SASKATOON — So far during the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ training camp, opportunities in the secondary have gone from man to man.
The CFL team is holding auditions in its defensive backfield and countless combinations have been utilized so far. Some players have been tried as starters in certain positions and then have been moved to other spots, other DBs have been given a shot and then have been demoted, and still others have been limited by injury.
The mixing and matching has continued on a daily basis as head coach-GM-defensive co-ordinator Chris Jones looks for the right combination.
“I like (the secondary),” Jones said after Wednesday’s practice at Griffiths Stadium on the University of Saskatchewan campus. “We’ve got some really good size and we’ve got some guys who can really cover.
“(The players’ youth) puts them behind the 8-ball a little bit as far as learning, but we’re going to play 70-per-cent man-to-man anyway — probably 80 per cent in this ball game (Saturday’s pre-season contest against the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers) — so we’re going to see who can man-cover.”
When camp opened May 28, the Roughriders had 15 defensive backs on their roster. Two (Reggis Ball and Cedric Hill) since have been released and three (Crezdon Butler, Mike Dubuisson and Chris Lyles) have been signed. As well, receiver Joe Craig has been moved over to play DB.
Of the 17 players currently listed as defensive backs, only eight (Dubuisson, Royce Adams, Tevaughn Campbell, Mike Edem, Ed Gainey, Jeff Hecht, Tyler Hunter and Kacy Rodgers) have CFL experience at the position. And, in reality, Dubuisson and Hunter (along with former NFL prospect Erick Dargan) have spent a fair amount of time as linebackers during camp.
During Wednesday’s practice — which Rodgers missed due to injury — the only veterans among the starters in the secondary were Gainey and Hecht. With highly touted rookie Zavian Bingham out with an injury, fellow CFL freshmen Warren Gatewood, Mark Roberts and Sam Williams rounded out the starting five.
The group’s relative inexperience wasn’t a concern for Jones.
“We’re still in the pre-season, so we’ll see,” he said. “We were in basically the same situation last year and have been in that situation many times before, either by injury or by starting (with) a new club. We’re just going to hunt the best man-cover guys and we’ll teach zone.”
The Roughriders released cornerback Fred Bennett and halfback Justin Cox in the off-season, meaning there were going to be two starting jobs available in training camp. The battle has been going on since Day 1 — and Saturday’s game could decide the winners.
Or not. Changes could be in the offing until the regular season starts.
“It’s always a work in progress,” said defensive backs coach Jason Shivers. “In our defensive scheme, we play match-up man and we do a couple of things that are a little bit out of the norm, so you’ll see guys move around.
“We want to see who can cover in space and who can cover the guy on the line of scrimmage but also who knows the complete defence, not just the boundary corner or the field corner spot. You have to know the whole concept of our defence.”
To that end, the rookies have been forced to get their noses into their playbooks early and often. Shivers said his charges have been doing a good job of that, which has allowed the coaches to install more with these DBs than they’ve been able to do with previous groups.
That was Gatewood’s goal when he got his chance.
“It’s all about being able to fill in at different positions and know what to do so the defence doesn’t miss a beat,” said Gatewood, a rookie out of Alcorn State University who signed with the Roughriders on the eve of training camp.
“There are several positions on the field where the coaches would like you to be interchangeable, so it’s about getting into the playbook and being reliable so guys don’t feel as though they have to cover for you. You want to hold your own.”
The Roughriders finished fifth in the CFL in passing yards against last season, surrendering an average of 294.3 yards per game.
Saskatchewan led the league in opponents’ completion percentage (64.7), but finished tied for seventh with 11 interceptions.
Of the six Roughriders who had a pick in 2016, only Gainey (three interceptions), Campbell (one) and Hunter (one) are back with the team this season — and Jones already has stressed a need for more takeaways in 2017.
Gainey has seen the newcomers hold themselves accountable during camp and he has seen them delve into their playbooks. But the veterans will have to lead the way until the rookies get accustomed to their surroundings.
“You’ve got to get everybody to buy in collectively,” Gainey said. “You’ve got guys coming from different backgrounds who have been taught a lot of different things in college and the pros, but when you come to the CFL, it’s a little bit different. Guys have to get adjusted to that and trust their athletic ability.
“When we do these individual drills as DBs, (the younger players) have to practise their technique and they have to transition that from the individual reps to the team reps. They’re trying.”
