Monday Morning Sentimonies: Draft Musings

A week from tomorrow the CFL Canadian Draft goes down. The next day is the Global Draft.. or as it is more accurately known the Kickers and Punters from British Colonies Draft. To start getting you primed for the draft(s) here are some of my random draft musings:

 

-        I see many writers saying that the Riders will target a linebacker due to the departure of AJ Allen. This is nothing but lazy writing (and I know a thing or two about lazy writing). I don’t buy that logic for a number of reasons. First, there is no guarantee we plan to continue playing a Canadian in that spot. Second, we just so happen to have the best defensive players in U-Sports from both 2023 (Wiebe) and 2025 (Hundeby) so its not like our cupboards are suddenly bare. We also have Malique Straker who has been playing very well on special teams… which is exactly how AJ Allen started his career.

-        I am not saying that any of those guys are guaranteed to be the next Allen. I am just saying that if O’Day drafts an LB in Round 1 or 2 it will be because someone was too good to pass on, not because of any particular need.  

-        I have to think the priorities are OL, DL and WR in that order.

-        We have 5 Canadian OL on the roster and need to dress a minimum of 3. Given that we lost 2 OL before the first preseason game last year I would have to think that either O’Day has a line on some reinforcements (McEwen, Gagnon, Hergel) or he intends on drafting a couple.

-        As I said last week, it appears to be a draft thin on top end OL so I expect by the time we draft the top ones will be gone and we will have to use a second rounder on a guy with NFL interest (ala Hergel) or a guy we send back to school for one more year (ala Andersen)

-        Ajou’s unfortunate life choices don’t suddenly create an emergency at WR. We still are fine with Emilus, Baker and Duncan-Busby. But unless both Mimbs and other Wiebe pan out depth is starting to look a little thin there. I expect O’Day to take at least 2 WR in Rounds 3 through 7 and hope his string of always finding a Canadian WR late continues.

-        Speaking of the Punter draft… err I mean Global draft, as much as this is a much maligned initiative I still stand behind it. It may be slow moving but it is progressing. In the inaugural Mexican draft in 2019 we took an O-lineman (Rene Brassea) who was only good enough to stand on the sidelines for all but 1 snap (where I'm oretty sure he just snuck on the field). Now we have guys like Baldonado who are legitimately good players.  

-        Not sure anyone cares but we nailed the 2023 Global draft with Adam Korsak and Baldonado.

-        It balances with the 2024 Global draft where neither pick has ever reported to the CFL (Tyrone Taleni, Jordy Sandy)

CFL Draft Preview: Saskatchewan Roughriders

The CFL Draft is two weeks away. Much like March Madness its amazing how many people suddenly become experts on a college sport they did not previously pay attention to and have no intention of paying attention to in the future. 

While the Riders enter the draft with no glaring holes, they do need to restock the shelves a bit as offseason departures: Allen, Nield to other teams; Picton and Hus likely to retirement will impact depth.   

Based on O’Day track record we should be very confident. He has done pretty solid with his top picks (Emilus, Saad, Korte-Moore) but where he excels is the back half of the draft. Just look at what he has been able to find after the first 3 rounds. Dalke (6), Ajou (7), Baker (4), Betrand-Hudon, (4), Daniel Johnson (5), Straker (4). 

Picks: 8 picks, first selection is 9^th Overall

Potential Pipeline: DL David Oneymata (NYJ/Never coming to the CFL), DL Neville Gallimore (Chicago, probably never coming to the CFL), OL Sidy Sow (Houston), DL Tavius Robinson (Baltimore), OL Kyle Hergel (Chicago), QB Kurtis Rourke (San Francisco)

Current Strengths:

Overall the Riders have some elite talent at the top end. Emilus, Campbell and Ferland are among the best at their positions regardless of passport. Biggest strength has to be receiver. We have enough to comfortably start 3 Canadians. Emulis is a stud. Add in Baker, Duncan-Busby and Ajou and you are pretty solid.

