The Canadian Football League (CFL) will be busy on Tuesday with free agency opening up across the league. Here is a look at the Saskatchewan Roughriders roster ahead of the 2023 season.
Quarterbacks
Under contract
Mason Fine, Jake Dolegala, Levi Lewis, Zerrick Cooper, Shea Patterson
Eligible to Become A Free Agent
Cody Fajardo
With a need of a veteran at quarterback, it’s been reported the Riders will sign Trevor Harris to a two-year deal.
Fajardo spent the last three seasons as Saskatchewan’s number one quarterback. Last year he started in 15 games. It looks like the Riders and Alouettes will be swapping quarterbacks through free agency as Fajardo is expected to sign a deal with Montreal.
Fine and Dolegala are set to return after both players made starts in 2022. Fine started the last two games of the season while Dolegala started one game during the Riders bout with COVID.
Running backs
Under contract
Jamal Morrow, Frankie Hickson, BJ Emmons, Javian Hawkins, Kienan LaFrance, Albert Awachie, Bruno LaBelle
Eligible to Become a Free Agent
Shaq Cooper, James Tuck
The one position on offence that will see little change is running back. Morrow will return after recording over 1,000 combined yards in 2022 for Saskatchewan. (666 rushing yards, 366 receiving yards). Frankie Hickson is back after finishing sixth in the league with 533 rushing yards.
Wide Receiver
Under Contract
Brayden Lenius, Mitchell Picton, Samuel Emilus, Tevin Jones, Jake Parker, Tabashi Thomas, Kendall Watson, Wester Jeah, Kian Schaffer-Baker
Eligible to Become a Free Agent
“Duke” Williams, Shaq Evans, Kyran Moore, Justin McInnis, Jake Harty
With four potential starters leaving, the Saskatchewan receivers will have a new look in 2023. The group will look to rebound after a season where injuries caused havoc at the position.
Williams, Evans and Moore all missed significant time in 2022.
Lenius will be back for a full season. He suited up for seven games with Saskatchewan last year and had 172 receiving yards after signing with the Roughriders in late August.
Picton agreed to terms with Saskatchewan last week. Even though he was limited to eleven games in 2022, it was the Regina product’s best season with 220 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns.
If Schaffer-Baker does not sign a NFL contract before free agency begins in the CFL, he will return to Saskatchewan this season before becoming a free agent next season. In his second season with the Riders, Schaffer-Baker had a breakthrough campaign in 2022 with 960 yards and five touchdowns.
Emilus was the Riders first round pick in 2022 and saw time as a receiver and on special teams in his rookie campaign with the green and white.
Receiver is a position the Roughriders could continue to add after the initial days of free agency. It has been reported the team will sign Jake Wieneke to a contract on Tuesday. His best season was in 2021 when he had nearly 900 receiving yards in a shortened season.
Offensive Linemen
Under Contract
Logan Ferland, Logan Bandy, Diego Altorre Montoya, Zack Fry, Jerald Hawkins, Evan Johnson, Eric Lofton, Kooper Richardson , Jordan Tucker, Jeremiah Poutasi, Jordan Tucker
Eligible to Become a Free Agent
Dan Clark, Jamal Campbell, Josiah St. John
After giving up a league high 77 sacks in 2022, there is no doubt the offensive line will receive the most scrutiny from Rider Nation in 2023.
Logan Ferland was named the Riders Most Outstanding Lineman in 2022 and will be one of the holdovers from last season.
Johnson is set to enter his third year with the Riders. The former U. of S. Huskie started in all 18 games at right guard for Saskatchewan in 2022. He spent three seasons in Ottawa before joining the Riders.
Bandy saw his first action after Dan Clark’s early season injury. He started in eleven games. The 23-year old was selected by the Riders in the 2021 CFL Draft.
Richardson started the final six games for the Riders after beginning the season on the practice roster. The 24-year-old mostly played at right tackle when called upon.
With a lack of big names available in free agency, the Riders may have to rely on their scouting staff to shore up their offensive line needs. Players like Hawkins and Poutasi may be counted on to make a quick transition from the American game to the Canadian game.
The door is still open for Clark to return to the Riders in 2023 but the team said it will be looking at all of their options.
Defensive Linemen
Under Contract
Pete Robertson, Anthony Lanier, Miles Brown, Demarcus Christmas, Christian Albright, Charbel Dabire, Nicholas Dheilly, Weston Kramer, Cody Roscoe, David Kenney
Eligible to Become A Free Agent
Charleston Hughes
A couple of huge holes in the defensive line were filled on the eve of free agency as the Riders agreed to terms with Anthony Lanier and Pete Robertson.
Both players were a main reason for the Riders early season pass-rushing success before they were sidelined with injuries.
Lanier ‘s new deal reportedly makes him one of the highest paid defensive players in the league.
Earlier this off-season the Riders locked up Dabire to help out with their defensive line rotation as well he provides an option for the Canadian ratio.
Brown and Christmas are set to return to Saskatchewan for their second seasons.
It’s reported the Riders will sign Stefen Banks from the Calgary Stampeders. The defensive end had four sacks in each of the last two seasons with the Stamps as apart of their defensive line rotation.
It’s also reported Saskatchewan will sign defensive tackle, Micah Johnson to a contract.
Linebackers
Under Contract
Larry Dean, Derrick Moncrief, Micah Teitz, AJ Allen, Tommy Bringi, Jerry Garner Jr. , Alvin Jones Jr. , Justin Rice
Eligible to Become a Free Agent
Darnell Sankey, Gary Johnson Jr. , Jordan Herman-Reed, Justin Herman-Reed, Nigel Harris
Last season, Sankey and Dean became the second set of teammates in CFL history to collect 100 tackles in the same season. But it looks like Saskatchewan won’t have the luxury of having the two tackling machines under contract this season.
There are reports that the Riders offered a deal to Sankey which was turned down by the linebacker.
Dean signed a contract with Saskatchewan last week.
Teitz is expected to be back for the Riders in 2023 after he missed the 2022 season and could be another useful player for the Canadian ratio.
Defensive Backs,
Under Contract
Jordan Beaulieu, Jeremy Clark, Rodney Clemons, Jayden Dalke, Tristian Fleury, Amari Henderson, Devin Jones, Austin Joyner, Nelson Lokombo, Nick Marshall, Rolan Milligan, Leon O’Neal Jr. , Kosi Onyeka, CJ Reavis, La’Andre Thomas, Kendarius Webster, Deontai Williams
Eligible to Become a Free Agent
Blace Brown, Godfrey Onyeka
For the most part, the Saskatchewan secondary looks like it’s ready to go in 2023. This off-season the Riders brought back Marshall, Milligan and Clark with new contracts.
Henderson started with Saskatchewan at defensive halfback last season.
Lokombo was a Canadian starter in the Riders secondary at times last year. He completed his first CFL season after he missed the entire 2021 season.
The one position on Saskatchewan’s backend that is in question is safety. Mike Edem has been the starter at the position for multiple seasons. The 34-year-old is set to become a free agent.
Kicker/Punter
Under Contract
Brett Lauther, Kaare Vedvik , David Solie
Long Snapper
Under Contract
Jorgen Hus
