REGINA — The Saskatchewan Roughriders open their main training camp Sunday with fewer question marks than in the past.
That's a good thing and a sign of how the team has progressed over the last few years. Last season, for example, the team was bombarded with questions surrounding its starting quarterback. Darian Durant emerged from that training camp battle. He heads into the 2010 season as the team's established starter and one of the league's top quarterbacks.
This season the biggest question involving the quarterbacks is who will back up Durant. That's a huge step from what has taken place in the past.
There are other questions. Determining who will replace John Chick and Stevie Baggs at defensive ends will be one of the most scrutinized of all training camp competitions. The health of Wes Cates, what's going to happen along the offensive line, who will step into the void created by the retirement of defensive back Eddie Davis, and how will the Riders rebound from the 28-27 loss in the 2009 Grey Cup game are among the concerns.
With that in mind, here are five burning questions, in no particular order, facing the Riders as they head into the 2010 season.
* Who will be the backup quarterback?
Durant spent most of the rookie camp watching the four candidates — Ryan Dinwiddie, Cole Bergquist, Kent Smith and Todd Reesing — battle to see who would earn an invitation to main camp and handle the backup position. Dinwiddie may have a leg up on the other three due to his experience in the CFL with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Riders really need an experienced backup in case Durant does get injured.
Head coach Ken Miller has waffled between taking four or five quarterbacks to main camp. Four is quite possible because there aren't enough repetitions available for five QBs. Still, the Roughriders could take five in order to give each prospect a fair chance of showcasing their skills with the team's top receivers. Who will be on the roster at the end of training camp remains to be seen. The only sure thing about the quarterback position is Durant remains the starter.
* Who will emerge as the replacements at defensive end?
The departures of Chick and Baggs to the NFL added a great deal of fuel to the off-season discussions about the Riders' defence. The Riders lost 23 sacks and a strong presence on the defensive line when both players left. The Roughriders recognized the loss of Chick and Baggs by bringing eight defensive linemen to rookie camp — four ends and four tackles. Import Brent Hawkins has emerged as the top prospect after rookie camp but he hasn't played since 2008. It remains to be seen what he'll do against the veterans when camp opens. Shomari Williams, the first overall pick in the 2010 CFL draft, has looked impressive in rookie camp but it appears he'll start the season on special teams and look to contribute later on the defensive line. Joe Sykes spent the 2009 season with the Riders but didn't register a defensive tackle or sack in his five games on the roster. Willie Evans also spent time on the practice roster in 2009 and has looked impressive in rookie camp. Non-imports Michael Stadnyk and Luc Mullinder are also part of the mix at defensive end.
* What can be expected of Cates?
Much has been made of the fact Cates was the only starting running back in the CFL who failed to rush for more than 1,000 yards in 2009. Cates would have exceeded that mark if he hadn't been sidelined for the first two regular-season games while recovering from off-season shoulder surgery. It took a while for Cates to regain his triple-threat form. In fact, he never really did that until the playoffs when he resembled the Cates of old. At 31, Cates is the oldest of the Riders tailbacks but he returns in 2010 as healthy as he has ever been. There is also depth at tailback. Hugh Charles has speed and quickness. The signing of free agent Dominique Dorsey may also provide the Riders with another speedy weapon out of the backfield. Charles and Dorsey shouls see some time at tailback but for the most part the job remains in the capable hands of Cates.
* What will the Riders do with all of their offensive linemen?
As of Friday, there are 14 offensive linemen on the Riders' 81-player roster. Because of that, only four offensive linemen were on hand for rookie camp. Three of those four — Jonathan St-Pierre, Nick Hutchins and Dan Clark — were with the Riders for the 2009 season on various rosters. Those youngsters could be considered the future of the Riders' offensive line so they should claim roster spots in 2010. The middle of the line looks solid with centre Jeremy O'Day and guards Gene Makowsky, Marc Parenteau and Chris Best. Kelly Bates was signed during the off-season, which should increase the competition at guard. Bates had played eight seasons as a guard with the B.C. Lions and Blue Bombers. The tackle positions are up in the air and could be filled by imports. Joel Bell returns after a solid rookie season and Belton Johnson is healthy after missing most of the 2009 season with chest and shoulder injuries. The Riders signed import Dan Goodspeed during the off-season and he will surely be in the hunt. Then there are non-imports Wayne Smith, who returns after missing all of the 2010 season with a torn Achilles and Jordan Rempel, who didn't dress in 2009 after being acquired from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in an off-season trade. In 2009, the Riders kept 12 offensive linemen in town after training camp. It's unlikely that will happen in 2010. The good news is there's enough depth at the position to carry them through a long season. The bad news is some of those talented linemen aren't going to get a lot of playing time in 2010.
* What effect will the loss in the 2009 Grey Cup game have on the Riders in 2010?
The Riders were a penalty away from opening the 2010 season as the defending Grey Cup champions. The too-many-men-on-the-field penalty that gave Montreal place-kicker Damom Duval a second chance at a game-winning field goal has earned its place in Riders lore. The Alouettes won the game 28-27 when Duval connected on a 33-yard field goal with no time remaining. Much has been written about the 13th man, which remains the simple and easy explanation about the Riders' loss. Often overlooked is the Riders surrendering a 27-11 lead, an untimely fourth-quarter interception and the manner in which Montreal roared back. It was a team loss and one that the Riders haven't been able to respond to on the field since that fateful night in Calgary. There isn't any doubt the defeat looms over the heads of the returning players. The Riders were the second-best team in the league in 2009. They will spend the 2010 season using that en route to proving they are the best team.
1 comment:
No offence, but I do hope the Riders have difficulty rebounding from that big loss in the Grey Cup.
Ps. I'm a Bombers fan.
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