Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Lose
Sometimes you have to wonder if the new look Saskatchewan Roughriders (new uniforms coming out May 12) are maybe missing a dot or forgetting to cross a t, here and there.
The last time I reported to you, Maurice Price had announced his retirement, only after walking away with his signing bonus following a trade with Ottawa. So not only are the Riders out some cash, but they also lost a draft pick.
Other than losing the cash and draft pick, I don’t consider Price a big loss because while he is big, which Rider Head Coach Chris Jones likes, I remembered in the 2013 western final when he got stripped of the ball going in for a touchdown and the Riders returned the ball, putting on a clinic in ball stripping to advance to the 2013 Grey Cup. I thought then, and still do, that while Price may make the odd catch now and then, he didn’t have the discipline to be a great receiver.
You may remember the Riders made a trade with Toronto and gave up another draft pick for import offensive lineman Bruce Campbell. Now Jones and player personnel guru John Murphy approach Canadian content on CFL rosters this way – they do it by position, not by talent level – generally. So this means on the offensive line the two tackle positions, which would face off against the other team’s defensive ends, are Americans because Jones and Murphy figure they have more experience in dealing with strong fast American/Canadian defensive ends.