Toronto Argonauts Defense Stands to Take Biggest Offseason Hit
The Toronto Argonauts have already lost their superstar defensive coordinator Corey Mace, whose starring turn in the Six sees him deservedly land his first head coaching gig with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. But the Argos stand to lose much more in the coming New Year.
All indications are that defensive backs coach Joshua Bell will join former Argonauts defensive coordinator Mace in Saskatchewan.
The Argos organization, which was hoping not to lose Mace for at least another season, has yet to name Mace's replacement. Saskatchewan came calling, and Mace made it impossible for the Riders not to answer his call.
The prevailing thought is that Toronto will stay in-house for the next defensive coordinator, elevating long-time assistant Kevin Eiben to the role or rising star William Fields, who has had a ton of success coaching up the Boatmen's defensive backs, including helping guide rookie sensation Qwan'tez Stiggers to best in the league honors.
Stiggers, a great find by the Argonauts front office, was a revelation in 2023 as a player with no college playing background. Stiggers' performance in the CFL may see him continue his extraordinary story in the NFL this year.
With CFL free agency starting on Feb. 13, there’s no doubt that Mace and Bell will team up to recruit prominent Argos free agents to the Riders like LB Wynton McManis, DB Robertson Daniel, DB/LB Adarius Pickett and CB Jamal Peters, among others.
The pitch has likely already started before teams can legally make that power play.
The Argos front office has their work cut out for them, retaining key players on offense, defense and special teams. But it's the defensive side of the ball that bears watching closely.
Here is a list of the Argonauts' pending free agents on defense. It's an extensive one with up to a dozen or more potential starters.
ARGONAUTS PENDING 2024 FREE AGENTS
- Brandon Barlow | DL | Boston College
- Jack Cassar* | LB | Carleton
- Robertson Daniel | DB | BYU
- Brian Harelimana* | LB | Montréal
- Dewayne Hendrix | DL | Pittsburgh
- Trevor Hoyte* | LB | Carleton
- Jonathan Jones | LB | Toledo
- Benoît Marion* | DL | Montréal
- Wynton McManis | LB | Memphis
- Henoc Muamba* | LB | St. Francis Xavier
- Shawn Oakman | DL | Baylor
- Jamal Peters | DB | Mississippi State
- Adarius Pickett | LB | UCLA
- Robert Priester | LB | Wyoming
- Tigie Sankoh^ | DB | London Warriors
*National Player, ^Global Player
Toronto's ultra-talented defense is going to take some hits this offseason. There's no way around it. Change is not only coming, but it already arrived.
It's the byproduct of being successful in sports, particularly professional football.
The Argonauts, winners of three straight East division titles, a Grey Cup in 2022, and a 38-16 record the last three years under Ryan Dinwiddie, have built a golden apple tree that teams want to stand under and pick from.
It's inevitable when you become a consistent winner. Competitors will look toward your players, coaches and front-office personnel to build their own winning model.
The Boatmen have a safety net to protect themselves from falling off, and it's Dinwiddie.
The reason why most football teams prefer their head coach to be their play-caller on offense is that you won't lose that element if you're successful. That's the benefit Toronto has offensively with Dinwiddie in charge. Similar to Kyle Shanahan with the San Francisco 49ers, no matter how many quality assistants on offense leave to advance their careers. The 49ers retain continuity and excellence on that side of the ball.
Toronto has that safeguard in place with Dinwiddie, who signed an extension with the Boatmen during the 2023 season — provided that a prominent job offer doesn't come from south of the border.
With Chad Kelly at quarterback, Toronto has the quarterback-head coach combination that will keep them in contention every season. It's the key to consistency in pro football, having an elite combo at those two spots — Andy Reid with Patrick Mahomes with the Kansas City Chiefs, Mike O'Shea with Zach Collaros with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
However, what happens on the defensive side of the ball this offseason could determine if Double Blue stays a championship contender.
Top Five CFL Free Agent Special Teams Returners in 2024
You can find Mike Mitchell on X @ByMikeMitchell.
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Mike Mitchell is a pro football writer/insider with decades of experience covering and following multiple leagues. He covers the New York Jets for TheJetPress.com at FanSided. He has also written for XFL Board and at Hub Publishing covering the CFL, XFL and USFL.