Riders' O'Day believes positive steps taken in 2024
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The Saskatchewan Roughriders will soon make decisions on how the team will look in 2025. That also includes what the CFL...
After a 6-12 season in 2022, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are retooling their offence on the fly this free-agency period, with a change at the quarterback spot headlining it.
The team announced Tuesday it had signed 36-year-old Trevor Harris to a two-year contract. Harris is going into his 12th CFL season and has thrown for 28,610 yards with 154 touchdowns and 71 interceptions in his career.
Harris was in transit and wasn’t available to speak to the media Tuesday.
Welcome to Riderville, Trevor Harris pic.twitter.com/1ookvDsQuX
— Saskatchewan Roughriders (@sskroughriders) February 14, 2023
The Roughriders followed up that signing by inking one of Harris’ favourite targets with the Montreal Alouettes — slotback Jake Wieneke — to a contract.
“Trevor is such a great friend of mine and an amazing man and mentor,” Wieneke said. “I get to play with him on the football field but get to grow with him in life and grow our faiths together. We’ve got families who are similar ages, we both have two kids who get to play (with each other), our wives are friends.
“As far as football goes, he’s such an amazing quarterback and leader. He’s so much fun to play with and always looking to get better and grow and I definitely have enjoyed my time playing with him.”
Reports say the uncertainty around the Montreal ownership led to both veterans deciding to leave. On Tuesday, the CFL announced it was taking over control of the team until new ownership is in place.
“It’s tough to hear and see what is going on in Montreal. It’s the first and only team I have played for and it will always have a place in my heart,” Wieneke said. “Just seeing all the things going on is definitely pretty crazy.”
Harris spent four seasons with the Toronto Argonauts and three with the Ottawa Redblacks before spending 2019 and part of 2021 with the Edmonton Elks.
He was traded to Montreal in October 2021 for defensive end Antonio Simmons.
Harris appeared in four games for Montreal in 2021 and then dressed for all 18 in 2022. He threw for 4,157 yards, with 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season.
He now has changed places with Cody Fajardo. The former Saskatchewan starter signed with Montreal on Tuesday.
Harris will look to rely on his quick release in order to fend off the pass rush.
Not known for his mobility outside of the pocket, Harris will be playing behind an offensive line that gave up 77 sacks last season.
The 6-foot-3, 212-pound product of Waldo, Ohio, has played a total of 161 CFL games, completing 2,385 of 3,372 career pass attempts. He has also rushed for 979 yards and nine touchdowns.
He’s a two-time Grey Cup champion, winning titles with Toronto (2012, when he backed up Ricky Ray) and Ottawa (2016, when he backed up Henry Burris).
Harris played four seasons at Edinboro University, where he threw for 11,899 yards and 100 touchdowns. He still holds of the school’s passing and total offence records.
Wieneke heads west
Wieneke, a 28-year-old from Maple Grove, Minn., has spent the past three seasons with the Alouettes.
Wieneke said things went quickly during the negotiation period last week, with the slotback electing to go to Saskatchewan early in the process.
“I got to talk to Coach (Craig) Dickenson during free agency and just loved talking to him and loved the culture and everything he has built,” Wieneke said. “Whenever you play a game in Sask., you see the whole city and how amazing it is in Regina. I wanted to be a part of that and I’m just so excited.”
Jake Wieneke. (Kevin Sousa/CFL)
In 2021, he had a breakout year, hauling in a league-high 11 touchdowns en route to being named an East Division and CFL all-star.
Last season, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Wieneke caught 45 passes for 589 yards and two scores over 16 games.
“It’s football and it’s life — things don’t always go as planned. Throughout coaching staff changes and injuries and different things, especially at the beginning of the year, it was frustrating at times not maybe being involved like I would like to,” Wieneke said.
Over his three CFL seasons, Wieneke has recorded 142 receptions for 2,056 yards and 21 touchdowns in 48 career games.
Wieneke played four seasons at South Dakota State University, catching 288 passes for 5,157 yards and 59 touchdowns in 53 games.
The slotback signed a two-year deal to stay in Saskatchewan through 2024.
“I’m the type of person where I am somewhere, I want to stay there. I want to build relationships and this is a place I want to do that,” he said. “I want grow and get to know the team, the organization, the community and I want to be here a long time hopefully.”
While the Riders struggled last season, Wieneke said he didn’t think the record indicated how good the team was.
“I saw a team with injuries and a lot of different things going on but it was a great team on the football field,” Wieneke said. “When I was making the decision, I thought this was a great team and it has been a great team since I’ve been in the league.
“I got a chance to talk to my old teammate Mario Alford and hearing him talk about the team and the culture they have, it pretty much made up my mind pretty easily.”