PRECHAE RODRIQUEZ SURPRIZED BY TRADE

By IAN HAMILTON ,
REGINA — When the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats acquired wide receiver Maurice Mann from the Edmonton Eskimos on Feb. 16, Prechae Rodriguez was thrilled.

"I thought, 'Man, we are going to be stacked at receiver,' " a chuckling Rodriguez recalled Thursday from Tampa, Fla. "I didn't see this coming."

"This" was Wednesday's trade which sent Rodriguez — a former 1,000-yard receiver — and the rights to a negotiation-list player from Hamilton to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Tiger-Cats got non-import receiver Adam Nicolson, a third-round pick in the 2011 Canadian college draft and the rights to a negotiation-list player.

The latter player is reported to be Chris Williams, a returner who attended New Mexico State University before making stops in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns. The identity of the negotiation-list player coming to Saskatchewan isn't known.

"I didn't ask for a trade," stressed Rodriguez, 25. "(The Tiger-Cats) brought it up to me. I was shocked in a way. They just called me up and said they were working on a deal with Saskatchewan.

"After that, I just went along with it."

The 6-foot-5, 208-pound Rodriguez spent two seasons in Hamilton.
In 2008, he had 70 receptions for 1,099 yards and three touchdowns in 14 regular-season games en route to being voted the East Division's top rookie. He lost in balloting for the CFL's most outstanding rookie award to Saskatchewan slotback Weston Dressler.

Last season, Rodriguez — slowed by a bone bruise in a knee — caught just 45 passes for 495 yards with three touchdowns over 12 games.

"That injury set me back a little ways," he said. "Before that, I was productive. I was on my way to another 1,000-yard season."

Rodriguez said the knee only needed time to return to 100 per cent — surgery was not necessary — and he now proclaims himself healthy.

When he is, he's among the CFL's most dangerous wideouts. His size and leaping ability made him a favourite target of Hamilton quarterbacks and the Roughriders hope a similar chemistry develops between Rodriguez and quarterback Darian Durant.

The Roughriders' corps of import wide receivers last season — Gerran Walker, Johnny Quinn, Chris Jones and Jason Armstead — combined for 60 catches for 703 yards and three touchdowns. But that production may have been limited because Saskatchewan's offence was built around its slotbacks.

Will that affect Rodriguez's game, too?

"I'll leave that up to the offensive co-ordinator," he replied. "If he feels we can go after one-on-one or whatever coverage we get on the boundary and get the ball up in the air, I can do that. I just want to take advantage of the opportunities that come my way."

n According to a report on Sportsnet.ca, Roughriders slotback Jason Clermont — who reportedly was receiving around $110,000 annually — recently agreed to a pay cut.
The report said the Roughriders needed salary cap relief this off-season after they re-signed slotback Andy Fantuz and gave him a raise.

Clermont appeared to confirm the report with this post on Twitter: "Thanks a lot Perry Lefko, I hadn't told the wife about the paycut yet!"