RIDERS REDUCE ROSTER

By IAN HAMILTON, Leader-Post June 23, 2010


REGINA — Despite releasing 15 players over the past two days, the Saskatchewan Roughriders likely aren't finished retooling their roster.

Ken Miller, the Roughriders' head coach and vice-president of football operations, said Wednesday that general manager Brendan Taman and assistant GM Craig Smith have been poring over the transaction wire as CFL teams pare down their rosters.

It's believed the Roughriders' key area of interest is at receiver.

"We would like to find a couple of nuggets (on the wire), which would mean that we'd have to make another roster move or two because we are up to the limit in numbers," Miller said.
"In the next few days, there's likely going to be another roster move or two in places where our numbers are big and the number of starting positions doesn't justify that large a number."

The cuts Wednesday left the Roughriders with 59 players in camp. More moves could happen today, after which CFL teams can have only 46 players under contract, seven on the practice roster and others on the one- and nine-game injured lists.

Two import receivers — Dwayne Eley and Jeremy Gilchrist — were among the nine players Saskatchewan released on Wednesday. Import receiver Aaron Waldie was cut Tuesday.
Cary Koch and Aaron Fairooz were the only rookie receivers to survive the first two rounds of cuts, but Fairooz is injured. The receivers left in camp after Wednesday were Koch, Fairooz, Prechae Rodriguez, Rob Bagg, Weston Dressler, Obed Cetoute, Jason Clermont, Andy Fantuz and Chris Getzlaf.

Gilchrist had a sparkling resume as a returner, but the Roughriders are set at that position with Dominique Dorsey. Eley simply didn't do enough as a receiver during training camp to win a job.

"Eley showed some spurts of playing well," Miller said. "But he had that big drop in the game against Calgary (in Sunday's 41-17 pre-season loss) — and that was how he practised. He would make plays and then not make plays."

Willie Evans, an import who was one of those trying to replace NFL signees Stevie Baggs or John Chick at defensive end, also was released Wednesday.

"That's primarily consistency of effort and production," Miller said of Evans. "He would flash periodically, but just didn't perform consistently."

Import defensive backs Brandon Foster, Brandon Register and Carlos Thomas were cut. Miller stressed their departures won't affect the Roughriders' depth in the secondary.

"When you consider our outside linebacker positions — which we really consider to be more DB positions than linebacker positions — we have 12 players for seven positions," Miller said.

"Depth there isn't as big an issue as it might appear."

Depth also wasn't a concern at tailback, as the Roughriders released import Marcus Thigpen.
"(The decision to release) Thigpen is tough," Miller said. "He is so much like Hugh Charles. (Thigpen) had a pretty good camp, but in order to win a spot, you really have to knock out the champion or knock out the guy who's ahead of you, not just be in a race with him. You have to step up and show that you're better.

"You can argue whether he's as good maybe, but again, he didn't demonstrate that conclusively."

Two Regina products — defensive back-linebacker Joel Lipinski and defensive end Michael Stadnyk — also were released Wednesday.

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