Specials Teams and depth is another strength. Straker and Exume are studs on teams. We have guys like Hudon, Dalke, Wiebe, Marion, Ford, Awachie who contribute on teams but can step in and play meaningful snaps as well (not Exume clearly but the others). 

A big strength I see is the pipeline that O’Day is building. He built up solid Canadian depth and no longer has to rush new draft picks into action. Just look at the 2025 draft class. We sent the following players back to their final year of University:

OL Erik Andersen – J.P. Metras Trophy winner as the top lineman in U-Sports in 2025

LB Seth Hundeby – President’s trophy winner as best defender in U-Sports in 2025

WR Daniel Wiebe – Hec Creighton nominee in 2025

Those guys would all be drafted higher this year than what O'Day got them for in 2025. The ability to invest in development is massive. This means we can be patient with the 2026 class if needed too. 

There were long stretches were our draft was questionable and we had no ability to retain any of our prospects long-term. Credit to O’Day and his scouting staff for flipping the script (probably one of the reasons they won an award recently). 

Current Needs:

As mentioned no glaring needs but depth is definitely needed. 

I know we only start 2 Canadian OL so ours needs are a lot less than most teams but we only have 5 Canadian OL on the roster currently. That is an insanely low number. There have been times where that would not last us through June. Unless Hergel unexpectedly shows up we need to build some more depth here. 

With Saad expected to take on a greater role with the retirement of Micah, we will want to build depth there. In theory Korte-Moore can be added back to the D-line rotation but beyond that we ain’t got much (espicially with Dabire now gone). 

If last year taught us anything its that it would be nice to have someone not named Exume as depth behind Campbell. 

Prediction:

Would not surprise me to see us follow a similar script to last year. Target an impact defender in Round 1 (DL Wesley Bailey, DB Malcom Bell) and then look to get an O-lineman in Round 2. Like Andersen it could be a guy who could go back to college, or it could be a guy likely to try the NFL who we need to wait on.  I think our preference would be OL in round 1 but with picking 9 the top end ones will be gone before it gets to us. 

Speaking of NFL guys, the Potential Pipeline above shows that O’Day is not afraid to roll the dice on a guy in the NFL. He will do it again in 2026 and I love it. Other than Hergel all it has cost is 3^rd round picks or later (CFL late round picks are no guarantee anyway). If just one of those guys shows up it worth it. It’s like a lottery ticket. Most won't every amount to anything but just one is a potential game changer.

Tuesday Morning Sentimonies: 3 and 3

We are a month out from training camp, let that one sink in. As we start to turn our heads to the 2026 season there is a wide range of views on what to expect this season. Some will say the Riders are gonna run it back. Some are saying we are gonna take a big step back. And pretty much everything in between. 

Rather than definitively answer the question (where would the fun be in that?), I will instead give you 3 reasons to be hopeful that the first repeat in franchise history is possible and 3 reasons why you should stock the liquor cabinet and expect a season that ends pretty much like every other one of the 100+ ones in our existence. 

3 Reasons To Be Skeptical

 

1)    D-End

I quite like how our roster is shaping up at pretty much every position… except one. The current state of our D-ends instills hope in about the same way that American politicians instill hope that the Stright of Hormuz will soon be opened. In passing league you need the ability to disrupt the passer. I don’t want to say the state of our D-ends is dire but if the Riders signed me today I would rank 5^th on the team in career sacks by a D-end, 3^rd if you only count sacks as a Rider. Until one of the new recruits or guys who spent last year on the practice roster prove they can be an impact starter, this remains the biggest question mark on this team.

 

2)    Depth

You need depth to maintain success over the length of a season. Last year the Riders had unbelievable depth. Maier stepped in for Harris; Baldonado stepped in for Ray; Nield and Robustelli made key contributions when called on; Allen stepped in for Avery; Reavis moved positions to balance out our roster. Those guys are all gone. Our depth is by no means completely eroded, but is has taken a hit.

