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QUESTIONS HEADING INTO THE 2010 SEASON

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.

mmccormick@leaderpost.canwest.comRead more: http://www.leaderpost.com/sports/questions+heading+into+Riders+training+camp/3115043/story.html#ixzz0pz06qYvN

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DEMAND FOR SINGLE GAME TICKETS IS HOT

The Saskatchewan Roughriders Labour Day game sold out in 16 minutes this morning and tickets to other games are going fast after single game ticket sales started at 9 a.m. today.
Photograph by: Troy Fleece, Leader-Post files

REGINA — The Saskatchewan Roughriders Labour Day game sold out in 16 minutes this morning and tickets to other games are going fast after single game ticket sales started at 9 a.m. today.

A small number of tickets remained at 11 a.m. for the regular season opener on July 1st versus Montreal as well as the July 17th game versus Edmonton.

Roughrider CEO and president Jim Hopson is to speak about the demand for tickets later today.Read more:

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RIDERS WANT DURANT TO KEEP GETTING BETTER

The Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Darian Durant gets away from the Montreal Alouettes' Chip Cox during the second half of the 97th CFL Grey Cup in Calgary, Alberta, on November 29, 2009.
Photograph by: Shaun Best, Reuters

REGINA — Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Darian Durant had an all-star season in 2009.

Now the CFL team wants to see him top it.

"We'll be looking for him to continue doing what he has been doing and just get better," says Roughriders offensive co-ordinator Doug Berry. "He's a good student of the game, very dedicated and committed. When you have somebody like that, it's easy for them to get better."
After winning a battle in training camp with Steven Jyles to be Saskatchewan's starting quarterback last season, Durant completed 339 of 561 pass attempts for 4,348 yards with 24 touchdowns and 21 interceptions en route to being named a West Division all-star.

He finished second in the CFL in touchdown passes, tied for third in completions, and was fourth in yards. He also led the league in interceptions.

As well, the 5-foot-11, 214-pounder rushed 60 times for 501 yards (good for 10th in the CFL, one spot behind Calgary Stampeders pivot Henry Burris) and three touchdowns.

"He's a quarterback for the CFL," Berry says of Durant. "He's a mobile guy. He's not that committed to running, but he can make things happen with his feet. Over the year, you could see him develop as a passer in the spread offence the CFL uses . . .

"He's not that experienced at (running the spread offence). Some quarterbacks play four years in the spread offence in college. Darian didn't have that opportunity. He has done it here."
Durant also became a more vocal leader as the '09 season progressed, a skill on which he was asked to work by head coach Ken Miller. This off-season, the Roughriders' coaches asked Durant to take a more active role in meetings and that's an ongoing process.

It's all part of the development of a young quarterback.

"We want to keep having him know the game and understand what we want to do to the point where it's like having another coach on the field," Berry says.

"It's something I feel I learned from the quarterback in Montreal (Alouettes star Anthony Calvillo) when I coached him. It's something that has been very beneficial for Anthony and for Kevin Glenn (whom Berry coached with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers). Hopefully we can continue that trend here."

The major question mark in Saskatchewan through the off-season involved the backup quarterback.

Jyles signed with Winnipeg as a free agent, '09 third-stringer Dalton Bell was traded to the Toronto Argonauts, and No. 4 man Graham Harrell was released. That left Durant and No. 4A Cole Bergquist as the only two quarterbacks on the Roughriders' roster.

They added a third pivot in April by signing one-time Central Michigan star Kent Smith. Then, on Wednesday, Saskatchewan announced the long-anticipated signings of former Bombers pivot Ryan Dinwiddie and ex-Kansas standout Todd Reesing.

Dinwiddie has the most CFL experience of the four, having spent three seasons in Winnipeg. He was the Bombers' starting quarterback in the 2007 Grey Cup — which Winnipeg lost 23-19 to the Roughriders — but didn't play in '09 after being released in training camp.

Bergquist has size (6-foot-2, 205 pounds), a strong arm, good mobility and a year in the Roughriders' offence under his belt.

Smith has even more size (6-foot-5, 215 pounds) and he possesses a powerful throwing arm and good running ability.

The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Reesing doesn't have the size or the big arm NFL teams want in their quarterbacks, but he's a scrambler who during his NCAA career completed 64 per cent of his passes for 11,194 yards with 90 TDs.

One of them will have to replace Durant if something happens to the Roughriders' starter.
"We don't even talk about that," Berry says of the possibility of an injury to Durant. "If we focused on that, we wouldn't move forward very far."

