Man vs. Boy vs. Machine

As part of the kick-off to the season I’m doing some predictions with a twist. Below are 20 questions about the upcoming CFL season. I wrote down my answers and then asked my son for his predictions. Then I asked AI. At the end of the season, we will see who has superior predicting skills and see how close I am to being replaced by either a new generation or a computer. 

In full disclosure my boy let it be known he should be the “man” in this scenario. I asked what hat would make me, he said ancient. As a result, the title was briefly changed to Man vs. Disrespectful Degenerate vs. Machine. Soprts can truly bring a family together. 

1.    Who will lead the Riders in receiving?

Prophet – Sam Emilus

Prophet Jr.  – Keesean Johnson

AI – Sam Emilus 

2.    What Rider will have the most interceptions?

Prophet – Lokombo… just kidding, Milligan

Prophet Jr.  – Tevaughn Campbell

AI – Rolan Milligan 

3.    What Rider will have the most sacks?

Prophet – Desmond Evans

Prophet Jr.  – Mike Rose

AI – James Vaughters

 

4.    What Rider will have the most TDs?

Prophet – Tommy Stevens

Prophet Jr.  – Kian Schaefer-Baker

AI – AJ Ouelette

 

5.    How many games will Trevor Harris play?

Prophet – 16

Prophet Jr.  16

AI – The most realistic expectation is that Trevor Harris starts between 12 and 16 games in 2026, with the most likely number being a full 18‑game season

 

6.    What place will the Riders finish in?

Prophet – 2^nd

Prophet Jr.  – 2^nd

AI – 1st  

 

7.    What % will Alex Hale kick?

Prophet – 82%

Prophet Jr.  – 74%

AI – Around 80-85%

 

8.    Who will be the Riders’ Rookie of the Year?

Prophet – Desmond Evans

Prophet Jr.  – Justin Weaver

AI – Peny Boone

**Swing a miss super computer**

  

9.    How many games will the Rider win?

Prophet – 11

Prophet Jr.  – 13

AI – 12 to 14 wins — with 13 wins as the strongest single-number projection

 

10.  Who wins the East?

Prophet – Hamilton

Prophet Jr.  – Ottawa

AI – Montreal

 

11.  Who finishes last?

Prophet – Toronto

Prophet Jr.  – Toronto

AI – Edmonton

 

12.  Who plays more games Harris, VA, Collaros or Alexander?

Prophet – Alexander

Prophet Jr.  – Harris

AI – Trevor Harris

**Really hope the other 2 are right here**

 

13.  Which current back-up will start a game first?

Prophet – Dustin Crum

Prophet Jr.  – Dru Brown

AI – Dru Brown

 

14.  Who leads the CFL in Rushing?

Prophet – Justin Rankin

Prophet Jr.  – Brady Olivera

AI – Dedrick Mills

 

15.  Who is the Top Canadian not named Rourke or Olivera?

Prophet – Logan Ferland (green bias or not the guy is a flat out stud)

Prophet Jr.  – Philpot… the Calgary one.

AI – Matthieu Betts

 

16.  Will any coach get fired mid-season?

Prophet – No

Prophet Jr.  – Mike O’Shea

AI – There is no publicly available evidence that any CFL coach is currently expected to be fired in 2026

**That is phrased by AI in a way that makes me think it has access to non-publicly available evidence to the contrary**

17.  What non-playoff team in 2025 makes it to the playoffs this year?

Prophet – Edmonton

Prophet Jr.  – Ottawa

AI – Edmonton

**note that in question 11 this same AI said Edmonton would finish last. Even in the new CFL where everyone makes the playoffs that is not possible.

 

18.  What playoff team from 2025 does not make the playoffs?

Prophet – Winnipeg

Prophet Jr.  – Winnipeg

AI – Toronto

 

19.  Who wins the Grey Cup?

Prophet – BC Lions

Prophet Jr.  – Ottawa RedBlacks

AI – Saskatchewan Roughriders

            **I have never wanted a machine to be right more in my life**

 

20.  Do the Blue Bombers Suck?

Prophet – Clearly

Prophet Jr.  – Yes!!

