Will the Saskatchewan Roughriders be spreading the love on Tuesday when free agency finally opens across the league?
If you take general manager and head coach Chris Jones at his word, then maybe not. As the team’s season came to an end, Jones suggested he wasn’t going to be as busy on the open market as he was a year ago. Last year, Jones inked names like Ed Gainey, Otha Foster, Shawn Lemon and John Chiles. While players like Gainey and Foster worked out, most of the other big name signings did not.
Despite that, the need to make big moves in free agency isn’t as pressing in Saskatchewan this year. At the start of 2016, Jones had blown the roster up and the Riders did not have a core group of players. This year, the team has a strong receiving corps, linebackers and some stability in the secondary to build off of.
Does that mean the Riders are set and should stand pat? Definitely not. Jones still has plenty of work to do when it comes to turning this roster into the perennial contender that president and CEO Craig Reynolds wants.
So what do the Riders need? (Earlier I wrote about individual players the team should target in free agency, some of those names have since re-signed, but you can read that here.) Since, there’s no quarterbacks to be had on the market, they need to bulk up their depth with the unsung heroes of the team. Last year, only one team gave up more sacks than the Riders. The offensive line struggled without veterans Chris Best and Brendon LaBatte. Both are expected back this season but considering Best’s age and the mileage on LaBatte, it’s safe to say the transition might need to begin sooner rather than later. Most of the future work here might come in the draft but there are some names on the market that Jones can target to get help now. With Xavier Fulton in Hamilton, the team needs a tackle as well. The biggest fish on the market could be Calgary’s Derek Dennis but there could be some value found in other lesser known names as well that just need their chance.
The Riders also need some help on the defensive side of the line of scrimmage. Re-signing defensive end Willie Jefferson was a key move by Jones a few weeks ago. Now, he needs to get that support up the middle to compliment Jefferson and perhaps open up someone at the other end spot as well.
After that, the team could use as many Canadians as possible. Between the offensive line, Rob Bagg, Henoc Muamba and likely someone at safety, the Riders have the ability to start seven Canadians. The depth behind them is the concerning. Injuries happen, so finding another starter or two and quality backups should be a top priority.
Free agency is unlikely to make the Riders a Grey Cup contender in 2017 but it could be an important step in the team’s evolution toward becoming one.
