Strong rumours. Durant to be released, Riders after Harris

It could happen, but I haven't heard a solid rumour from anyone credible on this. I fully expect Durant to be the Riders QB this season.

I agree. I saw it posted on twitter (forget by whom, maybe Rod Pederson?) that there were positive discussions between Durant and the Riders. I think Durant understands that CFL options that will get him a starting job and match his current salary, especially given he’s 33 and missed a full season, are extremely limited and for that reason I expect he’ll accept a lower salary, maybe a more incentive driven contract, and likely with a much small bonus than he’s currently scheduled to receive. Jones really has most of the leverage here.

They can't even consider Cutting Durant until they have an equivalent replacement. They will have to pay his Winter bonus and go from there.

I can’t see him taking a pay cut. The most I could see him do is allow the team to redistribute his signing bonus into his regular pay in exchange for a no cut, no move clause in his contract. That would allow the team coverage if they have to six game him and still get him his money.

He’s got one year left on his deal and Jones and Murphy are mercenaries, there is absolutely nothing in it for him to take a pay cut with one year left on his deal. At his age if he’s to move teams, the sooner the better for him.

Murphy stated on Greenzone today that DD is the starter for 2016, and very clearly stated that the rumors have no truth to them. He also stated that DD’s rehab is, as I posted in length in another thread a few days ago, ahead of anticipation. Also that talks with him are ongoing (i contract renegotiation). If something happens then something has drastically changed quickly. He was pretty pointed about it, and I don’t really see Murphy as a cloak and dagger guy. Didn’t really say if that was a salary trim or bonus adjustment, but I suspect some of both. I would think he will take a paycut to some degree, but will also lose out on some of his significant roster bonus.

podcast is not up yet.

I've never seen a CFL Director of Player personnel do so much media.

If IF IF they win.

They have to win now. Otherwise they’re just a crappy team with great big arrogant douche running it.

And with the moves he’s making I’m not confident that they’re going to win. The irony is that if they go 8-10 Jones will be heralded as being ‘on the right track’ when the truth is that if he had kept the good and just trimmed off the bad and worked with that they would be contenders this year again.

Not just Chick and Dressler. Look at Weldon Brown and Terrell Maze. Those were 2 all star defensive backs who are difficult to replace. Now the secondary goes right back to square zero. Starting over from scratch. Defensive backs who can cover are HARD to find. He just tossed 2 of them in the trash bin in the name of ‘putting his stamp on the team’.

Don’t get me wrong. Some guys needed to go. Mertile was complete waste of time. McCallum obviously couldn’t stay with Crapigna around. Marshay Green was not consistent enough. And this is not a case of some Rider fan crying because his favorite players are gone. Brackenridge for instance - I love the guy - but he had to go. He was terrible last year.

But when you have players that are arguably the BEST at their position in the entire league AND these players are consummate pros with perfect team attitudes and love being in Regina, you have players that are irreplaceable. Any player you get back to take their spot will NOT be as good.

That means nothing. Murphy has no choice but to deny it whether it’s true or not. If he says it’s true, it’s a poopstorm. If he says ‘no comment’ then everybody knows it’s true. He HAS to make a denial.

Listen to the interview

true, Murphy has no choice but to deny the rumors true or not.
Did Jones not also say something similar in regards to Dressler being a big part of the team preceding the cut?

The Riders may or may not want to look at Harris but are not foolish enough to state so publicly as they need to show support for Durant who is the only true starting pivot the Riders currently have under contract.
(a contract that will likely be renegotiated if he stays with the Riders)

The Riders main concern will hinge on Durants’ severe season ending injuries incurred over the past 2 seasons (forcing him to miss 25 games) and whether he can regain 2013 form or at least close to it.
Full recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon and torn elbow tendon in his throwing arm is not a given as injuries of this nature are quite delicate while the recurrence of rupture is very high especially with the former type.

I’d hate to see Durants career cut short (or Collaros for that matter with the ACL tear) as elite QB’s do not grow on trees and the quality of play suffers terribly with raw rookies thrown to the wolves.
(for the most part anyway)

prairiedog72 is right. If they’re still trying to keep Durant through a re-negotiation, Murphy has to say this. Saying anything else brings extra attention and creates a problem.

They’d only say something else if they were planning on getting rid of him, which they can’t do right now because he’s still recovering from injury. Once Durant is cleared, Murphy’s word in an interview is worth exactly as much as a CFL player contract (aka: nothing).

If you don’t believe us, just ask Dressler.

The first player you reach out to as a new coach to bring your guys on board in the CFL is the quarterback. We've seen no evidence of that. You certainly don't release his possession receiver. I'm not buying any of it and I doubt Durant's agent is. Murphy saying he's the guy for 2016 and then saying he's in the process of renegotiating makes no sense whatsoever either, had he said they are looking at an extension it would be more credible. Murphy is between a rock and a hard place anyway, he has to pay Durant's bonus, the man is injured and by paying the bonus its unlikely there is any saving signing Harris who IMO is going to go out West as a last resort. Bottom line Durant's agent would have to be an idiot opening Durant's contract.

Getting your throat slit! Now that’s what l call getting cut. BIG TIME!

The whole situation (getting rid of key members of the team) in Saskatchewan has an Eric Tillmanesque feeling to it i.e. "I can win with anyone because I'm such a good evaluater of talent." We all know how that turned out...

Or Kelly/Murphy in Winnipeg

A championship ring in 2007 and a big contributer to the 2009/2010 GC appearances?

Bad move from my Argos so far to let Harris blow in the wind like this.
If he goes there goes the season as Ray is done.

Argotom; are you going to admit your error in judgement after Ray leads the Argos to the east division championship and or Grey Cup win?

dg, if that happens I will gladly scream it out loud.
No idea what you may have ingested, did you see how bad he was when he came back near the end of the season.
Couldn’t lead the team, so what makes you think more time with age will improve in his performance?

No, the trade away a hall of fame quarterback for a bag of kicking tees, then promptly watch him win a Grey Cup in his first season while your team spirals to the bottom of the league standings