DAYTONA HOMES MONDAY MORNING GOALIE

FROM THE ARGOS TO THE AGROS:  It’s been a great start to UP WEEK.  The Riders got back on track Saturday with a 37-9 drubbing of the Toronto Argonauts and on Sunday we were invited out to the Aulie cabin at Regina Beach for their annual gathering of U of S Agriculture grads (Agros).  We also celebrated Keith Aulie’s new contract with the Edmonton Oilers.  With Jordan Eberle and Keith together in Edmonton, are we now cheering for the Oilers?  After all, this is an Oilers town.

The beach volleyball tournament was a lot of fun.  The “Young Guys” team won the belt…

Yours truly was on the “Old Guys” team…

That’s the longest Slip ‘N Slide I’ve ever seen!  It was a tremendous day with good friends.  Thanks to the Aulie’s!

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RANDOM MONDAY THOUGHTS

THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE:  Actually, we didn’t know what the 2014 Saskatchewan Roughriders were but Saturday’s win over the Argonauts was a big step in the right direction.  While the Riders’ statistics weren’t off-the-charts, the turnover battle (6-2) was in Saskatchewan’s favour and decided the game.  Running back Will Ford’s Rider debut could not have gone better, rushing for 113 yards and three touchdowns.  It appears that situation has been rectified which is a relief.  Ford got the bulk of the reps in Tuesday’s closed practice and while the coaches felt early on that he would be the starter, he wasn’t told until late in the week.  They were waiting to see how quickly he absorbed the offense, but Ford passed with flying colours.

REVERSING THE CURSE:  The Riders hadn’t lost back-to-back games by double digits since that dreadful 2011 season.  Thankfully that streak was snapped.  The bye week truly came at a great time.  There were a lot of negative vibes around the team but now it appears to be all positive.  The mental side of the game is huge and losing can snowball if you let it.  So can winning.

TO BENCH OR NOT TO BENCH?: Rider punt returner Marshay Green was not taken out of the game because of his second half fumble.  It was because of injury.  However the Riders’ decision to sit guys down for coughing up the ball caught the league’s attention.  Many fans and CFL observers alike were vocally against the moves by the Rider coaching staff but consider this; in the Shivers and Barrett era, players were allowed to habitually make mistakes with no fear of losing their starting job.  Who’s right?  Perhaps the answer is somewhere in the middle.

D.A.?:  One has to wonder if Argo coach Scott Milanovich sedated defensive back Dwight Anderson prior to Saturday’s game?  I fully expected he’d be out at midfield jawing at the Riders when they came out of the tunnel but he was nowhere to be found and didn’t really make an impact over the course of the game.  Argo quarterback Ricky Ray said D.A. is still discovering where he fits in in that locker room.  One thing about Dwight; he truly is a good person.  He’s like those tough guy hockey players who are really polite to your Mom off the ice but once they put skates on, they want to rip the opponent’s head off.  That’s D.A. once he gets between the white lines.

A GREAT NIGHT:  Saturday was a special night at Mosaic Stadium.  I had a friend from Mississauga, a new business owner in Regina, attend his first ever Rider game that night.  He texted afterwards, “What a first game – I couldn’t have asked for anything better”.  It truly is better in the stands.

NEXT UP:  It’s too early to say if the Roughriders are heading into a favourable part of their schedule but their next three games are against Ottawa, Winnipeg and Montreal.  Two of those teams have below .500 records however two are also on the road.  The Riders open their Week 6 preparations on Tuesday with another closed practice.

O’DAY FOR PREZ?:  The rumour mill is churning as the Saskatchewan Roughriders look for the successor to Jim Hopson as team President and CEO.  Former Rider running back Greg Fieger is leading the search.  Two well-placed sources have suggested current Rider Assistant GM Jeremy O’Day may get an opportunity at the position.  I have not confirmed the story with Jeremy however people close to O’Day say the rumours aren’t coming from him!

DRESSLER UPDATE: We now have two reporters following Kansas City Chiefs training camp for us and the latest is Curtis Mullen who provided the following photo and recap of Weston Dressler’s progress so far:

“Sunday July 27th was Season Ticket appreciation day at Chiefs training camp.  Chief season ticket holders were treated to a pancake breakfast early before they watched their team prepare for the 2014 season.  Training camp is being held on the campus of Missouri Western University in St. Joseph Missouri (approx 35 miles north of Kansas City). When practice started it was held under sunny skies with a slight NW breeze and it was 25 C.  Practice started at 8:15 and by 9:00 AM there were approx. 3500 fans taking in the action.  Here is marketing tip for the Riders, each and every fan had to pass through the merchandise tent before being able to watch the practice.

In addition to the 1 on 1’s that the QB’s and receivers worked on the most informative part of practice was the 3 sets of 11 on 11 that were ran.  Each player was playing in full pads and there were NFL referee’s present.  The ref’s were dropping flags if there was PI on either the offense or defense.  To assist in the simulation of game action, music was blaring from the speakers to make it harder for the QB’s to call audible’s.

The QB’s on the Chiefs roster are the following;
# 11 Alex Smith (starting QB)
#10 Chase Daniel (current # 2)
#9 Tyler Bray (pushing Chase to be # 2 – but a rookie out of Tennessee)
#7 Aaron Murray (rookie out of Georgia)

Here is breakdown of the # of plays Weston participated in during the 11 on 11 scrimmage drills;

QB # of Plays
Smith 0
Daniel 9
Bray 8
Murray 4

In addition to the 11 on 11 scrimmages that were ran a 7 on 7 drill was also ran.  Below is the breakdown on the plays the Weston participated in;

QB # of Plays
Smith 2
Daniel 5
Bray 3
Murray 2

In addition to the above mentioned activities the QB’s and receivers also did some 1 on 1’s and 3 on 3’s.

When you combine all of the opportunities that Weston had the ball thrown to him here is the breakdown by QB

QB Thrown to Caught Over / under thrown
Smith 2 2 (These passes were during the 1 on 1’s)
Daniel 2 2
Bray 1 1
Murray 1 1

This may not seem like a lot of opportunities for Weston to prove himself, but please keep in mind that at this time the Chiefs currently have 13 WR, 5 TE and 7 RB in camp.  With all of these bodies, it just takes a long time for a player to have his # come up.

As we all know if Weston is to make the Chiefs his versatility on special teams could be the deciding factor.  Weston participated in both punt coverage and punt return drills.  In the punt coverage, he was playing the ‘gunner’ position but both of these plays were fakes.  In regards to the punt return plays, Weston was the 2nd returner to take the field.  Each of the returner’s had one ball punted to them.

At the end of practice I noticed that there was an official from the Argos scouting the practice.  He had on an Argo golf shirt and was carrying a lap top bag with the Argo logo on it. When I noticed him, he was speaking with some Chiefs coaching personnel.

Practice ended at 11:00 AM.  By this time the temperature had risen to 32 C.  As the players made their way to the locker room, they had to walk the gauntlet of fans clamoring for autographs.  Weston is focused on the task at hand and kept on walking.

Hopefully this was beneficial.  This was just one practice, it will take going to another practice to make a comparison to see how Weston is progressing.”

PATS RUMOURS: We’ve got to be close to an announcement on the next head coach of the Regina Pats.  The hockey people are buzzing with “What’s taking so long?”  Rumours are rampant that a couple of would-be coaches turned the position down and that has elongated the process.

I caution you to be very skeptical with what you hear about the Regina Pats right now.  People plant stories just to muddle things up.  For instance someone said the new owners are more “hands-on” than the previous regime however I assure you that’s not the case.  This hiring is entirely GM Chad Lang’s call and will simply be approved by the new ownership group.  Let’s be honest – these guys didn’t exactly inherit the Chicago Blackhawks so they’re taking their time and doing things the right way.

One story popped up Friday evening that Dave Struch, who coached the Saskatoon Blades last year, has been offered the head coaching job of the Humboldt Broncos however he’s still in the running in Regina and is waiting for word out of here.  Who knows if it’s true?

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Here are some NFL training camp primers courtesy of the Associated Press for the teams which I follow the closest.  Is your team in here?:

DALLAS COWBOYS (8-8)

OPEN CAMP: July 24, Oxnard, California.

LAST YEAR: Cowboys finished third straight 8-8 season with third consecutive loss in finale against NFC East foe with playoff berth on line. Eagles beat them in 2013.

IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: OL Zack Martin; DE DeMarcus Lawrence; DTs Henry Melton and Terrell McClain; passing game co-ordinator Scott Linehan.

IMPORTANT LOSSES: LB Sean Lee; DE DeMarcus Ware; DT Jason Hatcher.

CAMP NEEDS: Top priority is replacement for MLB Lee (torn ACL); is that player on roster? Justin Durant enters camp as starter, fourth-round pick Anthony Hitchens and second-year player DeVonte Holloman also in mix. QB Tony Romo enters camp without having worked any competitive situations for second straight off-season, but he’s much further along with latest back issue. Overhaul of defensive line kicks into high gear, with rookie second-rounder Lawrence possible heir to Ware, free agent Melton trying to show he’s recovered from knee surgery.

EXPECTATIONS: Cowboys are without two best players from defence that was worst in league and gave up most yards in franchise history, so hard to imagine anything better than another 8-8. With coach Jason Garrett in final year of contract, anything less than post-season berth could mean Jerry Jones is looking for eighth head coach in 25 years as owner. Dallas had one head coach (Tom Landry) in franchise’s first 29 years.

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ARIZONA CARDINALS (10-6)

OPEN CAMP: July 25, Glendale, Arizona.

LAST YEAR: In Bruce Arians’ first season as coach, compiled best record since 2009, failed to reach playoffs in tough NFC West. Defence dominated, most significantly in 17-10 late-season victory at eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle. Offence, with Carson Palmer still learning Arians’ intricate system, improved over last half of schedule, led by dynamic rookie RB Andre Ellington, receiving duo of Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd.

IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: OT Jared Veldheer; CB Antonio Cromartie; ILB Larry Foote; TE John Carlson; SS Deone Bucannon.

IMPORTANT LOSSES: ILBs Daryl Washington and Karlos Dansby; RB Rashard Mendenhall; G Daryn Colledge; WR Andre Roberts; LB Matt Shaughnessy; S Yeremiah Bell.

CAMP NEEDS: Washington and Dansby were heart of defence that ranked sixth, but Washington suspended for year for violating NFL substance abuse policy. Dansby departed via free agency. Second-year pro Kevin Minter, who played one down on defence last season, is penciled in at one spot. Other seems to be open competition. Also competition at RG, RT and TE. Cardinals plan expanded role for Ellington as feature back. Also are looking for third receiver to replace Roberts.

EXPECTATIONS: Cardinals are thinking playoffs, but need better record than 2-4 within division of 2014.

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CHICAGO BEARS (8-8)

OPEN CAMP: July 24, Bourbonnais, Illinois.

LAST YEAR: Bears made huge jump on offence in first season under coach Marc Trestman. Main problem was on other side of ball. With injuries and poor play in general, Chicago’s defence ranked among league’s worst, allowed next-to-worst 478 points.

IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: DEs Jared Allen, Lamarr Houston and Willie Young; CB Kyle Fuller; Ss Adrian Wilson, Ryan Mundy, and M.D. Jennings.

IMPORTANT LOSSES: DE Julius Peppers; DT Henry Melton; QB Josh McCown.

CAMP NEEDS: Time for an overhauled defence to come together; someone to establish himself as backup QB to Jay Cutler.

EXPECTATIONS: Most significant move was not signing Allen. It was giving Cutler seven-year contract instead of letting him hit free agency. Allen, however, is most significant addition. Bears hope five-time Pro Bowler can ignite pass rush and help stabilize unit that struggled in big way. “Monsters of the Midway” ranked 30th overall and 32nd against run. If defence can make leap to respectability, Chicago figures to challenge in division, maybe make playoff run after missing out six of past seven years. That’s assuming offence that returns all starters does not take unexpected step back.

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KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (11-5)

OPEN CAMP: July 24, Missouri Western, St. Joseph, Missouri.

LAST YEAR: After going 2-14 two years ago, Chiefs overhauled roster under new GM John Dorsey and rebounded to win first nine games. They scuffled down the stretch but earned wild card before blowing 28-point lead in 45-44 loss at Indianapolis.

IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: OL Jeff Linkenbach; LBs Dee Ford and Joe Mays; DT Vance Walker; CBs Chris Owens and Phillip Gaines; RB De’Anthony Thomas.

IMPORTANT LOSSES: OLs Branden Albert, Jon Asamoah and Geoff Schwartz; WR Dexter McCluster; FS Kendrick Lewis; CB Brandon Flowers; LB Akeem Jordan; DE Tyson Jackson.

CAMP NEEDS: Chiefs need to settle on starting offensive line, particularly RG, where Rokevious Watkins has been suspended four games for violating league’s substance abuse policy. Competition at WR figures to be stiff behind Dwayne Bowe, and jobs at FS and CB will be up for grabs. Watch for contract negotiations involving QB Alex Smith and LB Justin Houston; both can become free agents after season. Houston skipped all voluntary and mandatory off-season workouts.

EXPECTATIONS: Chiefs lost three Pro Bowl players, three starting offensive linemen and several veterans who provided valuable depth. They made modest moves in free agency due to salary cap situation. Second-year coach Andy Reid believes everyone having a year in his system will help. But with more difficult schedule, many believe a .500 record will be successful.

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TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (4-12)

OPEN CAMP: July 25, Tampa, Florida.

LAST YEAR: Season began with expectations of contending for playoffs quickly spiraled out of control. Outbreak of MRSA infection in locker room preceded early demotion and subsequent release of quarterback Josh Freeman. Addition of star CB Darrelle Revis didn’t help defence much, offence sputtered with rookie QB Mike Glennon, finishing 30th in scoring, last in passing and total yardage. Nonstop chaos claimed jobs of coach Greg Schiano (11-21 in two seasons) and GM Mark Dominik.

IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: Coach Lovie Smith; defensive co-ordinator Leslie Frazier; offensive co-ordinator Jeff Tedford; QB Josh McCown; DE Michael Johnson; WRs Mike Evans and Louis Murphy; CB Alterraun Verner; OT Anthony Collins; C Evan Dietrich-Smith; DT Clinton McDonald; TEs Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Brandon Myers; RB Charles Sims.

IMPORTANT LOSSES: CB Darrelle Revis; WR Mike Williams; OT Donald Penn; G Davin Joseph; C Jeremy Zuttah; LB Dekoda Watson.

CAMP NEEDS: New coaching staff also means new offensive and defensive systems. Smith is counting on McCown, career backup coming off best season (in Chicago), to take charge, help transition of draft picks Evans, Seferian-Jenkins and Sims from college, and instil confidence in unit that also figures to include three new line starters.

EXPECTATIONS: Bucs haven’t made playoffs since 2007, but Smith insists he isn’t beginning rebuilding project. He believes McCown can be consistent QB lacking for more than decade, and that personnel changes he and first-year GM Jason Licht made will meld with holdovers Gerald McCoy, Lavonte David, Mark Barron, Dashon Goldson, Doug Martin and Vincent Jackson.

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SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (16-3)

OPEN CAMP: July 25, Renton, Washington.

LAST YEAR: Seattle won first Super Bowl title with 43-8 dismantling of Denver. Had best defence in NFL led by All-Pros Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas. Seahawks got another standout season from RB Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson continued progression toward elite quarterback. Matched franchise record for regular-season victories (13), won six times away from Seattle.

IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: DT Kevin Williams; QB Terrelle Pryor; WRs Kevin Norwood and Paul Richardson; DE Cassius Marsh; OT Justin Britt.

IMPORTANT LOSSES: DEs Chris Clemons and Red Bryant; DT Clinton McDonald; CB Walter Thurmond; G Paul McQuistan; OT Breno Giacomini; WR Golden Tate.

CAMP NEEDS: Not much for champs to solve. Defensive line depth took hit in free agency, but Seattle has young talent that rarely saw the field last season. Deciding starter at OLB between Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith and Bruce Irvin. Finding WR depth behind Percy Harvin and Doug Baldwin. RT and LG will be positions to watch on offensive line.

EXPECTATIONS: Expectations haven’t changed. Now, narrative has gone from whether Seattle is legit Super Bowl contender to can Seahawks be first team in a decade to repeat? Locked up Sherman and Thomas with lucrative extensions. Wilson should continue to improve and offence has impressive speed with Harvin healthy and addition of Richardson. Only lingering concern is whether Lynch’s desire for reworked contract will become distraction. Otherwise, Seahawks are favoured in NFC.

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THAT’S IT FOR TODAY. ENJOY UP WEEK!
RP
@sportscage