RIDERS HAVE COMPETITION FOR CLERMONT

VANSTONE: Riders have some competition for Clermont





REGINA -- Welcome to the third instalment of the Clermont Clarion. Subscription rates are available by calling my mother.
The latest news regarding Jason Clermont: The Saskatchewan Roughriders are among five teams that are said to be interested in the veteran slotback, the others being the Calgary Stampeders, Toronto Argonauts, Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Edmonton Eskimos.
Clermont spoke Thursday with Roughriders general manager Eric Tillman, and another conversation is looming. Earlier, he had been contacted by Argonauts GM Adam Rita and two representatives of the Stampeders — director of player personnel Jim Barker and offensive co-ordinator George Cortez. According to a report by Sean Fitz-Gerald of the National Post, the Bombers and Eskimos are also believed to possess an interest in Clermont.
One school of thought suggests that the Roughriders are the obvious, logical front-runner in the all-consuming Clermont derby, which threatens to kill more trees than Paul Bunyan.
“Jason Clermont is going to be playing in Saskatchewan,’’ Alouettes GM Jim Popp told Matthew Sekeres of the Globe and Mail on Thursday. “I don’t know why he wouldn’t be going home.’’
Clermont’s family lives in the Queen City, where he starred for the Usher Unicorns and University of Regina Rams before joining the B.C. Lions in 2002. Clermont spent seven years with the Lions before being cut Tuesday.
Another factor to consider is Clermont’s business interests in the greater Regina area. Clermont is a realtor with Royal LePage. It would be much easier to sell houses in Regina if he occupied one of them year-round.
Even so, the Roughriders cannot afford to undercut Clermont in negotiations or expect a hometown discount that is far below market value — not when there are so many teams in the sweepstakes.
Clermont has said that the quarterback and head coach would be factored into his decision. Although there are other criteria, it is worth noting that Calgary boasts the West Division’s outstanding player for 2008 (quarterback Henry Burris) and the clear-cut coach-of-the-year (John Hufnagel) following a championship season.
Calgary’s interest raises some eyebrows in light of the fact that the Stampeders are loaded at receiver (see: Ken-Yon Rambo, Nik Lewis, Jeremaine Copeland, Brett Ralph, Ryan Thelwell). But there is always room for a player of Clermont’s calibre — a factor the Roughriders are considering.
Although many Roughriders fans are clamouring for Clermont to finally don the Green and White, there have been questions about how he would fit into the equation. Saskatchewan’s receiving corps includes two splendid slotbacks (Andy Fantuz and Weston Dressler) and the emerging Chris Getzlaf (who, like Clermont, has Rams and Unicorns ties).
“You always find ways to accommodate good football players,’’ Tillman said. “Coaching is adapting to your personnel. If this works out — and, again, there’s a long bridge between here and there — a part of coaching is identifying your players’ strengths and, playing to those strengths.’’
The best opportunity, in terms of deployment, may be in Toronto -- in that some of its receiving positions are wide-open (unlike the receivers). After Arland Bruce and Andre Talbot, the Argos are in dire need of pass-catchers. Toronto also lacks quality Canadians.
However, the Argonauts have not yet hired a coach, nor are they entirely stable at quarterback. Kerry Joseph, who was named the CFL’s outstanding player while playing for Saskatchewan in 2007, was grossly overpaid at $375,000 as a member of the 2008 Argonauts. Does he return and, if so, will it be at a diminished wage? Or will the Argonauts pursue, say, Casey Printers?
If quarterbacking is a factor, where does that put Saskatchewan? At this juncture, nobody -- not even the Roughriders’ brass -- can definitively declare whether Darian Durant, Dalton Bell, Steven Jyles or Drew Tate will call signals for Saskatchewan in 2009.
But this much can be said with certainty: Durant, Bell, Jyles or Tate would perform much better with Clermont as a preferred target.
And on it goes . . .