Argos trade unhappy Parker to Eskimos

The Toronto Argonauts have traded disgruntled cornerback Byron Parker to the Edmonton Eskimos in exchange for future considerations.

According to two league sources, the Argos will receive a 2010 draft pick for Parker.

Parker, who joined the Argonauts four weeks ago after being released by the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles, becomes the second unhappy Argonaut to be traded this season.

Slotback Arland Bruce III made a public exit from Toronto to Hamilton after he criticized first-year head coach Bart Andrus and quarterback Kevin Joseph.

Parker, a two-time CFL all-star, became upset after he saw limited action with the team.

"I don't want to be one of the 'me, me, me guys.' I'm all about the team. I just don't think the explanation they have been giving is accurate," Parker said before this weekend's loss in Winnipeg.

Andrus said last week that Parker would play more once he became more familiar with the team's defensive system. But Parker disagreed, saying there wasn't much to learn, and he compared the Argos' schemes to Pop Warner, the youth football system that's based in the U.S.

"We wish Byron good luck and we want to thank him for his years of service as an Argonaut," Argos GM Adam Rita said in a statement. "Like all of the teams, we are responsible for operating under a salary management system and we have many good young players competing for roster spots in our secondary."

Parker saw duty as a kick-returner before the arrival of Dominque Dorsey, and was played sparingly in Toronto's secondary since his return.

Parker, a former NCAA basketball slam dunk champion while at Tulane, joined the Argos in 2005, appearing in 55 career games with the CFL team. He recorded 101 tackles and 18 interceptions for 561 yards (returning six for touchdowns), and was named a CFL all-star in 2006 and '07.