Saskatchewan Roughriders thread

[jerrym]

The Riders have certainly been busy during #CFLFA thus far. Matt Lowry & Luc Mullinder help you navigate it all!

🎥| https://t.co/wLd2vEOy8y pic.twitter.com/IOTlXdnAzS

— Sask. Roughriders (@sskroughriders) February 16, 2017

[jerrym]

Riders have signed two National free agents, RB Aaron Milton and OL Ryan White, while releasing OL Andrew Jones.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders continue to juggle their offensive line, signing veteran offensive lineman Ryan White and reportedly dropping Andrew Jones.
The team has not confirmed the release of Jones, who tweeted he had been released on Wednesday afternoon.
Along with the addition of White, a former Montreal Alouette, the Riders also announced they’ve signed former Eskimos running back Aaron Milton to a free agent deal.
Milton, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound back out of Toronto, joins the Riders after spending the previous three seasons with the Esks. The 24-year-old Ontario native was originally selected by the team in the second round (15th overall) of the 2014 CFL Draft.
Milton has seen action in 14 regular season games through his first three seasons. He won his first Grey Cup with the Eskimos in 2015.
White signs with the Green and White ahead of his fourth CFL season. The 30-year-old Montreal native was originally selected by the Alouettes in the sixth round (44th overall) in the 2012 CFL Draft.
The Bishop’s University product has spent time at guard and tackle through his 25 career regular season games
Jones, 34, followed Chris Jones from Edmonton to Saskatchewan as a free agent one year ago. The Toronto native started 10 of his 15 games for the Roughriders in 2016.

http://www.cfl.ca/2017/02/15/riders-...-andrew-jones/

[ArgoRavi]

Lots of money being thrown around in Riderville.

[ArgoGabe22]

Lots of money being thrown around in Riderville.

For the second year in a row.

[jerrym]

Chris Jones has put Vince Young on their negotiation list. Gary Lawless discusses why it is unlikely that he will end up in Saskatchewan (hint: has something to do with not playing a game since 2011 and having to get in shape), even though he has hired an agent and says he wants to get back in the game.

http://www.tsn.ca/video/alouettes-si...-young~1059247

[jerrym]

#VinceYoung We have opened discussions with Saskatchewan Roughriders of @CFL for @VinceYoung10 @Longhorn_FB @LonghornNetwork

— Leigh Steinberg (@leighsteinberg) February 16, 2017

[argolio]

So the Riders get rid of an active and productive 34 year-old QB and may replace him with a 33 year-old QB who hasn't played in six years. What could go wrong?

[jerrym]

International OL Thaddeus Coleman has resigned with the Riders.

The six-foot-eight, 320-pound Coleman became a free agent Tuesday. Coleman started all of Saskatchewan’s 18 games last year, spending time at both right and left tackle.
The Riders acquired Coleman from Edmonton in May 2016.

http://ottawacitizen.com/sports/foot...hampagne-party

[jerrym]

Riders have signed a starting WR, Bakari Grant, and a ST/LB backup Glenn Love, formerly with the Stampeders.

Grant finished with 44 receptions for 625 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games for the Stampeders last season. For his career, the 29-year-old Grant has 286 receptions for 3,652 yards and 21 scores in 80 games split between the Stampeders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Love finished with 11 defensive tackles and 21 special teams tackles in 10 games for the Stamps last year. The 27-year-old has 53 career defensive tackles and 56 special teams tackles, to go along with two sacks in 44 games over five seasons.

http://www.tsn.ca/roughriders-sign-grant-love-1.675009

[ArgoRavi]

The Riders signed a tonne of free agents last year and have released many of those since. They have basically done this off-season what they did last off-season and it will take them most of 2017 to gel in any way as it did in 2016. Furthermore, they are weaker at the key position of QB IMO.

[Argo57]

The Riders signed a tonne of free agents last year and have released many of those since. They have basically done this off-season what they did last off-season and it will take them most of 2017 to gel in any way as it did in 2016. Furthermore, they are weaker at the key position of QB IMO.

