RIDERS TO CHANGE PUNTERS ON SATURDAY

Saskatchewan Roughrider punter Eddie Johnson during practice at Mosaic Stadium on July 22, 2010.
Photograph by: Roy Antal, Leader-Post

REGINA — The Saskatchewan Roughriders are making an early-season change at punter.
Head coach Ken Miller said Thursday that Eddie Johnson will handle the punting duties Saturday in Calgary against the Calgary Stampeders. The 29-year-old Johnson is to replace

Louie Sakoda, who struggled in Saturday's windy conditions as the Riders beat the Edmonton Eskimos 24-20 at Mosaic Stadium. Sakoda averaged 26.6 yards on five punts and was eventually replaced by Luca Congi, who is principally the Riders' placekicker.

Johnson started the 2009 CFL campaign with the Toronto Argonauts, but suffered a separated shoulder while tackling a returner on the opening kickoff of the regular season. He didn't kick again and was released before training camp this year.

The Riders brought in Johnson for a tryout on Wednesday. On Thursday, Miller confirmed the change. Johnson and Sakoda are both imports.

"(Johnson) has shown us that he has a very strong leg,'' Miller said. "We put him through a variety of situations and he has an opportunity to do a good job for us.''

Johnson, 29, is a native of Newport Beach, Calif., and a graduate of Idaho State University. He was selected in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He played in 14 games with the 2003 Vikings, averaging 39.1 yards on 56 punts before being replaced by journeyman Leo Araguz.

Subsequently, Johnson had NFL stints with the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos and Detroit Lions, although he did not see game duty with any of those teams.

Miller said that Sakoda is to remain on the Riders' 46-man roster, adding that the demoted punter accepted his situation with maturity. Sakoda could always be reinstated as a roster player if Johnson does not make an immediate impression.

"Every game is a job interview,'' Miller said. "(Johnson) will have to perform well to stay on (the roster).''

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Roughriders middle linebacker Barrin Simpson is expected to start Saturday.
Simpson's status was in doubt when he left Wednesday's practice after aggravating a turf toe injury. Simpson said Thursday that he was fine.

"It flamed up and then it settled back down late (Wednesday) night, so I was able to come back out and run without any pain or anything,'' said Simpson, who was hampered by turf toe last year with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. "Usually when you have a turf toe or something like that and you lose a little bit of range of motion in there, when you do it again you feel like, 'There it is again.' But it wasn't like last year or anything. I was back out there running full-speed today.''
The same applied to Regina-born slotback Chris Getzlaf, who had been nursing a bruised right calf. Jason Clermont would have started in Calgary if Getzlaf had not recovered in time for Saturday.

"It's good to have Getz back out there,'' quarterback Darian Durant said. "He and Clermont, they're both great receivers. It's good to have Getz, but if he can't go for whatever reason, J.C. will definitely be a great add-in.''

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The Roughriders are headed to the University of Regina for next week's practices.
The team has been moved from its regular home at Mosaic Stadium due to the Bon Jovi concert on Wednesday. The Riders are to practice at the Rams field when they resume preparations Tuesday for a July 31 game at home against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

mmccormick@leaderpost.canwest.com