Ricky Ray ready to lead Argos

When asked why he dealt Ricky Ray, Edmonton GM Eric Tillmam said "it's better to trade a quarterback a year too early rather than a year too late."

If the Edmonton Eskimos GM is right, than the trade for Ricky Ray will turn into a good one for his CFL team. Maybe not this year but sometime down the road.

If Tillman is wrong, the Toronto Argonauts will be able to compete for a chance to play the Grey Cup on home soil in 2012. And could be a good team for a few years after that.

Ray - the 32 year old two-time Grey cup champion - was introduced as the Toronto Argonauts quarterback on Wednesday, a couple days after a blockbuster deal from Edmonton.

"I was definitely a little bit surprised," said Ray about the trade. "The more I thought about it, it seems like a good fit to me. Once the shock wore off thinking about moving forward and this opportunity here, I'm excited."

"You always have something to prove," added Ray. "I'm not going to draw any extra motivation from those guys (Edmonton) because I'm already motivated enough and look forward to my time here."

"This is about the future of the organization," said Argos GM Jim Barker who dealt quarterback Steven Jyles, kicker Grant Shaw and the Argos 1st pick in the 2012 CFL Canadian draft for Ray. "Toronto is a star town and a guy like Ricky Ray brings us that. I think it's vital to where we're going."

Ray will get to work with Argos head coach Scott Milanovich, who for years was the offensive coordinator in Montreal making Anthony Calvillo seemingly ageless. He plans on having similar success with Ray.

"We want to build a team that plays with poise and courage and we wanted to build a team that represented the Toronto Argos with professionalism and class," said the Argos head coach. "Ricky Ray personifies these qualities."

"I've been able to see first hand what they've been able to do in Montreal," said Ray of the Milanovich-Calvillo relationship. "It excites me to come in and lean from coach Milanovich. Hopefully I can have some of that same success."

"He's going to fit in perfectly," said Milanovich. "We'll tweak it to where he can be able to utilize his abilities. I have no doubt that Ricky has 4 or 5 or 6 more good years of good football left and play at a high level. I have no doubt about that."

The Argos sure hope so.