preseason game would be weighted more heavily in evaluation than practices would.
“We need to see those guys and see that they can do the same things with the lights on,” said Milanovich. “[We’re] giving all of these guys a great look because there’s a lot of times when a guy might not look so good and come game day some switch comes on, so we’ll keep our mind open.”
Competition has heated up as training camp has progressed, but the temperature has dropped, much to the ire of the Argos head coach.
“We’ve had a good camp, I wish it had been hotter the last couple days,” said Milanovich, “I like them to be in the heat and get used to that. It always seems like the first game is a hot one and the weather can get to guys, but it hasn’t really affected how we’ll handle the preseason.”
Because the team has never played on the grass surface at BMO Field, Milanovich plans to play his veterans slightly more in the first preseason game than he typically would. Each of the quarterbacks should see some action as well, with Ricky Ray likely taking the fewest reps, although a concrete plan has not been fabricated as of yet.
Hall a ‘disruptive force’ in Stubler’s defence
Bryan Hall is new to the Argonauts, but you wouldn’t know it by the level of comfort he has with his new teammates and coaches just 11 days into the season.
The veteran defensive lineman has been one of the team’s most vocal leaders throughout training camp, and according to Milanovich, the energy Hall brings is one of the reasons he was brought to Toronto.
“I love his energy. He comes to practice with a smile every day and guys enjoy being around him,” said Milanovich. “You need players like that. A guy like Bryan Hall, with that attitude [and] with the way he loves the game, can really help your locker room.”
Hall’s value doesn’t stop at just the intangibles, though, noted Milanovich, who sees the Kentucky native playing an important role on the Argonauts defensive front. In 2015, Hall recorded 35 tackles and three sacks as a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, although the Argos coaching staff saw a player for whom the stats did not tell the full story of his impact on the game.
“He’s a disruptive force,” Milanovich explained, “he’s always around the quarterback, he’s always getting penetration and disrupting the run game.”
Training Camp Day 11 Anecdotes:
- One player who Milanovich looks forward to seeing in Saturday’s preseason game is rookie QB Cody Fajardo. The Nevada product is progressing in his development, but the Argos head coach expects him to be at his best when the lights come on. “I think Cody’s a guy that’s going to show his best stuff on gameday when he can run and move the pocket and be a playmaker,” explained Milanovich. “He’s doing fine, and we’re excited to see him play on Saturday and see what he can do when teams have to try and tackle him.”
- Second-year receiver Kenny Shaw adds a different dynamic to the team’s receiving corps, says receiver coach Taylor Stubblefield. “He’s a route-runner, he’s an explosive guy that can do some things with the ball in his hands,” said Stubblefield. “I think we have a good group of receivers that bring different facets to the game.”
- Defensive back T.J. Heath drew a big reaction from his teammates during 1-on-1’s when he matched receiver Vidal Hazelton step-for-step in man coverage, forcing the quarterback to hold onto the ball.