Toronto Argonauts: Getting to know quarterback Noah Picton
By Paul Taylor
The Toronto Argonauts have signed Noah Picton to a three-year deal, but what does the quarterback bring to Southern Ontario?
The Toronto Argonauts have a lot of work to do, if they are to recover from an extremely disappointing 2018 season. Key to this, is resolving the quarterback situation.
Once Ricky Ray suffered his season-ending injury in Week 2, the Argonauts were in trouble. James Franklin and Mcleod Bethel-Thompson had their moments, but the drop-off was just too great for the Double-Blue to overcome.
In this respect, the Argos need to find out what Ray is going to do. Is he going to return for one more year or, as we have suggested, do the smart thing and retire?
At least the Argonauts are not just sitting around and purely waiting for the future CFL Hall of Famer to make his decision. As reported earlier this week by Argonauts.ca, the team has re-signed Noah Picton.
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However, it’s worth asking why things will turn out differently this time around for Picton? After all, he was released by the Argonauts last year, following training camp.
For what it’s worth, the Argos have signed the Regina, Saskatchewan native to a three-year deal. In theory at least, this must mean the team has some confidence in him.
To understand where this confidence comes from, it is worthwhile looking at what Picton has achieved up to this point in his football career. Along these lines, his biggest accomplishment is becoming the all-time leading passer in U Sports football history.
The 23-year-old achieved the mark this past September, and finished his University of Regina Rams career with 11,494 passing yards. For context, U Sports football is the highest level of amateur play when it comes to Canadian football.
As per Argonauts.ca, Picton has an impressive resume, which includes being named a U Sports First-Team All-Canadian and a Canada West All-Star in 2017. However, 2016 was particularly special, with him winning the Hec Crighton Trophy as U Sports Player of the Year.
The question is, can arguably the greatest quarterback in Canadian university football history translate his success to the CFL? Fair or not, critics will point to his previous training camp with the Argos, along with the fact he is only 5 foot 9.
(The height argument against quarterbacks has been disproved repeatedly in the NFL, with the likes of Drew Brees at 6 ft and Russell Wilson at 5 ft 11. However, compared to even them, Picton is short by quarterback standards.)
It’s entirely possible another year with the Rams helped him continue to grow in confidence. And if Ray does indeed retire, he will likely be given more opportunities to prove himself and become the Toronto Argonauts’ new field general.
Another factor which will influence how many opportunities the 2016 Frank Gnup Memorial Award winner gets, will be the Argos’ mindset entering the 2019 season. Are they looking to be contend, or will it be a year of transition and rebuilding?
The latter would theoretically point to more playing time for Picton. However, even if Ray did return, the youngster would at least get the benefit of learning from the best.
Ultimately, the odds appear to be stacked against Picton succeeding in the CFL. However, he is a guy you want to root for, so we would have absolutely no issue with him proving us wrong.
Next. Ricky Ray needs to play it smart and retire. dark
Are you familiar with Picton and if so, what is your opinion of him? How do you see the Toronto Argonauts’ quarterback situation shaping up in general next season? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.