RIDERS INTERESTED IN QB’S JAKE HEAPS, VINCE YOUNG

As the Riders go through free agency this week, they’re still putting considerable thought into their quarterback position.  Head Coach & GM Chris Jones mentioned in Wednesday’s news conference that you win in the CFL with quarterback play and quality Canadians.

However Saskatchewan Assistant V.P. of Player Personnel John Murphy revealed the depth chart continues to be a moving target.

“I think the next step is the Florida minicamp in April,” Murphy told 620 CKRM’s SportsCage. “There’s high hopes Jake Heaps will throw at University of Washington’s pro day and we hope to have one of myself, Jeremy, Coach McAdoo or Coach Jackson out there for that.”

Hardcore football fans will remember the name of Jake Heaps, a quarterback who played at a handful of NCAA schools before NFL stints with the Jets and Seahawks. Clearly he’s in the Riders’ plans, as is former Titans pivot Vince Young who was reportedly added to the Saskatchewan negotiation list two weeks ago.

NFL super agent Leigh Steinberg Tweeted on Thursday: “@leighsteinberg: We have opened discussions with Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL for Vince Young”.

Murphy said the search for an NFL veteran is real.

“There are some guys who’ve earned the right to compete at minicamp and there’s also some veteran guys whose names have been bantied about,” Murphy mentioned.

“I think there’s an opportunity should those guys say they’re definitely interested, if they are interested in the CFL and the Riders, then why not? For me to say a 31 or 32 year old guy can’t learn this league, play a role on our team and be an experienced guy who can help our young guys, I think it would be foolish to turn a guy down based on his age.”

Regarding Young – who turns 34 in May – he hasn’t been on an NFL roster since the 2014 off-season, when he was with Cleveland for two weeks before being released. He hasn’t played in a regular-season NFL game since 2011 when he was with Philadelphia.

After a record-filled college career at Texas, which he led to the national championship in the 2006 Rose Bowl, Young was drafted third overall by Tennessee later that year. He was the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year and made the Pro Bowl, and was selected again following the 2009 season but never fully lived up to lofty expectations.

Last month, Young pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 18 months of probation for a 2016 drunken driving arrest in Austin, Texas. He currently works for Texas promoting diversity and community engagement.

Of course the Riders also feel/hope the “next one” could already be under contract with the Green & White. There’s certainly already a group of hungry young quarterbacks in the Riders’ employ including G.J. Kinne, Jake Waters, Brandon Bridge and newcomer Brian Bennett.

“We saw some good things from Brandon Bridge down the stretch last year,” Murphy continued. “I’m very excited in the capabilities of Bryan Bennett and we’ll see what he can do in our system. Jake Waters has texted me every week to say his rehab is on target so he should be able to throw by mid-March. You have to just keep with the course of action we set forward. We have a veteran QB who can win games for us (Kevin Glenn) and then we’ll have great competition for that spot starting in camp and down the road.”