For the 19th time, the Toronto Argonauts are sailing toward a new season as reigning CFL champions. Considering all the obstacles the Boatmen had to navigate after 2023’s demoralizing end to the team’s last Grey Cup reign in 2022, the Argos’ ascension back atop the CFL mountain was arguably the most gratifying triumph in the team’s storied 152-year history.

Significant year-to-year team turnover has been commonplace since the advent of fully-fledged free agency in pro football.

The excessive roster and team makeup change is much more pronounced in the CFL than in the league’s southern neighbor, the NFL.

The legendary Jerry Glanville once infamously said the NFL stands for ‘Not For Long.’ In the CFL, the term ‘Can’t For Long’ would be more apropos because teams change frequently due to limitations or challenges, especially the successful ones who encounter pitfalls from their prosperity.

Back In Time With The Toronto Argonauts

Thanks to search engines, the modern-day version of time machines, you need not go back more than a few years to witness the amount of change all CFL teams have undergone during that timeframe.

A quick DeLorean ride to Fall of 2019 sees a Toronto Argonauts franchise in turmoil. The once proud Argos club has fallen apart after winning the 2017 Grey Cup. The Boatmen have become bottom feeders, enduring back-to-back 4-14 seasons. The Double Blue is black and blue from all the slings and arrows thrown their way, labeling the club outdated and irrelevant.

Flash forward to the present day, and thanks primarliy to Michael ‘Pinball’ Clemons’s steady leadership and the brilliance of head coach Ryan Dinwiddie, the Argonauts are back to being the diamond standard in Canadian Football.

Predictably, not a single player has remained with Toronto since the depths of despair when the 2019 Argonauts season concluded. The lone survivor from the purge is assistant coach Kevin Eiben. However, what’s infinitely more surprising is how few key team members remain from the Argos 2022 championship season.

Only 12 players from that Grey Cup-winning team are still with the Argos in 2025. Five weren’t on the active roster when the team hoisted the trophy. Half the coaching staff is gone from that team, with multiple assistants getting promotions elsewhere. The drastic turnover extends to off the field. Three of Toronto’s top football executives also moved on since the 2022 season.

More Team Turnover

Perhaps not to the extent of last off-season’s losses, where multiple star contributors jumped ship for other waters. The CFL Champion Boatmen are in a similar boat heading into the 2025 season.

Toronto has re-signed many standouts from last year, including Running Back Kadeem Carey, offensive line stalwart Ryan Hunter, all-world defensive player Wynton McManis, Wide Receiver Damonte Coxie, Grey Cup hero quarterback Nick Arbuckle, and prolific return man Janarion Grant.

The Boatmen have also added some pivotal pieces to their squad, such as tailback Kevin Brown from Edmonton, defensive back Ciante Evans from B.C., and pass rusher Bryan Cox Jr. by way of Saskatchewan.

However, the losses are plenty. The key defections of assistants, like the unheralded William Fields to Ottawa as defensive coordinator, who brought along Myron Lewis as part of his new staff, and line coach Demetrious Maxie to Edmonton, have seen the Argos lose multiple star players from that respective unit to the Redblacks and Elks.

The coaching exodus has left the Boatmen with only one defensive coach on staff—lone survivor (a familiar theme for him), defensive coordinator Kevin Eiben — as of press time.

The Redblacks with Fields have poached defensive backs Robert Priester and Tunde Adeleke away from Toronto.

The Elks scorched earth in the off-season, bringing back stud defensive lineman Jake Ceresna while swiping teammate Jared Brinkman. Edmonton also signed defensive linemen Robbie Smith and defensive back Royce Metchie for added salt in the Argonauts’ wounds.

Not to be outdone was eternal rival Hamilton, who make it a yearly chore to steal Argos players in free agency—a year after signing Jamal Peters, Brandon Barlow, and DeWayne Hendrix. The Ti-Cats clawed away another Argonaut, inking the team’s most outstanding defensive player in 2024, safety DaShaun Amos.

Another off-season has produced more excursions to the NFL for Argos players as breakout star receiver Makai Polk has signed on with the Atlanta Falcons. The year prior, Toronto lost CFL rookie of the year sensation cornerback Qwan’tez Stiggers to the NFL Draft, where he was selected by the New York Jets.

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olk wasn’t the only breakout star on Toronto’s 2024 championship roster to land in the NFL. After receiving a boost in playing time last season, Defensive Tackle Ralph Holley, a terror on the interior who produced eight sacks, has inked a deal with the Cleveland Browns.

Both players could return down the road for Double Blue but will be missed if they don’t. However, Toronto’s ability to unearth gems like Stiggers, Polk, and Holley gives hope that similar breakout talents could be hiding in the shadows this coming season.

The most significant loss for Toronto this off-season was one they orchestrated when trading away All-CFL offensive tackle Dejon Allen to B.C. for linebacker Ryder Varga and a second-round pick in the 2026 CFL Draft.

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he CFL’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman and two-time All-Star has been one of the Argonauts’ best American free agent signings since Toronto’s renaissance. Allen, who started 63 games over four seasons for Toronto, has been, pound for pound, the league’s most consistent and toughest offensive player.

It’s a massive loss for Toronto on the field and in the locker room. The Argos brain trust has a succession plan to replace the soon-to-be 31-year-old offensive tackle. They have flexibility with the returning Ryan Hunter and Darius Ciraco. But replacing a premier player in his prime will be an arduous task.

Will A Developing Dynasty Be Denied In 2025?

The remaining constants for Toronto make believers of the Double Blue believe that they can overcome and continue to flourish.

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onstants like Pinball, along with one of the CFL’s best personnel executives in John Murphy, and of course, coaching savant Ryan Dinwiddie, who has his fingerprints on every aspect of the team—a role he has mastered in not only coaching the players but also the coaches. Dinwiddie has also quietly taken on a defacto GM role as Toronto’s head coach.

These saving graces give faith that Toronto can continue to overcome obstacles and adversity the same way they did last season. Can more turnover deny a developing dynasty after a year that defied logic?