Derek Elvin/Electric Umbrella
The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ off-season roster rebuild is starting to slow down.
Head coach-GM Chris Jones and his staff have been making changes to the CFL team’s roster since the end of the 2017 regular season. Some players were added via trades, others were signed after free agency opened Feb. 13, and others were released or traded or left as free agents.
Saskatchewan also retained a number of key players by signing them to contract extensions before the free-agent market opened.
The Roughriders likely aren’t done making moves — Jones and Co. are still holding free-agent camps across the United States in hopes of finding more talent — but the majority of the team’s off-season transactions already have been made.
With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the things Saskatchewan has done since the 2017 campaign ended. The list also includes changes to the Roughriders’ coaching staff.
Q
uarterbacks
IN: Zach Collaros (acquired from Hamilton).
EXTENDED: Brandon Bridge.
OUT: Vernon Adams Jr. (traded to Hamilton), Kevin Glenn (released, then signed by Edmonton).
THE OUTLOOK: The Roughriders hope Collaros can return to the form he was showing in 2015 before a knee injury prematurely ended an MOP-calibre season. If he can’t, they’ll once again have Bridge available to come on in relief — a role he filled well in 2017 as Glenn’s backup. The departure of Adams moves Marquise Williams and David Watford up one spot on the depth chart. Despite the perceived pecking order among the quarterbacks, Jones repeatedly has said this off-season that the competition for the starting job will be wide open during mini-camp and training camp.
Running backs
IN: Johnny Augustine (acquired in the negotiation list draft, signed in February), Jerome Messam (signed as a free agent from Calgary).
EXTENDED: Spencer Moore.
OUT: Shakir Bell (released), Kienan LaFrance (released, then signed by Winnipeg), Greg Morris (signed as a free agent by Toronto).
THE OUTLOOK: Messam, who has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of the past three seasons, can be a ratio-breaker if he starts for the Roughriders. Augustine showed during the 2017 national combine in Regina that he has an all-around skill set — his pancake block of a linebacker during a one-on-one drill still resonates — but he has yet to play a game in the CFL. With returning internationals Cameron Marshall, Trent Richardson and Marcus Thigpen still on the roster, the Roughriders have a few possibilities in the backfield. Moore returns as the fullback and can continue mentoring backup Albert Awachie.
Receivers
IN: Shaq Evans (signed in February), Jacoby Ford (signed in September, re-signed in February), Jake Harty (signed as a free agent from Ottawa), Mitch Picton (drafted in 2017, signed in December), T.J. Thorpe (signed in October, re-signed in February).
EXTENDED: Devon Bailey, Duron Carter.
OUT: Nic Demski (signed as a free agent with Winnipeg), Chris Getzlaf (retired).
THE OUTLOOK: Getting Carter — Saskatchewan’s MOP nominee in 2017 — signed to a contract extension before he reached free agency was an off-season priority for the Roughriders. Adding Harty in free agency and getting Bailey and Picton under contract also were important moves for a team that was down a couple of Canadian receivers from last season. They’ll join fellow Canucks Rob Bagg, Denzel Radford and Josh Stanford and a raft of veteran Americans — including Carter, Bakari Grant, Caleb Holley, Chad Owens and Naaman Roosevelt — in the Roughriders’ receiving corps. Evans, Ford, Thorpe and Antwane Grant offer depth at the position.
Offensive linemen
IN: Travis Bond (signed as a free agent from Winnipeg), Jarvis Harrison (signed in September, re-signed in February), Danny Sprukulis (drafted in 2017, signed in December), Terran Vaughn (signed in September, re-signed in February).
EXTENDED: Dan Clark, Thaddeus Coleman.
OUT: Bruce Campbell (unsigned), Derek Dennis (released, then signed by Calgary).
THE OUTLOOK: Clark, Coleman and guards Brendon LaBatte and Peter Dyakowski give the Roughriders four returning starters from last season. Bond was a 2016 West Division and CFL all-star, but that was at guard — and Saskatchewan is in need of a left tackle. Campbell played that position for 12 games last season, but he (a) hasn’t re-signed, and (b) must serve in 2018 a two-game suspension for a positive drug test even if he does return. There are a number of younger O-linemen on the roster (including Harrison, Sprukulis, Vaughn, Emmanuel Adusei, Dariusz Bladek, Eddie Meredith, Josiah St. John and Jeremy Zver) but none of them has proven himself yet as a CFL starter.
