The Saskatchewan Roughriders are going behind closed doors.
Roughriders head coach-GM Chris Jones revealed Tuesday at Mosaic Stadium that the CFL team will close one workout per week to spectators and media members.
It’s not a new practice — the Roughriders have done the same thing in the past, including last season — but it resulted from another instance in which Jones thinks an opponent got advance notice of something Saskatchewan wanted to do.
“This past game, we played Hamilton,” said Jones, whose team defeated the visiting Tiger-Cats 37-20 on July 8. “There’s a couple of guys on Hamilton who used to be here. We had a particular (punt) block on and they identified it in two seconds. It’s almost impossible to have identified it as quickly unless they’ve been working on it.
“We’re going to close practice. If we do have anything (special planned), we’ll work on it on the day that’s closed. That way, nobody gets an upper hand on us.”
As a result, Thursday’s practice will be closed.
Jones recalled an occurrence during the 2016 season when the Ottawa Redblacks seemed to know things the Roughriders were going to do on special teams based on personnel and alignment. Jones was convinced that Ottawa had been provided with that information beforehand — and he isn’t going to let that happen again.
Asked why the Roughriders open practice at all, Jones suggested that the CFL is a fan-based league, so patrons have to be allowed in for workouts — just not every one.
“I think it is important (to have fans attend),” said Jones, whose team is to visit the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday. “You saw today: We had more fans in our stands than Toronto has at their games sometimes. It’s a deal where they love it here and for them not to be able to come out during the summertime, that wouldn’t be the right thing to do.
“Unfortunately, you have to close it sometimes because people don’t know when to not write something. We just can’t put ourselves at a disadvantage by leaving every practice open.”
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The Roughriders’ practice Tuesday was their first since they played the Tiger-Cats. Last week, Saskatchewan’s players and coaches enjoyed their first bye of the season.
Many of them returned to their homes across North America, while some stayed in Regina. Jones even got away, taking his two daughters to Buffalo Pound for swimming and boating.
When the head coach, his assistants and the players got back to work, they were focused on the task at hand.
“I thought the concentration in both our meetings and on the field today was outstanding,” Jones said. “We’ve got a good character group. They’re here to work and they’re not here for any other reason other than to play football.”
The bye came after just three games, so the Roughriders weren’t broken down physically. Even so, quarterback Kevin Glenn thought they needed the break.
“A lot of times when you go on byes this early, sometimes once you get on the bye, it’s like, ‘OK, it’s cool,’ but after a couple of days, guys are ready to get back to football,” said Glenn, who returned to his hometown of Detroit.
“You could tell when we got in the other day, everybody was excited to see each other. They were back cracking jokes and all that kind of stuff. You could see a refreshed group.”
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When the Roughriders returned to practice, they had some new faces in their midst.
On Monday, Saskatchewan announced three internationals (linebacker Jarell Boyd-Ross, wide receiver Christion Jones and defensive back Mark Roberts) had been added to the practice roster and one had been released (defensive end Darius Allen).
Roberts went to training camp with the Roughriders and played with them in the pre-season before suffering an injury.
On Tuesday, the Roughriders announced that international defensive back A.J. Jefferson had been signed to the practice roster. Jefferson, 29, had been released by the Redblacks on July 10.
“He does two things,” Chris Jones said. “He returns punts — two years ago, he averaged 12.5 (yards) a return (for the Toronto Argonauts) — and then he’s a guy who can play multiple positions in the secondary.
“He’s got good size (at 6-foot-0, 190 pounds). We’ll take a look at him and see what he might bring to our football team.”
Jefferson admitted that his release by the Redblacks “was a big surprise,” but he also understood it’s the nature of the CFL business. Where he’ll fit with the Roughriders remains to be seen.
“They’ve got me returning,” he said. “They might want to get some help on defence. But I’m just trying to fit in and get where I can get in right now.”
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EXTRAS: Roberts played receiver in college, but Jones moved the rookie to defensive back after an off-season tryout — and that’s the position Roberts played during Saskatchewan’s mini-camp and training camp. On Tuesday, he sported the white jersey worn by the offence and worked out with the receivers … Defensive lineman Ese Mrabure has been put on the injured list after being hurt against Hamilton. Jones said Mrabure will not play Saturday in Calgary … Offensive lineman Ryan White, who was on Saskatchewan’s disabled list to start the season, has been moved to the six-game injured list … Guard Eddie Meredith didn’t practise Tuesday. Jones said the rookie injured his back during the bye week … Receiver Joseph Morgan, who was signed June 28, has been released.
