Backup Quarterbacks Needed Everywhere

Let's see here, all across the CFL there are 23 quarterbacks on active rosters, two on practice rosters, three injured and one on reserve.

Zac Champion of the BC Lions is the one on reserve and is irrelevant to this discussion while Ricky Santos (Montreal), Graham Harrell (Saskatchewan) and Jason Boltus (Hamilton) are "injured" and also irrelevant here.

And also for the purpose of this discussion (which you're not sure about yet) let's exclude every free agent quarterback and every quarterback who'll be cut by the NFL.

Now, where am I headed with this? You'll see in a minute.

In Calgary there's a bit of a quarterback controversy and I'd say they'd like to keep Burris, Nealy and Tate with them for now while they sort it out.

Hamilton likes Porter, Glenn and Tafralis, Montreal is good with Calvillo, McPherson and Leak while in Winnipeg Bishop, LeFors and Randall are good enough for them.

Now that leaves BC, Saskatchewan, Edmonton and Toronto.

If you saw the game between BC and Toronto last night, you saw Buck Pierce and Travis Lulay go down with head injuries for BC while Jarious Jackson was inconsistent.

In Toronto, Joseph and Pickett are doing battle but Pickett looked good enough and they don't seem to need a third guy and the only other QB on the roster is Stephen Reaves (practice roster) who probably won't garner much interest.

Edmonton and Saskatchewan however have some moveable pieces.

With Graham Harrell's expected arrival any week now from the injured list, Saskatchewan could part with either Steven Jyles or Dalton Bell in a trade but that would require a team give up something like a draft pick.

On the Riders practice roster is high flying quarterback Cole Bergquist and all a team would have to do is sign him and give up nothing but money to the guy.

Edmonton on the other hand has starter Ricky Ray, veteran Jason Maas and rookie Jared Zabransky.

Zabransky has shown the Eskimos enough promise to keep him on while Maas has a proven track record.

Now to the point of this article, if Pierce and/or Lulay are going to miss any significant amount of time or if Calgary decides they need more QB help or Toronto decides they need a third guy but don't want it to be Reaves then watch out for some moves.

If anyone goes I'd expect Bergquist to get signed, Bell might get dealt and Maas could go if Zabransky continues to improve.

Goodbye Schultzy: Remembering Scott Schultz

It’s official, Saskatchewan Roughrider’s defensive tackle and fan favourite Scott Schultz has retired from the Canadian Football League. Unexpected and sort of untimely, the announcement is definitely surprising and saddening for the ‘Rider Nation’.

A retirement during the beginning of the season is rare, but Scott Schultz is apparently pursuing a promising career opportunity in the insurance business.

Though Scott Schultz is still young, the 31-­­­year-old Moose Jaw native has had a lasting impact on the Saskatchewan Roughriders organization.

In college, Scott Schultz spent his entire career with the North Dakota Fighting Soux. The gritty nose tackle was a team captain in 2000, and had 146 career tackles and 11.5 sacks. Schultz definitely had a successful career in college and was named first team all-NCC in 1999 and 2000.

Scott Schultz was then selected with the first overall pick in the 2001 Canadian Football League College Draft. Schultz didn’t make an immediate impact for the Riders, as he also spent time with the San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers during his first two years.

2003 was the beginning of great things for the Moose Jaw boy. In 2003, Schultz had six sacks and 32 defensive tackles. He also started in both the Western Semi-Final and Western Final, where he recorded one sack. The next season, Schultz finished with 27 tackles and eight quarterback sacks.

Scott Schultz continued his success over the next couple of seasons, and he was named a CFL all-star in 2005.

Throughout his career, Schultz perhaps had the most success when he was teamed up with fellow defensive tackle Nate Davis. Davis and Schultz created a deadly combo at the tackle position, helping form a tough defense for the Riders. Schultz and Davis also forged a solid friendship.

But the crowning moment in Schultz’s career, along with many of the long-time Saskatchewan Roughriders involved, was the Grey Cup victory in 2007. Schultz was a integral part of the Saskatchewan Roughriders Cinderella run to the Grey Cup finals, where they beat the rival Winnipeg Blue Bombers to claim the Grey Cup.

Schultz shared in the glory of the victory. He was able to lift the cup high and proud, as he helped deliver glory to a promise that had been long starved of the Grey Cup.

Scott Schultz meant so much to the Riders, more than the stats could ever tell.

He was a consummate pro and a leader on the Saskatchewan Roughriders team. Anyone who has been to a Rider game has seen Scott Schultz right in the middle of team huddles, pumping up the team and the crowd. Schultz always brought a level of emotion to the game that made him a fun player to watch.

