Signing with Riders “no brainer” for Denmark
Friday the 13th was a lucky day for two CFL veterans.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders announced the signings of international slotback Clarence Denmark and international defensive end Eric Norwood on Friday. Denmark and Norwood were both looking for homes after being cut by their respective teams.
Denmark, 30, was released March 22 after five seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Norwood, 27, spent three seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats before being released May 2.
“With the team, the coaching staff and the fans there, (signing with the Riders) was a no-brainer for me,’’ Denmark said Friday from his off-season home in Jacksonville, Fla. “I have a lot of respect (for head coach and general manager) Chris Jones and his coaching staff. Just to play for someone that you know can get the job done makes a huge difference.’’
Denmark adds some heat to the rivalry between the Riders and Blue Bombers. Winnipeg signed slotback Weston Dressler after the Riders released him in January due to financial reasons. Dressler spent eight seasons with the Riders.
Winnipeg later signed receiver Ryan Smith as a free agent. Smith was with the Riders for two seasons before moving to the Blue Bombers. The Riders and Blue Bombers meet for the first time in 2016 in the Labour Day Classic on Sept. 4.
“We’re going to deal with that when it comes,’’ Denmark said. “We’re just going to focus on winning and making plays.
“That’s what it all comes down to in football.’’
The Riders acquired a durable and reliable receiver in Denmark. He missed only three games with the Blue Bombers while recording 306 catches for 4,165 yards with 16 touchdowns in 87 games. Denmark’s release was believed to be salary-cap-related after the Blue Bombers were among the league’s most active teams in free agency.
Denmark’s signing is timely considering that the Riders have already lost two international receivers — Maurice Price and Jeremy Kelley — to recent retirements.
Denmark will also be counted on to mentor the Riders’ young receivers. At 31, Rob Bagg is the elder statesman among the Riders’ receivers.
“They are young, but they are good players,’’ said Denmark, who was a 2014 CFL all-star. “They have some proven players in this league. They will be fine and I will do whatever I can to help them out.’’
There is some uncertainty about when Norwood can help out. Norwood, who had 24 sacks in three seasons with Hamilton, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament during the East Division semifinal against the Toronto Argonauts on Nov. 15. Norwood was expected to be sidelined until late July or early August, but could return sooner.
The Riders can be patient with Norwood because of the off-season free-agent signings of Justin Capicciotti and Shawn Lemon, who were the starting defensive ends for the Ottawa Redblacks in their 26-20 loss to the Edmonton Eskimos in the 2015 Grey Cup game. Capicciotti, a 26-year-old national, was third in the CFL with 12 sacks in 2015.
Lemon, 27, joined the Redblacks in early September after failing to land a job with an NFL team. He had five sacks in nine regular-season games with Ottawa.
The Riders also announced the signing of receiver Alec Lemon (6-foot-2 and 207 pounds). Lemon, 24, spent the 2013 season with the NFL’s Houston Texans and the 2014 season with the Baltimore Ravens.
Released Friday by the Riders were three nationals — receiver Alex Carroll, running back Brandon Deschamps and fullback Carl Fitzgerald. Also cut were international defensive lineman Sage Harold and international running back Stephen Houston.