By MURRAY McCORMICK, Leader-PostApril 30, 2010
REGINA — Information is key to the CFL draft and it's an approach the Saskatchewan Roughriders have embraced during the off-season.
The Riders attended the CFL's evaluation camp in Toronto in March and met with most of the prospects in Sunday's draft (10 a.m., TSN) but they also expanded on that process. Along with studying videos of the draft-eligible players, the CFL team also conducted exhaustive interviews with 25 to 30 of the draft prospects.
"Not all of the teams do this to the extent we have,'' Riders general manager Brendan Taman said Friday. "We want to know anything and everything about these kids. I don't want to brag about this but it's something that we really value. The information that we get is gold.''
It was an undrafted player who may have increased the Riders placed on gathering information. In 2007, free-agent receiver Rob Bagg made the Riders' roster as a rookie only to tell them that he was headed back to Queen's University to complete his studies.
Bagg returned to the Riders in 2008 and has emerged as one the team's premier Canadian receivers. Still, Taman wants to avoid a similar scenario occurring with one of the Riders' selections in this year's draft.
"That was a surprise and it won't be a surprise anymore,'' said Taman. "We know what all of these kids are going to do and what their goals are. There have been a couple that have given us the Rob Bagg scenario and we've taken them off our draft board because of that.''
Taman said the Riders have kept in constant contact with the prospects during their preparations for the draft.
"We know a lot of things about who is calling them and what they are thinking,'' said Taman. "We feel really good about the process but it's not a grab-bag thing. I was watching the NFL Network and they said the draft is the Super Bowl for personnel people. Trust me, the Grey Cup is the Grey Cup but this is a big aspect of what we do.''
The Riders have four picks in this year's draft — two in the first round and two in the fifth round. That number of draft picks has increased the pressure on the Riders to use them wisely.
"The chance to hit with only four picks compared to six or seven is rather significant,'' said Taman. "You really don't want to strike out on one of these picks.''
Preparations for the draft have consumed the Riders' staff. Taman said decisions on signing a backup quarterback have been put on hold until next week.
"There are a lot of things going on with the draft that are time sensitive,'' Taman said. "Not that the quarterback thing isn't because it is. We're trying to juggle a few balls at the same time and the quarterback situation will work itself out.''Read more:
http://www.leaderpost.com/sports/Riders+interview+over+prospects+leading+draft/2972901/story.html#ixzz0mgG1pfjb
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