Receiver Rogers due back soon
Relief is on the way for the Calgary Stampeders’ beat-up receiving corps.
Maybe it’ll be Friday’s game against the Toronto Argonauts, or maybe the following week against the Montreal Alouettes, but it looks like Eric Rogers will return to the lineup soon.
With DaVaris Daniels having surgery on a broken collarbone and Kamar Jorden’s season over due to a serious knee injury, the return of Rogers couldn’t come at a better time.
Out since the end of July, Rogers returned to the practice field before the Stamps’ win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sept. 15, and increased his workload at Monday’s practice at McMahon Stadium.
“I did a little bit of everything, (the knee) is all right,” Rogers said. “It’s not the greatest, but it’s progressing.”
Rogers had knee surgery in early-August to correct a lingering issue. It was a big loss for the Stampeders, but the recent injuries to Jorden and Daniels have seriously stretched the team’s receiving depth.
The team’s next-man-up philosophy has done just fine.
Reggie Begelton has put in two star-making performances in the Stamps’ last two games, while Juwan Brescacin has thrived in a bigger role. Those guys are going to need to continue to produce, while others, like Marken Michel, are likely going to be asked to take on even bigger roles.
Up next could be Markeith Ambles, the first-year Houston product who impressed in pre-season but has been on the practice roster since.
If Rogers isn’t ready to go against the Argos, Ambles looks like he’ll be getting the opportunity he’s been waiting for all season.
“I hope both will be ready to go …,” said Stamps head coach Dave Dickenson.
“DaVaris got surgery today so I’m excited to see how it went and hopefully we get him back for the end of the year and playoffs, but we know what we’ve got and we need both of those guys to push each other.”
It’s hard to over-emphasize just how much Rogers’ return could mean for the Stampeders.
Despite re-signing with the Stamps at the end of training camp after essentially two years on the sideline, Rogers showed immediate flashes of his game-changing talent. In only five games, he had 21 catches for 329 yards and five touchdowns, all despite being nowhere near 100 per cent.
Will he be in perfect shape when he gets back this time? Probably not. But as long as Rogers is close, he represents a serious deep-ball threat.
“I don’t have to build confidence,” Rogers said. “I sat at home for two years and I came here and practised for three days and played in a game. It’s just a matter of me running well.”
At this point, running seems to be Rogers’ main focus as he tackles the final stretch of his recovery.
“I just want to be able to run a little better. Everything else is good,” Rogers said. “Just be able to run and open up a little bit down the field. All the short stuff is pretty easy, and cutting, but (the focus is on) when we have to run by people and stuff like that.”