Fresh off a busy first day of free agency in the Canadian Football League, Saskatchewan Roughriders General Manager Jeremy O’Day met with media on Wednesday morning.
The Roughriders were active on Tuesday as they were able to find a veteran quarterback in Trevor Harris. The team came to terms on a two-year contract with the former Alouette.
O’Day is pleased to add a quarterback like Harris.
“Really just had to be patient at that position and we were hoping to get into the window and opportunity to talk to him.”
There will be high expectations for the new quarterback. The pressure is on the Riders to bounce back quickly from a disappointing 2022. O’Day feels that Harris just has to be himself in order to succeed.
“I think he’s played long enough in this league where he doesn’t need to try anything that he hasn’t already done. ”
He added that the 36-year-old brings some valuable traits to the Roughriders.
“He (Harris) always been a quarterback that’s been very efficient, very accurate and has a lot great leadership qualities.”
Harris will be arriving in Regina on Wednesday and will be meeting with media in the afternoon.
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One of the hottest topic in Rider Nation throughout the off-season has been the team’s offensive line after a season where they allowed 77 sacks.
The first day of free agency saw the green and white add a pair of Canadian offensive linemen. They signed former BC Lion Centre Peter Godber along with Philip Blake who spent last season with the Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts.
O’Day and the team think Godber has a very high ceiling and can be the team’s starting centre.
With the addition of Blake, the Riders GM says they gain a lineman that is able to play all five positions on the offensive line.
The signing of the 37-year-old also gives the team more options with the Canadian ratio.
“He provides us with some flexibility, some ratio ability there if we wanted to go with four on the o-line or if we want to stick with three.”
The GM said if the team elects to go with a pair of Americans tackles, Blake would compete for a spot at an interior position.
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With the additions of Blake and Godber yesterday, there were immediate questions about the future of longtime veteran Dan Clark.
Throughout the offseason, O’Day noted that the team has been meeting with the local product and they will be having another conservation with him soon. He added the Riders notified Clark about their intentions in free agency.
“We were very open with him throughout the process that we were going to pursue other players.”
O’Day said that it’s highly unlikely at this point Clark signs with the Roughriders heading into training camp.
Another prominent player who remains unsigned is linebacker Darnell Sankey.
Even though Sankey went unsigned yesterday, the Riders general manager said the team will be moving into another direction after the two sides were not able to come to terms on a deal.
With the team signing back Larry Dean and Micah Teitz set to return from hip surgery last season, he feels the Riders are in good shape at linebacker.
It was later reported on Wednesday that Sankey had agreed to a deal with Arlington Renegades of the XFL, but the move hasn’t been officially announced by the team.
