Saskatchewan Roughriders thread

[Argo57]

It might be argued that Ottawa is THE new model CFL franchise now: won the last GC, played in the last 2, in just 3 years in the league as a new team ? Yep, emerged in a weak East, but still, 2 GC appearances in 2 straight seasons in just 3 years of existence = outstanding. Drafted well right from the start, went out and got key known FAs or recruited some good young import talent, plus showed faith in Canadian talent by playing more of them than any other CFL team (11 or 12 NIs playing regularly, combined on O & D in the play-off + GC win)

And not that much mention of the Canadian content in decision making that helped get them there - Canadian GM, DC, and several key coaches on the staff - Blugh, Dyce, Chiu = lots of CANADIAN football experience.

Too bad the Argos will not (most likely) be taking notes there and trying some similar tactics - especially in regards to Canadian content - both in decision making and on the roster. Likely instead to be some ex-NFL guy as GM and same old GOB attitudes towards the coaching staff and roster.

Amazing the reversal in 2 franchises in 3 years (Ottawa and Toronto).
Argonauts look like the expansion team of 2017 and Ottawa has good ownership and a great GM.

[ArgoRavi]

It might be argued that Ottawa is THE new model CFL franchise now: won the last GC, played in the last 2, in just 3 years in the league as a new team ? Yep, emerged in a weak East, but still, 2 GC appearances in 2 straight seasons in just 3 years of existence = outstanding. Drafted well right from the start, went out and got key known FAs or recruited some good young import talent, plus showed faith in Canadian talent by playing more of them than any other CFL team (11 or 12 NIs playing regularly, combined on O & D in the play-off + GC win)

And not that much mention of the Canadian content in decision making that helped get them there - Canadian GM, DC, and several key coaches on the staff - Blugh, Dyce, Chiu = lots of CANADIAN football experience.

Too bad the Argos will not (most likely) be taking notes there and trying some similar tactics - especially in regards to Canadian content - both in decision making and on the roster. Likely instead to be some ex-NFL guy as GM and same old GOB attitudes towards the coaching staff and roster.

So, OV, you have come around on Marcel Desjardins and Rick Campbell then?

[jerrym]

The Riders have signed International free agent DT Zach Minter, formerly with the Stampeders.

The 6-foot-2, 300-pound international joins the Riders after spending last season with the Calgary Stampeders, with whom he picked up six defensive tackles and two quarterbacks sacks while starting three of five regular season games played.
The 26-year-old Montana State product spent the previous season with the BC Lions after signing with the team in March, 2015. Starting seven of 10 regular season games, Minter registered 16 defensive tackles and three quarterback sacks.

http://www.cfl.ca/2017/02/21/riders-...tackle-minter/

[OV Argo]

So, OV, you have come around on Marcel Desjardins and Rick Campbell then?

I guess in a way Ravi - have to give them both credit for 2 straight GC appearances and a win.

Desjardins had what - all of one season as Ticats GM for some to think he was no good or incompetent - and he did not impress me there either? Maybe he learned lots in his previous CFL experience and was able to get it together for Ottawa - he has formed a good roster there IMO and I like the way he has built using all sources - the draft, known CFL FAs and signing some good young import talent.

Campbell is maybe right place / right time kinda guy? - don't really see much that different or innovate from his offence = standard CFL stuff. Not being afraid to start/play a lot more Canadian talent than all other CFL teams and it leading to a GC win might really set him apart from standard GOB types? I think the entire coaching staff there deserves lots of credit, and, as I mentioned - it too contains more Canadian content than all other CFL teams as well - Mark Nelson, Bob Dyce, Brian Chiu and Leroy Blugh are all veteran Canadian football guys.

[jerrym]

Saskatchewan has signed National LB free agent Henoc Muamba.

The 6-foot, 230-pounder’s college career helped him to become one of the most sought after defensive players and was selected first overall in the 2011 CFL Draft by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Muamba suited up in three seasons with the Bombers, playing in 47 games and collecting 167 defensive tackles, 54 special teams tackles, four sacks, one interception, one touchdown and six forced fumbles.
His best season in Winnipeg was in 2013, when he was named the Blue Bombers’ Most Outstanding Defensive Player, Most Outstanding Canadian and Most Outstanding Player after he registered 111 total tackles (tied with Montreal’s Chip Cox for first in the league), one sack and one interception.
He also earned CFL East Division Most Outstanding Canadian honours and was named an East Division and CFL All Star.
After making his return to the CFL near the end of last year – his third stint in the Canadian game – Muamba is now preparing to play in his first full season in the league since that stellar 2013 campaign. He spent the 2014 season in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts, the end of 2015 with the Montreal Alouettes and the start of 2016 with the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, playing in three preseason games before he was sidelined with an injury.
“This journey has been awesome for me,” Muamba said of his football career so far. “This sport has helped me to grow as a man. It has helped me to see the world and meet some people that have been so tremendous, so encouraging and has helped me become the person I am today.” ...
“I’m preparing myself to win games and I want to contribute as much as I can and as best as I can and help my team win,” Muamba said of getting ready for the season to get started. “I also want to make Rider Nation really proud, especially with this upcoming season, the inaugural season with the new stadium. It’s really exciting, there’s a lot of excitement in the air. I can’t wait to get out there and see the new stadium and see the fans as well.”

http://www.cfl.ca/2017/02/21/basketb...ey-riderville/

[jerrym]

Ian Hamilton looks at Saskatchewan's free agency moves below.
http://www.riderville.com/2017/02/22/riders-free-agent-moves-make-sense/

[jerrym]

OL Chris Best has retired from the Riders.

