Monday Morning Sentimonies:

As promised I’m back with your regularly scheduled Monday Morning Sentimonies. Well to be perfectly honest of the previous 5 words I’m only consistent at meeting the last one… but you are still reading this so the system works!

The Riders mini-camp went this weekend in Florida and even though we had to experience it via pictures, interviews and tweets it was way better than the previous months of nothing we’ve had to endure. I really can’t tell you much about who looked good and who didn’t. By now you’ve probably read the few reports that are out there and really that’s about it. By all accounts the Rider brass were impressed with the level of talent at the camp (which fits with what I’ve been hearing all offseason that they are confident in this year’s batch of recruits). What I can do is give the list of camp participants that I have been able to piece together from various sources. Now keep in mind that just because players were at this camp is no guarantee they will be a Rider some still have other options. Remember that last year, BJ Daniels attended minicamp but ended up becoming an award-winning, bestselling mystery romance novelist for Harlequin… check that wrong BJ Daniels. He actually ended up getting drafted by the 49ers and ultimately landed on the Seahawks. So just keep that in mind. Also keep in mind that this list is by no means complete, just the best I can do.

I’ll group participants into 3 groups.

Vets - Tino Sunseri, Cory Watman, Matt Vonk and Rod Williams.

I was honestly surprised that Watman was there. They must have needed an extra OL or 2 to run full drills

Guys already signed

QB: Seth Doege

WR: Brett Swain, Chaz Schilens, Duke Calhoun, Guillame Rioux

RB: Clifton Smith, Jermaine Thomas, Keith Toston

DB: Troy Stoudemire, Hugo Lopez, Mark LeGree, Greg McKoy

LB: Tyler Greensalde, Morty Ivy, Scott McKillop, Chad Kilgore

DL: Trent Allmang-Wilder, Trevor Guyton

P: Brett Cameron

Guys not currently signed

QB Jon Jansen

QB Jeff Godfrey

WR Ryan Smith

WR Martel Moore

WR Bert Reed

WR Jeremy Horne

DB Donnie Fletcher

DL Ernest Owusu

DL Justyn Eddins

RB Ryan Torain

WR Jeremy Horne

RB Adonis Thomas

DB Antonio Fenelus

LB Adrian Moten

OL Levi Adcock (now that Willy is gone, the least they could do is sign this guy)

DB Marshay Green

WR Devin Aromashodu

WR Roy Roundtree

WR Diondre Borel

DL Kendrick Payne (what a great name for a defender, also reminds me of the movie Major Payne)

WR Sammie Stroughter

DL Robert Eddins

What struck me about this list was the diversity of players. There were guys coming out of college, guys who have had a cup of coffee in the NFL, unheralded guys who have bounced around the NFL and a few bigger names like Ryan Torain and Devin Aromashodu (though maybe I only know Aromashodu because I’m a Vikes fan). Regardless, it seems the Riders are leaving no stone unturned which is a good thing given the number of starting spots up for grabs this year.

We likely won’t know much about any of these guys until main camp rolls around in June… except for the few that will be released in the next week or so. Safe to say they didn’t impress. If nothing else we had a small taste of football to help fill these very empty months until June.

One more thing before I go… the Riders would like to remind you that time is running out to secure your REDBLACKS preseason tickets. They are only going to remind you like 5 more time… this week. Seems to me they are only a few steps away from using this strategy: