The Saskatchewan Roughriders are ready for their final dress rehearsal.
The Roughriders are to complete their two-game CFL pre-season schedule Friday, when they play host to the Calgary Stampeders at Mosaic Stadium (7:30 p.m., CKRM).
Saskatchewan dropped a 35-12 decision to the hometown Edmonton Eskimos on May 27, but the Roughriders rested a number of veteran players in that contest. The vast majority of those vets are expected to play against the Stamps on Friday.
The contest should feature fierce competition at a number of positions as head coach-GM Chris Jones and his staff try to determine if younger prospects or last season’s backups deserve jobs currently held by established veterans.
Here’s one man’s list of five people (or things) to watch during Friday’s game. They appear in no particular order.
- The triggermen: Zach Collaros and Brandon Bridge didn’t play in Edmonton, so this will be their first game action of the season. Jones revealed Thursday that Collaros will start and play the first quarter before giving way to Bridge in the second quarter. The two pivots then will follow the same rotation in the second half. Jones has said the starting job remains up in the air, meaning the quarterbacks’ showing against the Stampeders should go a long way to determining the No. 1 pivot. That said, Bridge was the backup last season and he ended up replacing starter Kevin Glenn in 12 regular-season games and one playoff contest.
- Travis Bond: The Roughriders wanted to have more of a physical presence on their offensive line in 2018 — and they got quite a presence when they signed Bond as a free agent. The 6-foot-7, 356-pounder fits the bill with his size, but he also has the temperament that Jones was after. Bond played right guard throughout training camp, taking the spot vacated in the off-season when Peter Dyakowski was released. Bond also played left guard in camp, taking over for Brendon LaBatte when he moved to centre to spell Dan Clark. The versatility of the linemen could come in handy if injuries befall the unit during the season.
- Made in Canada: The Roughriders’ national receivers got an extended look in training camp after veterans Rob Bagg (ankle) and Jake Harty (knee) suffered injuries. The auditioning will continue against the Stamps, since both Bagg and Harty remain sidelined (Harty, in fact, is out for the season). The veterans’ absences mean the door is open for Devon Bailey, Josh Stanford and Mitchell Picton to make one more bid for a job Friday — and Jones is hoping that the Canucks will make the most of the opportunity that’s in front of them.
- Backfield in motion: The Roughriders are expected to dress a host of international tailbacks against the Stampeders. Zac Stacy has been with Saskatchewan since the start of training camp, but Tre Mason, David Cobb and Storm Johnson were added at various points during the team’s stay in Saskatoon. The quartet joined veteran Marcus Thigpen in the Roughriders’ corps of American tailbacks, with the survivor(s) expected to play in different offensive packages in relief of national Jerome Messam. All four of the newcomers are former NFL draft picks who will look to display their skills Friday, when neither Thigpen nor Messam are expected to play.
- Derrick Moncrief: The second-year Roughrider is perhaps best remembered for his 54-yard interception return in his first game of 2017 — a return on which he ran out of gas. During training camp, Jones jokingly described the play by noting that linemen were passing Moncrief as his run ground to a halt. Moncrief has dropped a few pounds this off-season and is in better shape as he prepares for his first full campaign as the Roughriders’ starting strong-side linebacker. He has the size and range that Jones likes at that spot in his defence, so Moncrief could be in for a breakout season.
