A busy offseason is well underway for the Saskatchewan Roughriders as the retooling begins for the 2023 season. General manager Jeremy O’Day and head coach Craig Dickenson will return for the final year of their contracts and will be looking to rebound from a difficult 2022 season where the green and white stumbled to 6-12 record.
CFL Free Agency begins in February, the following are a list of players that are scheduled to become free agents pending a new contract extension with Saskatchewan.
Quarterback
Cody Fajardo (A)
It seemed the Fajardo and the Roughriders were destined to be heading to an inevitable split following the benching of the quarterback with two weeks remaining in the 2022 season. But since the conclusion of the season both sides have not completely dismissed the idea of the quarterback rejoining the team. But it does seem that the Riders and Fajardo will both seek other options at the beginning of free agency before circling back on a possible reunion. In his third season as the starting quarterback with Saskatchewan, Fajardo had 3,360 passing yards with 16 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Running back
Shaq Cooper (A)
Jamal Morrow (A)
Before being sidelined with a hand injury, Morrow was making a strong case to be the Roughriders Most Outstanding Player with contributions both on offence and on special teams this season. The 27 year old ended his season with 666 yards rushing, and 366 yards receiving with four touchdowns.
The Roughriders already have Frankie Hickson under contract for the 2023 season. Hickson had 533 yards rushing and filled in for Morrow when he suffered his injury before succumbing to an injury for his own that ended his season.
Riders Jamal Morrow
Fullback
James Tuck (N)
Saskatchewan was the fifth team for Tuck, who signed with Saskatchewan in 2022 after spending time with Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg and Edmonton. Along with providing blocking for the Roughriders running game, Tuck collected three tackles and saw some action in the green and white passing game with four catches and 38 yards.
Receiver
Shaq Evans (A)
Jake Harty (N)
Wesley Lewis (N)
Justin McInnis (N)
Kyran Moore (A)
Mitchell Picton (N)
Duke Williams (A)
Kian Schaffer-Baker isn’t a CFL free agent, but he does have NFL options that he can pursue. It was reported that Schaffer-Baker received a workout with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this week.
Last year, “Duke” Williams was considered a major signing for the Roughriders, but will likely be playing in a different uniform in 2023. The Auburn product only played in eight games this season and had 480 yards receiving with four touchdowns. The receiver missed the final ten games of the season with an ankle injury.
Evans battled injuries once again this season. In Week 3, the receiver was sidelined with an broken ankle injury that kept him out until the Labour Day Classic. The former UCLA Bruin wrapped up his fourth season in Saskatchewan with 32 catches, 487 yards receiving and two touchdowns. The receiver will be 32 when the 2023 CFL season begins.
Riders wide receiver Shaq Evans celebrates a touchdown during second half action against the BC Lions, at Mosaic Stadium in Regina on July 20, 2019
Picture: Saskatchewan Roughriders
Another receiver who has battled injuries over the last couple of seasons is Kyran “Swerve” Moore. Just over a year ago the receiver suffered a serious knee injury that kept him out of the Riders lineup until August 26. Moore ended the season appearing in seven games with 36 catches and 296 yards. Like Evans, the native of Bessemer, Alabama completed his fourth year with the green and white this year.
One of the Canadian starters for the Riders in the receiving core, McInnis ended the year with career highs in catches (33), receiving yards(342) and scored his first two career touchdowns. The 26 year old saw action in 11 games and recorded his first 100 yard receiving game against BC on August 19.
A local product, Picton played 11 games and picked up 220 yards receiving with a pair of touchdowns as he completed his third season in Saskatchewan.
Offensive line
Jamal Campbell (N)
Dan Clark (N)
Brendon LaBatte (N)
Josiah St. John (N)
Terran Vaughn (A)
Outside of the team’s starting quarterback, the offensive line will receive the most scrutiny from the Roughrider fanbase this offseason following the Roughriders allowing a league high 77 sacks.
The biggest injury along the team’s offensive line this season was when Clark suffered a broken fibula in Week 2. The 2022 winner of the Jake Gaudaur Veteran’s Award returned to the Roughriders lineup in late September. The centre has played ten seasons with Saskatchewan.
Riders Dan Clark
Vaughn struggled to stay in the Roughriders starting lineup, as the left tackle was only able to play in ten games in 2022. The Beaumont, Texas native has been with Saskatchewan for three seasons.
In 2022, Campbell dressed for 12 games with Saskatchewan after signing as a free agent last season.
LaBatte’s last action with the Roughriders was in 2019.
Defensive line
Charbel Dabire (N)
Charleston Hughes (A)
Anthony Lanier II (A)
Pete Robertson (A)
Lanier II was another player who starred for Saskatchewan in the first half of the season before being derailed by injuries in the second half. The defensive tackle had seven sacks in his first ten games before sidelined with a head injury. Lanier II did return to the Riders lineup for the final game of the season.
It was a fast start for Robertson before he suffered a broken foot injury. The former Texas Tech Red Raider had seven sacks in his first four games. After his injury, Robertson had two sacks in his final nine games.
Despite only playing sparingly in 2022, Hughes has already indicated that he plans to continues playing in 2023. This past season, he had four sacks in 12 games during his second stint with the Roughriders.
Linebacker
Larry Dean (A)
Nigel Harris (A)
Jordan Herdman-Reed (N)
Justin Herdman-Reed (N)
Gary Johnson Jr. (A)
Darnell Sankey (A)
Sankey set a new tackles record for Saskatchewan this past season with 120 tackles. He was the Roughriders Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Defensive Player nominee in 2022. The Sacramento State product signed with the Roughriders in 2022 after spending his first CFL campaign with the Calgary Stampeders.
Riders LB Darnell Sankey
The second half of Riders linebacker dynamic duo, Dean was able to return from a torn achilles injury that he suffered on the opening day of training camp in 2021. This year, the linebacker had 101 tackles with three sacks and a pair of interceptions.
Defensive back
Jordan Beaulieu (N)
Blace Brown (A)
Jeremy Clark (A)
Mike Edem (N)
Nick Marshall (A)
Rolan Milligan (A)
Godfrey Onyeka (N)
Milligan will likely be on of the top targets for Saskatchewan to resign this winter. He had 71 tackles, with an interception and a sack. The former Indianapolis Colt also was a key contributor on special teams.
After four seasons with Saskatchewan, Marshall is a free agent once again. The cornerback agreed to terms with Saskatchewan prior to last season. The former Auburn Tiger had four interceptions in 2022 with Saskatchewan and has scored five career touchdowns while wearing green and white.
Picture: Saskatchewan Roughriders
Edem has been with Saskatchewan for five seasons. His season ended in the Roughriders home finale against Calgary following a scary collision.
2022 was the first full season with Clark as a starter for Saskatchewan in their secondary. The former Michigan Wolverine played in 17 games and had 30 tackles this year.
Kicker
Kaare Vedvik (G)
The Global punter joined the Riders late in 2021 and spent the season as the teams punter. The Norwegian spent training camp with the Baltimore Ravens in 2019 before being traded to the Minnesota Vikings for a fifth round draft pick. He was released by the Vikings shortly afterwards. In 2022, he 44.5 yards per punt.
Saskatchewan Roughriders free agent list provided by 3DownNation.com
