WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY – WHAT THE RIDERS NEED

(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 & Rock 98.5 FM)

A QUESTION CAME INTO THE ROD PEDERSEN SHOW THIS WEEK FROM A VIEWER ASKING WHAT THE RIDERS NEED AS THEY ENTER ANOTHER OFF-SEASON?

MY IMMEDIATE INCLINATION WAS TO SAY, “NOT MUCH”, AND A COUPLE DAYS LATER I STILL BELIEVE THAT. SASKATCHEWAN WAS 9-5 IN THIS COVID-SHORTENED YEAR AND PROBABLY WOULD’VE ACHIEVED 10 WINS IF NOT FOR THAT THROW AWAY GAME IN HAMILTON AT THE END OF THE REGULAR SEASON.

THEY WERE A GOOD TEAM, AND AS NOTED HERE ALL YEAR, WEREN’T PERFECT BUT SORRY TO TELL YOU … NOBODY IS.

THEY SHOULD BE KICKING THEMSELVES FOR NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SIX WINNIPEG TURNOVERS IN THE WEST FINAL BUT WHEN THE CAMERAS AND MICROPHONES ARE OFF, I’M SURE THEY ARE.

BUT WHEN THE WEBSITE 3-DOWN-NATION PUBLISHED THE LIST OF PENDING FREE AGENTS FOR THE GREEN & WHITE ON TUESDAY, I TOOK A GASP.

IT’S. ALMOST. EVERYBODY.

I’M TERRIBLE AT MATH BUT COUNTED 52 PLAYERS WHOSE CONTRACTS ARE UP INCLUDING ONE QUARTERBACK (ISAAC HARKER), SIX RUNNING BACKS, NINE RECEIVERS, SEVEN O-LINEMEN AND AND EIGHT D-LINEMEN, SIX LINEBACKERS, 12 DB’S AND THEIR ENTIRE SPECIAL TEAMS ROOM. (THE KICKER, PUNTER AND LONG SNAPPER).

THE NAMES INCLUDE STARS LIKE SHAQ EVANS, DUKE WILLIAMS, AC LEONARD, MICAH JOHNSON, NICK MARSHALL, ED GAINEY, JON RYAN & BRETT LAUTHER.

IT MIGHT BE EASIER TO COUNT WHO IS SECURED FOR 2022 AND THAT SHORT LIST INCLUDES NAMES LIKE CODY FAJARDO, DAN CLARK AND BRENDON LABATTE.

NOW WHILE THAT FREE AGENT LIST IS MORE THAN DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF AN AVERAGE, ORDINARY YEAR, IT’S ALSO NO REASON TO PANIC.

COVID CONTINUES TO TURN THINGS UPSIDE DOWN IN THE CFL BUT KNOWING RIDER GM JEREMY O’DAY, HE’S NOT PANICKING. HE’S LIKELY ALREADY GOTTEN HIS BUDGET FOR NEXT SEASON AND BEGUN TALKING TO THE PLAYERS HE’S DESIGNATED AS “MUST HAVE’S”.

I’VE SAID FOR YEARS – AND HAVEN’T CHANGED NOW – THAT YOU’RE IN GOOD STEAD AS A PRO FOOTBALL TEAM IF YOU HAVE TWO KEY PEOPLE IN FOUNDATIONAL SPOTS; THE QUARTERBACK AND THE HEAD COACH. EVERYTHING FLOWS FROM THERE.

IN THE RIDERS CASE, THEY HAVE THAT IN CODY FAJARDO AND CRAIG DICKENSON. PLAYERS WILL WANT TO PLAY WITH, AND FOR, THEM.

OVER THE NEW FEW MONTHS, WE’LL BEGIN TO FIND OUT WHO THOSE PLAYERS ARE.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY

(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV across Canada and the USA. Call your cable provider for details. You can also watch on YouTube Live or listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)