The Saskatchewan Roughriders are now over two weeks deep into their off-season and have started the planning process for 2020.
Part of that process is looking at upcoming free agents currently still with the club and Riders management choosing who they want back next season.
Riders General Manager Jeremy O’Day said a season review has also taken place over the last two weeks.
“We certainly have spent the last amount of time evaluating our roster, going through the guys in every position, getting the coaches evaluations on their particular areas and also have them evaluate other players in the league before they were able to get out of town.”
O’Day said the number of free agents the Riders will need to deal with doesn’t worry him.
“I don’t think we have any more or any less than most teams in the CFL, as most people understand with one-year contracts, you’re going to be dealing with that on a regular basis moving forward,” O’Day said. “Both pros and cons to those one-year contracts; you’ll have a lot of guys that you have to renegotiate with in the off-season but you also have flexibility to change your roster if you need to.”
O’Day said his strategy doesn’t change just because Saskatchewan is hosting the 2020 Grey Cup.
“I would say over and over again that if you are planning any differently because you’re hosting a Grey Cup, I would say that’s not the right approach in my opinion,” O’Day said. “I think you approach every year like you want to win the Grey Cup that year.
“That’s certainly what we did this year going in, is that we wanted to win a Grey Cup this year.”
Part of 2020’s plan will include Loucheiz Purifoy. The defensive back signed a two-year extension with the club Wednesday.
Purifoy finished the 2019 regular season with 40 tackles, three interceptions and a league-leading 1201 kick-return yards.
