The Saskatchewan Roughriders continue to extend their list of contract extensions.
Nine players who had been eligible to test CFL free agency in February have re-signed with the Green and White during the off-season.
Most recently, the Roughriders announced on Monday that linebacker Jameer Thurman and defensive end Malik Carney had signed new deals.
“We made a huge splash in free agency in a multitude of spots last year,” Head Coach Corey Mace said. “The thought process after that is if you like the product that you have and guys want to be there and you feel like you can win with certain people, you try to retain as many as you can.
“You don’t necessarily have to make big splashes in free agency because you know you have the ingredients of who you sourced out in the first place on top of people who are already under contract.
“Continuity is key. I would say that from a locker-room standpoint and from a coaching-staff standpoint as well.”
The re-signings of Thurman and Carney increased to 10 the number of pending free agents who have re-upped in advance of the Feb. 11 deadline.
The list also includes quarterback Trevor Harris (Dec. 6), defensive lineman Charbel Dabire (Dec. 6), offensive lineman Noah Zerr (Dec. 17), defensive back Jayden Dalke (Dec. 19), linebackers Justin Herdman-Reed and Jordan Herdman-Reed (both on Dec. 31), defensive lineman Benoit Marion (Jan. 8) and linebacker A.J. Allen (Jan. 9).
Additionally, the Roughriders announced a new deal with quarterback Jake Maier last week after acquiring him from the Calgary Stampeders on Dec. 23.
“We felt he was a player who could help the team,” Mace said in a Zoom session with reporters.
“We just had a feeling that there were going to be a few teams that would be interested. We felt strongly about having him wear the Green and White, so we took matters into our own hands to facilitate a trade and allow us that buffer time before free agency hit to strike a deal.
“Luckily for us, all parties agreed upon a deal and we’re all walking away happy.”
The addition of Maier gives Saskatchewan half of the four CFL quarterbacks who threw 20 or more touchdown passes last season.
Maier, with 22, was third in the league. Harris connected for 20 scores in 11 starts en route to being a divisional All-CFL selection.
“I’m very vocal about how much I love Trevor,” Mace said. “As long as he feels he can play, there’s always going to be kind of a spot.
“Having somebody of Jake’s calibre and the experience that he’s had in his career to this point and still being a young quarterback, I just feel like it sets us up to have more depth at that position and experience at that position.
“I don’t know that there’s a lot of quarterbacks in the league — certainly, some good ones will be in a backup role — who will have the wealth of experience that he’s had, being a franchise quarterback in this league already, and still being young at that.
“I know he’s going to learn a lot from Trevor and obviously from (Offensive Co-ordinator Marc) Mueller, who he’s familiar with (from Calgary). Vice versa, Trevor’s a student of the game and I’m sure there’s things he’s going to ask Jake about.
“Just knowing the type of people that they are, there’s good harmony.”
There will be a new left tackle protecting the quarterbacks in 2025 after Trevor Reid, a standout as a rookie last season, recently signed with the Minnesota Vikings.
“It definitely was a gift to have a player of Trevor’s calibre, being such a young guy coming out of college,” Mace said of the University of Louisville Cardinals alumnus.
“He had a learning curve a little bit as far as getting comfortable with the CFL game but, to this day, I still think he’s one of the most athletic offensive linemen I’ve been around since being up in the CFL. He’s getting his opportunity (in the NFL).
“There’s also the gift and the curse of being decimated by injuries at that position, being the offensive line. We had guys cross-training at different positions all season.
“We’ve got a multitude of guys who we believe could play at that left tackle position. Certainly, knowing our personnel department with J.O. (Jeremy O’Day) and Kyle (Carson) and Paul (Jones), we’re always going to be identifying the offensive line — specifically the tackle positions — for bringing guys to camp as well to compete, so I’m looking forward to it.
“I’m really happy for Trevor and excited for somebody else to go ahead and take that spot.”
Mace is also excited about the return of Carney, who had four sacks and 26 defensive tackles in 13 games after signing with Saskatchewan as a free agent last year.
“He’s another guy who I believe really wanted to stay and we wanted back,” Mace said. “It was just a matter of going through the process.
“(The re-signing of Carney) is huge for us. I really do think that he’s just scratching the surface.”
Thurman, meanwhile, rejoins the Roughriders after being a West All-CFL selection in 2024. He signed a two-year deal.
