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Rider Mini-Camp & Eight Quarterbacks Just Two Days Away!

Apr 8, 2016 | 11:37 AM

Maybe it’s because the snow is gone that most people I know are just chomping at the bit for a football fix.

I go on my treadmill and watch recordings of last year’s Riders, a painful effort to be sure, but I find my anger and disbelief helps raise my heartbeat and kick the proverbial rear end.

This weekend in Florida, Dodgertown to be exact, the 2016 Saskatchewan Roughriders take their next step towards contender status with a mini-camp featuring eight quarterbacks, which is nice, but not the most important type of player the Riders need judging from last year’s team. They need defense; defensive backs who know how to tackle and play pass defense and linebackers who can stop a running back besides by collapsing at his feet.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders, like the rest of the football industry, found out that an upstart American professional football league will not be playing this season after workouts, tryouts, and a draft were held, and with prospects expecting to attend training camps in early April.

In response to this news, the Roughriders are reaching out to all those prospects and offering them an opportunity to attend a “Play-In Day” prior to the teams CFL Mini-Camp next weekend. Interested players can attend the workout on Saturday, April 9th at Historic Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Florida.  Registration will begin at 8:00am sharp.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders entire coaching, scouting and operations staff will be in attendance and open an opportunity to play your way into the team’s 3-day Mini-Camp: April 10-12.

Knowing the business and scenarios this latest setback has caused to players, agents and families, the Riders have decided that any player who attends and pays the $100 registration fee who is then accepted into our CFL Mini-Camp will have his money REIMBURSED by our club that same day.

This opportunity offers prospects a real chance to compete for a mini-camp spot, which can then lead to a CFL rookie contract; ranging between $55,000 – $70,000 based on position, experience, performance and incentives.

Each club in this spring league had about 80 players it would develop as potential NFL players and what the response will be Saturday is anyone’s guess. The bottom line is this is an inspired gesture by the Riders and could gain them access to players they had no idea would be available.

The Riderville website will have it all and more from Mini-Camp 2016 on all the Rider social media feeds, riderville.com and the Rider App. They will Livestream each day with a full show at 10:30am (Sask time) on Sunday, April 10th and Monday, April 11th with a 9:00am (Sask time) show to finish camp on Tuesday, April 12th.

Each day will wrap with the voice of the Riders, Rod Pedersen, and the Sportscage on 620 CKRM and 900 CKBI live from Florida from 4:00pm-6:30pm (Sask time) on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday with Rider Media’s Dan Plaster riding shotgun
Saturday sounds like a gong show depending on how many players show up, and the Riders only list three quarterbacks on their roster, but thanks to social media, I have been able to provide you with a running list of potential quarterbacks. It’s interesting to see the difference in how this management group operates compared to previous ones and it’s fair to say that Chris Jones has assembled the best management group in Roughrider history. As opposed to previous GMs, these guys have actually set up a scouting system, they know what they are looking for and I hope everyone is taking notes to see how building a football team is actually done.

In the meantime, there were some interesting player moves.

The Riders announced international offensive lineman Tre’Von Armstead and international wide receiver Victor Dean Jr. have signed with the team.

 Armstead (6’7 – 311) signs with the Riders after spending the previous four seasons at Baylor University. The 21-year-old Port Arthur, Texas native played 27 career collegiate games. He also spent time at tight-end registering five receptions for 62 yards.
 Dean (6’4 – 210) joins the Green and White after playing one season at Portland State, registering 23 receptions for 521 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games. Prior to that, the 23-year-old California native spent two seasons at Fresno State where he played 16 collegiate games and collected 32 receptions for 404 yards and four touchdowns.

After a career as a two-year starter at the University of South Alabama, Qudarius Ford announced on Facebook Monday that he had signed with the Riders.

Ford combined for 109 total tackles in his final two seasons with the Jaguars, in addition to 11 pass break-ups and two interceptions. He isn’t that big compared to our other defensive backs, but Jones mentioned he was looking for people with character and Ford showed that as a walk on at South Alabama and then becoming a starter. The size isn’t what drew Jones to him; it was this kid’s drive.

The Riders are also bringing in Sean Watson, a 6’3” 285 defensive lineman who was previously with the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. His participation in the minicamp was also noted on social media. I am getting the impression and watching the live feed on the weekend will likely confirm that this camp will be massive in terms of numbers of players the Riders are looking at and the number of eyes the Riders will have on them.

The retirement of Ben Heenan came out of the blue as the former Rider, then an Indianapolis Colt, announced he was retiring from football at the age of 26. Heenan was injured last season in Indianapolis, but after his injury was on the Colts practise roster. The Indianapolis Colts site wondered if it was health related but Heenan’s family farms just outside of Regina and it seems he is taking over the family business.

A number of Rider fans were upset because they had pencilled Heenan in to strengthen the Riders Canadian offensive line content if he didn’t make Indianapolis. Another former Reginan who was drafted by Calgary and now trying out for the New York Giants – Brett Jones – strikes me as a more like returnee than Heenan. Jones plays everything from centre to tackle to guard, and has the stuff to be a perpetual all-star, so I would place my bets on him and watch carefully who the Giants draft in under three weeks.
First though, I have to make sure I have enough beer to help me through this mini-camp.

We have waited too long for football and the mystery and promise of this team has a lot of Rider fans intrigued.