Argonauts.ca staff
TORONTO – In the pass-happy CFL, a quality quarterback is vital to the success of a team, and in most cases, acquiring or grooming an elite CFL pivot is a necessary step in winning a Grey Cup. A look at the most recent Grey Cup Champions confirms this, as Saskatchewan’s Darian Durant and Calgary’s Bo Levi Mitchell are considered near the top of the heap of CFL gunslingers.
Toronto need not worry, however, as the man under centre for the Boatmen is arguably the greatest in the game right now. Argos’ starting quarterback Ricky Ray was named an East Division and CFL All-Star in 2014, and despite having a large portion of his receiving corps miss extended periods of the season due to injury, it didn’t stop Ray from compiling 4,595 passing yards and 28 touchdowns, both tops in the CFL. The 35-year old Ray has thrice navigated his team to a Grey Cup Championship: in 2003 and 2005 with the Edmonton Eskimos, and most recently in 2012 with the Argonauts in the 100th Grey Cup. Ray routinely finds himself near the top of all statistical categories for quarterbacks, and still reigns as the Eskimos’ franchise leader in career passing yards, passing touchdowns, pass completions and pass attempts. Unfortunately for Ray, his 2014 season ended prematurely, suffering an injury in week 19 that required offseason surgery on his throwing shoulder. Because of this, Ray will be limited throughout most of training camp as GM Jim Barker and head coach Scott Milanovich want to ensure he’s 100% healthy before returning/
Luckily for Toronto, they’ve got a starter-in-waiting, ready to fill-in if Ray isn’t ready to go for the season opener in Fort McMurray. Trevor Harris enters the 2015 season as a three-year veteran of the CFL, all with the Argonauts, and his familiarity with the system employed by head coach Scott Milanovich provides Toronto with a solid back-up plan. In 2014, Harris got the nod for a critical Week 20 matchup against the Ottawa REDBLACKS, where the Argos needed a win to remain in playoff contention. Harris finished the start completing 26 of 36 attempts for 281 yards, throwing two touchdowns and one interception.
Past Harris is where things become slightly more muddled. Mitchell Gale enters his third CFL season after two years spent as the third-string quarterback behind Ray and Harris. In addition to serving as additional depth behind the starter and back-up, Gale is often called into action in short-yardage situations. The 2014 season saw Gale rush 27 times for 57 yards and his first career touchdown, while also completing his only passing attempt of the season for a one-yard score.
Expected to challenge Gale for the third-string spot is Logan Kilgore, who spent the latter half of the 2014 season on the Toronto Argonauts practice roster after attending training camp with the New Orleans Saints of the NFL in the summer. Kilgore played four seasons with the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders, where he became the first player in school history to throw for 2,000 yards in three consecutive seasons. He finished his career at MTSU with over 7,500 passing yards and 56 total touchdowns, and is highly regarded by Argos’ brass.
Finally, Alabama alumnus Blake Sims was added by the Argonauts just days before the start of training camp. The former Crimson Tide quarterback spent five seasons at Alabama, redshirting as a freshman, and spent three seasons as the backup behind A.J. McCarron before receiving the nod as the starter the 2014 season. As a senior, Sims threw for nearly 3,500 yards through the air and 28 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions, while adding 83 rushes for 350 yards and seven scores on the ground en route to leading the Tide to an SEC Championship and berth into the inaugural NCAA Football Playoff.
There’s no question that if Ray is healthy, he’s the Argonauts’ starter, but Toronto appears comfortable with the possibility of spot-starting Harris if need be. With three talented arms behind them vying for the third quarterback spot, expect the competition to be fierce as training camp wears on.