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Riders are Not Afraid to Pull the Trigger on Big Moves

Jul 4, 2016 | 11:43 AM

Just before I start this week, thoughts and prayers are with the family of former PA Pen Warden, Jim O’Sullivan.

I got to know Jim fairly well in Prince Albert and his connection to the CFL came about 20 years ago when I got word that one of his daughters was getting married to then Rider Coach, Don Matthews. I phoned Jim to ask about the wedding coming up on the weekend and he asked me not to make it a big deal.

I thought about it, and considering Don Matthews had been a pretty condescending SOB when I interviewed him in PA, I thought why would I want to interview Matthews again? So in the only time I can recall sitting on a story, I did, and soon after I received a bottle of fine scotch for my silence. If only PA City Council had been so smart.

So on with the show.

The 2016 Saskatchewan Roughriders made their debut against Toronto on Thursday, losing 30-17, but in the process, giving people an indication the wholesale change of the Rider roster may be leading to something better.

The Riders lost because of a 57 punt return on the fifth play of the game which set Toronto up on the Rider five yard line for a quick touchdown; then Toronto got a 56 yard touchdown on their next series from Vidal Hazelton, then a botched snap on a third down Rider gamble got gobbled up by Toronto linebacker Matt Black who scored a touchdown.

Other than that, Toronto didn’t do much and the Rider defense was, with the exception of an odd breakdown here and there, pretty good.

The offense though still has some kinks to work out. Darian Durant threw for over 300 yards and got a touchdown, but looked like someone who hadn’t thrown a pass in over a year. Curtis Steele wasn’t bad at running back, and the Riders won the time of possession clock.

However they couldn’t score.

Part of that was Rich Stubler’s defense which bends, but rarely breaks. Part of that was Durant’s rust and lack of familiarity with his receivers. If he remains standing, that should fall into place as the Riders start to gel.

On the day of the game, the Riders announced they had come to terms with Josiah St. John for a three year deal. There had been all sorts of rumors that St. John had wanted a trade and it was thought Edmonton would be a likely place, perhaps for quarterback James Franklin. The Riders said there was no deal with Edmonton and St. John realized there was no point in sitting out one or two years for money he could get later once he proved himself.

The Riders could use the depth in the offensive line with Chris Best apparently on the six game injury list. If the key to this season is keeping Durant vertical, then anything the Riders can do to upgrade their Canadian talent to ensure they are covered in the event of injury is important.

This may explain the trade Friday between the Riders and the Argonauts (who stayed in Regina to practice instead of going home and then heading out to BC on Thursday, creating a situation where the Riders practice at 11 and the Argos at 2 at Taylor Field) where Shawn Lemon and a conditional pick in the 2018 CFL draft went to Toronto in exchange for offensive lineman Matt Sewell and fourth string quarterback Mitchell Gale.

Sewell was Toronto’s first round pick in 2013, but if Cory Wartman is starting ahead of him, apparently Sewell was nothing more than depth on Toronto’s roster. Gale had bounced between Toronto and Hamilton since 2013 and brings another arm to camp.

The Riders got rid of Lemon following a hit on Kendal Lawrence in practice which angered Rider Coach Chris Jones and a rather lacklustre week of practice that saw a converted tight end starting ahead of him against Toronto. Lemon was one of the big ticket free agents the Riders had signed in the offseason and his trade showed Jones has no problems dumping guys who can’t hold their place on the roster.

Mind you the Riders had paid most of Lemon’s money in his signing bonus, so there is a bit of a cap hit, but the message it sends the team is we want people who want to be here. If you don’t, here is a map and an apple and get the hell out.
The move is a bit of a gamble with the Riders looking at converting former receivers to defensive ends, but the players (AC Leonard and Jordan Reaves) are tall and athletic and their skills do lend themselves to batting passes down and getting after runners fast.

I don’t think this will be the last of the moves, and it will be interesting, if not amazing, to see how the team comes together.  But first, let’s look at upcoming games.

Winnipeg or Satan’s team goes to Hamilton and there are several things to say about this game.

Winnipeg has become the finest garbage time team in the CFL, showing complete and utter apathy until the fourth quarter when it turns on the points to make it look “respectable”. If you are in a fantasy league, sign up Drew Willy ASAP because he holds the key to Winnipeg’s third straight loss.

