The Calgary Stampeders defeat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 19-10 in league play in Regina, SK August 13, 2016. (CFL PHOTO - Matt Smith)
Free agency is just over a week old and the consensus in CFL circles is that the Saskatchewan Roughriders have fared well on the market.
The verdict won’t be in for some months, of course, but observers believe Saskatchewan’s efforts to date are a case of so far, so good.
Since the free-agent period began Feb. 14, the Roughriders have landed some highly coveted players, a couple of seasoned veterans who could pay dividends, and some interesting prospects. Those signings follow an off-season of additions that also could improve the roster.
Here’s a look at some of the Roughriders’ off-season moves to date.
SO MUCH FOR THAT IDEA
There was one school of thought that suggested Saskatchewan wouldn’t be tremendously active on the free-agent market because of signings it had made in the off-season.
Before Feb. 14 rolled around, the Roughriders had landed proven CFL players such as quarterback Kevin Glenn and receiver Duron Carter, re-signed defensive end Willie Jefferson before he got to free agency, and signed an ex-NFL tailback in Daniel Thomas.
Well, as of Wednesday, the Roughriders had signed nine free agents from other CFL teams — the highest such number in the league.
The Toronto Argonauts were next at eight, followed by the Ottawa Redblacks (six), Edmonton Eskimos (five), B.C. Lions (four), Calgary Stampeders (four), Montreal Alouettes (four), Winnipeg Blue Bombers (three) and Hamilton Tiger-Cats (one).
B.C. and Calgary each had re-signed or extended the contracts of 15 of its free agents, with Montreal (14), Ottawa (14), Winnipeg (10), Edmonton (seven), Hamilton (six), Toronto (six) and Saskatchewan (three) rounding out the list.
THE BIG SPLASH
The Roughriders made a big move on the first day of free agency, landing one of the most-coveted free agents on the market.
Offensive tackle Derek Dennis, who was named the CFL’s most outstanding O-lineman in 2016 while with the Stampeders, agreed to terms Feb. 14.
He addresses a major need for the Roughriders, whose offensive line had a tough season in 2016 due to injuries and roster changes.
Over Saskatchewan’s 18 regular-season games, the offensive line featured 10 different starters in 11 different combinations. The unit surrendered 57 sacks — the second-highest such total in the CFL.
Dennis is a solid 6-foot-3, 341-pound insurance policy for Saskatchewan’s quarterbacks. His signing also was a big factor in the decision by Thaddeus Coleman to re-sign, allowing him to move back to the right side.
A RETURN TO FORM?
The Roughriders raised some eyebrows with their signing of slotback/returner Chad Owens.
Many CFL observers wonder if the 34-year-old Flyin’ Hawaiian has anything left in the tank — or if he can stay healthy. He hasn’t played 18 games in a regular season since 2012.
But the gamble could be worth it for Saskatchewan, who spent most of 2016 searching for a productive return man.
Owens returned only two punts for 10 yards with the Tiger-Cats last season, but he averaged 12.6 yards per punt return in 2015 with the Argos. His career average is 11.0 yards per return.
In his career, he also has had three seasons with more than 1,000 yards on kickoff returns (albeit none since 2012).
Roughriders head coach-GM Chris Jones told the media that Owens’ primary role would be on returns, but Owens also provides insurance for the receiving corps. He had 58 catches for 808 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games for Hamilton last season.
RECEIVING LINE
Owens isn’t the only receiver to join the Roughriders this off-season.
Carter is a bona-fide deep threat, with 2,877 yards and 17 touchdowns on 185 receptions in 40 career regular-season games. Bakari Grant also is a proven CFL receiver, with 286 catches, 3,652 yards and 21 TDs in 80 games.
Saskatchewan now has 13 receivers under contract, including 10 internationals (Carter, Grant, Owens, Kadron Boone, Ricky Collins Jr., Joe Craig, Armanti Edwards, Caleb Holley, Thomas Mayo and Naaman Roosevelt) and three Canadians (Rob Bagg, Nic Demski and Joshua Stanford).
That depth gives Jones & Co. a multitude of options — including, if the front office is so inclined, the possibility of dealing receivers to other teams in return for other assets.
THE GREAT UNKNOWNS
Defensive tackle Zach Minter has started just 10 of the 15 CFL games in which he has dressed over the past two regular seasons, but the 6-foot-2, 300-pounder has recorded 22 tackles and five sacks in those games.
The Roughriders got productivity out of Corvey Irvin (five sacks) at defensive tackle in 2016, but not much from the other players who lined up inside.
At 26, Minter is five years younger than Irvin (who’s an unsigned free agent) and the newcomer could be an impact player in the middle of the line for years to come.
Glenn Love has a higher profile around the CFL than Minter because of the linebacker’s stellar work on special teams.
But Love has proved over the past two seasons that he has the capability to be a starter — and the Roughriders just happen to have vacancies at both outside spots, having lost Otha Foster III and Jeff Knox Jr., to the NFL.
O CANADA
The Roughriders added to their Canadian depth with the signings of running backs Kienan LaFrance and Aaron Milton, safety Marc-Olivier Brouillette and offensive lineman Ryan White.
Brouillette adds a physical presence that the Roughriders lacked at the safety position and, as a Canuck, he’ll allow them to deploy a starting American elsewhere. He also will provide leadership to a youthful group of DBs.
The biggest ratio-changer could be LaFrance, who turned a solid showing in the 2016 playoffs into a lucrative free-agent contract. If the Winnipeg product can start for the Roughriders, he’d give Saskatchewan numerous options when it comes to the ratio.