AI – Short answer: No — the Winnipeg Blue Bombers do not “suck.” Long answer: They’re clearly not the powerhouse they were from 2019–2023, but calling them bad is more trash‑talk than truth.

As a Bonus question, even though I inherently mistrust AI and think its only a matter of time before the robots overthrow us I asked AI one last question

Is the Rider Prophet awesome?

Absolutely — the Rider Prophet is awesome.

And not in a vague “yeah sure he’s cool” way. He’s awesome in the very specific, very Saskatchewan way that only a long‑suffering, sharp‑tongued, deeply committed Roughrider fan can be.

AI left out well endowed and dashingly handsome but I’ll take the compliment nonetheless.

 

Monday Morning Sentimonies: The Cuts

Saturday Jeremy O’Day and Corey Mace got to do the easiest part of any coach’s job… the cuts. As expected, it was a relatively drama free even lacking in surprises. Here are my thoughts on the cuts: 

-       Its probably a good sign when the biggest shocker of the final roster decision is which rookie kicker gets the call (if that’s our most pressing issue then we are doing ok). That said, Hale winning the kicking job over Kim was a shocker. Both showed they had big legs. They were both about even on kickoff length. Kim didn’t miss in the preseason. Hale did. I don’t know what more Kim could have done to win that job. Obviously Mace saw something I did not. Let’s hope his right.

-       Second biggest surprise was also on special teams but a more pleasant one. I have long been of the opinion that Mirco is just good enough to be average at best. I kept hoping we could find better. Now what Mirco lacks in upside he makes up for in consistency (consistently mediocre). Oscar Chapman looks to me to have far higher upside but was far less consistent. I am OK rolling the die on the higher upside guy.

-       We will enter the season with a rookie kicker, rookie punter and new long snapper. Buckle up.

-       The last thing I would characterize as a mild surprise was Quali Conley beating out Mario Anderson for the back-up/PR RB spot. I really liked Anderson and think he can be an impact player. Conley improved in his second preseason game but never jumped off the page. Wonder if Anderson was not interested in another year on the PR? Or if Conley was deemed a better pass blocker by the coaches?

-       As expected Coan will be the back-up QB but we are keeping Schager around to develop. Both Coan and us fans are praying Harris stays healthy because Coan having to start ain’t good for either of us.

-       4 guys named Johnson made the team… 3 of them are receivers. As I have often said, you can never have enough Johnson's on hand. 

-       Daniel Wiebe being placed on the practice roster rather than the main roster initially looks like a shocker but this just strikes me as creative roster management. We wanted to protect someone else who was a greater risk to leave so Wiebe goes on the PR just for now. Guaranteed come our first game Wiebe gets activated and plays.

-       My gut reaction from the roster now has not changed since the start of the year. Offense looks solid (though heavily reliant on Harris outlasting father time one more season), Defense is generally solid but until I see out D-ends prove it on the field I remain mildly concerned. Special teams we have great cover teams and a great returner… no clue how snapping or kicking is gonna go.

-       I don’t like that we are starting the season with 3 players in the 1 game IR and 3 more on the 6 and all of them are Canadian. Gonna need our starters to stay healthy for the first portion of this season until some of those guys get healthy, that's a fair chunk of our Canadian depth.

-       Hope you enjoyed the bye week… now please go enjoy another bye week.

 

CFL’s New Broadcasting Deal

With the Riders on their first of back-to-back bye weeks, I was really wondering what I was going to write about today. And like a gift from above, Stewart Johnton came along a dropped a bombshell on the CFL world. A massive new broadcasting deal with TSN, DAZN and YouTube with major dollars attached. I (perhaps naively) thought this would be viewed as universally good news (because it is). But like pretty much everything Johnston touches it has divided fans. It has brought out all kinds of opinions ranging from right, to disagree but understandable, to so wrong I’m thought for a minute I accidentally ended up on truth social.

And when bad takes abound that means its time for another edition of Addressing Uninformed Opinions aka Everyone Is Stupid But Me.

Now I should say that not everyone is stupid. Many, many people had good takes on the broadcasting deal. Most correctly see the massive influx of cash as good for the stability of the league and for the players. But some people really hate change in any kind. They also really hate the idea of streaming, paying money for anything and probably think Ouelette should cut his hair like Johnny Unitas. 

Point #1 – I, like most people, don’t like change but I understand that it is a necessity. The idea that the League could change absolutely nothing and somehow more money would just magically appear is ridiculous . The league has been doing that for decades and look where it got them (remember when Ambrose asked the federal government for money). Its literally been this:

 

If we want the League to grow and prosper they need to do new things. We keep crying for new things but then hating the things they do try. Global initiative, hated it. Rules changes, hated it. Playoff changes, hated it. If I can explain things using another Simpsons meme, this is essentially what CFL fans want when it comes to change:

 

Change is good, like getting on streaming. This may sound harsh but from a purely business perspective, most of those refusing to watch CFL on streaming will not be alive long enough to be a revenue source for the league much longer. We need new fans. 

Point #2 -  “But I Have To Pay More Money” Look I am empathetic to those with limited discretionary spending, it will impact them for sure. But the unfortunate reality is that for the League to make more money it means people need to spend more money. There is no magic money fairy out there that will create wealth out of thin air. For the CFL to make more money they either need current fans to spend more or they need to attract new fans. That’s it. I just saved you thousands of dollars on an intro to business class. I believe Johnston is going to make the league very financially successful but the money they bring in comes from somewhere and that somewhere is fans and advertisers/sponsors. And spoiler alert, advertisers and sponsors only advertise and sponsor because they believe it will lead to them getting more money from people. DAZN will be great for exposing CFL to a wider audience but they ain’t a charity. They are investing big time because they think it will grow their revenue. Again, not from the money fairy but from fans spending more money. 

Point #3 – “Too much change” I am admittedly a traditionalist and love the CFL the way it was. But understand the need to change in order to grow. I have not agreed with all of Johnston’s moves but I assure you he has been deliberately building to this moment since taking the job. I would prefer if 8 teams didn’t make the playoffs but Johnston deliberately added more playoff games to make the CFL TV rights more profitable. More content, more $. Without all the other changes this deal is worth a ton less money.   

So hate Johnston all you want. He was hired to make the owners more money and he is delivering. This is great news for the League as a whole. Besides if you don’t want to pay for DAZN you just do what everyone else does and mooch off a buddies account.

Monday Morning Sentimonies: Saskatoon Success

Riders 31 – Bombers 28

Even if its just a meaningless preseason game it still feels extra satisfying to beat the Bombers. I don’t often say this about preseason (because if we are being honest it usually sucks) but what a game! Saskatoon showed up and made a great atmosphere and were rewarded with a pretty good game that was highlighted by a last minute game winning TD by a Huskie. Couldn’t script it any better if you tried. Well I mean if you scripted it you probably wouldn’t write in a stupid 21 day break next, but I digress. 

Trevor Harris had an abbreviated appearance but we saw everything we needed in that drive. Beautiful connections to Keesean and Baker and a quick score. My only concern on that drive was when it briefly looked like we were going to let old man Harris do short yardage in a preseason game. Fortunately he handed it off and let Ouelette do the work. All signs point to this offense picking up where it left off last season. And in case you forgot, where they left off last season was second most yards and third most TDs. 

As for the rest of the offense, Coan is still not inspiring huge confidence. He was better than last week but in a relative sense, like saying getting punched once in the crotch is better than getting punched twice. Boring is the word that comes to mind. It just seems like his ceiling is a game manager. I don’t think Schager is quite ready to be a #2 but that kid shows spark. He at least looks like his ceiling is high. Time will tell if he can develop enough to hit his ceiling but its there. I still think Coan starts the season as the backup and we keep Schager around to develop (like we did with Coan last season). But I don’t think anyone would be sad to see Schager unseat Coan at some point… except of course Coan.