Schultz also meant a lot to the community. He did and still works in Regina, and has always taken time to give back to Regina. He has been running a football camp for some time now, giving advice to players who share the same dream that he did.

Always friendly with the media, Scott Schultz always came up with the most interesting one-liners He was always willing to take time out for the fans.

Being a former high-school defensive tackle in Saskatchewan, I know that Scott Schultz was always a player you aspired to be. A player who always gave it his all and was always a tough match for any offensive lineman. I still remember meeting Scott Schultz for the first time and getting his autograph. It was a great experience.

Whether it was signing an autograph, taking time to talk to the media, or bringing the crowd to its feet with an amazing tackle, Scott Schultz represented what it meant to be a Saskatchewan Roughrider.

On behalf of the Rider nation I’ve got to say: congratulations on your retirement and a great career Scott Schultz, and we will miss watching you creating havoc in the backfield.

Ex-Red Raider Graham Harrell Signs With Riders

REGINA, SSK-The Regina Leader-Post is reporting that ex-Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell has agreed in principle with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

During his collegiate career, Harrell was the 2006 Insight Bowl MVP, First Team All-Academic in the Big 12 three times, winner of the Sammy Baugh Trophy, 2008 Gator Bowl MVP, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award winner and a Heisman Trophy candidate.

Last season he had 5,111 in the Red Raiders pass happy offense.

After going undrafted in this year's NFL Draft he tried out for the Cleveland Browns but didn't make the final roster.

Saskatchewan now has five quarterbacks, three active. Darian Durant, Steven Jyles and Dalton Bell are the active ones with ex-Montana quarterback Cole Bergquist on the practice roster.

Saskatchewan Roughriders Make Cuts

REGINA, SSK-The Saskatchewan Roughriders have announced those who have not made the active roster:

Released:
DB Sasha Glavic
DL Seante Williams
DT David Patterson
DL Nuvraj Bassi
WR Byron Ross
WR Casey McGahee
WR Brandon "Bam" Childress
WR Todd Blythe
K/P Jeff Bolen
LB Sam Olajabutu
QB Juan Joseph
RB Jason Geathers
LB Brandon Perkins
OL Brad Peters
DB Jerron Wishom

Practice Roster:
DB Carlos Armour
DB Konrad Wasiela
DB Daniel Francis
RB Justin Beaver
OL Dan Clark
K/P Perry Scarelli
DL Joe Sykes

CFL 2009 Season Preview: Saskatchewan Roughriders

“Durant, Bell or Jyles? Who will be the man to lead a talented Roughriders offense into battle?”

It was a typical offseason in Riderville. One full of controversy.

Major personnel moves, talks of a new stadium and a gm scandal made the offseason rather intriguing for Rider fans.

What made the offseason longer for Rider fans was the disappointing end to the season.

The Riders started the season with an impressive win streak but then quarterback Darian Durant succumbed to an injury. The Riders went out and acquired quarterback Michael Bishop from the Toronto Argonauts to replace Durant. The results, were disastrous to say the least.
Bishop did throw for 2,224 yards with the Riders but he also threw 12 interceptions to seven touchdowns.

Bishop looked spectacular at times but often had trouble taking care of the ball. His inconsistency came back to hurt the Riders as the team was defeated by the BC Lions in the Western Semi-Final.

Heading into a new season, the Riders will look to get over the dissapointment of last season.
With new players and coaches making their debuts for the Riders it should be interesting to see how the team will adapt.

Let’s take a closer look at the Saskatchewan Roughriders:

What’s New?

The Riders made the news in the offseason for all the wrong reasons. General Manager Eric

Tillman was charged with Sexual Assault, news that shocked the Rider nation.

When it came to the football side of things, the Riders were also dealt some blows.
Starting middle linebacker Maurice Lloyd signed with the Edmonton Eskimos during free agency, and outside linebacker Anton Mackenzie left for the BC Lions. Defensive coordinator Richie Hall finally got the head coaching job he’d been looking for with the Edmonton Eskimos.

Gary Etchevarry takes over the Defensive Coordinator spot for the Roughriders despite having ambitions to be a head coach at the collegiate level.

In a couple of somewhat surprising trades, the Riders dealt Kitwana Jones to the Edmonton Eskimos and former Grey Cup MOP James Johnson to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The Rides did make some signings of their own however.

The team added veteran slot back and home-grown product Jason Clermont to the team,

After missing out on Clermont in the draft, fans had been anxious for a chance to see Clermont play for the green and white.

