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Dial back those expectations of Grey Cup tickets

Jun 6, 2016 | 1:04 PM

Even allowing for poetic licence, Rider GM and Head Coach Chris Jones stating he wanted to throw up after the teams intra-squad game on Saturday was probably an accurate account of where the team is one week into training camp.

As the team lurches towards its June 11 exhibition game bout against the BC Lions, what Jones saw was a sloppiness on the offense and defense that should dispel any thoughts of the Riders coming out of the gate and winning six or eight in a row.
I won’t even mention the $4.3 million deficit the Riders suffered last year. Well, at least not yet.

As a result of the game, the Riders added to the roster Monday morning – International offensive lineman Marcus Hall (#51 – 6.05/315 – Ohio State); International quarterback Phillip Sims (#19 – 6.04/220 – Winston Salem State); International receiver Devrin Young (#87 – 5.08/175 – Tennessee).

Now Young has been in and out of the lineup more times than a pair of dirty socks, so the Riders are obviously playing silly bugger as they evaluate other receivers, make a decision and then let them go.

So who got cut? Say goodbye to International receiver Marcus Davis; National linebacker Marvin Golding; International quarterback Jacob Huesman and International receiver Alec Lemon.

Huesman had a case of nerves during the scrimmage with two turnovers so he wasn’t really a surprise, but Lemon getting cut was interesting because he had some good catches, and a drop but I kind of wonder if Lemon being cut is similar to what is being done with Young, cut him to see other receivers and if those screw up, then bring him back on the roster.

As far as Davis goes, I haven’t really heard or seen anything that would have made him stand out in camp, so he leaves as he came in, a cypher. Golding probably didn’t show enough in the back up category at linebacker and not enough in playing defensive back or defensive end to justify hanging around. Jones is looking for guys who can fill in at other positions, if you have moves and are not afraid to get your hands dirty playing other positions, there is a spot on the team for you.

Sims is a former Alabama and Winston-Salem quarterback who after his college career caught on with the Arizona Cardinals, then got released and spent a few months on the Seattle Seahawks roster before just getting released. Hall is a former Ohio State defensive lineman who signed on with the Indianapolis Colts before getting cut and interestingly enough is listed by the Riders as an offensive lineman. Hall is 6’5” and 315 lbs and if he can play both sides will be an interesting addition. The Riders and the Colts seem to have a pipeline which is not surprising since Ryan Grigson, the GM of the Colts, started off as a scout for the Riders in 1998.

So it looks like BJ Coleman will likely take the lead in backing up Durant due to his previous pro experience while Brent Smith, still in the mix, needs to avoid the happy feet that without making all his reads in time. I still like Smith because despite his tendency to run, he has a real competitiveness to him and working with a quarterback coach may help him recognize defenses better. However, it will be fascinating to watch what happens Saturday at Taylor Field and how game conditions determine who take the leap forward.

In terms of running backs, Curtis Steele seems to be in the lead with the most experience in the type of offense to be run, but the other running backs all seem to have something to offer. Kendial Lawrence did not see the field on Saturday, which was either by design or vets day off or maybe he has been nicked a bit. The impression I have of the scrimmage is there are pieces in place, or I can see what Jones is trying to do, its’ now up to the players to figure out if they can do what he is asking.
Oh, another example of versatility saw defensive tackle Levi Steinhaeuer catch a pass out of the fullback position. Spencer Moore, who has also been the victim of the on again, off again roster moves, is looking like he is ready to play a bigger part in the offense besides blocking. Moore is built like a tight end but can run and definitely can catch.

Naaman Roosevelt spent some of his off-season working out with Darian Durant and the results are Roosevelt and John Chiles are likely to the be two big receivers for the Riders this year. Rob Bagg is in the mix and as long as Shamawd Chambers is healthy, he is looking to be another receiver in the mix. The battle for the fifth receiver is on between Clarence Denmark, Ryan Lankford and Nic Demski.

On the offensive line, Xavier Fulton at left tackle, Brendon LaBatte at left guard, Dan Clark at centre, Chris Best at right guard and probably Thaddeus Coleman at right tackle until Jarriel King gets off the injury list. Speaking of which, Matt Vonk is on the six game injury list which reduces the amount of experienced Canadian talent. Aaron Picton better step forward and a trade of Joshia St. John for some Canadian offensive line depth is probably how that saga will end.