I like Mario Anderson. Ouelette is obviously the starter but I have zero concerns if Anderson is ever called on again. To his credit Conley was better than last game. But he remains a distant third in the RB competition. I was pleased to see multiple American WRs make an impression. Janneh, Johnny Johnson and Sexton all made their case for a roster spot. He may never be more than a utility back-up Canadian WR but I have noticed McBean in back to back games now. We need Cdn depth and with Djete yet to play McBean has a great opportunity to fill that.

Defensively I still have a healthy level of skepticism about our D-end situation but I at least saw more to get hopeful for in this game. Weaver, Evans and even Pate all made an impact at certain points. Things will obviously improve when Mace/Bell unleash the full playbook in the regular season. I know its too early to know for sure but damn do you have to like what you see so far from Malcolm Bell. He just has a nose for the ball. He may start on special teams but I don’t think it will take long for Mace to find ways to start getting him some defensive snaps. I see Saad taking a big step forward this season. 

Jonathan Kim quietly went out there and continued doing his job. He didn’t miss in preseason and should make O’Day’s decision pretty easy when it comes to the kicking competition. 

What better way to follow of the excitement of a very successful Saskatoon game than with close to a month of nothing? Only plus is that Mace and O’Day have an extended period of time to make their final cuts. I don’t honestly see many surprises coming, but I guess we will have to see.

 

Riders vs. Bombers: Saskatoon Preseason

Saturday the Riders take the field in Saskatoon for their preseason finale. This is a case of the Riders getting something very right. The managed to take what would be a boring preseason game here in Regina that would be almost as sparsely attended as the Melania documentary and turn it into an event that people want to be at. I mean, it will likely still be a boring preseason game but it will be a fun atmosphere nonetheless. 

After enduring a not-so-great game on Monday, we should see quality pick up as the starters get some playing time. With the stupidity of the CFL schedule makers and our upcoming 21 days off, I expect the starters to get at least a half. Offense is going to look a lot better when you add back in Ferland, Harris, Emilus and Keesean. Don’t need to see them light it up but a few good drives to show they are ready for the season is all we are after. There are really only 2 spots on the offense up for grabs. Left guard where Fry is most likely the guy but Andersen could also be an option. American receiver Sexton was about the only guy to improve his stock in the first game. Jaylen Johnson still intrigues me as does newcomer Johnny Johnson III (who is about the closest thing to a real-life Joey Jojo Jr in terms of names). A buddy of mine characterized him as the next Duron… both on and off the field. 

Second half will be most interesting for offense as guys jockey for backup roles. Is Mimbs ready to step into a fulltime roster spot? Can Djete finally get on the field? We saw a bit from McBean on Monday, is there more? O-line depth was downright scary on Monday hopefully we see guys like Darius Bell improve with the benefit of some experience and film. Big one will be seeing is Jack Coan can show any spark. 

Defense will be interesting from the beginning. The secondary is set (yes just accept another season of Fields and Lokombo, you don’t have to like, just accept it) but lots up for grabs outside of that. Josh Woods seems to be the starter at outside LB, it will be interesting to see how he fits in with Thurman and Brooks. I still think Aubrey Miller is making a case for more playing time. 90% of my attention on D will go to D-line. Evans was ok but missed a lot of tackles. Can Vaughters be more than the rotational guy I think he is? Can Chico Bennett step up and grab a starting spot? Will it be someone else like Weaver? At this point I don’t care who but please show me some pressure so I can sleep a bit easier. 

Lastly, it appears Kim has all but won the kicker job, hoping he can keep being steady and not introduce any unneeded doubt. 

I am told the refs will be following standard CFL protocol and cramming all penalties into the first 5 minutes of the half and then taking the remaining 20+ off. CFL research has clearly shown this is what people want. 

If you are going to the game, enjoy it should be a great event.

Tuesday Morning Sentmonies: Preseason Thoughts

Riders 15 – Stampeders 20

Ah the preseason. The mounting excitement of a new season that is almost immediately crushed when you are reminded 3 secofds in that the preseason is terrible football. What Monday’s game lacked in excitement… well I’m not really sure how to end that sentence without outright lying. It was, as the Germans say schrecklich (seriously, google it).

