Arthur Ward/CFL.ca
In nine days, the Roughriders will clean out their lockers and their name plates will come off the lockers, some for the last time, others will return to be part of the rebuild in 2016.
When you look at the roster, there will be an older core of players that still have a lot of football left and can still contribute.
Weston Dressler, John Chick, Weldon Brown, Brendon Labatte and of course, the franchise, Darian Durant can provide the veteran leadership needed to go forward.
Where the team needs to build, is their young core. In ’08, those players were Dressler, Chick, Durant, Getzlaf, etc. That was seven years ago.
Now is time to press the refresh button with new blood and right now there are players who are clearly keepers.
Jeff Knox Jr.: This one is a no brainer! Knox Jr. has played two positions at linebacker and has done both well, piling up over 100 tackles and will be in the top two, behind only Adam Bighill for the league lead. Knox Jr. was a welcome surprise for the Riders after taking a back seat to others coming out of training camp but he quickly showed on the field that they couldn’t keep him off of it. While they need other linebackers to complement him in the middle of the defence, Knox Jr. is a good piece of the puzzle to have moving forward.
Ryan Smith: The second year Rider could be a few yards away from 1,000 yards if it weren’t for an early season injury. Smith, from North Dakota, was automatically compared to his fellow statesman Weston Dressler when he stepped on the field for his first practice of mini-camp in 2014. But he’s making his own name for himself. But the similarities are real. Not only their size but their work ethic and competitive nature. Whether it’s something in the water in North Dakota or not, that is going to carry Smith a long way in his CFL career.
Naaman Roosevelt: While Roosevelt isn’t exactly new to pro ball like Smith, he’s definitely caught the attention of Rider Nation since getting on the field mid-season. His big play potential can help the Riders stretch the field and he does add a little bit of size to a receiving corps that is highlighted by Smith and Dressler. If you take Roosevelt’s production in eight games, you can see he’s also a potential 1,000-yard receiver for the Green and White.
Andre Monroe: Games are won and lost in the trenches and the Riders prided themselves on having the best offensive and defensive lines in the game when they held the Grey Cup in 2015. Since then those players have either gotten older and less productive, signed elsewhere or been traded elsewhere. Having Andre Monroe getting some time has shown that the Riders have a future defensive tackle who will be able to handle the double team and disrupt things up the middle. Riders defensive tackles had seven sacks this season. Monroe had four of those in less than half a season.
Nic Demski: When you build a successful CFL team, you need to start with Canadian talent. Demski was the sixth overall pick to come in and start to rejuvenation of what was once known as the Canadian Air Force for the Riders Canadian receiving group. They once had Chris Getzlaf, Rob Bagg, Andy Fantuz and Jason Clermont. With Getzlaf and Bagg heading into the twilight of their careers, they needed a spark. Demski is that. While he may not have gotten as much time with the offence as he’d hoped this season, he did get to handle punt and kick returns and many times showed the flash and dash that made him one of the CIS’ most explosive players. Next year, could be a coming out party in the CFL for the University of Manitoba product. Demski just so happens to be the youngest player in the CFL.
Brett Smith and Keith Price: The time is now for the Riders to start the transition or at least the search for Darian Durant’s successor. While Durant’s rehab is going well after a ruptured Achilles ended his season in June, Durant has played one half of football in the last season and a half and nobody can say for certain what he’ll be able to do when he comes back this time. While Smith and Price have a long way to go before any body can know for sure if they can be top CFL quarterbacks, they’re making some good first impressions and definitely a case to be brought back next season to battle with whoever else this team brings in at the quarterback spot.
Keenan MacDougall/Matt Webster: While one game can’t be the sole basis of earning a spot next season, MacDougall’s first start at safety for the Riders this past weekend was an impactful one. He was flying to the football, nearly grabbing an interception but also was creating pressure on the quarterback, sacking Mike Reilly once and disrupting his throw a few other times. Webster’s impact at safety was a lot less noticeable but the Riders have depth there and need to find more flexibility when it comes to their ratio. Being able to play a Canadian safety will help the Riders alleviate some pressure ratiowise next season.
Tyler Crapigna: The player that will always be known as the player the kicker in the Jerome Messam trade. Crapigna has a live leg and comes over from Calgary with a lot of praise from the staff but there was no way he was going to out kick one of the best in Rene Paredes. If Crapigna can become what many say he can it sure will be a welcome relief the Riders, who haven’t exactly gotten great consistency since Chris Milo’s fantastic 2013 season.
Dan Clark: While the Riders may still try to pay up for Brett Jones to come solidify the offensive line this offseason, Clark provided a solid presence in the middle of the offensive line. Clark signed an extension recently so he will return in 2016 and the way he’s improved each and every year, starting with Clark and Labatte in the middle of the offensive line is a good start before the team either drafts (1st overall) or spends free agent money to improve the offensive line.
Brandon Tennant/Rory Connop: If the Riders want to go Canadian at defensive tackle they put together a nice base in which to start with these two draft picks in 2015. I don’t think they were quite ready to take on a full time starting role this season but Tennant was starting to make strides before his injury and Connop has improved now that he’s back starting compared to where he was earlier this season. The benefit they will have this off-season is an opportunity to get stronger for 2016. Just like the safeties the Riders have a good base of depth if they do go Canadian at DT.
