Quarterbacks shine on Day 5 of Riders’ training camp

The Saskatchewan Roughriders returned to Griffiths Stadium on Thursday after heavy smoke from forest fires up north forced them to move indoors Wednesday.

The pads were strapped on once again, and players were able to practise like normal.

The majority of Thursday’s practice was centred around getting the quarterbacks some reps, and they shined. Trevor Harris, Mason Fine and Shea Patterson were all very consistent, and didn’t have many passes dropped between them.

Jake Dolegala didn’t participate in practice, as he was in a Regina courtroom dealing with an impaired driving charge he picked up last season. He’s expected to return to camp on Friday.

Harris, the team’s new starter, said he feels the quarterbacks are starting to get more comfortable as the first week of camp draws to a close.

“It felt like (the game) is starting to slow down a bit,” Harris said after practice Thursday. “This offence is quite different, and I thought today was a lot better. I thought we were a little more sharp offensively and a lot more explosive gains. I think the guys are progressing every day.”

So far at training camp, Harris said he’s liked what he’s seen from all of the quarterbacks fighting for the backup positions.

“What I love about each and every one of them is they know who they are and they aren’t trying to be anything that they are not. They’re authentically themselves as quarterbacks,” Harris explained.

“They aren’t trying to be the strong-arm guy that Jake is. Mason is a little more my style; we take what the defence gives us and move the chains. And then Shea is kind of a combination,” Harris added.

“They’re all just being themselves, and I think they’re all doing a good job.”

Fine is entering his third season with the Roughriders. Last year, he started two games for the club in place of Cody Fajardo, going 0-2 against Calgary while throwing for a touchdown and no interceptions.

While he’s more experienced than the other two backups, Fine said he feels like it’s been a battle to see where they’ll slot themselves into the depth chart.

“You can’t focus on what those other quarterbacks are doing,” Fine said. “Everyone is going to make plays, but you’ve just got to focus on you and get better.”

Fine also said the game is coming to the quarterbacks a lot easier now that they’ve had a chance to get some more reps in.

“The more reps you get with all these guys, the better chemistry you have. In the off-season you don’t throw to receivers every single day, so you get that timing down and chemistry,” he added.

“You just get more comfortable with that play call. Hopefully as training camp goes on, it gets sharper and sharper and more efficient.”

While Fajardo, the Riders’ former starter, could be considered a veteran quarterback, Harris has been around the game for a lot longer. Fine said he’s been taking in everything that Harris has been showing him.

“He’s an old guy and he’s still playing. Last weekend, before we came up to training camp, we spent a weekend together,” he explained.

“He was taking us through a workout and what he does mobility wise for his body, what he does after practice in the film room, just everything you expect from a CFL veteran on and off the field. We kind of just pick each other’s brains and make the offence the best we can.”

Training Camp Day 5

The Riders remained largely healthy on the field Thursday at practice.

Besides Dolegala missing the day because of his court appearance, offensive lineman Jordan Tucker also wasn’t at practice after suffering an injury Tuesday in a contact drill.

He was scheduled to get an MRI on Thursday afternoon, and head coach Craig Dickenson said he’ll try to provide an update Friday.

Dickenson spoke highly of his quarterbacks after practice.

“They’re all doing a good job and they’re all getting a lot of reps. I think all three of them are bringing different things to the table, so it’s a really and unique and exciting group. I couldn’t tell you who is in the lead or who is trailing – they’re all doing a good job,” Dickenson said after practice Thursday.

Dickenson also looked ahead to the Green and White Game on Saturday, which will give fans an opportunity to see the team in action on both sides of the ball for the first time.

He said they’ll prepare for it just like it’s a real game.

“You hope to give them a sense of what the game’s like. We’ll take them out early for stretch, we’ll do the early outs, we’ll go through our pre-game warm-up and then we’ll come out as a unit,” he explained.

“The goal is try to simulate a game so the first pre-season game isn’t the first time they do it.”

He said he hopes to have a good crowd come out to see the 2023 Riders play.