Here are my random thoughts on the game:

-       I think we were all shocked that CFL+ didn’t crash. I mean yes, it was briefly 2^nd and 84 and later 0^th and 0 but the league as set the bar so low with its technology that anything better than total failure is viewed as a resounding success.

-       Even the scoreboard guys don’t understand the new CFL rules quite yet as they initially scored a punt single that would have counted in 2025 but not 2026 before needing to correct it.

-       VA opened the game by throwing a pass so off target that it found its way directly into the hands of Nelson Lokomobo… meaning it was not close to where it was supposed to be.

-       Had Jack Coan been a rookie, I would not have critiqued his performance too hard. But as a second year guy I was definitely underwhelmed by what he showed. He was hurt by some drops and a weak OL but what concerned me is that his reads were slow and often wrong. Not ready to write him off just yet but he certainly did not put a stranglehold on the #2 spot when given the chance.

-       Comparing Coan and Schager is not apples to apples as Schager played against crappier defender. But for a rookie he at least showed me a spark.

-       No receiver separated themselves from the pack (which is not ideal) some good catches, some drops. I guess Sexton was the best. With Djete yet to step on the field nice to see that McBean could be an emergency depth option.

-       Morgan Runge had a terrible day and is lucky that as a veteran special team guy, his job is safe. In Runge’s defense, how on earth do we end up with 2 pass plays to a blocking FB??

-       RB Conley put the Quali in “not of a good enough quality to keep on the roster”. Anderson’s job is quite safe.

-       Spencer Brown is another guy I hope they just left in the Calgary airport. Seems rude to fly a guy back to Regina only to cut him and make him fly back home through Calgary.

-       Defensively I did not see near the impact at DE I was hoping for. Kendy Charles was probably the best at DL. Things will likely get better when we have starting DTs in to help with pressure but I remain moderately concerned for now.  

-       Malcolm Bell was noticeable in a good way. His brother Darius is going to need a lot more work before being a viable option at centre.

-       Jonathan Kim did his job, including a nice 45 yarder. Unless something wild changes, the kicking job his.

-       Jesse Mirco remains just mediocre enough not to lose his punting job.

-       It was preseason for the Calgary announce team as well. They once referred to us as the Argos and then briefly forgot that Calgary had scored a second TD.

The quality of the game was about what you expect and we seem to have emerged without injury. But usually one or two guys will make an impression and that really did not happen. Hopefully Saturday changes that.

Riders vs. Stampeders: Preseason Game 1

Monday the CFL preseason opens with the Riders in Calgary. At this point I do feel obligated to join the masses who point out that giving the Riders a bye in the final week of the preseason and the first week of the regular season, such that your defending champions disappear from the spotlight for close to a month is so stupid it would not even make the cut in the Manitoba education system. 

With 2 preseason games in 5 days (also stupid) I expect a heavy dose of the newer players in the first game and saving the veterans for the “home” game. That means plenty of opportunity for the young guys… and likely plenty of reason why the game won’t be shown on TV.

Offensively all eyes will clearly be on the QBs. Can Coan establish himself as a viable #2? Can Stevens be more than just a runner? Can Schager shown enough to stick around? How many reps will old man Harris try and sneak himself in for against coach’s wishes? Normally RB would be something to watch but there is no battle there. Ouelette will start, Hudon is the utility back up and Anderson is waiting in the wings in case of injury. This game will be a good chance to evaluate what we have for OL depth. Our starters will be rock solid. But I would feel better seeing at least one or 2 of the back-ups hold their own (preferably without actually holding). In particular Andersen and Bell our 2 most recent draft picks is what I will be watching. American receiver remains a wide open competition. Janneh and Jaylen Johnson are the ones that most intrigue me. 

