June 19, 2018

Notebook: Duron Carter gets another start on the corner

Chris Jones has said that Duron Carter could be a two-way player for the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders.

That didn’t happen against the visiting Toronto Argonauts in Saskatchewan’s regular-season opener Friday and it isn’t expected to happen Thursday against the host Ottawa Redblacks, either.

But unlike the game against the Argos, Carter isn’t set to play exclusively at receiver in Ottawa. Instead, he’s slated to line up only as a cornerback.

Jones said Tuesday that Carter will replace the injured Nick Marshall at boundary cornerback against the Redblacks. Another as-yet-unidentified player will be activated to take Marshall’s roster spot.

“Duron’s not Superman, contrary to what he might tell you,” Jones said when asked why Carter won’t play both ways against Ottawa. “He can play a lot of plays and he can do a lot of things, but we’ll have a guy go on the roster for Duron at receiver and then we’ll put Duron at DB.”

It’ll be Carter’s second career start as a defensive back. He was on the corner in Saskatchewan’s 30-7 victory over the host Calgary Stampeders on Oct. 20, a contest in which he returned an interception 43 yards for a touchdown.

“Same old stuff, different game,” Carter said Tuesday when asked about starting on the corner. “(It’s) no different. I’m just out there playing defence instead of offence.”

Carter had played exclusively on offence before joining the Roughriders last season. Jones started using Carter on the corner in practice and then deployed him in a couple of games before giving him the start in Calgary.

This season, Carter got work at cornerback during training camp and in practices leading up to the season-opener, but he didn’t play on defence against Toronto. He took reps only on defence during Tuesday’s open practice at Mosaic Stadium.

“I think that he’ll be even better than what he was last year,” Jones said. “He’s a better DB right now than what he was when we played him last year against Calgary. I expect him to go in and help us win the football game.”

Carter suggested the work he gets in practice as well as his background as a receiver has helped him become a better cornerback. Having said that, he admitted that any improvements he has made may not be enough if he isn’t technically sound.

“At the end of the day, you can know all the footwork and still not be able to guard anybody,” Carter said.

The 27-year-old product of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., noted he tries to prepare for both positions since he doesn’t know when or how much he’ll play at either one. Asked if that was difficult, Carter replied: “No. It’s just like playing when I was a kid.”

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The Roughriders placed Marshall on the six-game injured list with a hand injury and Jones suggested the rookie DB will be out at least that long.

“It happened in the early parts of the last game,” Jones said. “He still was able to play, but unfortunately, he’s going to have a little surgery on it.”

Marshall played quarterback at Auburn University before deciding he’d likely have a better chance of making it in the NFL as a defensive back. He had stops in that league with the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets before signing with the Roughriders this off-season.

After winning a starting job in training camp, the 25-year-old made his first career CFL start against Toronto. He gave up a 40-yard completion to S.J. Green in the first quarter of Friday’s game, but rebounded nicely — and his 66-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter proved to be the deciding points in Saskatchewan’s 27-19 victory.

•••

Like Marshall, defensive end Charleston Hughes made quite an impact for the Roughriders on Friday.

Playing his first game since being acquired from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Feb. 3, Hughes had three sacks, four quarterback pressures and a fumble recovery against the Argos.

On Tuesday, he was named the CFL’s top performer of the week — and he gratefully accepted the honour.

“You’ve got to play for something, right?” he said, before adding with a laugh: “If not (for) your family, if not for the money, you’ve got to play for the glory.”

Hughes, 34, was a fixture in the Argos’ backfield Friday. His three sacks gave him 102 in his 11-year CFL career and he helped Saskatchewan rack up 11 QB pressures in the contest.

So what does he do for an encore?

“I don’t know,” Hughes replied. “I think Ottawa is going to have something up their sleeve to stop me, but don’t be surprised if I pull out six (sacks) in two weeks.”

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When Jones was the Argos’ defensive co-ordinator in 2012 and ’13, Toronto had two backup quarterbacks behind Ricky Ray.

Those two — Trevor Harris and Zach Collaros — are to meet Thursday. Harris is entering his third season as the Redblacks’ starting quarterback, while Collaros is entering his second game as the Roughriders’ No. 1 pivot.

“They both are very big competitors,” Jones said. “They show up in the morning with their lunch pails, they’re there early and they stay late and they’re going to do their homework.

“Trevor, it’s going to be tough to trick him; he’s a lot like Ricky Ray. We’re going to have to do a great job of getting to him.”