Taylor Shire
Regina Leader-Post
Welcome to another edition of the Roughriders Mailbag where we answer questions readers have about the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
With a 7-1 record through eight games, the Green and White are coming off of their second bye week of the season as they are set to host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Aug. 16 in Week 11 of the CFL season.
And as the Roughriders get set to return to practice on Tuesday ahead of that matchup, we’re answering reader questions about the team, many of which are injury related:
• I’m wondering if Bane Jr. will have a hard time cracking the starting lineup? Now that he’s healthy. From Murray
Before the bye week, I spoke with American receiver Shawn Bane Jr. about his pending return to the lineup.
The third-year receiver has been out for 10 months after undergoing knee surgery last year. He’s been cleared to play and has been practising fully for the last two weeks. However, he hasn’t been inserted into the lineup just yet.
While I’m sure the team wants to get him some more practice time to get his legs back under him, starting Bane would also mean a demotion to someone else. That’s where it gets tricky.
Given the ratio, the Riders start at least two Canadians, so Dhel Duncan-Busby and Tommy Nield are safe. Americans KeeSean Johnson and Dohnte Meyers have been too productive to consider sitting. So that leaves Amerircan Joe Robustelli. (The Riders also have one backup Canadian and one backup American, who is the primary kick returner, so there’s not much room as a backup either.)
Robustelli has 317 yards in six games this year, including a 191-yard performance in Week 6. He hasn’t been as productive for the last three games, with totals of 29, 21 and 28 yards, but the second-year receiver has shown potential, and the team keeps winning so it might be tough for them to make a change.
Bane is itching to play and is definitely capable of being a starting receiver on any team in the league, but tough decisions follow when the receiving corps is as deep as it is.
• What’s the status on KSB? If he comes back this year, will he crack the roster? Or does he sit since we have such a good corps? From Aaron
Another interesting injury situation to discuss.
Heading into the season, Canadian receiver Kian Schaffer-Baker was expected to be one of Saskatchewan’s leading pass catchers but a foot injury suffered in Week 1 has sidelined him for the last seven games.
Last week, head coach Corey Mace said the fifth-year receiver is expected back at some point this season but didn’t give a timeline on when he could be back.
Typically when a player has been out long term, he begins to workout individually on the sidelines during practice before joining his teammates on the field in the following weeks. We saw Bane do that for the first several weeks before finally being cleared to return. So far, Schaffer-Baker hasn’t been seen doing his recovery during practice although he is still around the locker room.
This situation is a little different than Bane given the ratio. When KSB is cleared to play, given his talent, there should be a spot for him in the lineup. This year, the Roughriders began the year with three starting Canadians and are now down to two. If Schaffer-Baker returns before Sam Emilus, then I would expect he would replace Nield in the starting lineup. If Emilus returns before KSB and replaces Nield, the Riders will have an interesting decision to make. Would Duncan-Busby, a Canadian, be bumped from the starting lineup or would they go back to starting three Canadians and bump Robustelli?
Again, at this point, Americans Johnson and Meyers have been too productive to consider taking out, so like with Bane, the Green and White will have some interesting decisions to make if and when Schaffer-Baker is cleared. However, it appears we are still weeks away from any chance of that.
Would love to hear status of some of the players on the 6-game. Sean McEwen, Philippe Gagnon, etc. From Jon
• How is the O-line in terms of health? From Clay
After all the injuries the Roughriders had along the offensive line last year, there was no way they’d go through the same thing this year, right?
Well so far, the team has used three left tackles and three left guards while two different players have started at right guard. Only centre Logan Ferland, who was supposed to start at guard this year, and right tackle Jermarcus Hardrick have started every game this season.
Despite the injuries and changing lineups, the unit has played well this season and the depth they have along the offensive line is a big factor in that.
There hasn’t been much of an update when it comes to injured offensive linemen Sean McEwen (knee) or Philippe Gagnon (bicep), who have both been on the six-game injured list since suffering training camp injuries.
Gagnon has been spotted around the offensive line during practice and has been doing some community work but there’s no indication when he could return to the lineup. McEwen’s injury appeared to be more serious and there’s no timeline on his return either.
Injured linemen Daniel Johnson and Trevon Tate, both dealing with shoulder injuries, haven’t resumed practising but they have still been around the team and could return to the lineup at some point this season. But right now, the five-man starting unit they have is as solid as they need.
