Friday Round-Up: Out With The Old, In With… Well The Old

Today’s post is dedicated to PR who specifically requested this be posted in the morning as he plans on doing no work today and needs something to help him pass the time. Fortunately for PR I won’t reveal where he works… but for the right price I could be convinced to spill the beans. Just saying, the offer is on the table.

Onto to Rider news where we were busy turfing an old face and hiring another old face… in a surprising twist both moves are fantastic news. We turfed old man Alex Gauthier in a move that actually surprises me. I’m glad to see Gauthier go and I think it’s a positive move but of our senior citizen O-linemen he was actually the one I least expected to see go just because he is a Canadian and plays tackle. Gauthier wasn’t horrible but for what we were paying him he should have been better than “not horrible”…. In a surprising coincidence that last sentence was actually used verbatim to describe my brief career as a gigolo. We have young Patrick Neufeld waiting in the wings and could even go with an import if need be so thumbs up.

We also let Freddy Barnes go… literally hours after I posted that Barnes could be something special. Whoops. Swing and a miss there. Though, given how quickly someone I endorse tends to get released (remember Gabe Nyenhuis?), I’m strongly considering endorsing Dan Goodspeed.

The release of Gauthier leads me to believe that Makowsky will be back. That and the word on the street is that Geno is still working out. I don’t know much about being an MLA but I’m going to guess there is no physical to pass and the only lifting you do is lifting your hand to vote. I’d prefer to see Geno go but if we are going with a new tackle and likely new centre (and hopefully other new tackle) and can see the logic in keeping a veteran presence to help ease the transition.

The “old guy” we welcomed back was Dan Farthing… as our new Strength and Conditioning Coordinator.  Farthing is ideally suited for the job since he is already doing this for a living and is “the” name in high performance training here in Regina. Many Riders use him already anyway. It will be nice to have Farthing back with the Green and White. Hell… given Sisco’s crappiness and Bagg’s uncertain knee, I can foresee and series of events that leads to Farthing being seen as a legitimate option at non-import WR this season.

Speaking of old guys, Jeremy O’Day has poured some cold water on some rumoured acquisitions… one was rumoured by me (Avon Cobourne) and was plausible. One was rumoured by lord knows who (Dante Culpepper) and was quite frankly ridiculous.  Given that we actually we interested in Cobourne last year, I’m surprised to see us not go after him again. As an aging veteran that used to be really good you’d think Taman would be all over him. Guess that means the “Wes Cates. Four More Years” Campaign has worked. As for Culpepper… Really people? If I posted that we were planning on signing Willie Beamen as our back-up QB would people have to check with the Riders to see if it was true?

CFL Ins and Outs

Saskatchewan

In: WR Jason Cherry, WR Taj Smith (free agent signing)

I have no comment on these guys, other than Taj and Smith seems like an odd combination of names.

Winnipeg

In: QB Buck Pierce, QB Joey Elliot, WR Greg Carr, GM Joe Mack (contract extension)

Somehow Pierce managed a 3 year deal out of the Bombers… though I guess since CFl contracts aren’t guaranteed they could have signed him to an 80 year deal. Fact remains he won’t play a full season or if he does won’t be very good by the end.

Montreal

Out: Kerry Watkins (retired), Tim Maypray (released)

Always liked Watkins, in his prime he was great to watch… except for when it was our DBs him and AC were torching.

Hamilton

In: RB Martell Mallett (free agent signing)

Out: OL Simeon Rottier, RB Avon Cobourne, DL Luc Mullinder (released)

Ti-Cats invested $100,000 into an RB that hasn’t been in the league since ’09 and is coming off a major knee injury. This is either going to go extremely well for them or end up like when the time Hamilton signed Kenton Keith.

Calgary

In: RB Jeramy Avery, RB Michael Smith (free agent signing)

Edmonton

In: P Eric Wilbur (free agent signing)

Out: K/P Damon Duval (released)