By Richard Obrand,
MontrealAlouettes.com
Changes in Saskatchewan
It’s been two months since the Saskatchewan Roughriders found themselves on the losing side of a heartbreaking Grey Cup decision to the Montreal Alouettes, and now, with the memories of Damon Duval’s championship-winning field goal still fresh in their minds, their work starts all over again.
Thursday, the Roughriders announced that head coach Ken Miller, the man responsible for leading the Roughriders to November’s marquee game, will now oversee the football operations department in addition to his coaching duties.
“I am very pleased that we were able to promote Ken into this role,” team president Jim Hopson said on TSN.ca. “Ken has a wealth of football knowledge and has played a major role in our success over the past few years.”
Saskatchewan also named former Winnipeg Blue Bombers general manager and Saskatoon native Brendan Taman their general manager.
Taman will be replacing former general manager Eric Tillman who was facing legal problems in Saskatchewan.
“Taking over as the general manager of a team I grew up watching is a dream come true,” said Taman. “The passion and dedication this province has towards this team makes it a special place for everyone involved. We have a very talented team and coaching staff and I look forward to working with Ken Miller on continuing this success.”
Remaining free agents
With training camps set to open in June, MontrealAlouettes.com takes a look at the top remaining free agents.
Steven Jyles: Taking the back seat to starter Darian Durant, Jyles, a four-year CFL veteran, played in just seven games for the Roughriders in 2009, registering 290 yards and a touchdown on just 40 pass attempts. Having previously played for the Edmonton Eskimos, Jyles has never thrown more than 61 passes in a season and should find himself in a backup role yet again with no apparent openings as a starter in sight.
Jamal Robertson: Having burst onto the scene late into the 2008 season with the Toronto Argonauts by rushing for 645 yards on 117 attempts, Robertson continued his success as a rookie right through to the final whistle in his sophomore season, capping off a less-than stellar season for the Argonauts with 1’031 yards and six touchdowns.
Kerry Carter & Dahrran Diedrick: Though taking on a secondary role as fullbacks with the Alouettes in 2009, both Carter and Diedrick can provide an element of old-time, pound-up-the-middle football in any backfield. Last season saw the two veterans produce relatively equal numbers, with Diedrick rushing for 106 yards while Carter tallied 90. Both failed to reach the end zone in ’09.
Kerry Watkins: The most dangerous receiver on the market, Watkins has been a source of dependency and excitement for Montreal quarterback Anthony Calvillo since he first stepped onto the field at Percival Molson Stadium in 2004. Since then, Watkins’ numbers have hovered above the 1,000-yard mark for five seasons, including a career best 1,364 yards in 2005. Last season, his 1, 243 yards was good enough for second in the league behind Edmonton’s Fred Stamps while his eight touchdowns placed him second among all Alouettes behind Jamel Richardson.
Andy Fantuz: Probably the most notable non-import on the receivers list, Fantuz rebounded after missing 11 games in 2008 with a broken leg in fine fashion, recording 882 yards and four touchdowns. Team’s will likely take a serious look at the Catham, ON native following his impressive post-season performance that saw him average 15.6 yards per-catch with 150 yards and two touchdowns, one of which was scored in the Grey Cup.
Omarr Morgan: A 10-year CFL veteran, spending all but one of those seasons in Saskatchewan, Morgan enters the free agent market following a strong year in the Roughrider secondary, having posted four interceptions and a 108 yard fumble recovery for a touchdown in 2009.
Keron Williams: Williams was a quiet force on the Montreal defensive front, recording eight sacks and forcing three fumbles. Williams was part of a championship lineman group that featured the likes of league sack leader John Bowman and star-veteran Anwar Stewart.
