Speculation continues to envelop the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who are seemingly poised to make major alterations to their coaching staff.
George Cortez is apparently out as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach - not even two years after his arrival incited considerable blaring of trumpets. A source confides that Paul LaPolice is the Riders’ first choice to succeed Cortez. Plan B would be Jacques Chapdelaine.
Why won’t Cortez return? It is whispered that Cortez’s rapport with quarterback Darian Durant was not the best, and that the retention of the offensive co-ordinator would have deterred star slotback Weston Dressler from re-signing as a free agent.
There are also reports that defensive co-ordinator Richie Hall could be on his way out, a move that one source indicated may lead to the promotion of defensive backs coach Barron Miles or linebackers coach Brad Miller. Also consider the availability of Mike Benevides, a defensive guru who was recently cashiered as the B.C. Lions’ head coach.
As for the special teams, the future of co-ordinator Bob Dyce is also uncertain.
But this much is certain: Regardless of who ends up on the CFL team’s coaching staff in 2015, they must have upgraded personnel at their disposal.
Brendan Taman, the vice-president of football operations and general manager, is principally responsible for ensuring that the Green and White’s roster is once again of championship calibre.
Director of player personnel Craig Smith must also play a critical role in the restoration of the Roughriders.
Taman and Smith provided head coach Corey Chamblin with a talent-laden team in 2013 and, for that, kudos were warranted.
In 2014, however, the Roughriders fell short in several crucial areas. Injuries, free-agent departures and the Ottawa Redblacks’ expansion draft did not help matters, but those factors do not absolve Taman and Smith of some responsibility for the Roughriders’ regression this past season.
Even when the team was purring along with an 8-2 record, something wasn’t quite right.
The passing game, which was so potent in 2013, was often an eyesore in times of triumph.
Foot and back injuries sustained by two-time 1,000-yard slotback Chris Getzlaf impeded the offence. So did the absence of Dressler, who missed Saskatchewan’s first eight regular-season games while trying out for the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs.
However, the best teams overcome such issues - a shining example being the Calgary Stampeders, whose receiving corps was banged up for most of the 2014 season. Nonetheless, Calgary boasted a 15-3 record and ended up winning the Grey Cup.
Heading into the 2014 season, the Roughriders were hoping that erstwhile NFLers Brett Swain and Chaz Schilens would help to reduce the impact of Dressler’s departure. Schilens proved to be a non-factor. Swain was used intermittently, and sometimes effectively, but he was not a game-changer.
It is imperative that Dressler be re-signed. But even with him in the lineup, the Roughriders’ receiving corps is unexceptional. Another game-breaker would be welcomed.
The tailback situation must also be addressed. Anthony Allen led the 2014 Roughriders with 930 rushing yards, the second-highest total in the league. Even so, Allen is not the answer. He is a solid back, but not someone around whom opposing defensive co-ordinators tailor their game plans.
This isn’t merely the assessment of one rumpled scribe. Chamblin’s actions speak volumes with regard to his perception of the tailbacks, and Allen in particular. Chamblin kept looking for someone better, but to no avail.