ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF

With training camp nearing, argonauts.ca will be preparing fans for the new season by breaking down the competition at each position. Today we look at the one position that every team will try to emulate come training camp this year - the Argos special teams.
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TORONTO – It may be one area where many Double Blue supporters wish for nothing to change but if Mike O’Shea’s coaching style is any indication, the Argos special teams will work to build on a dominant 2010 campaign when training camp opens in June.

Last season, O’Shea’s crew was a force; there was an explosive return game and a dedicated cover unit. It yielded a strong kicking game, the league’s leader in special teams tackles in Bryan Crawford and culminated with the CFL’s Most Outstanding Special Teams player award going to Chad Owens.

This year, however, the Argos’ special teams are the envy of the league and trying to mimic last year’s production is a task that could be more challenging than many would think. 

Owens is no longer an unknown commodity, as he was last year, and the Argos tendency to run fakes and misdirection on third down may force teams to commit more time to preparing for such plays.

What the Argos do have heading into camp is both stability and depth.  There is no doubt who the primary kick returner is with Owens coming off a season where he generated 2,701 yards on returns. Meanwhile, Ryan Christian and Andre Durie have proven, on multiple occasions, that both are more than adequate to offset some of that workload if called upon.

The kicking game is as firm as ever with Noel Prefontaine back for his first full season in Double Blue since 2007. He’ll be grooming the versatile and extremely capable K/LB Grant Shaw.

Cover units are often about dedication and with Bryan Crawford continuing to be one of the league’s premier special teams players and LB Ejiro Kuale emerging as a force, the Argonauts will look to continue trying to limit opposing gains when kicking off and punting. The veteran presence of newcomer Wes Lysack should add to an already solid lineup.

Barring injuries, competition on special teams will likely come in the form of players who are skilled at their respective positions but could also provide depth.

The perfect example of such a player may be WR Jerome Hewitt who the Argos signed as a free agent in January.  The 25-year-old was an impressive returner at Southeastern Oklahoma State and may be able to add to the Argos’ return game while contributing at receiver. Another could be Brampton-native, Steven ‘Afterburner’ Turner, who is expected to compete on the return team as well as at receiver.

They may be the most steady of any area on the 2011 Argos but the special teams unit may have the most pressure placed upon them to perform at the level they did last season.