Mind you, the egg that Hamilton laid at home against BC makes one think that John Chick had exactly one good game left in him and Jeremiah Masoli is more overrated than Jim Popp as a head coach. Hamilton took a look at reshuffling their defense, trading Alex Hoffman-Ellis, a linebacker, to Edmonton for a conditional eighth round pick.

The Cats also cut Geoff Tisdale who was beaten like the family mule against BC. So both teams need this win, but I am putting my faith on Winnipeg to continue their garbage time reign and be the only sure thing I have a handle on this season. Hamilton to win this one by say nine points.

Toronto goes from Regina to BC and it was weird to be able to catch a Rider practice in the morning and then an Argonaut practice in the afternoon. Toronto started strong against the Riders and their defense managed to keep them in against an embryonic Rider offense but here are a few things to consider. Toronto rarely wins in BC. The reason they stayed in Regina is eastern teams have problems coping with the time change and coming over two time zones reduces the effect to one when Toronto goes to Vancouver.

I’d pick Hazelton again in a CFL fantasy league, but BC has more of a team than the Riders do at this point and I don’t think they will be as easy. Toronto has problems against good defenses and BC has a pretty good one going for them at this stage of the season. BC hit all the marks against Hamilton and played the weather better than Hamilton did the difference in quality between quarterbacks. This one should be entertaining and I see BC winning by eight points.
Calgary goes to Ottawa and this should be an entertaining game.

First, I hope Rich Campbell gets fine for his soccer dive against all time crazy man Duron Carter. Montreal should be glad they have a bye this week because that will help squeeze Carter into a few anger management classes. But while I have to acknowledge Ottawa’s win over Edmonton and their effort against Montreal, I don’t necessarily have to like it.

The hit on Carter in the end zone when he scored his touchdown should have seen a penalty if not a disqualification for intent to injure. I can see the reason for Carter’s immaturity leading him along the Ottawa sideline where Campbell positioned himself for a hit knowing the odds were good Carter would be disqualified and with Montreal already losing SJ Green, now for the season, Montreal’s receiving corps would have no chance to beat Ottawa. Now after owner Jeff Hunt pouted like Donald Trump over losing Jason Maas, I am suspecting this is an attitude that is flowing downhill making Ottawa less likeable.

That being said, Ottawa lost running back Tre Vann and brought in Nic Grimsby this week and former Rider quarterback Brent Smith for additional depth. Ottawa also brought in former Rider Tristian Jackson on the practice roster. I like Smith and Jackson but I have to wonder at the curse taking out Ottawa running backs. Calgary on the other hand has a focus problem.

After beating Winnipeg like a gong, their defense apparently decided to adjourn to the beer tent and let Satan’s team back into the game. Part of that is probably a new coaching staff and defensive coordinator not getting their message through and the other part is the patented Calgary arrogance where no team beats them, but Calgary beats itself. Which is fine is you are along on a Saturday night, but doesn’t work on a football field. I have seen a similar lapse of focus on the Riders in previous years and it is contagious. I expect a bit of a shoot -out unless locusts fall from the sky, a two headed calf is born and the Rideau runs red with pollution from upstream with Ottawa beating Calgary.

Finally we have the moment Ed Hervey has been waiting for, the chance to beat Chris Jones like a broken drum in front of a national audience. In a previous game, Edmonton jumped all over the Riders and afterwards one of their staffers told Rod Pedersen, voice of the Riders, the game was a big FU to Jones. You would think this week would be same but…

Edmonton’s offense gave up over 500 yards passing against Ottawa. I could see it if it was against rookie defensive backs, but some all-stars on Edmonton were broiled alive against Ottawa. Now with a change from a Jones led defense to Mike Benevedes may explain some things, but once you get past the vengeance factor, Edmonton may take longer than expected to transition into a new identity. Now the Riders defense is actually decent with a couple of coverage breakdowns here and there, but when you have Shawn Lemon getting traded because a couple of kids are showing better than him, I have to think the Riders defense will hold them in until the offense gets rolling. That is a big if though.

If previous games like the difference in Ricky Ray from his first game to second is any indication, hopefully Darian Durant will have shaken the rust off enough in this game.  I can see why teams with established starters spend the exhibition season playing backups, but quarterbacks, especially those coming off injuries; need to knock off the rust. That is why I am urging the CFL to allow rookies and first year players in training camp to engage in controlled scrimmages with veteran quarterbacks contributing.

But that is a point for another day. The Riders will show better than they did last week, and while I can see a possible upset, I see Edmonton hanging on by two points. If I were Edmonton, I would be thinking hard about whether this team can defend its title.