 

3)    Special Teams

When he makes his retirement official, there will be Jorgen Hus appreciate post coming. But for now consider that we will enter the new season with a new snapper and new kicker. The most “veteran” member of special teams is a mediocre punter. Other than returner we have a lot of question marks. I am at least happy we brought in a veteran snapper. But anyone not named Hus will unfortunately be a downgrade.

3 Reasons To Be Hopeful

 

1)    Offensive Continuity

Harris, Ouelette, Johnson/Emilus/Baker/Ajou/Duncan-Busby, Tommy Stevens. They are all back. Harris is coming off one of his best years. You gotta go back a while to find the last time we had the same OC and QB 3 years in a row. Most importantly, almost all of our O-line is back (an o-line that tied for second in sacks allowed last year). This team is far from an offensive juggernaut but they did finish 3^rd in offensive TDs.

 

2)    Secondary

Speaking of continuity, the entire secondary is back. While you can debate whether the Lokombo/Fields part of that is a good thing or not, amid a lot of defensive changes we should benefit from continuity in a group where communication is paramount.

 

3)    Coach Mace

The number reason you should be hopeful is the man leading the team. Mace has won everywhere he went (except Buffalo but no one wins there so its hardly a him issue). He has a ring as a player, as a D-line coach, as a D-coordinator and now a Head Coach. He has never had a losing record in his entire CFL coaching career.  The improvement in his game management from his first year as a head coach to last year was visible and significant. The only knock against the guy is he curses too much… and personally that makes me like him more. With a quality coach like Mace at the helm there is good reason to expect sustained success.

Monday Morning Sentimonies: Products I Might Like to Purchase

While green paraphernalia and Rider logos are now the norm across the province, and the world, there was a time dear reader when it was decidedly not cool to wear Rider gear. Today you might get chided for not wearing Rider gear. Back when I was in school, it was decidedly the opposite. There is a “what were you like in the 90s” trend going around social media, well merch sales were not great and Rider gear ranked slightly below itchy sweater your grandma knitted in terms of things you wanted to wear back then. 

Fortunately since the Riders’ resurgence in 2007 its been a very different story. They have stuck a Rider logo on pretty much everything imaginable and people how thrown many at the team to acquire it. 

But even in an age where the Rider store is lined with more hat and shirt options than you can count and pretty much every kitchen implement you could imagine, I believe there remains untapped potential and suggest the follow items be added. 

Bobby Jurasrin Bandana – I can’t fathom how at no point in the past 20 years this has not been available. Bring him into town for legends night. Sell it as a limited edition and just print money.

Cereal – Gone are the days of Fantuz Flakes, DariOs and whatever cereal Getzlaf had (berry crunch or something). This should be an ongoing thing. We need a new generation of player cereals to fill our pantry: Rolan Milligan Agent Os, Ajou AjO’s. I would add LokombO’s but they would probably never end up in the bowl, just fall inconveniently slightly away from where they are supposed to be. 

Condoms – Roughrider condoms seems like low hanging fruit.

Spinners – I would never by these and would make fun of anyone who did but in a province of 2x4 spoilers and Walmart underglow kits you can’t tell me that a set of low quality Rider spinner rims would not sell. Cavaliers would be lining up to get them installed.

Parachute and Zubaz pants – The fact that I can’t buy green novelty pants directly from the Riders is ridiculous. Give the people (me) what they want.

Shake and Bake (Kian edition) – How is they not a line of Shake and Bake (or at least imitation Shake and Bake) with KSB’s face on it?

Tommy Stevens Plungers – When you want the best plunger in the business reach for a Tommy Stevens.

Trevor Harris Icy Cold – To me there seems like no better spokesperson for pain cream than an old man who gets hit for a living.

What Rider products would you like to see? 

Monday Morning Sentimonies: Random Quasi Coherent Thoughts

There is not a whole lot going on the CFL world. That means you get the pleasure of my random, quasi-coherent thoughts. Strap in... 

