BIG DAY IN RIDERVILLE

REGINA – Head coach Craig Dickenson will have five new faces on his Saskatchewan Roughriders staff in 2023.

The Riders unveiled Dickenson’s staff Tuesday and making their first appearance with Saskatchewan this year will be Andre Bulduc (run-game co-ordinator/running backs coach); Del Cowsette (defensive line); Naaman Roosevelt (offensive assistant); Drew Tate (receivers); and Anthony Vitale (offensive line). They join Dickenson, Kelly Jeffrey (offensive co-ordinator/quarterbacks); Jason Shivers (defensive co-ordinator); Kent Maugeri (special teams); Deion Melvin (linebackers); and Marcus Klund (defensive backs).

Roosevelt is a former Riders player while Tate was a CFL quarterback with Calgary and Ottawa. Bolduc, another former league player, arrives in Saskatchewan after nine seasons as an assistant coach with the Montreal Alouettes while Vitatle spent last season with the Edmonton Elks.

Jeremy O’Day remains the club’s vice-president of football operations/GM with Paul Jones and Kyle Carson serving as assistant general managers.

The Riders promoted Jordan Greenly to director of football operations, working alongside football operations co-ordinator Chase Pelletier.

Greg Mayer becomes the Riders’ head athletic therapist after serving in that role with the WHL’s Regina Pats since 2004.

Meanwhile the Roughriders’ rebuild is quickly taking shape.

A CFL source said the Riders agreed to a one-year deal with Montreal Alouettes receiver Jake Wieneke on Tuesday. Wieneke was slated to become a free agent next Tuesday, but pending free agents have been able to speak with teams since Sunday as per the league’s negotiating window.

The source added the move comes a day after the Riders reached an agreement with Montreal quarterback Trevor Harris, who also was scheduled to become a CFL free agent next week. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity as deals reached during the window won’t be formally announced until the start of free agency next Tuesday.

The six-foot-four 215-pound Wieneke, who’s reportedly very good friends with Harris, has spent the last three seasons with Montreal. In 48 regular-season games, the 28-year-old native of Maple Grove, Minn., had 142 catches for 2,056 yards with 21 touchdowns.

Harris, 36, completed 71.6 per cent of his passes for 4,157 yards last season. The six-foot-three, 212-pound Harris is entering his 12th CFL season but the Riders would be his fifth different league team.

Saskatchewan (6-12) finished fourth in the West Division standings last season, missing the CFL playoffs. And while Harris and Wienke are expected to help an offence that was second-last in offensive points (19.8 per game) in 2022, there’s still the matter of improving an offensive line that allowed a league-leading 77 sacks last year.

(Canadian Press)