Campbell, Hazelton shine as Argos wind down camp

CFL.ca Staff
With files from Argonauts.ca

BRADENTON, Fla. — Scott Milanovich isn’t about to rush to any conclusions, but there were a couple of players at this week’s Argo mini-camp that seem to have caught his eye.

The team officially ended its early-May mini-camp on Tuesday afternoon in Bradenton, Fla., with a short session that Milanovich said would help the team ultimately make a decision on some of the ‘bubble players’ from the week’s events.

The fourth-year head coach also talked about a couple of players who have possibly secured a spot in training camp less than a month from now, after what he described as a promising week.

Starting at the receiver position where the competition looms largest, six-foot-two, 209-pound Vidal Hazelton may have made the largest impression.

“He’s had a good camp,” Milanovich told Argonauts.ca. “He’s got some length to him.”

“One of the things I like about him is he loves to play,” he continued. “You can tell he’s having fun out there. He’s got some leadership ability and he’s a competitive guy.”

“He’s had a nice camp and I’m looking forward to seeing him.”

Whereas receiver has typically been a position of strength for the Argos over the past few years, it’s thinned out recently with the subtractions of playmakers like Jason Barnes, John Chiles, Spencer Watt and before that Dontrelle Inman, among others.

The team’s current roster has 12 international receivers vying for a chance to play regularly, with only Chad Owens logging any noteworthy CFL mileage.

“We’ve got some holes there,” said Milanovich, whose offence ranked third in the CFL last season despite the Argos’ receiving corps being hit by a rash of mid-season injuries.

“There are some opportunities for people to find a position, and that hasn’t always necessarily been the case,” he added. “We’ve usually had a lot of returnees.”

“There’s a great opportunity for guys. For Americans, there’s a great opportunity for those guys to come in and maybe find a spot.”

Milanovich also said he liked the looks of Bruce Campbell, a six-foot-six, 315-pound offensive lineman who bounced around the NFL for five years after a three-year career at Maryland.

Campbell was drafted in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders in 2010 and dressed in nine games throughout 2011 and 2012. He was then cut by the New York Jets in 2014 and this off-season joined the Argos as a free agent.

“Bruce is a gigantic man with good feet,” said Milanovich. “He’s looked great out here, and that’s one thing and it’s been very impressive.”

That’s only a start, however, Milanovich cautioned.

“Now we’re going to have to find out how it translates when the pads come on and it’s not just one-on-ones, it’s an entire scheme,” he said. “I’m very anxious to see how he looks when training camp starts.”

Four of the Argos’ five starting linemen from 2014 are back in the fold, with only left tackle SirVincent Rogers out of the picture following his free agent departure to Ottawa. Young national tackle Matt Sewell could be in line to take Rogers’ spot, but Campbell may be entering the competition this upcoming training camp.

“We haven’t discussed how we’d break down the depth charts and reps, but based on what I’ve seen here, I anticipate him getting the opportunity to show that he deserves a position,” said Milanovich. “The only way we can do that is to get him in there and evaluate him.”

Either way, Milanovich remains careful when it comes to making judgments too quickly. Performing well in mini-camp doesn’t always translate when it comes to putting on the pads and facing experienced CFL players, day in and day out.

“I try not to make those judgments. I’ve seen a lot of players that I’m very excited about, but the reality is you never know until training camp because very few of these guys have ever played in the CFL,” said Milanovich.

“A guy’s doing very well against a non-CFL player, but when he starts seeing guys like Chad Owens and guys that understand the yard off and the different nuances of the league – sometimes a guy you think is great doesn’t look so good, and vice-versa.”

“I try not to make too many big judgments, but there were a lot of guys here we’re looking forward to seeing.”