Jeremaine Copeland could be lost to the Argonauts for up to six weeks.
The Boatmen’s leading receiver suffered an injury to his left elbow during a 37-22 Toronto victory against the Montreal Alouettes on Saturday night and had an MRI on Monday.
Though the Argos won’t know the results until Tuesday or Wednesday, Argos head coach Jim Barker is bracing himself for the worst.
“It popped out and they popped it back in, so we’re looking at probably four to six weeks,? Barker said after practice on Monday. “We don’t know for sure, but knowing Cope, it will be the shorter end of that.?
Copeland was wearing a sling on his left arm at practice but did not speak to reporters. In seven games, Copeland leads the Argos with 320 receiving yards and has one touchdown.
Ryan Christian took Copeland’s slotback spot against Montreal, but another member of the offence could be in the position against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Friday night at the Rogers Centre. Jeffery Webb is expected to return to the lineup after four weeks on the injured list, and Chad Lucas took some reps there on Monday. James Robinson could be activated from the practice roster.
“It’s a huge hole, but we have guys now who have played and we will move some people around and make some decisions on who is going to play that spot and move forward,? Barker said. “We don’t worry about when a guy gets hurt. With all due respect to Cope, we have guys who we expect to be able to step in and there should be no drop off.?
Two others who were hurt against the Als – offensive lineman Cedric Gagne-Marcoux (calf) and cornerback Willie Middlebrooks – did not practise and are day to day. Defensive tackle Adriano Belli, who has missed two games with a foot injury, will not play against Hamilton.
i wonder if the argos would have any interest in bringing in derek armstron or jason armstead to fill the void?
they dont really have good receivers.
lucas, webb, rideau?? these guys wouldnt even get on the field on any other team. they drop as many as they catch.
Rideauu doesn’t look too bad. He had 96 yards against Mon two weeks ago, and 78 against Edm last week. Doesn’t look like he played this weekend. Or he didn’t catch any balls.
Had it been the start of the season, I would have said this is a devastating loss. While still a key player, I think the argos will still be alright. I think they would be wise to bring someone in though.
James Robinson may get another chance to see if he can live up to his great potential. I still remember a pass and run for a TD he made a couple of years ago.
Flanked out to the left, cut down and in about ten yards deep took a pass in full stride and was gone untouched. This may the break he needs to get his career going.
Bad news for the Argos but thankfully for them, they have a good all round team this year. While it'll hurt them for sure, they won't be doomed without him.
That really sucks for Copeland. I wanted him to do well this year with toronto, I was sad to hear it when he was traded away from my stamps... He's an awesome receiver and seems like a really nice guy.
All the best Cope!
