Jun
Riders likely to start a Canadian at the corner
Courtesy Regina Leader Post:
http://www.leaderpost.com/sports/Canadian+likely+play+cornerback+Saskatchewan+Roughriders/16
49887/story.html
After an offseason that started a couple of weeks earlier in November than they had hoped,
the Saskatchewan Roughriders are set to open their 2009 training camp.
With veterans set to report to camp on Sunday, the Leader-Post is examining the CFL team’s
training-camp roster with stories on each position group. The series began in Friday’s
sports section with a look at the defensive line, with the linebackers profiled in
Saturday’s paper.
Today: Defensive backs.
Tuesday: Special teams.
Wednesday: Offensive line.
Thursday: Receivers.
Friday: Running backs.
Saturday: Quarterbacks.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders seem prepared to go against the grain.
Throughout the offseason, the Roughriders have talked about starting a non-import at one of
the cornerback positions — a rarity in the CFL. Davis Sanchez of the Montreal Alouettes is
the most well-known Canadian cornerback.
Despite the relative lack of Canucks on the corner in the CFL, the Roughriders plan to look
for a non-import starter when training camp opens June 7.
“I’d consider doing it because when I look at what we have right now — and we drafted the
young man (Tamon George) from the University of Regina with our first pick (in 2009) — and
the people that we have who were with us for the majority of 2008, the body types and the
prototypes and everything else spell that that’s going to be our best way of going about
things,” says Roughriders defensive co-ordinator Gary Etcheverry.
“A lot of it has to do with your system, your strategy, how you deploy people, what you’re
looking for … I don’t look at what the other seven teams do with regard to how we’re going
to deploy our non-imports. I look at our non-imports, I template over them our system and
say, ‘This would make the most sense.’ ”
Etcheverry notes that because of the work general manager Eric Tillman has done in loading
up on non-import talent, “we will have tremendous competition at that position.”
The list of candidates for the job includes three raw rookies: George, the Regina product
whom the Roughriders selected in the second round of the 2009 Canadian college draft; Joel
Lipinski, another Reginan who signed as a free agent in the offseason; and, Jeff Zelinski, a
fifth-round pick in 2008 who played with Lipinski in the secondary of the Saint Mary’s
Huskies last season.
Three CFL veterans also are in the running: Donovan Alexander, whom Saskatchewan acquired in
February from the Als for two draft picks; Leron Mitchell, who played in two games for the
Roughriders last season before suffering a season-ending broken leg; and Konrad Wasiela, who
dressed for three games with the Roughriders in 2008.
“Whether (the non-import position is) the corner to the field, whether it’s the corner to
the boundary, whether it’s a halfback position or the free-safety position, we’re going to
look for the best combination of how it’ll be,” Etcheverry says. “The numbers work out where
we’ll have two (non-import) defensive-back types on the active roster when the final cut
takes place.”
If the Roughriders do indeed start a non-import on the corner, they’ll likely install an
import at safety.
In past seasons, Saskatchewan started a non-import there — players like Scott Gordon (who
signed as a free agent with the Edmonton Eskimos during the offseason) and Sebastian Clovis
(who’s back this season) have held the job — but import James Patrick played in the middle
at times in ’08 and was impressive.
Veterans appear to have the inside track on the other three positions in the secondary.
Cornerback Omarr Morgan is back for his ninth season with the Roughriders and 10th in the
CFL, with third-year man Lance Frazier (who had a team-high five interceptions last season)
and savvy veteran Eddie Davis (60 tackles, seven pass knockdowns in ’08) at the halfback
spots.
Veteran returnees Denetay Heard and Tad Kornegay also are in the mix, as are newcomers
Daniel Francis, Derrick Johnson, Chris McKenzie and Jerron Wishom.
Some of the DBs also could be moved to outside linebacker, where Etcheverry is looking for
pass-coverage skills.
