Toronto Argonauts ship Shawn Lemon to B.C. Lions as first domino falls
After starting the season 1-4 the Toronto Argonauts make their first big move trading Shawn Lemon to the B.C. Lions.
In a surprising turn of events, Shawn Lemon now finds himself heading back out west after the Toronto Argonauts traded the defensive end to the B.C. Lions.
Right now it is hard to understand what this trade will do for the Argos considering what they are losing on defensive front which has struggled to get to the quarterback. The team is tied for last in sacks with six and were run over by Andrew Harris who put up a career-best 161 yards rushing this past Saturday.
Whether this deal gives the team some financial flexibility to make changes on both sides of the ball remains to be seen especially since the player they are getting from B.C. isn’t known at this time.
Lemon was a big part of the Argonauts pass rush during his tenure with the team recording 45 tackles, 23 sacks and six forced fumbles in 45 games.
https://twitter.com/SLemonator/status/1021712345146503168
More from Tip of the Tower
- Cam Phillips making his mark on Toronto Argonauts offence
- Toronto Argonauts: 4 storylines ahead of matchup against Redblacks
- Federico Bernardeschi ready for new challenge with Toronto FC
- Toronto Argonauts overcome Roughriders in entertaining Touchdown Atlantic
- Buffalo Bills: Von Miller drawing inspiration from Bruce Smith
What this trade does for the Lions is help solidify their defensive end position with Odell Willis and Lemon now on opposite sides. Last season the Argos benefitted from Lemon and Victor Butler who combined for 18 sacks last season while the team had 52 in 2017.
The drop off in sacks from last season is pretty noticeable this season as the Argonauts defence has struggled to keep opposing offences in check, for the most part, allowing a league-high 412.8 yards-per-game. Simply put, this trade should send a message to the players that the front office isn’t afraid to make changes even if it means shipping out one of their top defensive players.
This trade also opens up an opportunity for a player to step up like Frank Beltre who is currently on the six-game injured list. Other than that the team has been using Justin Tuggle on the edge and could also lean on Troy Davis more as well as Eric Striker with Lemon gone.
Whether the offensive side of the ball is going to get some attention remains to be seen but it is clear that the Argos are not going to keep the status quo to start the season.
Next: Argonauts left reeling after ugly loss to Blue Bombers
What are your thoughts on the trade? What should the Argos do next? Let us know in the comments below.