Expansion Draft: Saskatchewan Roughriders

For my first installment of my team by team analysis of the upcoming Ottawa Expansion Draft we will start right here at home with the team you care most about.

Quick Summary Of The Draft Rules:

-       Round 1: Teams protect 1 QB and 10 Imports. Ottawa picks 1 import from each team

-       Round 2: Teams protect 6 Canadians (8 if they had a QB taken in Round 1). Ottawa picks 1 Canadian from each team

-       Round 3: Teams protect 6 more Canadians (8 if they had a kicker taken in Round 2), Ottawa picks one more Canadian from each team

End result is each team will lose 1 import and 2 Canadians.

One more note, while Ottawa can select pending free agents, they are unlikely to do so because they would then run the risk of that FA just signing elsewhere 2 months later. So for example you would expect us to protect Weston Dressler, but odds are we will not bother protecting him because Ottawa won’t waste a pick on him only to have him sign back here in February. So my analysis will assume that teams do not protect FAs and Ottawa does not select them. Stranger things have happened (I mean Ottawa did draft a dead guy so a pending FA would actually be a step up) but its highly unlikely.

On with the analysis…

Round 1: Imports

Players likely to be protected: Darian Durant, Xavier Fulton, John Chick, Weldon Brown, Tyron Brackenridge, Tearrius George, Hilee Taylor, Rod Williams, Carlo Thomas, Diamond Ferri, Brian Peters.

Notes:

-       Dressler, Smith, Sheets Maze, McElveen, Sanders would normally be on the list but are pending FAs

-       Uncertainty over pending legal issues plus the unlikelihood of Ottawa actually taking him leave Dwight Anderson off the list

-       Willing to bet Riders are willing to risk not protecting Geroy Simon. Odds are slim of Ottawa taking him (outside chance they do protect him and leave Peters open instead)

-       Age and uncertainty surrounding his recovery from knee injury likely leave Rey Williams off the protected list

Who Will Ottawa Take?

Slim pickings for Ottawa given that we have room to protect the likes of Thomas, Ferri and Peters. Ottawa could take a high risk move and go for a Simon, Anderson or Rey Williams (who talent-wise would be the logical choice) but I’m thinking they go with a safer option and select Chris Garrett. Garrett gives them an experienced RB capable of starting.

Round 2: Canadians

Players likely to be protected: Brendan Labatte, Ben Heenan, Chris Best, Chris Getzlaf, Keith Shologan, Dominic Picard

Notes:

-       Butler and Milo would normally be on the list but are pending FAs

-       There is a chance that Ricky Foley is protected instead of Picard

Who Will Ottawa Take?

For the Riders this will boil down to a choice between Foley and Picard. Whoever they don’t protect will be taken by Ottawa. With the drafting of Watman and a veteran line around him, I wold personally protect Foley and let Picard go (as I think Foley has better years left in him) but I have a feeling the Riders will place greater value on their OL and let Foley go. Tough choice either way.

Round 3: Canadians

Players likely to be protected: Rob Bagg, Cory Watman, Sam Hurl, Zach Evans, Dan Clark, Scott McHenry

Who Will Ottawa Take?

In the 3^rd round Ottawa is essentially looking for a special teamer/depth guy… Tristan Black fits that description perfectly and I could see him as our 3^rd and final loss.

Minus the loss of Picard or Foley this will overall be a fairly low impact event for the Riders in all likelihood.