FIVE THINGS WE’VE LEARNED ABOUT THE 2017 ROUGHRIDERS
Five things we’ve learned about the Saskatchewan Roughriders during the pre-season and entering their CFL regular-season opener on Thursday against Darian Durant and the host Montreal Alouettes:
1 GLENN IS NO. 1 Chris Jones, the Riders’ head coach and general manager, confirmed after Friday’s 42-10 pre-season loss to the B.C. Lions that Kevin Glenn would be the Green and White’s starting quarterback.
It’s hardly a surprise considering Glenn wasn’t pushed by any of the backups during training camp. Glenn’s performance in only three possessions Friday indicated the gap has widened between the veteran pivot and backups Brandon Bridge and Marquise Williams.
That distance isn’t a good thing because the Riders need someone to step up if Glenn gets injured. Vince Young might have been an option, but his comeback attempt was cut short by a torn hamstring that he suffered on June 6. Young and Bryan Bennett were both released on Saturday.
That leaves Glenn, who is serviceable and well-suited for the Riders’ offence, as the starting quarterback. They have to hope he remains healthy and they don’t have to dip into their backups.
2 SECONDARY A PRIMARY CONCERN The boundary side is well-covered with cornerback Kacy Rodgers and defensive halfback Ed Gainey. The other three positions are major concerns.
Jeff Hecht and Mike Edem struggled at safety on Friday night. It appears that Hecht will head into the regular season as the starter, but Edem will also get a number of repetitions.
Who knows who will be the cornerback and defensive halfback on the field side? Warren Gatewood, Mike Roberts and Crezdon Butler all looked good during training camp, but were released Saturday after being burned by B.C.’s starters at one time or another. Jones said that Roberts and Butler both suffered injuries, which may have contributed to the coverage woes.
If so, that indicates a lack of depth, which could be an issue in the regular season.
3 THE WOE-LINE Derek Dennis, the Riders’ highestprofile free-agent signing, was assessed back-to-back illegal procedure penalties and was later flagged for holding on Friday. That’s hardly the performance expected from someone who was the CFL’s most outstanding offensive lineman in 2016.
Friday was a tough night for most of the offensive line as that unit was flagged six times for penalties, which is far too many flags for even a preseason game.
Veteran guard Brendon LaBatte didn’t play and is battling a sprained ankle. That could be a concern heading into the regular season.
The line had looked better in training camp, but still surrendered four sacks on Friday. The Riders need a better showing from the offensive line if they are to have any success offensively.
4 BRINGING PRESSURE The defensive line was able to generate pressure on all of the Lions’ quarterbacks on Friday.
All five of the Riders’ sacks on Friday were by defensive linemen, including two by Davis Tull.
The talent ranges from veterans like as defensive ends Willie Jefferson, A.C. Leonard and Jonathan Newsome to defensive tackles Eddie Steele, Zach Minter and Ese Mrabure.
They can all rush the passer, which is a good thing because the secondary is going to be in tough when it comes to coverage.
The front line needs to play better against the run, as the Lions averaged 6.7 yards per carry.
5 GOOD-HANDS PEOPLE There is also a lot of talent among the receivers. Naaman Roosevelt and Duron Carter could form one of the league’s most-potent receiving combinations. There is depth and experience with Rob Bagg, Bakari Grant, Caleb Holley and Ricky Collins Jr.
Whether they get the ball enough to be effective remains to be seen.