The defensive line was composed mostly of backups and projects at the current time and was the cause of most of Jones’ gastrointestinal distress with the offside. The Riders are looking for aggressive and will likely pay the price with a lot of offside penalties, which was the same when Jones took over in Edmonton. Guys like Johnny Newsome, the former NFLer from the Cleveland Browns who likes his weed, are also playing on special teams and again that versatility is something the Riders will be experimenting and working on as they prepare for BC.

Greg Jones at middle linebacker looks like the answer to the position the Riders have been looking for since Rey Williams retired with wonky knees. Otha Foster is a fine complement and when Jeff Knox Jr. joins them; this will be a fun unit to watch.
The Riders emphasis on the pass rush is meant to take pressure off the defensive secondary which is getting almost a total rebuild. There was a lot of mixing and matching as players were put into positions they don’t necessarily play to determine their versatility to the team in case of injury.

While I would think Craig Newman, the former Rider/Bomber would end up at safety; Trevaughn Campbell also showed well and may end up on the wide side corner. Victor Dean and Monte Sears are two guys to watch Saturday against BC. Sears is a playmaker and if for some reason Knox doesn’t make it to the season opener with an apparent injury, Sears will step in easily there.

Dean is a tall guy who has been lining up on the short side corner, usually against the best receivers, and has not been found lacking. Ed Gainey, the former Tiger-Cat, has also made big plays, and given up big plays. His percentage is more on stopping the plays than giving them up, but as Hamilton can attest to, when he doesn’t do well, as in overtime against Ottawa, the result is not pretty.

Tyree Hollins may be one of the few survivors of the 2015 Riders to make it back into the defensive backfield. Hollins has a habit of being around the ball and making plays and that is something you can coach, but not many understand. If Hollins can continue to make plays, he will be tough to keep off the roster.

When it comes to the kicking game, Tyler Crapigna made all three of his field goals, while Robin Bartel did better on the punting than Quinn Van Glyswyk. There is talk the Riders are looking to stash Van Glyswyk somewhere on the roster, if not use him for trade bait.

So as far as the Riders financial picture goes, the amortization of the Grey Cup Legacy Fund, which handled such stuff as box and end zone seats, helped to add to the Riders deficit. The Riders made $39.3 million with expenses of $43.6 million. If you take the amortization out, the Riders had a surplus of $873,000, and that is including continuing to pay for former Rider GM Brendan Taman and head coach Cory Chamblin through to the end of 2017.

The Riders lost $3 million in revenue compared to 2014 and that I suspect was due to the decline in merchandise sales. People are not so inclined to buy stuff with a 3-15 teams and towards the end of the season, beer and concession sales dropped off because of fewer people in the stands. The tickets were paid for, but the bodies weren’t there.

So where does that leave us heading into the first exhibition game? The big winners will be the program printers, and perhaps the jersey printers who will have a whole whack of new names to put onto jerseys. The Riders are going to be a sloppy team, very aggressive with a lot of off-sides until Jones can get that discipline into their heads.

On the other hand, that aggressiveness will help the defensive secondary, at least until they learn how to adjust and play together. Interestingly enough, the Riders have a bye the first week of the season so they will have time to work on their timing.
The offense could use some depth on the offensive line and with the Riders at an impasse with their draft pick, St. John will have to figure out he has no leverage and the only way to get ahead is to show up and then get out at the earliest opportunity. I suspect the Riders, who shopped the first draft pick before the draft, would be more inclined to pick up draft picks in next year’s draft with this bozo.

Former Rider Wayne Shaw, who lives in ToonTown, said the Riders would likely be a 6-12 teams which would be an improvement over last year. That depends on whether or not the Riders can synch up their defense to play together and avoid giving other teams stupid penalties.

The other area of wonderment is with the running backs and if they can be as productive as other years. But then I think of Kory Sheets coming out of nowhere and so I’ll reserve my judgement until the bullets start flying in the games. But I see the Riders struggling a bit out of the gate until they get their act together.

By having players play different positions, they are covering their bases against depleting their roster to injuries, but what this team needs the most is continuity.

The Riders face a cut down on June 14 which follows their exhibition game. That is the first step in the process that may or not lead to a playoff spot.