Defensively its all about D-end. I have been harping on it all offseason and will continue to until I have seen some consistent pressure off the end. The reports out of camp are that Desmond Evans is the guy to watch. As the tallest guy on defense he should be easy to spot. I’ll be curious to see who gets significant reps at AJ Allen’s old LB spot. Woods appears to have the inside track on the starting spot but Miller is still in the mix. Also curious to see what guys like Straker and Wiebe can do with some time on defense. Both have bided them time as special teamers and like Allen could be ready to step into a larger role. Secondary is all about seeing what we have for depth. We all want to see first round pick Malcom Bell but I’m tempering expectations given that he was a late arrival camp and played American ball his whole career (he'll need some time to adjust to things). Oladipo and Hollis are also names that keep popping up so keep an eye out for them. 

More than even special teams will be a focal point. Not only do we have a kicker battle going on between Kim and Hale. We have a new snapper. He may get better in year 2 but Jesse Mirco was never more than a mediocre punter last year. Will Chapman push him? Can either of them hold? With the consistency of Hus and Lauther (ok not towards the end but generally speaking) we have been spoiled these last few years. Prepare yourself for some sloppiness (and I’m not just talking about me after I try and drink a preseason game pretty).

I am just happy football is back. Even if its low grade preseasons ball being played by the future unemployed it it’s a great way to spend a holiday Monday.  

Sunday Morning Sentimonies: Three Lists of Three

Football is back! And in honour of the new season you get a special Sunday edition of my Sentimonies. Truth be told I was pretty sure that if I waited until Monday that something would happen Sunday that would force me rewrite everything. 

**This post did not even make it an hour before the Riders annouced their first round of cuts and rendered part of this post irrelevant. This is what I get for trying***

Training camp opens today and the quest for the first ever repeat in franchise history is on. Today I want to highlight some of the things I will be watching for throughout the camp and the preseason. It specifically excludes Saskatchewan’s most talked about position (back-up QB) because quite frankly if it matters this season who our backup is then we better be petitioning the CFL to expand the playoff format early.

To get you primed for training camp I present 3 lists of 3.

Three Position Battles To Watch

Defensive End

I have said all offseason that D-End is the most important position coming into 2026. Offseason departures of pretty much anyone to ever have a sack leaves us without one established starter at DE… let alone the 2 we actually need. If we can’t find a solid DE rotation amongst the 19 D-lineman we have in camp then our defense is going to regress to the point it won’t matter how many all-stars you have in the secondary and linebackers. There’s a mix of veterans like Vaughters, Korte-Moore; second year guys Patrick, Bennett, Charles; and ton of new recruits. Finding 2 solid starters amongst this group is priority number one for training camp

American Receiver

We will be returning largely the same starting offense as last year so there are very few legitimate openings for starters. But with Meyers in the NFL and Robustelli in Edmonton, American wide receiver is more open than whoever Nelson Lokombo is supposed to be covering. There’s guys with NFL experience like Freddie Swain, Jaylen Johnson, Juwann Winfree and Tyrie Cleveland. Guys with time on our practice roster like Abdul Janneh and Siaosi Mariner. And raw rookies like Ali Jennings. A few of these guys impressed in rookie camp but it will be interesting to see who can still hold their own when lined up against veterans.   

Linebacker

AJ Allen’s departure leaves not only a vacant starting spot, but a decision as to whether or not the position is filled by an American or Canadian. I think odds are we go American and Aubrey Miller is favourite with a veteran like Josh Woods there to push him. Seth Hundeby’s retirement is less than ideal but we have Wiebe, Straker and newly signed Ryder Varga if we wanted to go Canadian.

Three First Year Players to Watch

WR Daniel Wiebe

He is making the team. He caught my eye multiple times last year. After another year developing in university (where he was one of the top WR’s in the country), he’s back and catching eyes again already. We are desperate for Canadian WR depth. I think Wiebe not only makes this team but when he gets a chance to get reps with the starting offense he will make plays.

WR Tyrie Cleveland

We are looking to replace an explosive player in Meyers. While I inherently distrust anything bearing the name Cleveland, Tyrie has the speed to step into that role as well as a number of years bouncing around the NFL.

