“Durant, Bell or Jyles? Who will be the man to lead a talented Roughriders offense into battle?”
It was a typical offseason in Riderville. One full of controversy.
Major personnel moves, talks of a new stadium and a gm scandal made the offseason rather intriguing for Rider fans.
What made the offseason longer for Rider fans was the disappointing end to the season.
The Riders started the season with an impressive win streak but then quarterback Darian Durant succumbed to an injury. The Riders went out and acquired quarterback Michael Bishop from the Toronto Argonauts to replace Durant. The results, were disastrous to say the least.
Bishop did throw for 2,224 yards with the Riders but he also threw 12 interceptions to seven touchdowns. Bishop looked spectacular at times but often had trouble taking care of the ball. His inconsistency came back to hurt the Riders as the team was defeated by the BC Lions in the Western Semi-Final.
Heading into a new season, the Riders will look to get over the dissapointment of last season.
With new players and coaches making their debuts for the Riders it should be interesting to see how the team will adapt.
Let’s take a closer look at the Saskatchewan Roughriders:
What’s New?
The Riders made the news in the offseason for all the wrong reasons. General Manager Eric Tillman was charged with Sexual Assault, news that shocked the Rider nation.
When it came to the football side of things, the Riders were also dealt some blows.
Starting middle linebacker Maurice Lloyd signed with the Edmonton Eskimos during free agency, and outside linebacker Anton Mackenzie left for the BC Lions. Defensive coordinator Richie Hall finally got the head coaching job he’d been looking for with the Edmonton Eskimos.
Gary Etchevarry takes over the Defensive Coordinator spot for the Roughriders despite having ambitions to be a head coach at the collegiate level.
In a couple of somewhat surprising trades, the Riders dealt Kitwana Jones to the Edmonton Eskimos and former Grey Cup MOP James Johnson to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The Rides did make some signings of their own however.
The team added veteran slot back and home-grown product Jason Clermont to the team,
After missing out on Clermont in the draft, fans had been anxious for a chance to see Clermont play for the green and white.
Saskatchewan also recruited a lot of players in the offseason, such as receiver Todd Blythe, running back Justin Beaver and defensive ends Joe Sykes and Mike Stadnyk.
When it came to the CFL Draft, the Riders didn’t have a lot of picks to work with. The team ended up picking local products Tamon George and Nick Hutchins.
Concerns
The Riders roster is filled with question marks.
Who will step into the line backing core? Which quarterback will grab the starters reigns? And will the defense play at a high level without Richie Hall?
3 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete