MURPHY: RIDERS #1 IN SALARY CAP STATUS
Roughrider fans woke up from a turkey-induced haze on Thanksgiving Day Monday to learn the team had shipped a pair of veterans – DE Justin Capicciotti and OT Xavier Fulton – to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in exchange for Canadian DT Linden Gaydosh, import WR Tommy Streeter and 4th and 7th round picks in the 2017 CFL Draft.
Saskatchewan Assistant V.P. of Player Personnel John Murphy appeared on 620 CKRM’s SportsCage on Monday to address the blockbuster trade, and to dispel any myth that the club is danger of being over the salary cap in 2016.
“In the last couple of weeks, as we started to play better and win games, teams were still interested in a couple of guys that could help them in their situation,” Murphy explained from Ottawa where the club is staying between its Week 16 and 17 games. “And when you don’t control your own destiny, that’s when you need to consider every option and at least look and see what’s available and what teams might compensate you with.”
Murphy explained that recent free agent additions as well as players coming off the Injured List created a surplus at certain positions, and put the Riders in position to make a trade.
“Jarriel King is back and healthy and that gives us three legitimate American offensive tackles who’ve won consistently in the CFL. There were multiple teams interested in Fulton, and teams with ratio issues,” Murphy continued. “Acquiring Muamba and Jefferson, that puts Justin Capicciotti’s long-term status in question. Xavier Fulton was playing out a 1-year contract. To have the opportunity down the stretch to see who can play guard or tackle, to have two American defensive ends, that’s what we want to do.
“Above all, we wanted to engage in Canadian content. It was a huge issue when we got here and continued to be through the season. To get Gaydosh, and then a pair of Canadian draft picks, that’s big. Linden’s been banged up and that’s been the only issue hampering his career. It’s a low risk, high reward scenario in acquiring him and maybe a change of scenery is what’s needed. That’s a look to the future as well. But we still have a chance to go 8-10 and that’st he goal.”
Fans and media far and wide debated the reasons behind Monday’s trade and many suggested that the Riders were dumping salary given the recent additions of Henoc Muamba, Jeff Fuller and Willie Jefferson.
However Murphy said that simply isn’t true.
“There is nothing to do with these guys’ salaries,” Murphy continued. “#1 Justin was very well taken-of in free agency. Fulton made a deal late in the process, and neither of these guys were making a ton of money down the stretch. To say this is was a salary dump is incorrect.
“The Saskatchewan Roughriders are #1, far and away #1, currently in the league when it comes to the salary status of this club for the 2016 season. I’d rather be #1 in wins, but one category we do lead in is our SMS status. So for anyone to see we dumped these guys were part of a salary dump, could not be any further from the truth.”
The Roughriders will practice on the front lawn of the Parliament Buildings on Tuesday, in front of Centre Block, from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm ET.
Geez, who to believe. Should I believe someone doing his job or all the wannabe gms in Saskatchewan. Think I will believe the man in charge.
remember when all the rider fans would talk about Edmonton or Toronto having the biggest salary hits and that's why the win all the time? now what rider knobs? paying the most for the worst teams in the history of the sport! how very sasky of you. welcome to the oiler rebuild plan enjoy watching the Rush play in that new stadium
Not sure what you are talking about. We are in the BEST salary management position, not the worst!
Reread the article dipstick.
so who is over the cap?
What does "#1 in salary status" really mean…Is that lowest or highest total, or perhaps, highest number of different players being paid, therefore resulting in the lowest average $$$ per player??? Straight talk – NOT!
Half season it took this team to get on it's feet. 4-10 now but in the last five 3-2 (since the half season mark). Who let's these EE trolls have access to a computer? Worst team in the history of the sport is a long shot there bud, maybe try a little research before spewing your non-sense with real, educated fans.
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Will Gaydosh play a game for the Riders this year? What's his injury and how serious is it?
This is a good trade for us if we get a healthy Gaydosh.
For a start Murphy has no idea where the other cfl teams are in their salery positions as that info is confidential to each team and certainly not to Murphy.
Just another BS session by Murphy as usual.
Who cares. The salary cap is a joke anyways. If you go over it you just end up paying a fine anyway.
Well im pretty sure that Murphy has a lot better idea where the other teams are at in regards to salary than the league or any fan does, especially since they have been trading players and signing players that have had offers from other teams, and so on. They just better resign durant before free agency after bragging about all the cap space they have…if they don't you might here all the current durant haters whine about them not paying him too. Lol some ppl so simple
Also the salary cap basically has only a 100,000 leeway where its only a fine, anything after that and its costly.
yeah the above comment is correct because then you lose your number 1 pick I believe
I knew that the EE fans were a few bricks short a load. They just proved that they are even worse than I thought. They see a title of an article. Miss interpret the title; do not bother to read the article and then make comments on said article. Number 2 comment from the EE fan just shows how ridiculous and dumb a wanna be football fan can be. Knows nothing about the game and proves that they are too lazy to read the article. Calls a fan base knobs when in fact he is the biggest knob of them… Read more »
I am actually surprised that Murphy knows what other teams are paying their players and how they are doing on the salary cap. Guess nothing is a secret in the team's offices.