September 23, 2022

Hogan: Hunting Hunter

Herman Melville’s classic novel Moby-Dick was a tale about pursuit. In this case, Ahab, the captain of a whaling vessel, was tracking the whale Moby Dick after it had bitten off his leg at the knee. The search became obsessive for the mariner.

For members of the Toronto Argonauts front office, one player has been their equivalent of the great whale; the prized bounty at the end of a lengthy chase.

That quest came to an end on Thursday when offensive lineman Ryan Hunter signed a multi-year deal with the Argos.

Hunter was the team’s first-round pick, ninth overall, in the 2018 CFL Draft. The team took a chance on selecting him, knowing he had NFL aspirations. That dream came true for the North Bay native, who spent two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, winning a Super Bowl in early 2020. He spent the last couple of years with the Los Angeles Chargers before being released in late August.

Argos Assistant General Manager Vince Magri was the team’s Director of Canadian Scouting under General Manager Jim Popp in 2018. The Hunter signing was a long time coming, but Magri wasn’t completely frustrated by the lineman’s NFL success.

“The reality is you’re happy for him,” Magri explained to Argonauts.ca. “He’s living out his dream at the highest level. He got the chance to win a Super Bowl ring. Being in the room with Pat Mahomes, playing for Andy Reid; it’s the opportunity of a lifetime.”

That doesn’t mean that Magri and those in the Argos personnel department weren’t paying close attention to Hunter’s playing status; far from it. As with any player the Argos have drafted or added to their negotiation list, a close eye is kept on the NFL transaction wire, anxious to see of one of those players would become available.

Hunter was able to fulfil his NFL aspirations for four seasons before heading home to Ontario. He arrived in Toronto Thursday afternoon.

“For him to be able to live out his dream that every young kid has playing football, you’re happy for him,” said Magri. “When the opportunity does come around to potentially bring him to the CFL and add him to your organization, that’s definitely a big plus.”

Hunter joins a group that already boasts four Argo first-round draft picks; Peter Nicastro, Gregor MacKellar, Shane Richards, and Theren Churchill; along with fellow Canadian o-linemen Philip Blake, Dariusz Bladek, Justin Lawrence, Dylan Giffen, and Braydon Noll.

What does the 6’3”, 315-pound Hunter add to this already deep, talented group?

“He brings a lot,” Magri said matter-of-factly. “The first thing that jumps to mind is his versatility. He’s a guy that’s played guard, left tackle and right tackle at Bowling Green against high-level competition; then playing in the NFL as a guard and centre. He’s a valuable Canadian offensive lineman who can legitimately play all five spots across the line. Not only that, but he’s a great kid. He’s tough, he’s smart, he loves the game, he’s physical and he’ll get after people. He fits what we’re trying to build here.”

The Argos hope that Hunter becomes an example of the proverb “Good things come to those who wait.” It’s an approach that can be frustrating at times and is something that Magri has taken into consideration in subsequent drafts.

“It always creeps into your head a little bit, especially since he was in the NFL for four-plus years,” the assistant GM explained. “But looking back to that particular class, we did feel at the time – particularly coming off a Grey Cup win – we felt that picking at the end of the first round that it was worth the gamble. We felt he was the best player in that draft hands down and it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.”

What Ryan Hunter’s role with the Argos will be has yet to be determined. When it is, he may be an important piece of the puzzle as the team heads toward the post-season.