Defensive linemen
IN: Zack Evans (signed as a free agent from Ottawa), Charleston Hughes (acquired from Hamilton), Cory Robinson (signed as a free agent).
EXTENDED: Willie Jefferson.
OUT: A.C. Leonard (signed as a free agent by Ottawa), Antonio Longino (released), Zach Minter (released), Ese Mrabure (signed as a free agent by Calgary), Eddie Steele (unsigned).
THE OUTLOOK: As with Carter, the Roughriders made signing Jefferson to a contract extension a priority in the off-season. They got that deal done and added Hughes and Evans in hopes of improving the pass rush in 2018. Last season, Evans had five sacks for the Redblacks — one more than the combined total of the three Canadian defensive tackles (Mrabure, Steele and Makana Henry) whom the Roughriders employed. Hughes has led the league in sacks three times, including the past two seasons, and likely can teach Henry, Robinson, Tobi Antigha, Rakim Cox and Nick James a thing or two.
Linebackers
IN: Alexandre Chevrier (drafted in 2017, signed in December), Alexandre Gagne (signed in May, re-signed in December), Sam Hurl (signed as a free agent from Winnipeg).
EXTENDED: None.
OUT: Otha Foster III (signed as a free agent by B.C.), Jeff Knox Jr. (released, then signed by the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Beau Landry (released), Henoc Muamba (released).
THE OUTLOOK: The biggest question surrounds replacing Muamba, who helped the Roughriders with the ratio as a national starter at middle linebacker. Hurl started 18 games in the middle of the Blue Bombers’ defence, so he could get a look at that position in Saskatchewan. The Roughriders appear set at the outside spots with the likes of Sam Eguavoen, Kevin Francis, Taylor Mays, Derrick Moncrief and Sam Williams, while Chevrier, Gagne, Brandyn Bartlett, Dillon Grondin and Cameron Judge provide Canadian depth and special-teams help.
Defensive backs
IN: Adam Laurensse (acquired in a trade in 2017, signed in February), Melvin White (signed in October, re-signed in February).
EXTENDED: Crezdon Butler, Jovon Johnson.
OUT: Elie Bouka (released, then signed by the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles), Erick Dargan (released), Kacy Rodgers II (released, then signed by the NFL’s New York Jets).
THE OUTLOOK: Butler and Johnson join Ed Gainey and Mike Edem to give the Roughriders four returning starters in the secondary; the issue now involves replacing Rodgers at cornerback. One possibility is Chris Lyles, who played seven games with Saskatchewan last season. Jones and his staff also have shown an ability to find DBs at off-season camps. White returns for a second stint with the Roughriders after spending the final four weeks of the 2017 season on their practice roster. Laurensse is coming off an amateur career in which he was named an all-star corner in six straight seasons (2012 with the PFC’s Edmonton Wildcats, 2013 through ’17 with the University of Calgary Dinos). Marc-Olivier Brouillette and Jeff Hecht join Edem in the stable of safeties.
Special teams
IN: Chevrier, Gagne, Harty, Hurl, Laurensse.
EXTENDED: Christion Jones.
OUT: Morris, Glenn Love (released), Cameron Ontko (released), Quinn van Gylswyk (signed as a free agent by Montreal).
THE OUTLOOK: Jones’ initial deal with Saskatchewan didn’t expire until February of 2019, but he signed an extension that will keep him with the Green and White into 2020. That’s big for the Roughriders, since Jones proved in 2017 that he’s one of the league’s top punt returners. Saskatchewan also has a bevy of players who can replace Morris on kickoff returns. Hurl is a proven special-teamer, so his addition helps offset the loss of Love. And van Gylswyk played only two games over his two seasons in Saskatchewan, which speaks to the durability of punter Josh Bartel and Tyler Crapigna. Gagne provides a backup to veteran long-snapper Jorgen Hus.
Coaches
IN: Receivers coach Travis Moore, quarterbacks coach Steve Walsh.
OUT: Receivers coach Markus Howell (hired by B.C.), quarterbacks coach Jarious Jackson (hired by B.C.).
THE OUTLOOK: Howell and Jackson were longtime assistants to Chris Jones, having worked on his staff in Edmonton before moving with him to Saskatchewan. But Moore proved himself as a CFL receiver (with five 1,000-yard seasons in his career) and as an assistant coach (working with receivers like Adarius Bowman, Greg Ellingson and Geroy Simon) and Walsh played 11 NFL seasons at quarterback (backing up stars like Troy Aikman and Peyton Manning). Walsh also worked closely with Ricky Ray last season with the Toronto Argonauts.
