Quartet vying for job as Riders’ backup QB

There’s a commonly held belief that the most popular member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders is the backup quarterback.

If that’s true, one of Cody Fajardo, David Watford, Isaac Harker or Ty Gangi could be a fan favourite during the 2019 CFL season. Those four are battling during Saskatchewan’s training camp for the job as the primary backup to starter Zach Collaros.

The old adage refers to the fact that the Roughriders’ starter isn’t always popular with the team’s supporters, who may be eager to see him replaced by his backup when times are tough. Fajardo is more than willing to fight for that right.

“That’s the motivation I need,” the 27-year-old pivot said after Tuesday’s practice at Griffiths Stadium on the University of Saskatchewan campus. “I don’t ever want to be given something.

“I don’t want to be the No. 2 straight off because sometimes (you) just relax and take it for granted. I want to be able to continue to climb, get better each day and progress.”

Fajardo (who’s entering his fourth CFL season) and Watford (second) are the veterans among the group, while Harker and Gangi are CFL rookies.

Fajardo operated in an offensive scheme similar to that run by the Roughriders when he was with the Toronto Argonauts and B.C. Lions. Watford learned the ropes last season with Saskatchewan.

Harker and Gangi are learning the system now — but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re behind the veterans.

“Experience always matters,” quarterbacks coach Steve Walsh said. “When you have dependability at the position based on past performance, you would expect future success. (But) it’s not always guaranteed. Cody has to come out and continue to make plays, just like David does.”

Fajardo, whom Saskatchewan signed as a free agent in the off-season, learned the CFL game from quarterbacks like Ricky Ray in Toronto and Travis Lulay in Vancouver. Now Fajardo is hoping to take those lessons — as well as the help he’s getting from Collaros — and put them to good use in Saskatchewan.

If he succeeds, he could stake his claim to the backup job.

“I take the same mindset every training camp: I come in expecting to be last on the depth chart,” he said. “Obviously, you don’t earn anything — especially when you go to a new team. There’s nothing earned until you show it.”

So far in his CFL regular-season career, Fajardo has completed 43 of 68 pass attempts for 414 yards with five touchdowns and one interception. He also has rushed 122 times for 437 yards and 13 TDs, often as a short-yardage quarterback.

The 25-year-old Watford is 15-for-32 passing for 168 yards with one TD and two interceptions and has 18 carries for 93 yards during his time in the CFL.

Neither Gangi, 23, nor Harker, 23, has thrown a pass in the league. Harker can’t wait to do so.

“I love throwing those inside fades,” said Harker, who passed for 3,858 yards and 39 touchdowns for the Colorado School of Mines last season. “With the field being so wide, it’s a long trek for that safety to make. There’s a lot of really fun throws in this offence.”

It’s rare that a CFL team makes a raw rookie its backup, but Harker isn’t concerned about that at the moment. His aim during training camp is to get his feet under him.

“It’s hard to look at the depth chart to set your goal, so I’ve set a more intrinsic goal of trying to be the best player I can be after every day,” he said.

“The great part about the quarterback room I’m in is they’re helping me become the best player I can be. Everybody is such a competitor, they want everybody at their best to try to see who comes out on top.”

Notes from camp

For the first time since camp opened Sunday, the Roughriders practised in pads Tuesday — and head coach Craig Dickenson noticed a difference in intensity.

“Guys get a little different level of energy, but I don’t know — it might be more in their head than anything,” he said. “I think you can get the same thing without pads, but I will say the inside run period that we had today was really spirited and I thought was great tempo. I think the pads had a lot to do with that.”

Dickenson didn’t have an update on defensive end Jordan Reaves, who left Monday’s workout with an apparent leg injury. Reaves was to meet with the Roughriders’ doctors after Tuesday’s practice.

Once again, linebacker Solomon Elimimian wasn’t at camp Tuesday. He’s visiting other teams to explain terms of the new collective bargaining agreement to the members of the CFL Players’ Association.

— With files from 650 CKOM’s Wray Morrison