October 11, 2018

Notebook: The newcomers are trying to fit in

Patrick Lavoie’s comfort level on his first day with the Saskatchewan Roughriders was evident after he walked into the team’s locker room following his first practice.

Lavoie carried his helmet and jersey to one end of the room … only to find that his locker was at the other end. He grinned sheepishly as he walked past the reporters who were waiting to talk to him and then, after taking his place in front of the microphones, grinned again when asked if he was getting comfortable in Regina.

“I didn’t settle in yet,” the Roughriders’ newest receiver/special-teamer admitted Thursday, one day after the CFL team acquired him in a trade from the Montreal Alouettes. “My baggage is upstairs. I don’t even know where I’m going to sleep tonight. I know, but visually I don’t know where it is exactly.”

Lavoie and national offensive lineman Philip Blake were picked up from Montreal at Wednesday’s trade deadline in exchange for national receiver Josh Stanford and Saskatchewan’s second-round pick in the 2020 CFL draft.

Both Blake and Lavoie said they were excited to join the Roughriders who, unlike the Als, are going to be participating in the post-season.

“It’s a testament to what these guys are doing in here,” Blake said. “I’m just here to do whatever the coaches want me to do and do what I can.”

“It’s nice to be in the greatest organization in the CFL.”

With the Als on a bye this week, Lavoie was in Quebec City with his family when he was told he had been traded. He packed some things, returned to Montreal to collect more of his belongings and then caught a flight for Regina on Wednesday night. He arrived Thursday morning.

“I knew from a couple of players that some coaches here like how I play,” said Lavoie, a 30-year-old product of Saint-Flavie, Que. “I knew Saskatchewan liked my game, I’ll put it that way, so I was really not surprised. At the same time, it’s nice to be in the greatest organization in the CFL.”

The 6-foot-2, 240-pounder has played 115 career regular-season games with Montreal and the Ottawa Redblacks over his seven CFL seasons, recording 138 catches for 1,264 yards and seven touchdowns and 39 special-teams tackles.

Blake, 32, was visiting his mother in Toronto when he was informed of the trade. Half of his belongings remain in Montreal with his roommate, so Blake is going to have to arrange to have them sent to Regina.

The 6-foot-3, 310-pounder started 57 games for Montreal over the past three-plus seasons — and he could slide right into Saskatchewan’s starting lineup.

Roughriders head coach-GM Chris Jones revealed Thursday that centre Dan Clark won’t play in Saturday’s game against the host Winnipeg Blue Bombers due to injury, so Brendon LaBatte is expected to move from left guard to centre. That opens up a spot at guard that Blake could fill.

“They’ll both play,” Jones said of Blake and Lavoie. “If we didn’t feel confident that they’d be able to contribute, we wouldn’t go that direction. But we feel confident in our coaching staff and in them that we’ll get them prepared to play.”

Both players planned to immerse themselves in the Roughriders’ playbook to prepare themselves for their debuts, whenever they happen.

“Football is all terminology,” Blake said. “It’s learning the new language as I say it. Once I get familiar with that and get comfortable, I’ll just try to do my best when I get a call.”

“I’m going to prepare myself to be ready for Saturday, that’s for sure,” Lavoie said. “Except in no-huddle, I think I would be fine with the game plan. We’ll see. I still have work to do today and tomorrow.”

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The Roughriders also officially will be without receiver Jordan Williams-Lambert for Saturday’s game.

According to the CFL transaction wire, Williams-Lambert — like Clark — was placed on the one-game injured list. Williams-Lambert left Monday’s 19-12 victory over the Edmonton Eskimos early in the fourth quarter after absorbing a big hit from Eskimos linebacker J.C. Sherritt.

Jones said he wouldn’t sit out players who have slight injuries in order to save them for the playoffs. The Roughriders have three regular-season games remaining and the team still has goals to achieve.

“We’ve got to win the games right now,” Jones said. “We’ve got to take the healthiest bodies we have and attempt to put them in the best positions possible and try to do what we’ve got to do to come out of there with a win.”

Williams-Lambert could be replaced by Caleb Holley who, according to the CFL’s transactions, has been removed from the six-game injured list. Holley hasn’t played since the Roughriders’ game Aug. 19 against the Calgary Stampeders.

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The Roughriders fully expect a healthy dose Saturday of Bombers tailback Andrew Harris, who has posted career highs this season with 1,233 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns and five games with at least 100 yards rushing.

“What makes him so dynamic is just the fact that he can play all over the field,” said Roughriders middle linebacker Sam Hurl, who played with Harris in Winnipeg during the previous three seasons.

“He’s a great running back, he’s a good receiver — he could be a starting receiver in this league as well as he can be a starting running back.”

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The Roughriders enter Saturday’s game with a success rate in the red zone this season of 35.3 per cent (12 touchdowns in 34 trips). Their opponents, meanwhile, are at 54.3 per cent (19 TDs in 35 attempts).

Jones and his staff are well aware of the offence’s travails in the red zone.

“Anytime you’re 35 per cent at something when 100 is the goal, it’s not something that you’re grading out at a place where anybody would be happy,” he said. “We all can improve in some ways in all three phases. Certainly that’s one of (the concerns of the offence).”