The Montreal Alouettes may have been grabbing most of the headlines this offseason, but their rivals down the 401 in Toronto may have just signed the single best contract of this offseason. Not only were the Argonauts able to extend star running back Cory Boyd's contract through the 2013 season, but they got him at an unbelievable discount; according to Sportsnet.ca's Arash Madani, even with the signing bonus included, this deal will still only pay Boyd (pictured above stretching before an August game) just below $100,000 annually. That's obviously a significant step up from the $50,000 Boyd was making as a CFL rookie last year, but it's still well below his market value, so this looks like an incredible deal for the Argonauts and coach/general manager Jim Barker.
For comparison, this offseason's big running back free-agent signing was noted Twitter user Avon Cobourne, who left Montreal tojoin the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on a deal that Sportsnet's Perry Lefko reported is worth at least $130,000. Cobourne obviously has more of a track record in the CFL than Boyd, and he does have a couple of Grey Cup rings, but by almost any statistical metric, his performance last year was well below what Boyd delivered. Boyd beat Cobourne decisively in total rushing yards (1,359 to 956), yards per rushing attempt (6.0 versus 5.2) and yards per pass reception (9.6 versus 8.7), and he also edged him in total touchdowns (eight versus seven). They tied in rushing touchdowns with six, and Cobourne came out ahead in pass-receiving yardage (556 yards versus Boyd's 363), but he was targeted more frequently in the passing game and still wasn't as effective as Boyd was there.
The differences in those numbers become even more stark when you consider the teams those backs played on. Montreal had one of the most impressive total offences in the CFL; their 521 points for during the regular season were second only to the high-powered Calgary Stampeders, and the Alouettes' balanced offence helped them go all the way to the Grey Cup. Cobourne was an effective part of that offence, but he was far from its top star; that would be quarterback and East Division Most Outstanding Player nominee Anthony Calvillo, who arguably had the best offensive performance of any CFL player last year. The Alouettes' pass-heavy attack may have held Cobourne's total rushing numbers down, but it also likely helped improve his per-carry stats (thanks to running plays being less expected from their offence), so it's particularly noteworthy that Boyd clobbered him there despite being the Argos' primary, secondary and tertiary offensive weapon (thanks to the ineptness of one Cleo Lemon under centre). Opposing teams knew Boyd was coming, but they still couldn't stop him.
Granted, it's still only one season, and there have been plenty of one-year wonders in the CFL, but it would be very difficult to argue that Cobourne had a better season than Boyd last year. That's not to say that Cobourne can't be an effective player, or even that his Hamilton contract is a bad move, but there's a reason the Alouettes looked for backup options instead of just paying Cobourne what he wanted. Signing Cobourne may yet work out well for the Tiger-Cats, but the Argonauts' Boyd deal looks far better by comparison (and so does the Alouettes' move to potentially replace Cobourne with former Hamilton RB DeAndra Cobb, who was about as productive last year but comes at a significant discount).
What's most amazing is how impressive Boyd's season still looks despite all the adversity he went through. He finished second only to Winnipeg's Fred Reid in total rushing yards (1,396 to 1,359), was a legitimate Most Outstanding Player candidate before injuries hit him hard late in the year, and was well ahead of third-place finisher Joffrey Reynolds (1,200) and everyone else. As mentioned above, he did that despite a remarkable lack of help from the rest of the Argonauts' offence, which was the lowest-scoring in the league, putting up only 373 points. He also managed to put up those totals despite sustaining significant physical damage, including multiple concussions that held him out of a couple games and severe hip and pelvis injuries. He underwent plenty of mental stress as well, particularly thanks to the apparent suicide of his long-time friend Kenny McKinley (Boyd's wife and a friend discovered the body). Despite all that, Boyd remained positive and stayed with the Argonauts to take part in the Touchdown Atlantic community outreach events even while facing physical and emotional trauma. Anyone who can find that kind of on-field and off-field success through incredible turmoil is pretty valuable.
The length of this deal is also significant; Boyd is only 25 and has spent time in the NFL, and there's a good reason I mentioned him to Doug Farrar as one of the top CFL players who could make the jump back south of the border last September. Thanks to the new CBA's termination of the option-year clause that allowed CFL players to try out for the NFL before the final season of their deals, this contract should keep Boyd in Canada for the next three seasons, and at a rate that looks exceptionally cap-friendly to the team. There's always the chance that injuries or other factors could prevent him from repeating his 2010 success, but based on what Boyd accomplished last year, locking him up through 2013 would have been a significant victory for the Argonauts even at Cobourne-level money or higher. Signing him for less than $100,000 a year? That's an overwhelming victory, and perhaps the best move any team's made this offseason.
Samantha Mumba Busy Philipps Thora Birch Jennifer Garner Poppy Montgomery
No comments:
Post a Comment