Riders beating the bushes for prospects
The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ pursuit of prospects continues, even with training camp looming.
The CFL team has five tryout camps scheduled before opening its main training camp in Saskatoon on May 28.
“It would be real easy to sit around and not do anything and get ready for camp,” Riders coach and general manager Chris Jones said. “We already have the playbook made up and all of that stuff. You just might come across that one guy who makes a difference.”
The Riders have a tryout camp Saturday in Miami before holding sessions May 20 (Houston and Oakland) and May 21 (Dallas and L.A.).
Monday’s CFL draft, in which the Riders made nine picks, helped them re-stock Canadian talent. The tryout camps are an effective method of evaluating U.S. players.
The timing of the NFL draft, held April 27-29, contributed to the Riders’ plans for the scheduling of tryout camps.
“The NFL draft just happened so a lot of agents are calling us,” Jones said. “Our phones are blowing up with guys saying, ‘I have a guy who didn’t get taken or got cut out of X, Y and Z NFL camp.’”
Jones learned last year that post-draft camps can be beneficial.
“There were a couple of guys that I can’t remember, who came to Dallas and had a really good workout,” Jones said. “I know we ended up bringing a couple of them to main camp.”
Representatives of Riders’ football-operations staff are in Laval, Que., to scout events preceding Saturday’s EastWest Bowl — a showcase for U Sports players eligible for the 2018 CFL draft.
Four University of Regina Rams — linebacker Danny Nesbitt, quarterback Noah Picton, running back Atlee Simon and defensive lineman Eric Wicijowski — are to play for Team West.
Our phones are blowing up with guys saying, ‘I have a guy who didn’t get taken or got cut out of X, Y and Z NFL camp.’