Saskatchewan also recruited a lot of players in the offseason, such as receiver Todd Blythe, running back Justin Beaver and defensive ends Joe Sykes and Mike Stadnyk.

When it came to the CFL Draft, the Riders didn’t have a lot of picks to work with. The team ended up picking local products Tamon George and Nick Hutchins.

Concerns

The Riders roster is filled with question marks.

Who will step into the line backing core? Which quarterback will grab the starters reigns? And will the defense play at a high level without Richie Hall?

The answers to these questions could very well dictate whether or not Saskatchewan has success this season. 

Whether it was a crucial move or not, Maurice Lloyd was undoubtedly a huge part of the Riders defense last season. He was widely considered to be the second choice behind Cameron Wake to win the Defensive Player of the Year award.

Mackenzie was not as flashy as Maurice Lloyd, but he was also just as successful.
The Riders believe they have found their replacement linebackers in Renauld Williamns, Sam Olajabuto and Tad Kornegay, but these players are all unproven.

And, whether it be Durant, Jyles, or Bell who starts for the Riders, all three will have to prove they can be consistent starters. Dalton Bell hasn’t played in the CFL, Steven Jyles has been inconsistent, and Durant has only played a few games.

And then there’s the Gary Etchevarry. He likely has the smarts to be a defensive coordinator, but he has no where near the experience of a Richie Hall.

Summary

When all is said and done, the Saskatchewan Roughriders have a very talented roster.

Despite a few turnovers, the roster that helped the Riders start 6-0 last season is in tact.
Andy Fantuz and Weston Dressler look better than ever in training camp and will likely help ignite a potent Roughriders offense. Wes Cates should continue to be one of the most dominant running backs in the CFL.

If one of Saskatchewan’s quarterbacks pan out for them this season, they could have one of the better offense’s in the league.

On defense, the Riders always seem to step it up and a new defensive coordinator will likely not affect it that much.

Once again their success on defense could depend on whether some new players step up.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders already are facing a lot of adversity going into the season, and they are once again being labelled as underdogs.

This shouldn’t bother the team as they’ve bore this label for the past several seasons. If anything, the team seems to embrace their role as underdogs.

With what appears to be a solid mood in the locker room, Saskatchewan should pose a challenge to any team in the West this season.

My Prediction: 9 to 12 wins, a second place finish in the West with a potential for first.

Outstanding Player of the Year: Wes Cates

Defensive Player of the Year: Sean Lucas

Canadian of the Year: Andy Fantuz

Lineman of the Year: Gene Makowsky

Special Teams Player of the Year: Luca Congi

Rookie of the Year: Joe Sykes

Camp Cuts: Week one

Week one of training camp is almost over and like everyone knows transactions come at a daily basis, so here they are for all eight teams:

BC LIONS:
Signed-DB William Heyward, OL Vaughn Lesuma (June 9), LB Courtney Smith

Released-C Lorne Plante, RB Charles Pierre, DB Donald Brown, OL Vaughn Lesuma (June 13), LB Marcus Richardson, RB Amos Allen, FB Lyle Green, SB Bret Anderson

Inactivated-OL Martin Bibla, DB Trestin George (June 7, reactivated June 13), OL Sherko Haji-Resouli (June 7, reactivated 13), WR Jason Jones, WR Anthony Russo

CALGARY STAMPEDERS:
Signed-WR Derrick Smith, DB Anthony Ivy, DB Ronnie Amadi, DB Perry Kyles (June 12)

Released-LB Robert Killebrew, LB Kurt Campbell, DB Lakendrick Terrell, DB Perry Kyles (June 10), WR Johnny Thomas, WR Reggie Williams (June 12)

Inactivated-DT Kenny King, G Jesse Newman, SB Reggie Williams (June 7)

EDMONTON ESKIMOS:
Signed-OL Joe McGrath (acquired in trade with Saskatchewan), WR Sean Young

Released-LB Derrick Doggett, DB Emanuel White, WR Eric Ware, LB Jason Kosec

Inactivated-DE Adam Braidwood

HAMILTON TIGER-CATS:
Signed-DB Cody Williams, DE Khari Long

Released-QB Erik Meyer, QB Josh Betts, DB John Williams Jr., OL Todd Londot

Inactivated-WR Willie Quinnie

MONTREAL ALOUETTES:
Signed-WR David Kircus, WR Glenn McKay, WR Chad Rempel (June 7), DT Darrell Campbell, LB Jay Staggs, DB De'Audre Dix, WR Keith Godding, DT Johnny Jackson (June 8), WR Dorrell Jalloh, WR Kevin Marion (June 9), DE Sean Ortiz (June 9), WR Andrew Hawkins (activated from Suspended list)

