Breaking down the 2017 Roughriders’ lineup
Offence in capable hands of QB Glenn and receivers Roosevelt, Bagg and Carter
There’s a twist to the marquee matchup of quarterbacks Darian Durant and Kevin Glenn in Thursday’s CFL regular-season opener.
Glenn will lead the Saskatchewan Roughriders into the game against Durant and the host Montreal Alouettes. Glenn was Montreal’s starting quarterback when the 2016 season began, at which point Durant was the Riders’ starter for the eighth straight season.
Durant’s status changed Jan. 13 when he was traded Montreal for draft picks after talks regarding a contract extension reached an impasse. Chris Jones, the Riders’ head coach and general manager, eventually signed Glenn to replace Durant.
The Riders have also undergone other roster changes during the offseason. With that in mind, here’s a position-by-position breakdown of the Riders. Internationals are denoted by an asterisk.
QUARTERBACKS
Returnee: Brandon Bridge.
Newcomers: Kevin Glenn* Marquise Williams*.
The skinny: Glenn was the undisputed starter heading into training camp and heads into the regular season entrenched in that role. Glenn, 38, is the oldest active player in the CFL and that’s not necessarily a bad thing with the recent championship performances of quarterbacks in their late 30s and early 40s.
Glenn has been a reliable backup as of late, but the Riders are counting on his experience to lead them through the 2017 season. He had better come through because Bridge has limited CFL experience and Williams is a raw rookie.
RUNNING BACKS/ FULLBACKS
Returnees: FB Spencer Moore, RB Greg Morris.
Newcomers: RB Kienan LaFrance, RB Cameron Marshall*, RB Jonathan Thebaud, FB Albert Awachie.
The skinny: A lingering hamstring injury to LaFrance altered the Riders’ plans to start a national running back, at least heading into regular-season opener. Watch for the Riders to make a move when LaFrance is healthy and Morris’s role will also increase. For now, Marshall should be the starting running back after beating out Anthony Allen for the job. The Riders don’t run the ball a lot, or very effectively. Jones would like to see that improve, but is willing to settle for solid pass protection for the time being.
RECEIVERS
Returnees: WR Rob Bagg, WR Ricky Collins Jr.*, SB Nic Demski, WR Caleb Holley*, SB Naaman Roosevelt*, WR Josh Stanford.
Newcomers: WR Duron Carter*, WR Antwane Grant*, SB Bakari Grant*.
The skinny: The Riders didn’t stand still when it came to upgrading their receivers, a position of strength, during the off-season. They signed Carter, one of the league’s most electrifying receivers, and Grant, a solid physical slotback with sure hands. Their signings further boost a receiving corps led by veterans Roosevelt and Bagg, sophomores Holley and Collins, and third-year Rider Demski.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Returnees: C Dan Clark, OT Thaddeus Coleman*, OL Dillon Guy, G Josiah St. John, G Brendon LaBatte.
Newcomers: G Dariusz Bladek, OT Derek Dennis*, OL Peter Dyakowski, OL Eddie Meredith, OL Brendon Philogene, OL Ryan White.
The skinny: The Riders addressed a void at left tackle by signing Dennis, the 2016 CFL’s most outstanding offensive lineman while with the Calgary Stampeders. The re-signing of Coleman further solidified the right tackle position. LaBatte returns at left guard after missing 15 regular-season games in 2016 with a neck injury. Dyakowski, who the Riders acquired from the Toronto Argonauts for receiver Armanti Edwards the night before training camp opened, looks like the starter at right guard with St. John dealing with a head injury that he suffered in training camp. Clark is back at centre after making his CFL debut in 2012. The Riders have depth along the offensive line, which should help them withstand injuries.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Returnees: DE A.C. Leonard*, DT Linden Gaydosh, DE Willie Jefferson*, DT Makana Henry, DT Ese Mrabure, DE Jonathan Newsome*.
Newcomers: DE Tobi Antigha*, DT Zach Minter*, DE D.J. Pettway*, DT Eddie Steele, DE Davis Tull*. The skinny: Six players will be part of the rotation at defensive end and defensive tackle. Jefferson, Leonard and Newsome are expected to rotate at defensive end. Rookie Tull may also fit into the picture down the road. The Riders have options at defensive tackle with the possibility of starting Steele and Minter and Mrabure seeing action in the rotation. Gaydosh could also play a role in that scenario. How quickly the line comes together will determine just how effective Saskatchewan’s defence will be in 2017.
LINEBACKERS
Returnees: Samuel Eguavoen*, Dillon Grondin, Kevin Francis, Henoc Muamba.
Newcomers: Brandyn Bartlett, Jordan Butler, Erick Dargan*, Glenn Love*, Cameron Judge, Derrick Moncrief*, Myke Tavarres*, Sam Williams*.
The skinny: Muamba is entrenched at middle linebacker, providing the Riders with relief on the international/national ratio. The Riders had big hopes for Eguavoen, who missed 12 games in 2016 with a knee injury. Eguavoen spent all but the first day of training camp on the sideline with an ankle injury. The good side to the injury was more repetitions for Francis, a converted receiver and safety, at outside linebacker. Even with that experience, the Riders will likely start the season with Dargan and Williams as outside linebackers and wait for Eguavoen to recover.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Returnees: CB Tevaughn Campbell, S Jeff Hecht, HB Ed Gainey*, CB Kacy Rodgers*.
Newcomers: DB Mike Dubuisson*, S Mike Edem, CB Jovon Johnson*, DB Chris Lyles*, S Denzel Radford. The skinny: The boundary side of the Riders’ defensive backfield looks solid with Gainey at halfback and Rodgers at cornerback. The field side was a question mark with no players really stepping forward to fill the holes created with the releases of Justin Cox and cornerback Fred Bennett. Cox was among the league’s elite defensive halfbacks and led the Riders with four interceptions. The signing of Johnson, a veteran of 10 CFL seasons, may address some issues at cornerback. Lyles, a rookie, could start at defensive halfback. That personnel may change while Jones searches for options. The Riders could go with Hecht or Edem at safety. Regardless, both are such solid special-teams players that they will both be on the roster.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Punter: Josh Bartel, Quinn van Gylswyk.
Placekicker: Tyler Crapigna, Quinn van Gylswyk.
Long-snapper: Jorgen Hus. Returners: Chad Owens*, Ricky Collins Jr*, Nic Demski, Jovon Johnson*.
The skinny: The Riders head into the 2017 regular season with the same trio of kickers from 2016. Bartel was the starting punter and Crapigna handled the place-kicking duties with van Gylswyk backing up in both roles. The scenario worked last year, so why would the Riders change in 2017? The Riders are stronger at long-snapper because Hus has recovered from off-season wrist surgery. Owens was signed as a free agent to address the Riders’ returning issues in 2016. Owens missed most of training camp while recovering from a broken foot that he suffered in 2016 with the Hamilton TigerCats. The absence of Owens led to more opportunities for Collins and Demski to showcase their talents.