-        We signed an O-lineman by the name of Dartanyan Tinsley. Not only does he immediately become my favourite player name, I would go one step further as GM and be actively searching for OL named Porthos, Athos and Aremis. Try and field an all Musketeers line.

-        Hell I we can find a dude named Albert then we could do all 5. That is a very obscure Saturday morning cartoon reference. So if you have no clue what I am saying that’s probably a good sign for you.

-        The Miami Dolphin’s have so much salary tied up in dead cap dollars that it would be enough to cover every CFL contract , reactivate all former American franchises and establish a Mexico team for good measure. The only group willing to pay more than the Dolphins to let their exes go enjoy their lives with other people is divorced husbands.

-        The Riders are looking for a new Gainer. I would imagine there is some pretty heavy screening to that job. By nature of the position you get ready access to a ton of children without the danger of your face being seen. That’s gotta attract from applicants you probably don’t want.

-        The Saskatoon preseason game is an example of the Riders doing something right from a marketing perspective. You can barely pay people to come to the preseason game here in Regina. The majority of season ticket holders don’t even bother. But now that its in Saskatoon, something new, something different. There is actually some demand for tickets.

-        I know there is a ton of logistical barriers but I would seriously be looking at ways to make future preseason neutral site games around the province a reality.

-        Hey Wisers, when will I be able to get my Grey Cup whiskey? 2007 and 2013 have been lonely on the shelf for a while. They need some company.  

Monday Morning Senitmonies: Same Old Themes

We are getting to the time of the year where the Riders will soon announce their theme nights for the upcoming season. Each year their best and brightest marketing experts get in a room and spend hours of effort (and billable time) to basically just end up dusting off the same list they do everyone year just in a different font (that’s how we got the Goth Labour Day Classic). I can tell you now that the list will include Home Opener (which isn’t really a theme), Retro Night, Orange Shift Game, Legends Nights, Labour Day (which is also not really a theme), Family Day, Fan Appreciation Night and whatever the online thesaurus they use comes up with as an alternative wording for Country Night. 

Now in fairness to the Riders, they did actually try a couple new ones last year. Christmas in July was a unique idea… it was not so great in practice. It could maybe work for an afternoon game but it just made an evening game feel really lame. They also tried Vegas night… though other than the title and couple on screen graphics they really didn’t do much with this one. But credit where credit where credit is due. I would rather they try new things even if they flop than just recycle the same old drivel. Unfortunately based on the new ideas flopping I do expect them to double down with the same old drivel again this year. 

As always I have some ideas (patent pending), on ideas that people might actually enjoy.

Actual Retro Night – Pitched this last year and I will continue to until they get it right. And yes, I get the irony of criticizing the Riders’ lack of creativity only to open by rehashing an existing idea. But the Riders’ current version of retro is half assed at best. A real retro night would have old school Gainer (pre- drugged out eyes), Cousin Leonard, the old faceless Worksafe Bob, paper game tickets, paper 50/50 tickets that get drawn from a raffle drum from a 50’s bingo hall. Retro prices on booze that require me to purchase drink tokens that get me my choice of beer, rye, rum or Pink Drink. Rename Pil Place Hemorrhoid Hill. Re-create a one night only university section that offers cheap tickets. Put a hot tub beside and assume nothing bad will come of that.  Riders in 90s style jerseys. Mysterious dripping water throughout the stadium that no one really want to ask too much about. Find me the dancing chicken suit guy. Play the Audio Warehouse theme that we all still know the words to. Bring back the direct west sling shots. I want the full Taylor Field experience. 

Saturday Morning Cartoons – On October 17 we play the Als at 1pm. A matinee game is the perfect opportunity for a cartooned theme game. Encourage fans to come in PJs or dressed as their favourite cartoon character. Sell sugary cereal, pop tarts and Eggos at the concession. Air old commercials and cartoon clips. Make it a family oriented day. 

