Toronto Argonauts prepare for showdown against Johnny Manziel
The Toronto Argonauts kick off their preseason against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats with Johnny Manziel making his CFL debut.
Usually, the first game of CFL preseason does not have a lot of hype to it but when Johnny Manziel is behind centre, all bets are off. That is what the Toronto Argonauts will have to prepare for as they travel to Hamilton to play the Tiger-Cats.
Some of the Argos players cannot wait for the chance to play against Johnny Football especially with all the attention he has been getting.
Head coach Marc Trestman spoke to reporters after walkthrough on Thursday on the potential that Manziel brings to the CFL but knows that he still has to prove himself.
“We have good players, and we have them throughout our league, but he still has to prove that he can play in this league and we should temper those things,” Trestman told Frank Zicarrelli of the Toronto Sun. “He’s got talent, at least I’ve heard that, and we wish him all the best, not only on the field but also off the field. We’ll see what happens.”
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Looking at the depth chart for the game, it features mostly backup players from last season. The most intriguing thing to watch will be the performance of each quarterback especially James Franklin and McLeod Bethel-Thompson who will start the game.
While the Argos acquired Franklin and signed him to a two-year deal, many expected him to be the front-runner for the backup job. Trestman insists that it will be a battle between Franklin and Bethel-Thompson but Dakota Prukop isn’t that far behind.
It will also be interesting to see some new faces look to make an impact including Brian Tyms who joined the team last season but didn’t see the field.
Argos to get new working facilities
It was long speculated that the Argos would move their football operations out of Don Bosco in Etobicoke and find a more convenient practice facility for the team.
It was announced at the team’s town hall that Lamport Stadium will be used for team practices while staff will work out of BMO Field.
This was spearheaded by team president Bill Manning who took over when MLSE purchased the team during the offseason. Last season, the team would have to bus to Downsview Park in order to practice because the conditions of the field at Don Bosco were not workable.
Next: Brian Tyms appreciative of Marc Trestman’s coaching
As TSN reported the move won’t be permanent until after a bye week which gives staff and the team time to adjust to the new set up.