Jamie Nye
CFL.ca
There is nothing like the first day.
On Wednesday at 2pm the Saskatchewan Roughriders press the refresh button as 2010’s disappointment is officially last year territory and Day One of the 2011 season begins with rookie camp.
For the crop of new comers they should all know what their job is, to make it to Day One of main camp on Sunday and from there try to make a roster that has very little room for new bodies.
Too bad for the Roughrider rookies, their job is going to be nearly impossible to crack the July 3rd opening day roster, especially if they’re an import.
48 players have returned from last year and another nine players have come from other CFL teams, via free agency or trade in the off-season.
So for the newcomers to the CFL there are 57 veterans they need to outwork and outplay to crack the roster or at the very least receive a practice roster invite to collect a pay cheque for the season.
Good Luck!
The likelihood of a rookie making a huge impact on the Riders is slim. The 12th overall pick and Saskatchewan’s first selection, Craig Butler, is already the rookie of the year favourite for the Roughriders, just like Shomari Williams (1st overall in 2010) was last year.
Williams was the only rookie to vote for because he was the ONLY rookie until injuries started piling up for the Riders in late 2010.
It looks like history will repeat itself with so many CFL veterans looking to fill the holes this year.
Butler does come in with many believing he’s athletic enough to start off as a good special teams player and later, back-up in the defensive back field.
If kicker Christopher Milo shows he can boot the ball like a pro, he could very well be the rookie of the year, as Luca Congi’s season remains in question with the terrible knee injury his suffered near the end of the 2010 season and there are still questions on whether import Eddie Johnson can handle all three kicking duties.
We all know Johnson can kick the skin off the football as a punter, but last year it was a bit of an adventure when he lined up for field goals.
Outside of those two, there aren’t many players you see coming to Riders rookie camp that look like they’ll make an impact in their first year until the injuries start piling up. General Manager Brendan Taman and Vice President of Football Operations Ken Miller are clearly more comfortable going with veteran experience over youthful exuberance when filling out a roster.
When the team released Marcus Adams along the defensive line, it appeared as though it was youngster and giant Rodrique Wright’s job to lose.
A week later, they signed Dario Romero, who is a year older than Adams.
Of course having a veteran laden squad isn’t a bad problem to have for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, but there is a concern that time is starting to run short on veterans like Gene Makowsky, Dan Goodspeed, Wes Cates and Barrin Simpson.
The team has seen veterans head for the hills over the last few seasons, like Scott Schultz, Eddie Davis and most recently Jeremy O’Day.
So what did Saskatchewan do when O’Day announced his retirement after an all-star career? They signed 34-year old George Hudson as insurance, though it looks like it is time for Marc Parenteau or youngsters like Nick Hutchins or Dan Clark to take over the centre spot.
So you see why rookie camp has taken over a different look than in years past under former GM Eric Tillman, when John Chick, Weston Dressler, Sean Lucas, Lance Frazier and James Patrick came in and were given large rolls right away or at least very early in their CFL careers.
But Taman and Miller’s philosophy, though different, can be defended quite easily with the play of three young men last season.
Jerrell Freeman was in and out of the Riders’ defence last season on a rotation at defensive end and linebacker. When Freeman was given full-time duty in the playoffs he was simply outstanding.
Cary Koch stepped in late in the season and almost stole the rookie of the year nomination away from Shomari Williams. Koch’s talent was showcased with his catch in the back of the endzone at the end of the first half in the West Final.
Byron Bullock, like Koch, didn’t get to shine until late in the season and into the playoffs because of injury, but the player who borrowed money to get to the Riders free agent camp in the spring of 2010 showed that the time he was given to get settled paid off with a strong playoff performance.
The rookies in Saskatchewan will line-up for three days and hype regarding some new faces will definitely heat up in Saskatchewan. But the rookies who make the grade will need the same patience the previous three players showed as the Riders need depth, not instant stardom, from their crop of freshmen.
Although if a star is born, that’ll be nice to.
