Saskatchewan Roughriders linebacker Jameer Thurman stretches throughout coaching camp. (Britton Grey/980 CJME)
The Saskatchewan Roughriders introduced out the pads at Griffiths Stadium on Tuesday for spring coaching.
“The depth rose, and that was to be anticipated,” mentioned head coach Corey Mace.
At one level, Mace needed to cease a skirmish between defensive finish Malik Carney and working again AJ Ouellette.
“It’s all love,” Carney mentioned following apply. “If you get two canine on the sphere, there may be a bit of barking, however you understand it’s all love and competitors.”
Mace mentioned that they had assumed one thing like that was certain to occur as soon as the pads went on.
“It does yearly, to be sincere. The principle factor is knowing we’re a household first, and like most households, you may not all the time agree, however we received to verify we come to an answer,” Mace mentioned.
“We simply need to be sensible as a result of we get into conditions like that, these are penalties. We don’t wish to lose anybody to that, and we don’t wish to harm our staff.”
After a protracted low season, new linebacker Jameer Thurman mentioned the gamers had been champing on the bit to get some contact in throughout camp.
“As soon as the pads come on, all that aggression via the low season of no coaching and stuff like that, you get to take it out on another person,” Thurman mentioned.
Centre Peter Godber was additionally glad to lastly hit somebody a bit of tougher than they have been.
“We now have been at it for just a few days – even with out pads on, it appears like a bodily sport however it ramps it up a bit of bit extra,” Godber mentioned.
Whereas the pads had been on, the staff nonetheless needed to be conscious it was their teammates they had been going in opposition to.
That received’t be the case on Could 20, when the Riders have their first preseason sport with a house date in opposition to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Riders signal fifth-round decide Daniel Johnson
One of many Riders’ 2024 draft picks has inked a take care of the staff.
Offensive sort out Daniel Johnson is anticipated to affix the inexperienced and white after agreeing to a deal. The fifth-round draft decide (forty first total) had attended rookie mini-camp with the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts.
The London, Ont., product spent the previous two seasons (2022-23) at Purdue College, the place he performed 10 video games for the Boilermakers, making 4 begins. The 6′5”, 307-pound lineman has proven versatility having lined up as an offensive sort out on each the proper and left facet of the road.
Earlier than attending Purdue, he spent 4 seasons at Kent State College the place he performed 13 video games and made six begins.