Saskatchewan Roughriders Quarterbacks

(As of Sunday)

Ht Wt Age School

Cole Bergquist * 6-2 205 24 Montana
Ryan Dinwiddie * 6-1 195 29 Boise State
Darian Durant * 5-11 214 27 North Carolina
Todd Reesing * 5-11 200 22 Kansas
Kent Smith * 6-5 215 26 Central MichiganRead more: http://www.leaderpost.com/sports/Riders+look+Durant+keep+getting+better/3092544/story.html#ixzz0pbBhfMCn

CATES WANTS TO IMPROVE ON 2009

Roughriders running back Wes Cates wants to improve on the 2009 season when he rushed for 932 yards
Photograph by: Reuters File, Saskatchewan News Network; Regina Leader-Post

Saskatchewan Roughriders offensive co-ordinator Doug Berry has it on good authority that he'll see the Wes Cates of old in 2010.

"I've talked to Wes -- or Wes has talked to me, let's put it that way," Berry says. "He said, 'I'm approaching this season differently. I'm coming after this season like 2008. You're going to see a different Wes Cates this training camp.' I'm just leaving it up to Wes after hearing that."

Cates was a CFL all-star in 2008 after rushing for 1,229 yards with an average of 5.7 yards per carry and 12 touchdowns and catching 39 passes for 451 yards and two scores.

Slowed early in 2009 by a shoulder injury he suffered in '08, Cates finished the season with 932 yards rushing for a 4.8-yard average and five majors and 336 yards and two TDs on 33 catches.

Berry is eager to see the 31-year-old Cates return to form.

"He can run vertically and can catch the ball, he can run the ball and break tackles, he's shifty, he can block -- he can do it all," Berry says. "When he's on his game, I'm not sure there's anybody (in the CFL) as good as a complete back. We just have to get him from being a 30-yard threat (on a play) to being a 100-yard threat."

If Cates can't do that, others may get the opportunity -- and that includes three players who were with the Roughriders last season.

Import Hugh Charles, 24, started in Cates's place early in the '09 season. He finished with 136 yards rushing for an average of just 3.9 yards, 80 yards on four catches and four celebratory backflips after his touchdowns.

Regina-born Stu Foord, 24, saw spot duty last season and managed 135 yards along the ground with a 5.4-yard average which led the team's backs. He also caught eight passes for 45 yards.
Import Marcus Thigpen, 24, joined the Roughriders midway through the season but didn't dress for a game.

Two players signed in the off-season also will be in the mix at tailback.

Lavarus Giles, 24, played four games with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers last season, rushing 14 times for 54 yards. The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder showed his speed during a pre-season game, blazing through the Montreal Alouettes' defence on a 77-yard scoring run en route to 161 yards on 12 carries.

"That's the 100-yard threat," Berry says. "He has speed; that's something he brings. Now, can he catch the ball? Can he break tackles? Is he going to be able to block? Those are questions he's going to have to answer."

The only question about the other candidate concerns how much he can play at tailback.
Free-agent signing Dominique Dorsey didn't run the ball once or catch a pass in four games with the Toronto Argonauts last season and his career totals are just 657 yards rushing on 119 carries and 381 yards receiving on 26 catches. But, as Berry says, "there aren't too many people (in the CFL) as exciting and dynamic" as the 5-foot-7, 173-pound Dorsey, who excels on special teams.

"He's a good changeup (from other backs)," Berry says. "He also gives you a two-back threat. Certainly some things are going to be considered with the talent Dominique has.
"We had him in Winnipeg and let him go. They had him here before (in 2006) and let him go (as a free agent). When he went to Toronto, we all became aware of the tremendous talent he has."

The Roughriders have two non-import veterans at fullback in 35-year-old Chris Szarka (15 carries for 78 yards with six TDs, three catches for 20 yards in '09) and 29-year-old Neal Hughes (one catch for three yards). They know their roles and handle them without complaint.

"I don't think there's anything (about the backs as a group) that is a tremendous concern," Berry says. "Chris is getting older and so is Wes, but we think those guys have at least one year and probably more left.

"What you see is what you get. We're looking forward to seeing what we get."

ROUGHRIDERS RUNNING BACKS
(As of Friday)
Player Ht Wt Age School, Junior

Wes Cates l 6-0 215 31 California, PA
Hugh Charles l 5-8 190 24 Colorado
Dominique Dorsey l 5-7 173 27 UNLV
Stu Foord 5-11 195 24 Regina Thunder
Lavarus Giles l 6-2 215 24 Jackson State
Neal Hughes 5-10 208 29 Regina
Chris Szarka 6-3 235 35 Eastern Illinois
Marcus Thigpen l 5-9 190 24 Indiana

* I denotes importRead more: http://www.leaderpost.com/sports/Cates+takes+better+season/3091961/story.html#ixzz0pVixNTyO