Roughrider training camp: Battles 'everywhere' as team prepares for pre-season tilt against Bombers

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Corey Mace was asked which positional battles he’s watching most closely as the Saskatchewan Roughriders prepare for a pair of pre-season exhibition games.

“All of them,” replied the second-year Riders head coach, prompting a round of laughter from media types during a scrum.

“All of them, man.”

The Riders concluded their stay at the University of Saskatchewan campus Friday with their final training camp session at Griffiths Stadium.

“There’s going to be some tough battles, and I think these pre-season games are going to be an opportunity for guys to separate themselves,” noted Mace. “Looking forward to seeing how those guys show, but again, there’s a lot of competition out there in a lot of spots.

“We’re eyes everywhere.”

The Riders head to Winnipeg to play the Bombers on Saturday in their first pre-season game as the dog days of training camp grind on.

“I’m certain we’re ready to play against somebody else,” said Mace. “(But) we can’t overlook the point of us being out here. It’s spending time to find ways to get better.”

The Roughriders will host the same Bombers the following Friday at Regina’s Mosaic Stadium.

In their last full practice session Thursday before a walk-thru on Friday, the Roughriders found themselves in some feisty trench battles.

In Mace’s opinion, they crossed the line with some post-whistle roughness.

“That was the issue,” said Mace. “I don’t mind the physicality; I don’t mind the compete. We encourage that stuff. But anything after the whistle, there’s zero tolerance for that. We’ve got to figure that out and, honestly, for the better part of camp, we’ve been A1 on that. (Thursday) just wasn’t a good day and it had to be addressed.

“Just some undisciplined football. We’re trying to get better. What we found is there’s still room for improvement, certainly, on the penalty side, the ones that you can avoid, anyway. We didn’t execute that (Thursday) so we just handled a little bit of business.”

‘EVERY POSITION IS SO DEEP’

Long-time Riders long-snapper Jorgen Hus says this is the best and deepest roster he’s been a part of in Saskatchewan.

“I believe so, yeah,” said the 35-year-old Saskatoon product. “I mean, we’ve had a lot of good teams and stuff over the years, but I don’t remember a group where I’ve sat here and thought, ‘what are they going to do with this position and this position?’ Every position is so deep.

“At quarterback, you’ve got four guys who can play. It’s just crazy. It’s good. Before, a guy gets hurt and you’re like, ‘oh shoot, who’s up next?’ and now you’re excited to see who’s there.

“You don’t want to see injuries obviously, but there are going to be a lot of tough decisions, and that’s a sign of bringing in the right guys. It’s competition everywhere, and that usually leads to pretty good teams.”

QB BATTLE PLAYING OUT

The Riders have three quarterbacks battling for a spot behind QB1 Trevor Harris.

Jack Coan is back for his second season with the Riders, who have also welcomed former Calgary Stampeder quarterbacks Jake Maier and Tommy Stevens into the fray.

For his part, Maier says he’s trying to take the thinking out of it and “go through your progressions and make sure you put your teammates in good spots to succeed.

“At the end of the day, it’s really just a feeling-out process, like, ‘okay, this is what game speed feels like again.’ That’s what the pre-season is about, and going out and showing your teammates who you are. Me being a new guy, I want to show my teammates who I am and earn their respect for when we get to the regular season.”

MORE SPRING IN A.J.’S STEP

Veteran running back A.J. Ouellette appears to be showing a burst through the line that he maybe didn’t have a year ago.

A slimmer, trimmer Ouellette is trying to make amends for an injury-plagued 2024 that wasn’t as productive as everybody hoped.

“He’s spent a lot of time in the off-season getting into some good shape, and certainly how he’s been running the ball, how the offensive line’s been working with him, it’s been a pleasant thing to watch,” says coach Mace. “Very pleased with A.J. and how he’s conducted himself. We’ll see how that presents itself come game-day.”

LOGAN FERLAND’S VERSATILITY SURFACES

Logan Ferland’s versatiity has once again come to the surface.

“Always,” stressed Mace.

Ferland, a star offensive lineman, continues to juggle a number of positions, including a potential role as centre.

“We think so highly of Logan as an offensive lineman, period, who can play multiple positions,” Mace says. “So that if something does happen, having him as somebody who can move (to) multiple spots allows us to keep him on the field always.

“(It) affords us an opportunity to put the best linemen out there, that we feel gives us the best shot to win. I’m extremely happy with him, and he takes reps at all spots, still. Can’t say enough good about Logan.”

HARRIS ENJOYING ROLE AS COACH

Andrew Harris is enjoying his role as assistant coach on the Riders, working with a group of young running backs.

“I’m really excited to see these guys in live action in full contact and have some live bullets flying at them,” says Harris.

“Getting to know them on a personal level is really what I like. Obviously on the field and stuff, you get to do your thing. Seeing how they work, how they operate, seeing how they pick up the playbook with different coaching tips and reminders, they’re picking it up well. I’m really impressed with all the guys.

“I’ve been working with AJ a few years now, and it’s been good. I’m a rookie coach, but I’ve been doing this for a while and it’s been fun. It’s a smooth transition. The good thing about it is it doesn’t feel like a job. It doesn’t feel like work at all, compared to what I was doing before. I’m enjoying it and really looking forward to pre-season and getting this thing rolling for real.”

dzary@postmedia.com

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