QUARTERBACKS PREVIEW
Team hands pivot a new contract
The hopes of the Saskatchewan Roughriders rest on the talents of veteran quarterback Darian Durant, who signed a three-year contract extension during the off-season.
REGINA — The hopes of the Saskatchewan Roughriders rest on the talents of veteran quarterback Darian Durant.
The CFL team confirmed that during the off-season when it re-signed the seasoned pivot to a three-year contract extension that will reportedly pay him $400,000 a season.
The new deal kept Durant from becoming a free agent because he was heading into his option year. It also means the Riders have an established quarterback at the controls who has guided the team to three Grey Cup games since 2010, winning it all in 2013.
“Each year I’ve seen a growth in Darian coaching against him and then being on the same team with him as a coach,” said Corey Chamblin, who is heading into his third season as the Riders’ head coach.
“I really expect him to take the next step (this season). The next step in his game is really to think like a coach. I want him to have that mindset of a coach and be more in tune with the offence. Not that he wasn’t last year.”
There will be more opportunities for Durant to grow this year with offensive coordinator George Cortez taking on the additional duties as quarterbacks coach. Cortez steps into the position that had been handled for two seasons by Khari Jones, who left during the off-season to become the offensive co-ordinator with the B.C. Lions.
“(Durant) will get a lot more teaching on where the offence is going and where we want it to go,” Chamblin said. “I expect Darian to take the next step as a quarterback and become a leader on and off the field.”
Durant did that in the post-season last year, his eighth year in the CFL and fifth as the Riders’ No. 1 quarterback. He led the Riders to a 29-25 win over the visiting Lions in the West Division semifinal and helped them defeat the host Calgary Stampeders 35-13 in the West final.
Durant capped his playoff run in the 101st Grey Cup game, in which the Riders defeated the Hamilton TigerCats 45-23 at Mosaic Stadium on Nov. 24.
During the post-season, Durant completed 60 of 77 pass attempts for 614 yards with four touchdowns and didn’t throw an interception. He also helped on the ground, rushing for 141 yards on 17 carries. Chamblin expects Durant to build on that performance when the 2014 season begins.
“Darian did a great job last year,” Chamblin said. “The biggest thing is he’ll have conversations with the offensive co-ordinator even more. It will give him a greater and more thorough understanding of the offence and into the mind of George of what we are trying to accomplish.”
Cortez is headed into his second season as the Riders’ offensive co-ordinator. He feels that Durant will continue to develop because it’s also the quarterback’s second season in Cortez’s offence.
The Riders have to count on Durant because there isn’t much CFL experience among his backups.
Tino Sunseri moved from third on the depth chart in 2013 to second this season after Drew Willy was traded during the off-season to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Backups Seth Doege and Adam Weber have impressive college resumes, but have not played a down in the CFL.
“The thing that will give Tino a chance to improve is he’ll get more repetitions in practice,” Cortez said.