Bi Mon Sci Fi Con – For the non-Simpsons fan among you that stands for Bi-Monthly Sci-Fi Convention. Set it up like a Sci-Fi convention. Bring in some b-list stars from Sci-Fi shows for a meet and greet before the game. Have people dress up as their favourite Sci Fi character. Sell green lightsabers and phasers. Have Gainer show up in a Green tardis. If you can’t find a marketing cross over between green baby Yoda and the Riders you should give on life (and yes I know his name is Grogu). 

Backwards day – This is not fleshed out at all but I feel like when we host what is technically a home game for the Argos this season there has to be a way to make it backwards day.

Wrestling Night – I maintain that this would be epic. Encourage fans to come dressed as their favourite wrestler. Have Bret Hart do the coin toss. Better yet have someone dressed in a Bomber jersey about to do the coin toss then have them get hit with a chair and then have Bret step in. Have players cut promos leading up to the game. Sell green Hitman-style sunglasses. Partner with the local wrestling promotion to put on a match at half time. Make it a couple celebrities teaming with wrestlers and build hype leading up to the contest. Sell Rider branded championship belts and luchador masks. Have a ref get “knocked out” inadvertently at some point (say when a measurement is required) and have another ref come sprinting from the tunnel. Invite the Road Dogg to do intros in the traditional New Age Outlaws way “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the Saskatchewan Roughriders proudly bring to you…”. Last but not least, gratuitous crotch chops.

Social Media Night – I actually shocked that the Riders haven’t done this yet. Generally when companies run out of ideas they assume social media is the answer. And in this case they would actually be right.  Now understand I know very little about all of this so someone younger and more with it would need to fully flesh this out. Have alternate streams of the game on YouTube or Twitch. Have local influencers take part. Encourage fans to post on IG Live, have hashtag contests. Release a dance on the Ticky-Tokies that everyone needs to learn and do instead of the 4^th quarter stretch. Have people’s Myspace page talk about the game (that’s still a thing right?). Basically turn the game into something that everyone over the age of 40 would hate/not understand. 

Purolator Tackle Hunger Night on Steroids – Tackle hunger has been a long-standing and highly valuable promotion that greatly benefits food banks across Canada. But if you want people to really get into it you need a big draw. So I say make it a contest. Say that we are trying to create the world’s largest pyramid of canned goods and encourage all fans to bring as much as they can to help us build it. Like I want a stack of canned goods that would make an OHS inspector nervous. People love contests and something this visible and simple would for sure get attention.

What do you want to see for theme nights?

Monday Morning Sentimonies: Ridiculously Early Award Predictions

As the title of this post suggests, today I will be taking a look at potential year end award winners for the Riders. Some might think its too early since we don’t even know who will be making the game day roster. Some might think this is a desperate attempt to create content during a dead zone in the CFL offseason. Some might think that based on my track record I may end up inadvertently cursing anyone I mention as a potential winner. Well just because you may be right doesn’t mean you shouldn’t shut up and just go along with it.

To make things a bit more interesting for each award I will make two predictions: a favourite and a long shot.

Most Outstanding Player

Favourite: Obviously Trevor Harris is the betting favourite. Not only does this award have a general bias towards QBs, but when he is on his game Harris remains one of the best in the league. His issue is not talent but longevity (happens to the best of us). If he strung together 18 games of his best (well let’s be more realistic and say 16 at his age) then he’d not only be our MOP but also in contention for the league award.

Long Shot: Mario Anderson. After last season, I am fairly confident in Ouelette’s durability but I could see a scenario where Ouelette gets hurt and Anderson steps into the starting role. He rushed the ball 24 times in 2025. 20% of his carries went for 10 yards or more. 20%! Now I know that is not sustainable over a full season but if he finds himself in a starting role, Anderson has all the potential to be a breakout star.

