CFL Camp Countdown: Argonauts need an on-field turnaround for off-field success

Continuing our series of CFL training camp previews, here's a look at the Toronto Argonauts, based on of this week's conference call with CEO Chris Rudge, general manager Jim Barker and head coach Scott Milanovich.

— There's no question that there are off-field business issues in Toronto; the Argonauts' average reported attendance of 20,018 fans per game last season was by far the worst in the league, and the situation's bad enough that they (and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats) will be getting subsidies to try and turn things around. Not all of their struggles are strictly because of the team's 6-12 record in 2011 (worst in the East Division), but on-field struggles tend to produce off-field issues. The reverse is also true, in that creative marketing ideas and solid fan outreach can help to revitalize a team's attendance and bottom line, but the most important criteria for success remains winning. Fortunately, Rudge seems to get that.

"The thing that counts most is the product on the field," he said. "Without that, everything else is in vain."

— There's a lot of pressure on the Argonauts to turn things around immediately, as they're hosting the 100th Grey Cup this fall and a strong season could go a long way towards revitalizing their brand in Toronto.

"We have a unique opportunity here," Rudge said. "We won't have another opportunity like this in the near future."

— However, while the organization has made several big moves that should make them more competitive this year, in particular the Ricky Ray trade, Barker said they haven't abandoned all thoughts of the future. In fact, he believes Ray will be leading their team for years to come.

"At 32 years old, we think Ricky's got some great years ahead of him," he said.

— Another move the team made in the offseason was having Barker focus on the general manager's role, bringing in former Montreal offensive coordinator Scott Milanovich as his replacement as head coach. Barker said Milanovich is making a notable impression on the players.

"I think his impact has been already been felt by our football team," Barker said. "He needs to coach, he needs to put his stamp on the team, and he'll do it."

— Milanovich plans to drastically overhaul the Argonauts' offence towards something approaching what he ran so successfully in Montreal, and he said players are already getting used to the differences.

"I'm really impressed with the way the players are taking to it," he said. "I'm very excited about where we are."

— One interesting aspect of the Argonauts' makeover is that Milanovich will be serving as offensive coordinator as well as head coach. Ex-Montreal compatriot Jonathan Himebauch was originally tabbed for that role, but left for the NCAA's Wake Forest Demon Deacons, and Milanovich elected to take the role himself rather than hire a replacement. He said the situation isn't ideal, but he intends to keep the role throughout this season.

"That is the plan," he said. "It is an offence that, as of right now, I know better than any of the coaches on staff."

— Milanovich said he'd like to take those responsibilities off his own plate in the long term to focus on the bigger picture, but doesn't see that happening this season.

"I don't think this is the year," he said.

— Milanovich is pleased with the staff he's managed to pull together, though, which includes long-time Calgary defensive coordinator Chris Jones taking Argos' DC role and rising star Mike O'Shea continuing to run the special teams. Barker said it's a group that should help make Milanovich's transition to the head coaching role easier.

"He's got a staff of guys he's very comfortable with."

— The Argonauts have seen substantial personnel changes beyond just adding Ray, and one of those areas is the offensive line. Veteran import Rob Murphy and veteran non-import Taylor Robertson are gone, and Barker said the plan is to both get younger and increase the number of Canadians up front. He said he's particularly happy with what the team saw from Chris Van Zeyl and Joe Eppele last season.

"As a former offensive line coach, I'm excited about this group," Barker said. "We're getting younger, and we're striving to become all Canadian."

— One area where the Argonauts struggled last season was the ground game; they had one of the league's best backs in Cory Boyd and one of its most remarkable all-around threats in Andre Durie, but often elected to avoid running the ball. Milanovich's reputation is mostly for aerial wizardry, but backs like Avon Cobourne and Brandon Whitaker had great seasons under him in Montreal. He said he expects to deploy a wide variety of looks in the ground game this season thanks to Toronto's collection of versatile offensive talent.

"The thing we have that I think is amazing is not only do we have Boyd, who I think is one of the best running backs in the league, we also have Durie, Chad Owens, Spencer Watt, and all those guys are threats to do unique runs," Milanovich said. "We're going to be really creative in the running game. I think it will be fun to watch."

— Durie may not get the press of some other Canadian backs, but his ability as both a rusher and a receiver is remarkable, and the Argonauts were smart to extend his contract this offseason. Milanovich said some use the "hybrid" tag on Durie, who's played both in the backfield and as a slotback, in a derogatory way, but he sees it
as a badge of honour.

"Chad Owens was making fun of him the other day because I called him a hybrid, but that's what he is," Milanovich said. "He's got value as a receiver. ... We're very fortunate to have him."

— There's plenty of external pressure on the Argonauts to play well this year, and Milanovich said that will be reflected within the organization as well; he and his coaching staff have high expectations for their players. He plans to push his charges to the limit.

"We will know their breaking points," Milanovich said. "You apply pressure to people, that's generally when they perform at their best."

*Correction: this post originally had Taylor Robertson as an import. He is a non-import. Thanks, Josh!