Heading north a good idea
SASKATOON — Some thoughts after watching seven days and 14 practices at the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ training camp:
■ I don’t know what the Riders’ plans are for future training camps, but I would bet they will return to Saskatoon soon. The facilities at the University of Saskatchewan are perfect for an extended get-away and for preparing for the CFL’s regular season. The dorms are right beside Griffiths Stadium, as are the meeting rooms. The only complaint is the cafeteria is a 10-minute walk from the dorms. That doesn’t sound like much, but it can be a long trek after practising for four to five hours a day.
■ The walk to the cafeteria has sparked some unexpected bike sales and interaction with fans through Twitter. Some players have already bought bikes to make the trip. Others, like Tyron Brackenridge and Chris Getzlaf, used Twitter to see if anyone was willing to loan them a bike for training camp. Those requests were filled quickly. I’m sure those folks will have some stories to tell about which Riders used their bike during training camp.
■ The Riders do many things so well that it’s stunning when things don’t work out. The Riderville North Fanfest was a great promotion, despite the rainy conditions. The 30-minute window for player autographs just wasn’t enough time. Judging by the long lineup, the Riders could have devoted all of the afternoon session to signing autographs. I don’t know what the solution would be. After hearing the griping of some fans, I know that 30 minutes wasn’t nearly long enough.
■ There is a difference in Corey Chamblin’s coaching style in 2013 compared to 2012. Chamblin lets the coaches handle more of the day-to-day coaching aspects of the camp. He moves around to each group, basically observing what is taking place on the field. Chamblin’s style shows confidence in his coaches and is another example of his maturing as a head coach.
■ It’s tricky getting a handle on George Cortez’s offensive scheme. It appeared earlier in training camp that the offensive co-ordinator was looking to stretch the field by utilizing the speed of receivers like Getzlaf, Rob Bagg, Taj Smith and Kierrie Johnson. The deeper we get into training camp, the more it looks like mixture of short, medium and long passes with a healthy helping of the running game with Kory Sheets.
■ Dwight Anderson is quite the character on and off the field. He talks a lot, but most of the chatter is supportive.
He’s always talking to the other members of the secondary. He’s not much different when it comes to dealing with the media in post-practice scrums. I do know that he’ll be on the field a lot. Whether it’s at defensive halfback or cornerback remains to be determined.
■ I haven’t seen any reason to be concerned about quarterback Darian Durant adjusting to life with Cortez. There is a great deal of talking between the two when they are on the field. That’s not unusual, but it’s a sign that they are communicating. The growth of Durant as the No. 1 quarterback hinges on the relationship that he will develop with Cortez.
■ The starting five receivers look set (at least when Weston Dressler is healthy). Bagg and Smith appear to be the wide receivers and the slotbacks are Dressler, Geroy Simon and Getzlaf. The Riders have been alternating slotbacks with Dressler nursing an abdominal injury. Greg Carr and Johnson have had repetitions with Dressler on the sidelines. Johnson’s speed has been impressive while Carr has struggled at times. I really haven’t seen many of the receivers emerge as threats to the starters.
■ Simon’s first scrimmage with the Roughriders on Saturday was forgettable after dropping two passes from Durant that hit him in the hands. Simon wasn’t able to haul in a low pass from Durant later in the scrimmage. Simon is dealing with huge expectations that accompany his reputation and Saturday’s drops were surprising. He has looked solid during drills and is also helping the younger receivers adapt to the game. Simon has been through many training camps before. For him, it must be like riding a bicycle and he will come around before the season starts.