THE CANADIAN PRESS
Corey Chamblin has found his man.
The Riders officially announced Jacques Chapdelaine will be their third offensive coordinator in Chamblin’s tenure.
And Chapdelaine has everything that Chamblin laid out in his needs to replace George Cortez.
Chamblin wanted a man who has experience and also to match a little bit more of an aggressive team going forward.
The Riders were too safe on offence last year. Even with Darian Durant at quarterback, you never thought the Riders were going to go out each and every week and put 30-plus points on the board, like they often did in 2013.
Yes, they lost some playmakers, but Saskatchewan never appeared to give its new faces the chance to be game breakers.
With Chapdelaine, there is no denying the passing game will become a key ingredient for the Roughriders’ success, and it will allow Durant to get back to a little bit more of a gunslinger attitude that he’s had in the past.
In Chapdelaine’s eight years as an offensive coordinator, his offences have consistently been among the top in the league in passing yards, while just as consistently near the bottom in the run game.
The former CFL receiver is a pass-first type of coach, who needs some big play receivers to make his offense work. He’s seen Geroy Simon, Ryan Thelwell, Jason Clermont, Travis Moore, Emanuel Arcenaux and many others have tremendous seasons under his leadership in BC and Calgary.
It will be an adjustment for the Riders offence after George Cortez ran a unit that led the league in balance. The run plays equalled the pass plays in terms of play calls.
With Kory Sheets, it worked in 2013. With Anthony Allen, Will Ford, Hugh Charles, Jerome Messam and Keith Toston the Riders failed to have success with the run setting up the pass.
Their numbers dropped and they were the worst passing team in the league.
Yes, Darian Durant missed the final eight games of the regular season but in Jacques Chapdelaine’s tenure as an offensive coordinator he’s seen his share of quarterback injuries. But guess what, he’ll keep calling pass plays.
It’s not rocket science to figure out why Chapdelaine is the winner of the job over other candidates like TSN analyst Paul LaPolice and Pete Costanza, who has spent the last several years running the Stampeders receiving corps.
Chamblin wants to see the ball in the air and press the ball down field to counter a very down year in 2014.
Rider offence far from complete
The next pressing issue will be who Chapdelaine brings in to help him run the offence in Saskatchewan.
There are some well established coaches in Saskatchewan, including offensive line coach Doug Malone and receivers coach Jason Tucker.
Avon Cobourne also is waiting to hear his future after his first year as a coach, working with the Riders running backs.
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Getting some air? |
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With under 200 passing yards per game in 2014, the Riders owned the CFL’s worst passing offence. Would Chapdelaine help the Riders’ offence? |
Whether or not these coaches stay or go, there is one job that will have many in Saskatchewan speculating who will land on the staff: the quarterbacks coach.
When the team held court with the media on garbage bag day, Darian Durant didn’t hide his desire to have a quarterbacks coach, one who is separate from being the offensive coordinator.
In Durant’s two worst seasons as a starter, his quarterbacks coach was also his offensive coordinator (2011 – Doug Berry, 2014 – George Cortez). The intriguing thing is Durant’s best years were also under those two coordinators but he had quarterbacks coach working with him in 2010 and 2013.
Who is out there?
Jarious Jackson worked with Chapdelaine in BC as a player and a coach, though the team would have to get permission from the Eskimos.
Buck Pierce is also a quarterback who worked as a player with BC, but is currently employed by the Bombers as a running backs coach.
Kerry Joseph will be a popular name, based on his close relationship with Darian Durant and his close ties to Saskatchewan.
Khari Jones may be interested in re-joining the Riders if Jeff Tedford overhauls the coaches in BC. Jones and Durant built a very good relationship in the 2013 Grey Cup year.
The other step for Chapdelaine to have success in Saskatchewan will be the roster.
The Riders receivers lacked the big play last year. Weston Dressler is a free agent and is the must re-sign category, but the talent needs to improve.
Corey Chamblin said rebuild and retool when it comes to the Riders going into 2015 and it appears the offence is being torn down to the foundation.
