RIDERS NAB MURPHY, RETAIN O'DAY, RELEASE 19
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| From left: Murphy, Jones, O’Day |
Saskatchewan Roughriders vice president of football operations, general manager and head coach Chris Jones announced his football operations staff on Tuesday in a news conference at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.
Joining Jones in the front office will be assistant vice president of football operations and player personnel, John Murphy.
Murphy joins the Riders after spending eight seasons with the Calgary Stampeders, originally joining the team during their 2008 Grey Cup winning season. He joined the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as director of player personnel for the 2009 season before returning to the Stampeders where he spent the last five seasons as assistant general manager and director of player personnel.
Long serving Roughrider, Jeremy O’Day remains with the club after being named assistant vice president of football operations and administration.
O’Day originally joined the Riders front office in 2011 as a football operations coordinator after playing 202 regular season games through 12 seasons with the team. He has spent the last four seasons as assistant general manager and director of football operations. Last year, O’Day was named interim vice-president of football operations and general manager where he remained for the final nine games of the 2015 regular season.
· International running back Anthony Allen
* It was also learned on Tuesday that after 37 years with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, therapist Ivan Gutfriend is stepping away from the organization in January.
Call it like it is –
Murphy is the player scout
O'Day is the real GM
Jones is HC and DC
Great staff, looking forward to the season already. As someone told Roddy last week, it's like 3-15 never happened. Of course there will be some like the old boys club who will continue to bitch about the shakeup but the vast majority of fans have their heads on straight and are pumped for the change. It had to happen and it has. Now let's go find us some depth!
Gundersons Yorkton
more like Murphy finds the players. O'Day handles the contracts. Jones decides who is on the team.
Murphy leaving assistant gm to be a scout?
Does Jeremy get to sign and release any player or coach that he wants? The last real GM did.
Does Jones answer to the GM?
There is too much grey to "call it like it is". The simple minded like simplicity however the real world always is more complex.
Bahahahaha "O'Day the real GM" – man Rider fans can be complete dolts at times!
Jones has control and final say on everything.
What Oday real gm give me a break!!He should of been sent packing like everyone else!!
No time wasted with the new regime. Blowing it up already! Can't wait to see our new and improved Riders!
LA
Why would they release Terrell Maze & Weldon Brown.
Would they try and resign them at lower salaries ??
Most of the releases were due to be free agents. If they sign before free agency, good for them. Otherwise, maybe we pick a couple back up later at a more reasonable salary.
I'm sure they have been in touch with the various agents and the price tags were likely too high on a number of guys. Some they simply didn't want back. Not many players want to sign for less because their loyalty to the team and community is so great that they will agree to work for less. Geez where have I heard that garbage before. A lot of guys this year quit on the team and fans. They were here for the pay check only and didn't care about anything else. The lazy cancerous types had to be shown the… Read more »
Why wouldnt they release Terrell Maze and Weldon Brown?? After the year the Defensive Backfield had only way to fix it is to start over!!
Let 'em go, Let 'em go, Let 'em go.
I need a coffee
Yep, here it is… the players that got us to 3-15 the fans want to retain. Guess what Rider Nation this is the first and easy wave. There will be more to come and they will keep going higher up the totem pole until the cap and roster are in proper order.
Part of the reason is the Riders are maxed on contracts. They have no interest in these guys so cutting them now opens up roster spots. Why wait until February when you can get a head start on replacing guys.
Really analyse the list, it is barely noteworthy and actually says more about the previous regime than Jones.
Finally someone had the balls to let Mertile go.
Previous Coach and GM should have been embarrassed that he lasted the entire 2015 season. Way to accept mediocrity, Jones won't!
This new team better be prepared to fight to play this GAME, or your done!
It's about time.
I think Chris Jones is the real GM.
Maybe Murphy and O'day will just tag team and flush out the players that Taman and Craig Smith couldn't find. I trust O'day is all in with this new setup, I'm sure he is, I've never heard anything other than he's a great team first guy.
Let’s not kid ourselves. This is gonna be great.
Jones is just doing what Taman and crew either wouldn't or couldn't. This dispels the urban myth that we were just a "wee" ways away from being great again. Just a couple players is all. These people had played us and kicked us for the last couple years so I'm sure the knew the weaknesses. With the new rules you need bigger DB's because you have to cover taller receivers without bumping etc. Our DB's were tiny, couldn't cover or tackle. This team was allowed to deteriorate. Reynolds proved you can't get a two year pass in this organization because… Read more »
WHAT??? They release 19 players!!! Should have released about twice that many!!!
Clarkenstein
good riddance! Jones means "business"…how refreshing!
Great day for the Riders and a whole new attitude.