FINALLY, SOME EXCITEMENT FOR THE BELEAGUERED RIDERS
Now that the Saskatchewan Roughriders have stopped playing football in 2022, they may actually create a buzz.
The CFL team's somniferous season was rarely, barely interesting after a 4-1 start was counteracted by a 2-11 finish.
The Roughriders were first written off in this cherished space following a 26-24 homefield loss to the otherwise feckless Edmonton Elks on Sept. 16.
That setback was part of a glorious seven-game losing streak — a tailspin that the Roughriders will attempt to arrest when the 2023 season begins.
By then, who will be the starting quarterback?
Who will call the plays?
This is where it gets interesting …
TSN football insider Farhan Lalji reported on the weekend that the Roughriders have sought permission to interview two prospective offensive co-ordinators — Khari Jones and Marc Mueller.
Jones, who is currently a football-operations consultant with the Hamilton Tiger-cats, has extensive CFL experience as an offensive co-ordinator. His extensive resume also includes two seasons (2012 and 2013) in Saskatchewan as a quarterbacks coach.
The Regina-born Mueller is also an intriguing, eminently qualified candidate.
The former Sheldon-williams Spartans and University of Regina Rams quarterback has been a member of the Calgary Stampeders' coaching staff since 2014.
He has been their quarterbacks coach since 2020.
Bonus! Mueller also happens to be Ron Lancaster's grandson.
Lalji also reported that running backs coach Kelly Jeffrey is a possible successor to offensive co-ordinator Jason Maas, who was fired/scapegoated after the 2022 season.
Head coach Craig Dickenson told Michael Ball on CKRM'S Sportscage on Monday that the team plans to interview Jeffrey and five other candidates.
The names we will hear in the days and weeks ahead are bound to be reputable.
But how realistic is it to expect or hope that the Roughriders will land a strategist who will have a necessarily restorative effect on the offence?
The potential problem revolves around the tenuous job security of Dickenson and general manager Jeremy O'day, both of whom have only one year remaining on their contracts.
In recent years, the Roughriders have tended to sign their co-ordinators to multi-year deals.
With that in mind, how can there be contractual harmony?
Will would-be offensive co-ordinators be concerned about the possibility of being part of a lame-duck regime?
If you are the highly regarded Mueller, for example, is this
THE time to take the plunge and, in the process, leave behind a secure and comfortable situation in Calgary?
At 33, Mueller has time on his side. How would the Roughriders convince him that now is the time to move?
If they can, kudos to them.
The hiring of Mueller would be a coup. It may also be wishful thinking.
Along those lines, we turn to quarterbacking — or lack thereof.
The notion of Cody Fajardo returning as the starter is, well, a non-starter. The Roughriders unjustly benched him with two games remaining in a lost season, even though there remained a mathematical shot at making the playoffs. What does that tell you?
Of all the signal-callers who are or may be on the market, Stampeders legend Bo Levi Mitchell is clearly the most qualified.
However, Mitchell's rights were recently dealt to Hamilton. The Tiger-cats now enjoy negotiating exclusivity with Mitchell until he can become a free agent in February.
Should Mitchell decide to test the open market, it is hardly guaranteed that Saskatchewan would be the most desirable destination. This is a team, after all, with serious deficiencies along the offensive line. Any incoming quarterback has a reason to be wary of the situation in Saskatchewan.
But some brave soul will end up standing behind centre when the 2023 season commences.
If that lucky (?) individual doesn't happen to be Mitchell, the successor to Fajardo could be Dane Evans (currently of Hamilton), Trevor Harris (Montreal Alouettes), Nick Arbuckle (Ottawa Redblacks) or someone of that ilk.
The pipe dream, at this stage, would be the consummation of a deal that brings Chad Kelly from Toronto to Regina.
Kelly, whose uncle Jim is a Buffalo Bills legend, replaced an injured Mcleod Bethel-thompson in Sunday's Grey Cup game and helped Toronto win 24-23.
After entering the game on short notice, Kelly was energetic and effective.
That would not have escaped the attention of the Argonauts' brass, which has to be intrigued.
If nothing else, though, the mere mention of Kelly's name does generate that elusive buzz.