The 33-year-old was a key member and a familiar face on the Riders’ O-line ever since being drafted fourth overall by the team in 2005, although Best was forced to miss the entire 2016 season due to injury.
“I want to congratulate Chris Best on a successful 10-year CFL career,” stated Jeremy O’Day, Roughriders assistant vice-president of football operations. “I had the opportunity to work with Chris as a teammate and then as an administrator over the past decade. His level of intensity, competitive attitude, and will to win made Chris a great player. We wish him continued success in his next endeavour.”
Best played 114 career regular-season games after making his Rider debut July 8, 2007. The Calgary native was drafted by the Riders following four seasons at Duke University before transferring to the University of Waterloo to obtain his Masters in 2007.

http://www.cfl.ca/2017/02/23/riders-...0-cfl-seasons/

[jerrym]

Rob Vanstone argues that the Riders don't need an old QB who hasn't played in a game in six years (Vince Young) and that the stockpiling of quality receivers by Jones may be aimed at trying to make a trade with the Eskimos for QB James Franklin.

• The Saskatchewan Roughriders are apparently in negotiations with Leigh Steinberg, the high-powered agent for Vince Young. The former University of Texas Longhorns and NFL quarterback is hoping to resuscitate his football career, despite having announced his retirement from the sport in 2014. Young is a legendary collegian — the Heisman Trophy winner in 2005 — but as an NFLer he threw more interceptions (51) than touchdown passes (46) and his completion percentage was an unsatisfactory 57.9. An apt description for his professional career is (wait for it) “moderately successful.”
• The Roughriders do not need Young at quarterback. They need a young quarterback. John Murphy is reputedly a player-personnel guru, so why not lean on his expertise and find an up-and-coming passer who can become the next Darian Durant? Too many of the younger pivots the Roughriders brought in last year proved to be duds. The fact that the Roughriders are even considering a retread does not reflect positively on their ability to identify, recruit and develop a quarterback who is younger than, say, 33.
• If Young is added to a roster that already includes 37-year-old quarterback Kevin Glenn, perhaps the Roughriders could join a masters league.
• Murphy and Roughriders head coach, general manager and vice-president of football operations Chris Jones have done a tremendous job of stockpiling receivers. They have added Duron Carter, Bakari Grant and Chad Owens to a nucleus that already included Naaman Roosevelt, Caleb Holley, Armanti Edwards, Rob Bagg and Ricky Collins Jr. A wealth of gifted pass-catchers fosters suspicion that something has to give, possibly in the form of a trade. Could a receiver be part of a package Saskatchewan would offer to the Edmonton Eskimos for promising pivot James Franklin?

• What would it take to entice Eskimos GM Ed Hervey to part with Franklin? Perhaps precedent can be a guide. Leading up to the 2002 season, the Roughriders addressed a void at quarterback by acquiring Nealon Greene (along with fullback Simon Baffoe and a second-round draft pick) from Edmonton for a Canadian starter (offensive lineman Dan Comiskey), the Roughriders’ reigning nominee for the CFL’s most-outstanding-player award (tailback Darren Davis) and a kicker (Mike O’Brien). If that template were to be applied to 2017, could Roosevelt — the team’s most-recent MOP — be trade bait? As for the Canadian component of such a copy-cat deal, the Riders would be hard-pressed to part with a national starter, so could a preferred draft pick be part of such a package? Just speculating.
• Another factor to consider: The Eskimos need a top-flight receiver to replace Derel Walker, now of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

http://leaderpost.com/opinion/column...d-very-quickly

[jerrym]

I'll put this in the I believe it when I see it category.

Meanwhile ... in Austin, TX ... Vince Young is telling people he will be quarterbacking the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2017. That's what my football sources in Texas - close to Vince Young - told me this week.

http://www.rodpedersen.com/2017/03/rodservations.html

[jerrym]

National punter Josh Bartel has extended with the Riders through 2019.

http://www.riderville.com/2017/02/28...xtension-2019/

[jerrym]

Luc Mulinder video analyzes new Riders signees OL/ST Ryan White and RB/ST Aaron Miller.


http://www.riderville.com/2017/02/27...hite-analysis/

[jerrym]

CFL Roughriders sign Gee-Gees receiver Mitchell Baines https://t.co/1AjRdpmrnv #ottsports

— Ottawa Citizen (@OttawaCitizen) February 27, 2017

[jerrym]

The Riders have signed Nationals LS Jorgen Hus, who has been with the Riders for two years, and DL Eddie Steele.