Canadian

Favourite: Without a doubt Sam Emilus is our top Canadian on the roster. Injuries were the only reason he did not post his third straight 1000 yard season. His pace over 7 games in 2025 could have positioned him for his best season ever over a full season.

Long Shot: Nelson Lokombo. Just kidding. I have a better chance at being named this team’s top Canadian. My actual pick is Lake Korte-Moore. We are in desperate need of people to step up a D-end with the departure of Carney, Baldonado and Ray. Entering his 4^th season, the former 3^rd overall pick should see his role grow. Following a year cut short by injury I expect him to have a career year and see no reason why he could not be the one to step into Baldonado’s role. 

Defensive

Favourite: This is a two horse race between Milligan and Thurman (the team nominees the past 2 years). I am going to go with Milligan. After what should have been an MOP season in 2024 he had a “down year” in 2025. Ho hum, he only had 4 interceptions. I don’t think he gets back to 2024 numbers but I think his stats trend up enough that he gets the vote once again (CFL voters are not exactly the most enlightened out there so unless there are flashy numbers they tend not to vote even if the on-field play is at an elite level). 

Long Shot: Not sure this is a super longshot but I’m going with Antoine Brooks. People lamenting the loss of Reavis are quick to forget that Brooks was our starting Cover LB to end the season and through the playoff run. He has NFL caliber talent (with a Super Bowl ring to prove it). Even Reavis himself praised the abilities of Brooks. I think he is going to have a breakout season. 

O-Lineman

Favourite: Take your pick between Hardrick and Ferland. Hardick is the reigning League Most Outstanding Lineman. Ferland is so good that I think he could legitimately win this award regardless of which position he starts in. If its not one of these two then something has gone horribly wrong (and I am probably coping with rye). 

Long Shot: Going with Daniel Johnson here. Injuries cut his first season on the active roster to just 7 games but in that time he was deemed good enough to start at tackle… and he played pretty darn good. Coming out of college he got an invite to mini-camp with Indianapolis and was always viewed as having all the athletic ability but being raw as a prospect. In 2025 we saw him start to take a leap forward in his development. I think he is poised cement himself as fulltime starter in 2026. 

Rookie

Favourite: This one is the hard by far to figure out in March. We know next to nothing about the rookies currently on the roster and the winner could even be someone we will be drafting in May. Given that our offseason plan at D-end seems to be sign a million new recruits and hope at least one turns out awesome, I am going to play the odds and say whichever rookie emerges from that D-end competition has great odds at being our Rookie of the Year (great movie by way... Rookie if the Year). Of that group I am going to go with Sundiata Anderson… in doing I have most likely cursed to Anderson to be an early cut in rookie camp. I apologize.

Long shot: With the amount of Canadian WRs we start, depth is going to be needed. That makes a guy like Daniel Wiebe very interesting to watch. He caught my eye during his time in training camp last year and ended being a finalist for the Hec Creighton trophy in 2025. He could be an injury away from legitimate playing time and he strikes me as a guy that will not relinquish his spot once he gets it.   

Special Teams

Favourite: This one is easy. We currently have no long snapper. Kicker is an open competition. And while our punter from the end of last season is back, he is anything but a lock to keep his job. So by virtue of being the only legitimate guy in the group, new returner James Letcher is the overwhelming favourite to win this one. I expect him to have a good year and be an upgrade over what Alford was by the end of the season (which was still pretty good).

Long Shot: Ending with the most outrageous long shot prediction. The winner of this award will be none other than Brett freakin’ Lauther. Hear me out!

Yes, we did just cut him and yes, he is currently unemployed. But there is a very real scenario where the Americans we brought in to replace him flame out. And then what are we going to do? Call Cambell Fair again? Just like an ex-girlfriend at 2am on a lonely night, Lauther could suddenly start getting "you up?" texts from O'Day. Hell, Paul McCallum got a second go round with the Riders and for those who weren’t around in the early 2000’s I assure you his break-up from the Riders was far messier than Lauther’s.