Friday Roundup: QBs Finally Arrive

After over a month of speculation, the Riders finally confirmed what we all pretty much knew from the start. Wednesday they officially announced the signing of college standout Todd Reesing and Ryan “I’d Be Unemployed If I Wasn’t A Former Bomber” Dinwiddie. Both have a lot to prove when training camp opens. Reesing will be looking to show that he can make the jump from college to the pros (something many standout college QBs have failed to do). Dinwiddie will be looking to show to steal some more souls and possibly murder some livestock.


He will also be looking to show that he can still play after a one year hiatus, justify the obvious faith that Doug Berry has in him and disprove naysayers... like me. Well I’m not really a naysayer... more of a boo-sayer or profanity-sayer but that’s beside the point.

To make room on our jam packed roster for our new additions the Riders had to cut 2 players. The victims ended up being Johnny Quinn and Kevin Scott. Quinn surprised me a bit. I started out last year hating the guy purely because he sported a front ponytail in training camp but he slowly grew on me because he proved to be a clutch receiver who caught pretty much every pass thrown his way. Unfortunately I think there were lingering concerns over his recovery from his big knee injury late last year. No sense using up a roster spot on a guy who might not be able to participate in training camp (unless that guy happens to be a demi-god like Dressler). Also, as good as Quinn’s hands were, his speed and size were lacking so obviously the Riders feel they can find a more complete receiver.

Scott on the other hand was a move that I think was about 2 years overdue. He is our back-up snapper and we have been using a roster spot on him all this time. When your roster in only 46 spots, wasting one on a back-up snapper, particularly when O’Day and Adams can long snap should Frenette actually get hurt (not just “hurt” like he does on the convert after a defensive TD). I was always waiting for us to unveil the revolutionary situational snapper concept to football since that was pretty much the only explanation for having 2 long snappers on the roster. Other than that the only time we would need a second snapper would be in those rare cases where we score a defensive TD, Frenette gets injured on the convert and we end up having to re-kick the convert due to a penalty. What? It could happen.

Lastly, the CFLPA and the League have a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement. Apparently the agreement includes some sort of drug testing. Given our trusting and polite Canadian nature, it will likely be a 1 true or false question... Do you do drugs?. Anyone who answers true passes and anyone who answers false will be a chance to rewrite the test.

CFL Ins and Outs

Hamilton
In: OL Cody Balogh, OL Lawrence Lovell, WR Scott Mayle, WR Damon McDaniel, WR Willie Thornton, LB Shannon James, DL Josh Gaines, DL Albert Smith, DL Chris White (free agent signing)
Out: DL JP Gilbert (cut)

BC
In: QB Kyle Parrish (free agent signing)

Calgary
In: QB Dennis Brown, QB Michael Desormeaux, DB Jason Horton (free agent signing)

Toronto
In: QB: Ken Dorsey, DB Dwayne Carpenter, WR Ryan Christian, WR Jerome Hewitt, WR Charles Owens, WR Derek Stanley (free agent signing)
Out: WR Tyler Scott, DE Claude Harriot, DB Stewart Franks, DB Reggie Sullivan (cut)