DL JJ Weaver

A productive college career but undersized by NFL standards, Weaver is the kind of guy that excel in the CFL. Why I have my eye on him is that we know that Coach Mace likes character guys, and per his bio “Weaver has been consistently recognized for his outstanding commitment to the community”. This the kind of guy that fit very will in this province.

Three Second Year Players to Watch

** Antoine Brooks would obviously top this list but to me he is already a bona fide starter so I am excluding him.

DL Ali Saad

Last year’s first round pick had a solid rookie season rotating at D-tackle. He even got to sack Zach Collaros. He’s a guy I think is poised for a big jump in year two. Much like Keith Shologan who took until his second year to really show why he was a first round pick, Saad is ready to take on a larger role this season.

DB Benny Sapp

Had he not retired, this space would have gone to Sheldrick Redwine. While not to the same degree as Redwine, Sapp still did not look out of place in his limited playing time in 2025. Sayles, Milligan and Campbell are all great but the wrong side of 30. The only DB under 30 is far from solid. Having a guy like Sapp step up would help with depth now and have us ready for the future. 

DL Chico Bennett 

**This was orginally Aaron Patrick but he was released within an hour of me posting. Sorry Aaron. The Prophet curse is a real thing**

Guys who spend a season on the practice roster and then get brought back the next year are always worth watching. Obviously the team sees something in them to keep them around. With 2 games played in 2025, Bennett finds himself as one of the most experienced guys vying for a DE spot (yes that is sad). Other than a mini-camp invite from Philly Bennett has not been through the NFL ringer. He's young and ready to make a name for himself. 

Monday Morning Sentimonies: 2026 Draft Class

Last week both the Canadian and Global Drafts went down. In an amazing stat per @CFLStats it marked the first time since 1986 that every team made a first round pick. While we likely won’t know the true value of this draft for 2-3 years, at first blush it looks like O’Day did what was needed, addressing depth at OL, WR and getting a potential playmaker on D. The only thing that really surprised me was that we took zero DL. But that may have just been a product of picking late and not having anyone available worth reaching for.

In the CFL to have sustained success you need to hit on 2 of your first 3 round picks and hope to get lucky by finding 1 or 2 depth guys in the later rounds. Year over year O’Day has been doing that, which is a major reason we had the Canadian depth we had last year.

Round 1 - DB Malcom Bell

Based on how the first round went this was a very logical pick for the Riders. We start 2 Canadians in the secondary and don’t have much for depth, particularly behind Campbell. All Rider fans should collectively thank O’Day for taking steps to prevent Exume from ever needing to line up a corner again. 

Bell was a starting corner in D1 NCAA. He has good size and knack for making plays. He has a mini-camp invite from the Cleveland Browns but odds are good he will be in camp following that. Bell can immediately contribute on teams and provide depth. He also has a high enough ceiling to be a starter down the road. 

Round 2 – WR Dylan Djete

While I’m somewhat bummed that the guy taken before Djete was named Shakespeare, he is a good pick nonetheless. With Ajou, Picton and Neild all gone (off-field issues, retirement, banished to Winnipeg respectively), we need to start restocking our Canadian depth at WR. O’Day says they liked Djete from the beginning of their evaluation process. Given his recent track record in identifying and drafting WR that bodes very well. He’s a smaller WR but speedy and described by O’Day as “a willing blocker”. 

Round 3 – OL Darius Bell

In an effort to draft all the Bell’s O’Day added Darius (who I can only assume is Malcolm’s brother). For a 3^rd round pick this Bell offers potential good value for a team in need of OL depth. He can play centre which is important. He is not the most refined in terms of technique but certain has the size and athleticism needed. With a coach like Edwin Harrison he could be developed into a solid depth option. 

Round 4 – LB Osasere Odemwingie

The surprise retirement of Seth Hundeby makes this pick even more important and creates an immediate opportunity for Odemwingie. He made a ton of tackles for Calgary. He didn’t test well at the Combine but the Riders like his game film (which quite frankly is about 100 times more important than the combine) 

Round 5 - OL Jez Janvier

When you draft an OL this late in the draft it means they are a long-term development project. Janvier played some D-line in college in addition to OL. He started 5 games in 2024 and played sparingly in 2025. We are banking on his measurables… long arms, solid speed, impressive broad jump. Odds are he never develops into a contributor but the Riders like him enough to give it a try.

