Argos shopping star RB James Wilder Jr.

Photo courtesy: Scott Grant/CFLPhotoArchive.com

The Toronto Argos have made running back James Wilder Jr. available on the trade market, per sources.

Wilder Jr. was a healthy scratch for the Argonauts Week 10 game against Edmonton. Toronto wants to keep Wilder Jr. from being injured prior to any potential deal. The Argonauts signed Wilder Jr. to a two-year extension through the 2019 season in March 2018.

The 27-year-old started the first five games of the season at running back for Toronto producing 161 rushing yards on 38 carries and hauling in 26 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns. Last year Wilder Jr. rushed for 691 yards and three touchdowns on 147 carries with 56 catches for 539 and one major in 13 games.

During his first year in the CFL, the six-foot-three, 232-pound Wilder Jr. ran for 872 yards (7.2-yard average) and five touchdowns in 17 games while adding 51 catches for 533 yards. He started six regular season games for Toronto in which the Argos went 5-1 and the double blue went 2-0 in the playoffs, including the Grey Cup victory while being named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie in 2017.

Prior to coming north of the border, Wilder Jr. spent two seasons on the Cincinnati Bengals practice roster and had a stint with the Buffalo Bills. That came after Wilder Jr. won a BCS National Championship with Florida State University in 2014.