After one season on the Tiger-Cats’ practice roster, he started his CFL career in 2011. He spent three seasons in Steeltown before signing with the Eskimos as a free agent in 2013. Steele spent four seasons with Edmonton, including the two when Jones was the Eskimos’ head coach. Edmonton won the Grey Cup in 2015.
In 90 career regular-season games, Steele has recorded 109 defensive tackles, three special-teams takedowns, 13 sacks, the aforementioned interception off Glenn, and a forced fumble. Steele had 14 defensive tackles and one special-teams stop in 18 games for Edmonton in 2016. Steele hit the market Feb. 27 when he was released by the Eskimos — mere hours before he was to receive a roster bonus. ...
Hus rejoins the Roughriders for his third season. He played nine games in 2016 before being sidelined with a wrist injury. The 6-foot-1, 230-pounder has five career special-teams tackles in 27 games. A product of the U of R Rams and the PFC’s Saskatoon Hilltops, Hus had NFL stints with the St. Louis Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs before joining the Roughriders in May of 2015.

http://www.riderville.com/2017/03/07...adian-content/

[Argo57]

Don't think any rules were broken but Chris Jones continues to amaze.

http://3downnation.com/2017/03/07/ri...-concerns-cfl/

[jerrym]

With the addition of Vince Young and six QBs now in Rider camp, 24 year old QB Jake Waters probably saw the handwriting on the wall and has announced his retirement to become to become a graduate assistant coach at Iowa State. Almost certainly a smart career move.

The 24-year-old saw action in one game, completing three of five passes for 40 yards, with Saskatchewan last season after being acquired by the Riders in a trade with Hamilton.
Waters spent time with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and Jacksonville Jaguars in 2015 after two excellent seasons at Kansas State where he broke the school’s career records for completion percentage (64.1), passing efficiency (155.8), total offensive yards per game (260.2) and passing yards per attempt (9.09.) In his two-year career with the Wildcats, Waters threw for 5,970 yards, 40 touchdowns and 16 interceptions, adding 796 rushing yards with 15 touchdowns on the ground. He started his college career at Iowa Western Community College and set the record for completion percentage (73.3), previously held by Cam Newton, now of the Carolina Panthers.

http://3downnation.com/2017/03/10/ri...-coaching-job/

[jerrym]

National DB Jeff Hecht has resigned with the Riders.

The 31-year-old Saint Mary’s product entered the league in 2011 when he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Montreal Alouettes. Hecht joined the Stampeders in 2012 where he remained until joining the Riders.
Through 81 career regular-season games, Hecht has registered 57 defensive tackles, 38 special-teams tackles, three tackles for loss and one interception. He also played in two Grey Cup championships, winning with the Stampeders in 2014.
“Jeff is a valuable addition to our National defensive and special-teams depth,” stated Chris Jones, Riders Vice-President of Football Operations, General Manager and Head Coach. “He is an intelligent and hard-nosed player that arrives at the ball with a purpose. We believe he can increase the competitive spirit of our football team regardless of where he lines up.”

http://www.cfl.ca/2017/03/08/db-hech...ns-riderville/

[jerrym]

Backup National DL Jordan Reaves, who is the son of All-Star RB Blue Bomber Willard Reaves, was arrested in early 2016 for cocaine possession and is currently on bail awaiting trial.

After being released by the Bombers in 2015, Reaves signed with Saskatchewan in January 2016 and made his CFL debut on June 30.
The Riders were caught off guard, according to McIntyre. Ryan Pollock, Saskatchewan’s director, media relations and football communications told the Free Press: “The Roughriders are not aware of any such charges. We will decline to comment until we gather information.”
McIntyre uncovered that back in February 2008, court documents showed Reaves was charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking. He pleaded guilty that December and received a two-year-less-a-day conditional sentence. Reaves’ latest trial will begin Nov. 20.

http://3downnation.com/2017/03/17/ri...icking-charge/

[jerrym]

The Riders will officially open up the new Mosaic Stadium on July 1st against the Bombers. It looks great.

One #Riders employee shares great personal pride in a now-complete new Mosaic Stadium, @IanHamilton45 writes.

READ| https://t.co/eEFML1lWHJ pic.twitter.com/QZYgwZu5Gi

— Sask. Roughriders (@sskroughriders) March 17, 2017

[1971GreyCup]

CFL NEWS Tweet: ‘We might have every Rider game on ESPN, not just TSN, playing down in the U.S.’ - @qterback5 #CFL #Riders via @IanHamilton45

[jerrym]

Rider National DB Craig Newman has retired.

The 27-year-old Saskatoon resident spent three of his five CFL seasons with the Green and White. Newman spent the 2012 and 2013 seasons with the Riders before joining the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He returned to Saskatchewan for the 2016 season after signing with the team as a free agent.
Through his three seasons with the Riders, Newman picked up 37 special-teams tackles, ten defensive tackles and one quarterback sack in 44 regular-season games.
He also played in three playoff games and was a member of the Riders’ 2013 Grey Cup winning team.

http://www.riderville.com/2017/03/20...es-retirement/