Seems to be Jones's plan, go crazy and sign as many free agents as possible then simply discard the one you don't want to keep.

[jerrym]

Chris Jones discusses free agency signings.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ head coach, general manager and vice-president of football operations has signed six free agents since the market opened Tuesday, including one player (offensive lineman Derek Dennis) who was considered among the top free agents available.
Jones also landed a proven return man (Chad Owens) and added to the Roughriders’ Canadian depth with one player (2016 East Division all-star Marc-Olivier Brouillette) who likely will start at safety and another (Kienan LaFrance) who could be a ratio-buster as a No. 1 tailback.
The Roughriders’ efforts over the first two days of free agency have earned plaudits from many CFL observers, but Jones isn’t ready to rest on those laurels. “Every time you win a football game, there’s always something you can nitpick or try to find,” he said while meeting with the media Wednesday at Mosaic Stadium. “We feel like we’re better than what we were a day ago, but we’re still working.”
Asked if he thought the team he currently has on paper was starting to look like a potential contender, Jones once again demurred. “Our thoughts last year were that we were a winning football team quite honestly when we walked out of free agency,” said Jones, whose team went 5-13-0 in 2016. “We’re going to wait and we’re going to hold our comments until we start playing and we see exactly where we are.”
The Roughriders likely aren’t done in free agency — Jones said they’ve got “a couple more guys to wrap up” — and they’ll also keep examining other avenues (including trades and signing players out of tryout camps) to revamp the roster. Jones and his staff still want to find players along the defensive and offensive lines, along with more depth players. But so far, free agency has been critical to the Roughriders’ rebuilding process this off-season.
“I thought Ottawa last year did a really nice job in free agency, so we’re hoping that we can do some similar things,” said Jones, referring to a RedBlacks team that filled gaps well enough to win a Grey Cup title. “We can build some depth on our team. We need to be stronger along the offensive line and (need to) be able to absorb an injury or possibly two. That’s what we were looking to try to do.”

http://www.riderville.com/2017/02/15...ork-isnt-done/

[jerrym]

New Rider Derek Dennis discusses his route to becoming the Most Outstanding Lineman in the CFL in 2016.

“It’s just work ethic,” Dennis, who signed with the Roughriders on Tuesday, said when asked to explain his progression over the years. “I’ve always been one of those guys who, if I put my mind to doing something, I’ve been able to do it …
“There was kind of a reluctance at first to play O-line. But I’ve had some good O-line coaches in college and my first couple of years at the pro level. I’ve taken tidbits from all the coaches I’ve played for and tried to mould it into one product. That’s what you saw last season.”
But, truth be told, basketball was Dennis’ first love. In high school in New York, he was a 250-pound power forward who drew some interest from college programs.
“I was just playing football as a thing to pass the time and to keep me in shape until basketball season,” said Dennis, who’s now 6-foot-3 and 341 pounds. “It just so happened that I was a big, athletic kid.”
He played tight end and defensive line during football season, but never offensive line. Watching the NFL gave him ideas about his future — but others had different ideas.
“I thought I could be the next Antonio Gates or Jimmy Graham, one of those basketball players who would convert to tight end,” Dennis said, referring to two NFLers who played basketball in college.
“But being that I was a big body, when I got to my college recruitment thinking I was going to play D-line or tight end, they were like, ‘Nah, we think you’ll make a better offensive lineman.’ That’s where it started for me.
“It was one of those things where everybody was telling me that I had a better chance of having a future in football (as an offensive lineman),” he added. “I listened to the people I trusted and it has got me to where I am now.”

http://www.riderville.com/2017/02/17...-true-calling/

[ArgoRavi]

Seems to be Jones's plan, go crazy and sign as many free agents as possible then simply discard the one you don't want to keep.