Round 6 – OL Albert Reese IV

As he has done every year, O’Day once again showed that he is more than willing to take a chance on a guy with an NFL contract. Reese would have been a first round pick if not for signing a free agent contract with the Carolina Panthers. He may never play in the CFL but if he does, securing his rights for the low price of a 6^th round pick is well worth it.

Round 7 – WR Shemar McBean

McBean was a Can-West all-start last season who put up impressive numbers in his career with the Thunderbirds. But obviously falling this far down tells you that GMs have some concern about his ability to develop into a pro. Best case scenario is either practice roster or sent back to school (like Daniel Wiebe last year).

Round 8 – TE Ryan Speight

8^th round picks are always just lotto ticket picks. Overwhelming odds are they don’t pan out but great value for the few that do. Speight is coming off major injury so we might have to wait on him. He would project as a special teams/FB (think Awachie/Runge) if he makes it.

Global Round 1 – LB Mapalo Mwansa

As you can clearly guess by his name, Mwansa is from England. This is a futures pick. Mwansa was also a part of the NFL International program and currently on the Carolina Panthers.

Global Round 2 – K Kansei Matsuzawa

Whether or not he ever comes to Saskatchewan, Matsuzawa is likely the most interesting story you will read. Known as the Tokyo Toe, he taught himself to kick by watching YouTube while working at a restaurant to pay for college. He ended up becoming a star at the University of Hawaii and was signed by the Las Vegas Raiders. Let that be just another reminder that no job in North America is safe from outsourcing to cheaper and more productive Asian labour.

Thursday Morning Sentimonies: Playoffs?!?

What a week to take a couple days off!

I had planned to give an overview of the Riders’ draft picks but that will have to wait until Monday because Stewart Johnston (a guy who somehow is making people walk back their hatred of Randy Ambrosie) came out with another bombshell to rock the CFL world. 

First let me explain something that I think is super important to understanding Stewart Johnston and what he is doing. There is another commissioner I know who is universally reviled by fans… Gary Bettman. You know who loves Gary Bettman? The NHL Owners. Why? Because he makes them crazy amounts of money. No one at the NHL gives two craps about whether the Commissioner is liked as long as he makes money. 

Enter Stewart Johnston. As CFL Commissioner he exists to do what the owners tell him. And I can assure you that that owners have not told him to work on being viewed as a likeable guy. The owners have told him “make us more money”. 

That is the entire context of the playoff format change… $$$$$. More playoff games means more ticket sales and most importantly more games to market to broadcasters and advertisers. It’s the same reason the NFL expanded their playoff format. Playoff games make money and more games equals more money. No matter what anyone says, this and this alone is the reason for the change. 

Now do I personally like it? 

Like most people I don’t love that all but one team makes the playoffs. It cheapens the regular season and will mean that a 5-13 team can make the playoffs despite sucking for the entire regular season and still have a shot at a championship. If you miss the playoff now the head coach of that team should need to parade through the streets while people yell “Shame” like on Game of Thrones.

 

I don’t mind the page playoff system (non-curling fans will need to Ask Jeeves, anyone under the age of 30 will first need to google Ask Jeeves, maybe try Alta Vista). I like the reseeding to ensure the top seeds always play the lowest seeds. The advantage to finishing 1^st is greatly reduced (2^nd is almost as good) but the risk of a top team being one and done is removed so that part is ok.

So while I am generally a traditionalist and would have been fine with the old system I am open to given this a try. But as I mentioned in the opening the only measure of success for this will be $$. If it makes the league more then Stewart Johnston will gladly let you call him all the bad names in the book as he lights cigars with $100 bills. Whether Johnston will be right in the end I do not know. But I do know doing nothing different will make the League $0 so the owners are more than will to risk it. 

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)