Argos Ask "Who Wants To Make A Deal?"

From TSN.ca

The Toronto Argonauts are on the clock with the first pick in the 2010 CFL Canadian College Draft this Sunday, but head coach Jim Barker hasn't ruled out his team potentially trading the top selection.

The 2010 Canadian College Draft can be seen live Sunday at Noon et/9am pt on TSN and TSN HD.

Barker, who is in his first year as the Argos' sideline general says the door will remain open for another team to acquire the pick right up until the draft begins.

"If the deal is right, we'll make it," stated Barker. "We are not going to mortgage our future but we are going to do what we can to help this club.

"As time moves, the offers sometimes seem to get better and better. To say what the percentages [of a trade] are, it's 50/50," Barker added.

One of the difficulties facing the Argos is that many of the draft's best prospects are either returning to school or trying out with an NFL club. Top talents like OL Joel Reinders, OL Kristian Matte, WR Shawn Gore, and WR Jordan Sisco are NFL bound, while OL John Bender and OL Danny Watkins are heading back to school.

"The goal is to draft guys who can fit on your roster and play," explained Barker. "Whether it's now or within the next few years you try to have every guy you draft be a guy who you can find a spot on your roster for. Sometimes that's not always the best player available. Sometimes you take the best player available and then you never see him.

"In this draft, I don't think it's as simple as best player available. There are so many things that go into it. It's the best player for your organization at the moment you draft."

With no player emerging as a clear-cut number one, the Argos will have to hope another team falls in love with a particular player and is willing to pay the appropriate ransom to get him. If not, Toronto is prepared to make the number one pick for the first time since 1997 when they selected OL Chad Folk.

"At this point, we're planning on having that selection and pairing it down," said Barker. "There are a lot of people really interested in the top pick. It's a commodity and being smart, intelligent and doing the right things with it is very important for this organization. This is an important draft for us."