I question whether this will ultimately work. It's similar to what he did with the Argos' defence in 2013 and we all know that largely cost the Argos another Grey Cup berth. Conversely, in Edmonton, he stuck with the same players for two years and it worked and he largely stuck with the same players in Toronto through the 2012 season and that worked too.

[R.J]

Seems to be Jones's plan, go crazy and sign as many free agents as possible then simply discard the one you don't want to keep.

The Riders are nowhere near good enough right now, they kind of have to go heavy on Free Agency to fill some gaps. Winnipeg has done the same the last couple of seasons. Hufnagel is probably the only GM nowadays that doesn't spend much of FA's.

[OV Argo]

Seems to be Jones's plan, go crazy and sign as many free agents as possible then simply discard the one you don't want to keep.

LOVE to see ego-Jones fall flat on his face there and get punted out of town. How much rope is he given though? - new stadium should help his cause for some positives but what if they have few wins by Labour Day - do the natives get real restless?

Kevin Glenn at QB ? - he's got to be joking; signing clown-act Duron Carter plus now Board-hands Grant = shows little respect for the good young receivers they already have. A whole bunch of holes on defence, but ego-J thinks he can just plug-in "athletes" - good size or converted from other positions, and they'll be just fine; typical GOB lack of respect for Canadian talent means he will be all in a lather to pencil-in 7 only at pre-determined positions and will ignore some possible help with pencilling-in imports only at many positions.

Ego got his way and cast-off some all-time Rider greats - Dressler, Chick and now Durant - who weren't his guys, with the dollar$ excuse and thinking they were easily replaceable with his incredible football knowledge. We shall see in season 2. Maybe washed-up ex-NFL er Vince Young or partying Johnny Football save the day there though.

[Argo57]

I question whether this will ultimately work. It's similar to what he did with the Argos' defence in 2013 and we all know that largely cost the Argos another Grey Cup berth. Conversely, in Edmonton, he stuck with the same players for two years and it worked and he largely stuck with the same players in Toronto through the 2012 season and that worked too.

I don't think it will work Ravi.
I see free agency as a tool to strategically augment your lineup and address some weaknesses not rebuild your whole team.
That way you have a better chance at having good team chemistry.
In 2013 I got the sense that the Argonauts thought Jones was such a genius that he could plug in any player and make it work which turned out to be false.
Ultimately you need both good talent and a good scheme that suits their strengths as a whole.

[Argo57]

LOVE to see ego-Jones fall flat on his face there and get punted out of town. How much rope is he given though? - new stadium should help his cause for some positives but what if they have few wins by Labour Day - do the natives get real restless?

Kevin Glenn at QB ? - he's got to be joking; signing clown-act Duron Carter plus now Board-hands Grant = shows little respect for the good young receivers they already have. A whole bunch of holes on defence, but ego-J thinks he can just plug-in "athletes" - good size or converted from other positions, and they'll be just fine; typical GOB lack of respect for Canadian talent means he will be all in a lather to pencil-in 7 only at pre-determined positions and will ignore some possible help with pencilling-in imports only at many positions.

Ego got his way and cast-off some all-time Rider greats - Dressler, Chick and now Durant - who weren't his guys, with the dollar$ excuse and thinking they were easily replaceable with his incredible football knowledge. We shall see in season 2. Maybe washed-up ex-NFL er Vince Young or partying Johnny Football save the day there though.

I'm with you OV, would love to see Jones knocked down a peg or two this season.
If I was a free agent I'd be a little wary in signing with him.

[Argo57]

The Riders are nowhere near good enough right now, they kind of have to go heavy on Free Agency to fill some gaps. Winnipeg has done the same the last couple of seasons. Hufnagel is probably the only GM nowadays that doesn't spend much of FA's.

Calgary is still the model franchise in the CFL, Hufnagel has built a good program, recruits well and quietly goes about his business.

[OV Argo]

Calgary is still the model franchise in the CFL, Hufnagel has built a good program, recruits well and quietly goes about his business.

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.