Rob Vanstone: "We're building something special here"
11/18/2024 11:20 AM
The Saskatchewan Roughriders' seven-point improvement resonated with No. 7.
"This organization is in great hands," quarterback Trevor Harris stated. "The future is super bright for this organization."
That assessment is based, to a considerable degree, on his confidence in the CFL team's football operations department — which includes Jeremy O'Day (vice-president of football operations and general manager), Corey Mace (head coach), Kyle Carson (assistant GM), Paul Jones (assistant GM) and Marc Mueller (offensive co-ordinator).
They helped the 2024 Roughriders post a 9-8-1 record — following two successive 6-12-0 seasons — and earn a home playoff game.
After defeating the B.C. Lions 28-19 in the Western Semi-Final, the Roughriders faced a Winnipeg Blue Bombers team that earned a Grey Cup berth by winning 38-22 at Princess Auto Stadium on Nov. 9.
Harris met with the media the following day.
"I think what's right in front of this organization right now is watching it flourish," the West Division's All-CFL quarterback said.
"If I'm a fan, I want to get my season tickets now, because the next number of years when Corey Mace and J.O. and Kyle and Marc Mueller are here, this is going to be a special place."
Many of the requisite pieces are in place.
At a time when one-year contracts are in vogue, O'Day's foresight has ensured the presence of defensive halfback Rolan Milligan Jr. (the league's Most Outstanding Defensive Player), Logan Ferland (the West's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman), receivers Samuel Emilus and Kian Schaffer-Baker, cover linebacker C.J. Reavis, running back A.J. Ouellette and kicker Brett Lauther through at least 2025.
Milligan Jr., Ferland, Reavis, defensive tackle Micah Johnson and cornerback Marcus Sayles combined to give Saskatchewan a league-high five All-CFL selections.
Crucially, O'Day also hired Corey Mace — the West's Coach of the Year.
Under Mace, the Roughriders overcame a torrent of injuries that contributed to 12 different players starting along the offensive line.
O'Day, Carson and Jones provided reinforcements that allowed the Roughriders to weather the storm.
Proficiency at the draft table was also beneficial when the injury bug devoured the receiving corps. Two 2024 draftees — Dhel Duncan-Busby (third round) and Ajou Ajou (seventh) — were among nine pass-catchers who received starting assignments in 2024.
Factor in Emilus (a two-time 1,000-yard receiver who was Saskatchewan's first-round selection in 2022) and Schaffer-Baker (a steal in the fourth round of the 2020 draft) and the Roughriders have the makings of a second Canadian Air Force.
Schaffer-Baker caught 12 passes — the most by a Roughrider in a playoff game — for 162 yards in the Western Final against Winnipeg.
Consider, too, the addition of speedster Dohnte Meyers, who caught 30 passes for 349 yards in only four starts before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.
A knee injury halted Shawn Bane Jr.'s second season as a Roughrider. He was a breakout sensation in 2023, catching 93 passes for 1,104 yards after being signed as a free agent and identified as an emerging player by O'Day.
Other key free-agent additions over the past two years include 2024 divisional all-stars such as Harris, Johnson and linebacker Jameer Thurman.
See also: Ouellette (three TD runs in two playoff games) and offensive lineman Jermarcus Hardrick.
Hardrick, who expects to be 100 per cent by training camp after recovering from a quad injury, gives Saskatchewan the West's past two Most Outstanding Offensive Linemen.
Once the spring arrives, the Roughriders will have the luxury — and dilemma — of having to choose between a wealth of offensive linemen who have been tested under game conditions.
One of them is Trevor Reid, who allowed only one sack while starting at the all-important left tackle position for the entirety of the regular season.
Like Reid, KeeSean Johnson was an impactful addition to the offence.
The former NFLer caught 56 passes for 746 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games. Extrapolate those totals over a full 18-game schedule and you have 84 catches, 1,119 yards and 7.5 (OK, let's round it off to eight) scores.
Another first-year Roughrider — Marcus Sayles — was hardly a newcomer to the CFL.
His sixth season of Canadian professional football included a second-time All-CFL selection. He was signed by Saskatchewan only two days after being released by the B.C. Lions in early June.
Sayles' arrival was reminiscent of July 3, 2022, when O'Day acquired return specialist Mario Alford from the Montreal Alouettes for nominal compensation. Alford went on to become the CFL's Most Outstanding Special Teams Player for 2022.
There's more …
How about Caleb Sanders? The second-year Roughriders defensive tackle emerged as a force in the latter stages of the 2024 season.
And then there is Adam Korsak, the third overall selection in the 2023 Global Draft. He was named a West all-star after a rookie season in which he registered the second-best average yards per punt (47.6) in Roughriders history. As a follow-up, he posted the fourth-highest all-time average (47.2) during a 2024 season in which the Roughriders kick-started a renewal.
"The silver lining in all this is what we have to look forward to," Ferland said as the Roughriders cleaned out their lockers. "Hopefully we can keep as many guys as possible in this room.
"We're building something special here."
