Mitchell Baines hopes to catch on with the Roughriders

VERO BEACH, Fla. — Receiver Mitchell Baines caught himself staring Tuesday.

The Ottawa-born Saskatchewan Roughriders hopeful admitted there were a couple of times when he looked across the locker room at Historic Dodgertown and saw Vince Young — a former Heisman Trophy finalist and NFL quarterback — sitting at his stall.

Then, after the Roughriders took the field, Baines was on the receiving end of some of Young’s passes during the CFL team’s mini-camp.

“It’s crazy to think a guy like Vince Young is throwing you the ball,” Baines said after the Roughriders wrapped up Day 1 of their three-day mini-camp. “It’s pretty much as cool as you can imagine. He’s a guy I grew up watching.

“But you can’t let that moment get you. You’ve got to take advantage of the moment you’re given and play like it’s anybody else throwing you the ball. You can’t get nervous or anything like that.”

Baines, 25, signed with the Roughriders as an undrafted free agent in February after a five-year career with the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees.

In 2015, the 6-foot-2, 215-pounder had 33 receptions for 546 yards and seven touchdowns for the Gee-Gees. He was eligible for the 2016 CFL draft and attended one of the league’s regional combines, but he wasn’t selected in the lottery.

“I was kind of expecting to get drafted,” Baines said. “I was sitting at home paying attention to it. (Not getting selected) sucked, but I went into the summer, trained harder than ever before and had a good season with Ottawa.”

In his final season of eligibility, Baines led U Sports receivers in catches (65) and yards (984) and tied for third in touchdown receptions (eight). He subsequently was named a first-team OUA all-star and a second-team U Sports All-Canadian.

The Roughriders put Baines on their negotiation list and, in February, signed him. He found inspiration on their roster in the form of receiver Rob Bagg, who also began his career in Saskatchewan as an undrafted free agent.

Bagg signed with the Roughriders in May of 2007 and went to their training camp that season. He cracked the roster, but decided to return to Queen’s University for his final season of university eligibility. He rejoined the Roughriders in time for the 2008 season and has become the top Canadian receiver on their roster.

“That’s one of the stories I looked into,” Baines said. “He was a good player at Queen’s, but wasn’t drafted. I know he probably came into camp with a chip on his shoulder. I’m feeling kind of the same way. I felt I deserved to be drafted.

“But at the end of the day, I’m happy to be with Saskatchewan. I’m happy to play for Rider Nation.”

Baines joins a Roughriders receiving corps that is loaded, both in terms of talent and numbers (there were 14 receivers on the roster before mini-camp started).

Baines is the only homegrown pass-catcher among the seven receivers in Vero Beach, but he’s competing for a roster spot with a Canadian crew that also includes holdovers Bagg, Nic Demski and Joshua Stanford.

While Baines is driven by the draft snub, he isn’t consumed by it.

“On the one hand, you’re trying to prove those people wrong who doubted you, but on the other hand, you can’t let that overwhelm you,” he said. “You’ve got to be thinking about the play and you’ve got to know what you’re doing.”

When Chris Jones was asked Tuesday if Baines reminded him at all of Bagg, the Roughriders’ head coach-GM suggested the rookie was more comparable to another Canadian receiver: Jason Clermont.

Baines is wearing No. 82 at the mini-camp (the same number Clermont wore in the CFL) and is a big-bodied receiver like Clermont was.

“That’s a huge compliment,” Baines said. “Clermont was an outstanding CFL receiver — very physical guy, great hands. If I’m being compared to him, I’m going to do everything I can to live up to that comparison.”

NOTES: Several receivers looked good during Tuesday’s session, most notably Antwane Grant and Jenson Stoshak. Defensive backs Zavian Bingham and Erick Dargan also were noticeable, as was defensive lineman-linebacker Gary Wilkins … Bingham, Grant, Stoshak and Wilkins were among 22 players whose signings were announced Tuesday. They were joined by national linebacker Alexandre Gagne and 16 other internationals: Defensive backs Eric Allen, Regis Ball, Alfonzo Dennard, Seth Ellis, Jamal Marshall and Mark Roberts; receivers Jonathan Ray, Dezmond Reece and Frankie Wims; linebackers Dorian Bell and Tigi Hill; offensive linemen Taylor Fallin and Kelby Johnson; running backs Lyle McCombs and Quincy Walden; defensive lineman Tobi Antigha; and, quarterback Jake Heaps … Former NFL tailback Daniel Thomas isn’t at the mini-camp, as was expected. But Jones said Thomas will be at the Roughriders’ training camp, which is to begin May 28 in Saskatoon.