2009 CFL Western Preview - Saskatchewan Roughriders

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06/23/2009 - Regina, SK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FACTS & FIGURES: Division - West. 2008 Record - 12-6. Playoff Result: Lost, 33-12, to British Columbia in the West Division semifinals. Stadium - Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field. Capacity - 30,945. Colors - Green, white, black and silver

The Roughriders captured the 2007 Grey Cup, but following that accomplishment head coach Kent Austin departed for a position at Ole Miss and offensive coordinator Ken Miller became the man in charge. Despite countless injuries, Miller's squad jumped out to a 6-0 start in 2008 and looked the part of defending champions. The Roughriders, though, went just 6-6 the rest of the way and had to settle for a second-place finish in the CFL's Western Division. Although they boasted the second-best record during the regular season, the Roughriders were quickly ousted by British Columbia in the playoffs.

If Saskatchewan hopes to compete for another championship, it will need to find stability at quarterback. Darian Durant is expected to be the go-to guy this season after being part of last year's quarterback carousel. The ultra- athletic Durant can be electric, but he has been prone to mistakes and that is the biggest fear with letting him loose. Last season, Durant threw for 1,122 yards and seven touchdowns prior to suffering broken ribs. He should only improve on those numbers as the starter and he shouldn't be looking over his shoulder as backups Steven Jyles, Juan Joseph and Dalton Bell are all relatively inexperienced.

The return of Wes Cates will surely help ease Durant's transition into a full- time starter, as the 6-0, 215-pound tailback is one of the elite players in the CFL. Cates ranked second in the league in rushing yards (1,229) and first in rushing touchdowns (12) last year, and he is the type of player that can do it all. He carried the ball a whopping 216 times last season, so finding a serviceable backup will be important in order to keep Cates fresh.

Along the offensive line, Gene Makowsky and Jeremy O'Day return to form a solid nucleus and they should receive help from 2008 draft choice Jonathan St. Pierre. The Roughriders were one of the top rushing teams in '08 and they figure to be strong again thanks to this solid group of linemen.

At wideout, the Riders have several intriguing options and none more exciting than Weston Dressler. The 5-9, 164-pound import burst on to the scene last season, catching 56 balls for 1,123 yards and six touchdowns, earning CFL Rookie of the Year honors. Mix in slot back Andy Fantuz (36 catches, 488 yards) and prized free agent signee Jason Clermont (a three-time 1,000- yard receiver) and Saskatchewan has group it can certainly count on from week to week.

Saskatchewan relied on its stout defense to win games last season, but the departure of defensive coordinator Richie Hall and several key contributors will make things more difficult this time around. New coordinator Gary Etcheverry, however, has plenty of experience in the CFL and enough pieces in place to make this a solid group once again. Scott Shultz anchors the defensive line and the veteran tackle will be counted on to stop the run as well as provide valuable leadership.

The Riders lost two of three linebackers from a year ago, but the return of Sean Lucas gives the team some stability in the middle. Lucas really came into his own in 2008 and led the team in tackles with 95. He, however, will be accompanied by a relatively inexperienced group, putting more pressure on the rising star.

In the secondary, Saskatchewan will again be guided by Lance Frazier, who paced the team with five interceptions last season. Frazier, along with Eddie Davis (66 tackles) and a few new acquisitions, will help fill out a secondary that may need some time to gel before becoming effective.

As for the special teams, Jamie Boreham will once again handle the punting chores, while Luca Congi will continue with the kicking duties after making 38-of-44 field goals last season.

The Riders have some talent on the offensive side of the ball, but they will need Durant to play like a veteran if that unit is to be successful. Defensively, there is a lot of uncertainty considering the change of coach and several new faces, so this unit can not be counted on like last season. Overall, this year's club has a lot of question marks surrounding it and that could lead to a bit of a decline.

Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Finish: Third

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FOOTBALL BETTING : Crabtree's base deal: six years, $32 million

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In the wake of the news that the 49ers have signed receiver Michael Crabtree after an extended holdout, there has been not a hint of the dollars to be paid to Crabtree.

And since this means that his agent hasn't leaked the numbers, it means that his agent feels no specific motivation to do so.

Possibly because his agent isn't all that thrilled to have his name on the deal.

So the numbers will come from sources other than Crabtree's agent. And we've gotten our mitts into them.

Per a league source, Crabtree has signed a six-year, $32 million contract. (The total includes guaranteed money, base salaries, and the one-time incentive based on achieving minimum playing time.)

The deal also includes $17 million in guaranteed money.

As reported elsewhere, the deal can void to five years based on performance triggers, wiping out a final year base salary of $4 million. But they won't be easily reached.

The source tells us that, in his first four seasons (including 2009), Crabtree must either qualify for two Pro Bowls, or he must qualify for one Pro Bowl in one year and he must participate in 80 percent of the offensive snaps in a separate year in which the team makes the playoffs.

In other words, if in 2010 he qualifies for the Pro Bowl and the team makes the playoffs and he participates in 80 percent of the snaps, he'll still need to make it to the Pro Bowl or achieve the 80-percent/playoffs in another season.

Since the chances of Crabtree making the Pro Bowl or participating in 80 percent of the offensive snaps this year is roughly zero percent, he'll have three years to get it done.

And it won't be easy. Frankly, he'll be hard pressed to make it to one Pro Bowl in three years with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, the other Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, DeSean Jackson, Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin, Greg Jennings, Roddy White, T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the same conference for sportsbook betting.

So, by all appearances, it's a six-year deal. And at $17 million in guaranteed money, the per-year guarantee is a tepid $2.83 million per year.

There's another problem with the deal -- it has no mid-tier incentive package. Instead, the additional $8 million that Crabtree can earn (pushing the max value to six years, $40 million) requires the kind of unrealistic, mega-star performances that no rookie is likely to ever achieve.

So while the contract paid to Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji covers five years and pays $22.5 million, he has the ability (if he's a solid player) to make up the difference between his base deal and Crabtree's five-year, $28 million haul via the mid-tier incentive package in Raji's deal.

And unless Crabtree meets the performance thresholds necessary to void the sixth year, he'll be stuck under contract for another year at a base salary of only $4 million.

There's one other area of concern with the deal. Crabtree, per the source, received no option bonus. Instead, he has significant money tied to a fairly new device known as a "discretionary salary advance," which unlike an opition bonus is subject to forfeiture if Crabtree decides in a year or two that he wants to hold out for a better deal. (We're also told that the 49ers have included language that would make certain escalators subject to forfeiture, too.)

Meanwhile, the deal falls well short of the mark for which Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker were aiming -- the five-year, $38.25 million contract paid by the Raiders to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in the draft.

Even if Crabtree successfully voids the final year, he'll make more than $2 million per year less on average than Heyward-Bey.

Thus, as we explained earlier in the day, this is a deal that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year.

So while the final outcome can be described as win-win, the broader view suggests that it's really a lose-lose situation.

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