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Toronto Argonauts: Signing Woods and Reed completes overhaul of defence

By David Morassutti

Bear Woods #48 of the Toronto Argonauts tackles DaVaris Daniels #89 of the Calgary Stampeders during the second half of the 105th Grey Cup Championship Game at TD Place Stadium on November 26, 2017 in Ottawa, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Getty Images)
Bear Woods #48 of the Toronto Argonauts tackles DaVaris Daniels #89 of the Calgary Stampeders during the second half of the 105th Grey Cup Championship Game at TD Place Stadium on November 26, 2017 in Ottawa, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Getty Images) /
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The Toronto Argonauts were not done in CFL free agency, bringing back Bear Woods and adding Taylor Reed as the defence gets a major overhaul.

This past week of free agency has been a busy one for Toronto Argonauts’ GM Jim Popp.

After signing T.J. Heath and Ronnie Yell to bolster the secondary, Popp made another big splash by bringing back Bear Woods and adding Taylor Reed.

Both linebackers are coming off strong seasons in 2017, with Woods leading the Argos in tackles with 91 and Reed having 94 as a member of the Ottawa Redblacks.

Both were allowed to test free agency and now form a formidable linebacking tandem in the Double Blue which features; Woods, Reed, Marcus Ball and Khalil Bass.

On paper, this might be the best linebacker unit in the CFL with the amount of experience and championship pedigree each player possesses.

Combine that with the talent of the secondary and the dominant defensive front, it is tough to bet against this defence going into the 2018 season.

The only questions left to answer is the status of Victor Butler, who accused the team of holding him hostage. He told 3DownNation the team was refusing to let him pursue opportunities in the NFL and that his salary makes it tough to provide for his family:

"“Off the field things were even tougher, trying to find a safe and secure place for you and your family to live with little to no time or help, proved to be mentally and emotionally challenging,” he said. “Especially when you’re given a housing budget of $1,000 a month CDN which for those of you who stay in the greater Toronto area know is next to impossible.“It is extremely difficult on an entry-level CFL salary to maintain a home not to mention transportation, groceries, renting internationally and taxes in two countries. It adds up quick and the math isn’t very pretty.”More from Toronto ArgonautsCam Phillips making his mark on Toronto Argonauts offenceToronto Argonauts: 4 storylines ahead of matchup against RedblacksToronto Argonauts overcome Roughriders in entertaining Touchdown AtlanticArgonauts unable to overcome self-inflicted mistakes in near comebackToronto Argonauts get wake-up call from Lions, but what comes next?"

This comes after James Wilder Jr. called out the team for the same issue and decided to sit out the 2018 season.

If Butler were to do the same thing, then the defence would be losing a player who had 10 sacks despite missing six games with a leg injury.

These moves now provide the Argos stability if Butler does decide to step away, which seems likely at this point. It also gives the team some assurance if the offence is not able to produce at the same caliber as last season.

Next: All-Star T.J. Heath returns to Toronto

What do you think about the Argos’ latest additions? Could this unit be one of the best defences in the league? Let us know in the comments. 

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