The Toronto Argonauts won’t begin their regular season until Week 2 at home against the Montreal Alouettes. Nonetheless, the Argos had to make their final roster cuts on Saturday to get down to 45 players for the upcoming season. Toronto can also add up to 15 players to their practice roster before the season starts.

For some players, today is one of the best days of their lives. For others, it’s a fork in the road filled with uncertainty.

As evidenced by the return of Kicker Toshiki Sato to the Boatmen’s practice squad. Rosters can frequently change from week to week. A week ago, after being released by Toronto, Sato seemed like he might be saying goodbye to the CFL. But instead, a week later, he returns to provide the team insurance for standout kicker Boris Bede.

While these cuts below may be listed as “Final.” In the war of attrition, that is a long football season. There will be many changes as the year progresses. Often weekly due to injuries. So perhaps all is not lost for the players who didn’t make the regular season cut. CFL teams can also be rather cagey when it comes to storing additional players on their injured list.

The Boatmen do not field a game-day roster until week 2 of the season. So there could be a lot of maneuvering between now and then.

With that in mind, here is the 2022 Toronto Argonauts regular-season roster, written in Double Blue, no doubt, but likely not with a pen.

Toronto Argonauts Roster Cutdown

ARGOS ROSTER TRANSACTIONS – SUNDAY, JUNE 5

TORONTO – The Toronto Argonauts Football Club announced the following roster transactions today.

Signed:

• Global K Toshiki Sato

Added to Practice Roster: (12)

• CDN DB Eric Sutton
• CDN FB Joe Carbone
• CDN OL Braydon Noll
• AME DL Julian McCleod
• AME OL Kofi Appiah
• AME WR Damonte Coxie
• AME DB Caleb Holden
• AME LB Jonathan Jones
• AME LB Tony Jones
• AME RB Javon Leake
• GLO K Toshiki Sato
• GLO DL Simeon Okonta-Wariso

Released:

• AME DL Connor Flagel
• AME DL Adrian Tracy
• AME DL Alani Pututau
• AME DB Deion Harris
• AME DB D’Angelo Amos
• AME DL Jake Hlava
• AME DL Kony Ealy
• AME DB Maurice Carnell
• AME WR Damion Jeanpiere
• AME WR Jamari Hester
• AME WR Darece Roberson
• CDN FB Dion Pellerin
• CDN WR Sam Baker
• CDN OL Mojtaba Mehry
• CDN FB Chase Arseneau – returning to school
• CDN DL Michael Pezzuto – returning to school
• GLO DB Tigie Sankoh
• GLO OL Otavio Amorim

Argos Roster Notes/Analysis

Because CFL teams can dress a third quarterback on their game-day roster as player #45, Toronto and others are exercising that option on their initial active roster. For now, Austin Simmons has made the main roster behind starter McLeod Bethel-Thompson, and CFL rookie Chad Kelly.

Despite a stellar training camp and preseason, first-year CFL RB/KR Javon Leake has landed on the practice roster to start the season. Rookie Dan Adebeboye and veteran AJ Ouellette have made the main roster and will back up Andrew Harris to start the season.

In a surprising move, FB Dion Pellerin has been released. Longtime Argo, Declan Cross remains the team’s top fullback. But Joe Carbone will be his primary backup on the PR instead of Pellerin. Toronto is carrying only one player at this position on the 45.

At WR, Toronto has parted ways with Damon Jeanpiere, Sam Baker, Jamari Hester, and Darece Roberson. Damonte Coxie has made the practice roster.

12 Receivers In total are on the Argos’ active squad. The usual suspects are in tow for 2022.

The two newcomers to the group are AJ Richardson and Isaiah Wright. The latter player, Wright, has a shot to be the team’s primary returner on opening night against Montreal. Second-year CFL receiver Cam Phillips and national player Tommy Nield have beaten the odds at the moment to make a deep receiving stable.

For now, the Argos are carrying a staggering 12 offensive linemen on their main roster, not counting Braydon Noll and Kofi Appiah on the practice squad. That’s also not considering Theren Churchill, who is away for personal reasons and is on the team’s suspended list.

Peter Nicastro is expected to start the season on the injured list, which won’t be published till later in the week.

On the Boatmen’s defence, the team has let go of some talented veterans. Namely Kony Ealy and Adrian Tracy. The Argos have 13 defensive linemen in total on their roster at the moment. For now, players who were perceived as long shots, like, Jachai Polite have made the active roster.

No big surprises at linebacker. Toronto has seven players in total at the position, and Jonathan and Tony Jones have landed on the practice roster.

The main event on Double Blue’s roster is their defensive backfield. It’s arguably the team’s deepest position.

SAM Chris Edwards will start the season on the suspended list. The top candidate in the clubhouse to replace Edwards would presumably be Robertson Daniel. Rookie Eric Sutton has landed on the practice roster. Quite the accomplishment, considering the overall depth of the Boatmen’s secondary.

New secondary coach Will Fields has connections to two players who could be key contributors for Double Blue. Newcomer Robert Priester and Tarvarus McFadden. Fields coached both players in the XFL, and McFadden has been a standout in camp. He has star potential and the versatility to play anywhere in the secondary.

DeAngelo Amos, Tigie Sankoh, and Maurice Carnell IV are surprising cuts, and they could all resurface on the practice roster. The Argos still have three openings on their practice squad. I would expect a lot of movement on the roster between now and the near two-week wait until the Argonauts’ season starts on Thursday, June 16th at BMO Field.