Released-C Ryan Mousseau, DE Sean Ortiz (June 7), LB Jon Abbate, DT Johnny Jackson (June 9), WR Chad Rempel (June 13), WR Kevin Marion (June 13)

Inactivated-WR Jamel Richardson, CB Stanford Samuels, DB Brandon Williams, DB Gemara Williams, LB John Mohring, RB Dahrran Diedrick

SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS:
Signed-OL Jocelyn Frennette (activated), RB Jason Geathers, LB Brandon Perkins, WR Eric Morris

Released-OL Andrae Townsel, DB Derrick Johnson, SB Carl Berman, OL Joe McGrath (traded to Edmonton)

Inactivated-WR David McKoy

TORONTO ARGONAUTS:
Signed-NONE

Released-NONE

Inactivated-CB Demetrice Webb

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS:
Signed-QB Richie Williams, DL DeVon Hicks

Released-QB Darrell Hackney

Inactivated-NONE

That's it for this week, can't wait till week 2 kicks off!

Training Camp Eve Cuts

With training camp starting today, the teams started trimming their rosters following the rookie minicamp, cuts came from five of the eight teams and here they are:

HAMILTON-DB Virgil Gray, WR Aaron Fairooz, DE Garrett McIntyre, WR Brandon Myles, DB Jacob Patek, DL Elton Patterson

WINNIPEG-DB Derrick Strait, QB Ryan Dinwiddie, WR Ivan Birungi, LB Bryan Wilson

SASKATCHEWAN-LB Carlos Armour, DE AJ Raebel, WR Toby Zeigler

EDMONTON-DB Brandent Englemon, S Tyler Everett, CB Darnell Terrell, LB Rory Johnson

MONTREAL-WR Kevin Marion, WR Javid James, SB Erik Galas, QB Brad Roach, QB Shane Boyd, G Ryan Karhut, CB Tim Sims, CB Kwasi Nkansah

In other news, the Montreal Alouettes have announced that starting defensive back Randee Drew will miss all of training camp still recovering from a August ACL surgery. The Alouettes have also announced the suspensions of WR Andrew Hawkins and DL Tim McGill.

Analyzing the 2009 CFL Draft: Saskatchewan Roughriders

Written by Giants27
I have done the BC Lions, Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Eskimos already and now it's the Saskatchewan Roughriders turn.

Picks:
Round 2, Pick 9: Tamon George, DB
Round 3, Pick 17: Nick Hutchins, OL

Best Value Pick: DB Tamon George
I am a big Tamon George fan mainly because at cornerback last year he started all eight games for the Regina Rams recording 18.5 tackles and broke up two passes. He alone had five tackles against the Calgary Dinos in the Canada West semifinal game and tied for second in the Canada West with four interceptions. George should make a smooth CFL transition if he brings his awesome tackling ability with him.

Best Sleeper Pick: OL Nick Hutchins
Another ex-Regina Ram, Hutchins was named a Canada West All-Star and helped provide protection for a dominant Rams offence that threw for 1,809 yards.

Worst Value Pick: None
They had no other picks and both were solid and both should have positive impacts for the Riders in 2009.

Grade: B

Saskatchewan Roughriders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats Swap Picks, Players

HAMILTON, ON and REGINA, SASK-The Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Saskatchewan Roughriders have just pulled off a draft day eve trade.

Coming to the Tabbies in the deal are non-import linebacker Yannick Carter, import wide receiver Brandon Myles along with a third round pick.

Heading west are non-import linebacker Sasha Glavic and the TiCats third rounder.

Said Bob O'Billovich who is the TiCats general manager, "Yannick is an excellent special teams player and adds another quality Canadian to our roster while Brandon is a talented receiver who will compete for a spot in training camp."

Carter (6-1, 212) is a Pickering, Ontario native and was selected in the 2007 CFL Draft by the Riders. He has had 38 special teams tackles which helped guide the team to a Grey Cup win in his rookie year.

Myles (6-3, 190) went undrafted in the 2007 NFL Draft and was signed by the New York Giants but never saw the field as a Giant. The Riders signed him on April 17 of this year.

Glavic (6-3, 191) played in twelve games for the 3-15 TiCats last year as a backup linebacker and defensive back and as a special team player.

Hamilton has announced they have also released import running back Andre Callender.