Argonauts.ca staff
TORONTO – The next position up for preview in our training camp primer series is the linebacking corps. The Argonauts made a big splash in the offseason, trading away former CFL All-Star linebacker Shea Emry to bring hometown defensive end Ricky Foley back into the fold. The loss of Emry means that another Argonaut veteran or rookie will need to step up and take his place, and there are several candidates hoping to do just that.
An individual who appears primed for an increased role in 2015 is national Cory Greenwood, who joined the Argonauts at the tail end of the 2014 season after four seasons in the NFL. Greenwood was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Kansas City Chiefs after a standout career at Concordia, and joined the Argos, who selected him with the third overall pick in the 2010 CFL draft, for the final two games of 2014. Greenwood now joins the Argos for his first ever CFL training camp, and increased familiarity with the team’s system and coaches could lead to a breakout season.
Greg Jones and Matt Ware are two more former NFLers returning to the Argonauts after their rookie seasons in Double Blue. Jones, a former Super Bowl champion with the New York Giants, recorded 42 tackles, 16 tackles on special teams and a sack in his first year with the Argos, a strong start he’ll look to parlay into a successful sophomore campaign. He played at Michigan State, where he was a two-time All-American, and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year as a junior. Ware recorded 14 tackles and six tackles on special teams as a rookie with the Argonauts, though he certainly didn’t come to Toronto lacking pro experience. The two-year starter at UCLA spent seven seasons in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals, recording 106 tackles and an interception.
James Yurichuk, Herve Tonye-Tonye and Thomas Miles are three national linebackers returning to the Argos linebacking corps, but perhaps more importantly as contributors on special teams. Yurichuk enters his third season as an Argonaut after four seasons with the B.C. Lions, where he won a Grey Cup Championship in 2011. ‘Yuri’ recorded six defensive tackles and a team-leading 17 tackles on specials in 2014, while also chipping in his first career sack and an interception. Tonye-Tonye only appeared in four games for the Argos in 2014, and enters training camp motivated for an increased role in 2015. The Argos fourth round pick in the 2012 CFL Draft recorded eight defensive tackles and five tackles on special teams in 2013. Miles was drafted in the fourth round of the 2014 CFL Draft, and recorded three defensive tackles to go with six tackles on special teams.
Nick Rosamonda only joined the Argos in August of 2014, but made an immediate impact for the Boatmen. The former North Greenville Crusader recorded 17 defensive tackles, nine tackles on special teams and four sacks in nine games with the Argonauts last season, and a full training camp with the team may lead to further opportunities to contribute in 2015.
Returning to the Argonauts for his second sting in Toronto is five-year CFL veteran and 2012 Grey Cup Champion Brandon Isaac. The former South Carolina Gamecock split the 2013 season between the Argos and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, recording 38 total defensive tackles along with five sacks and an interception in the Double Blue and Black and Gold.
National Akeem Whonder spent the 2014 season on the Calgary Stampeders practice roster, and signed with the Argos as a free agent in the off-season. The Mississauga native spent five years at Windsor where he accumulated 175 tackles, eight sacks, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one interception in a versatile role as a defensive back and linebacker.
Finally, international Brian Rolle was drafted in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft after a four-year career at Ohio State, where he was named First-Team All-Big Ten as a senior. Rolle spent two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before coming north to the Argos, recording 58 total tackles, four pass knockdowns, one sack and a forced fumble.