In one month, the CFL begins free agency. For many teams, this is a new beginning to assemble the best roster possible with a goal to get to the 111th Grey Cup from British Columbia in November. One team that will look to get back on top in the Western Division is the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who finished 6-12 in 2023 missing the playoffs for the second straight season.
The fans have called for change and Saskatchewan is currently undergoing a makeover. In November 2023, the Roughriders hired Toronto defensive coordinator Corey Mace as their new head coach. Mace helped the Argonauts win the Grey Cup in 2022 but Toronto lost in an upset to the eventual Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes in 2023.
While Saskatchewan has a dozen players set to hit the free agent market, many are wondering who will be the quarterback in 2024. Among the players who will become free agents next month are quarterbacks Mason Fine and Jake Dolegala. Last week, the Roughriders restructured quarterback Trevor Harris’s contract clearing some cap space. With Fine and Dolegala becoming free agents, there is a chance Saskatchewan could re-sign one of them.
Saskatchewan has already begun the search for the next franchise quarterback. After all, Trevor Harris is 37 years old and does not have much time left in the league. Winnipeg quarterback Dru Brown is one of the coveted free agents in the offseason. However, Saskatchewan is one of many teams vying for his services with Ottawa being reported as the landing spot for Brown.
If they cannot get Brown, the Roughriders could trade for a franchise quarterback. One name that could be the golden ticket is Edmonton quarterback Tre Ford. Tre Ford is six foot one and weighs 185 pounds. The 25-year-old from Niagara Falls, Ontario, completed 153 of 227 passes (69.2%) for 2,069 yards, 12 touchdowns, six interceptions, 66 carries for 622 yards, and three touchdowns in ten games. He took over the starting job from Taylor Cornelius and led them to four wins in 2023. Had Ford started earlier, the Elks would have made the playoffs, not Calgary.
In his rookie season in 2022, Ford completed 40 of 69 passes (58%) for 461 yards, two touchdowns, five interceptions, and three carries for 19 yards in ten games, of which three were starts before a shoulder injury sidelined him and he would later return as Cornelius’s backup.
Collegiately, Ford played four seasons at the University of Waterloo (2017-19, 2021) completing 597 of 863 passes (69.2%) for 8,003 yards, 64 touchdowns, 22 interceptions, 310 carries for 2,816 yards, 19 touchdowns, seven punts for 366 yards, with a long of 81 yards, three from inside the 20-yard line, four from 50-plus yards, and four punt returns for 49 yards in 33 games for the Warriors.
He earned the Peter Gorman Trophy in 2017, Hec Crighton Trophy in 2021, Lois and Doug Mitchell Award in 2022, and was named First Team All-Canadian in 2021 and Second Team All-Canadian in 2019.
Ford could be the quarterback of the future for Saskatchewan but it all depends on what Edmonton would want for him. Last week, the Elks signed veteran quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson. There is a chance that Ford could be the backup and learn from Thompson. Many questioned the signing given that Ford almost led them to the playoffs. Could Edmonton be setting up to trade Ford if the right deal is in place?
If Edmonton decides to trade Ford, they are likely going to want a high-end draft pick either a first or second-rounder. Regardless, the Roughriders should be prepared if they cannot sign Dru Brown, then they should turn their attention to getting a trade down to acquire Tre Ford.
Saskatchewan does have some pieces that Ford can work with that would them contenders in a competitive Western Division. The last time the Roughriders won the Grey Cup was 2013 and by getting Ford, Saskatchewan would put themselves in a position to compete again and possibly get back to the Grey Cup.
Should the Saskatchewan Roughriders trade for Tre Ford? Leave a comment below.
