TOUGH SHOES TO FILL
Riders need to replace Roosevelt
We regret to inform you that the dream collaboration of Franklin-roosevelt will not come to pass — not in the near future, anyway.
Quarterback James Franklin signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Feb. 11, when veteran receiver Naaman Roosevelt became a CFL free agent.
Any hopes that Roosevelt would return for a sixth season with the Roughriders were extinguished on Friday, when 3 Down nation’s Justin Dunk reported that the 32-year-old slotback has agreed to terms on a oneyear contract with the Montreal Alouettes.
That deal leaves Saskatchewan with the task of having to replace someone who was a primary target on second downs.
Such was the evolution of Roosevelt’s role as a Roughrider. In the early years, he was a feared downfield threat who was also proficient in move-the-chains situations, but he eventually became strictly a possession receiver.
His final long-distance play as a Roughrider was on Sept. 9, 2017, against the host Winnipeg Blue Bombers. During that game, he caught a 75-yard touchdown pass from Kevin Glenn — six days after scoring on a 53-yarder.
Over Roosevelt’s next 40 regular-season or playoff games, he did not register a gain exceeding 40 yards. His longest reception in 2019: 33 yards.
Roosevelt also became less conspicuous in the end zone over time.
He produced 19 touchdown catches over his first 49 games in green and white, but scored only once in the final 22 contests.
Yet, he remained an important contributor.
Consider the fact that he caught 77 passes for 946 yards last season. He led the team in second-down conversions, with 26 — five more than all-star wide receiver Shaq Evans, who enjoyed a 72-catch, 1,334-yard breakout year.
Roosevelt was also the favourite target of Roughriders quarterbacks, who aimed 116 passes in his direction. Evans (108) and slotback Kyran Moore (100) were next in line.
On throws of 20-plus yards, however, Roosevelt was targeted 17 times, with only five receptions resulting. Compare that to Evans (29 targets, 15 catches) and Moore (16 targets, eight catches).
But on passes of zero to 19 yards, Roosevelt caught 72 of 99 aerials. The Roughriders’ other leaders were Moore (70 of 84) and Evans (57 of 79).
This deluge of data tells us that the departure of Roosevelt creates a void, given his ability to find voids in coverage.
Sans Roosevelt, the Roughriders have an abundance of receiving talent, but do they possess one player who can be as reliable and productive in second-down situations?
Evans’s skill set enables him to get open on any pass pattern. He was effective on quick slants when the Roughriders were looking to convert a second down.
Moore was routinely showcased on short routes, which were designed to enable him to operate in space. He fell four yards shy of 1,000 last season, but should easily eclipse that milestone in 2020 under new offensive co-ordinator Jason Maas.
It is also reasonable to expect the re-emergence of Jordan Williams-lambert, who was an afterthought following a much-publicized in-season return to Saskatchewan.
Williams-lambert dressed for only three CFL games following an unsuccessful NFL tryout, making five receptions for 57 yards. It was a surprisingly silent season for someone who had caught 64 passes for 764 yards en route to being named the 2018 West Division rookie of the year.
At six-foot-three and 228 pounds, Williams-lambert is an especially inviting target at slotback — a position he played in 2018. For some reason, he was used primarily as a wide-side wideout last season.
The same applied to Manny Arceneaux, who as a slotback with the B.C. Lions was one of the league’s elite receivers. In Saskatchewan, though, he was miscast as a wide receiver.
Arceneaux, a free agent, appears unlikely to return. Williams-lambert, by contrast, is under contract for 2020. Presuming that he is used inside, perhaps he can offer reminders of 2018 and help the Roughriders compensate for the absence of Roosevelt.
Williams-lambert, Evans and Moore give Saskatchewan three receivers of whom rival defences must be cognizant.
A fourth spot, that of the wideside wide receiver, will likely be occupied by a national player (see: Justin Mcinnis, Brayden Lenius, Mitch Picton).
That leaves one slotback position, which veteran CFLER Kenny Stafford will likely be first in line to occupy.
American prospects Paul Mcroberts, Demarcus Ayers, Rashad Greene, Carlos Henderson, Randy Satterfield and Xavier Ubosi might also merit consideration.
Somebody, somehow, must replace the sure hands of Roosevelt — and, at this juncture, nobody looks like a sure thing.