Darian Durant found another level in helping lead the Saskatchewan Roughriders to a Grey Cup victory last season. For an encore, hell have to find an even higher level still. Durant was sensational last year, posting career numbers (325-531 for 4,154 passing yards, and a career best 31 touchdowns to just 12 interceptions), and featuring regularly in the MOP Watch. By the increasingly criticized metric that is Quarterback Rating, Durant had the best year of his career last year at 95.7, a full seven points higher than his career mark. But Durant had an awful lot of help on the teams third-ranked offence. First and foremost was league all-star and team nominee for Most Outstanding Player Kory Sheets. In his sophomore CFL campaign Sheets was second in league rushing with 1,598 yards and a gaudy 5.6 yards per carry average and 12 touchdowns. His Grey Cup performance will also be remembered in Saskatchewan – and Hamilton, albeit much less fondly – for years to come. The 29-year-old will be preparing for NFL training camp in Oakland when the Roughriders begin their title defence, and while hes in tough to make the Raiders roster, the best case scenario for Saskatchewan is a return sometime around Labour Day. Another Roughriders mainstay and fan favourite Durant will no longer have at his disposal is slight receiver Weston Dressler. The 57 slotback was a 1,000-yard receiver in five of his six CFL seasons, falling just 59 yards short in his sophomore campaign, and scored a combined 45 touchdowns. Durant and Dresslers time in Saskatchewan had coincided, the two emerging together in 2008. But now the favourite target is in Kansas City with no guarantee of returning. So this year Durant enters the unquestioned leader on offence, and with more unknowns on the roster than previous seasons, hell have to shoulder a greater load. The good news of course is that the cupboard isnt completely bare. While Dresslers sure hands and elusiveness will be missed in the receiving corps, two other pass catchers, ones still on the roster, eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark as well last season in Chris Getzlaf, who led the team with 1,045, and Taj Smith, who hit the mark in just his second season. And if Rob Bagg can stay healthy all year, that will be another receiver for Durant to lean on. The running back position is much more of a toss-up heading into the season. The team has five RBs with a combined two carries CFL experience (Clifton Smith, which he gained with the Calgary Stampeders last season). But the last time they tried to replace a solid veteran running back, Wes Cates in 2012, they found a guy who would one day lead them to a Grey Cup victory at home. So, theres hope. Things could work out around Durant; he may have a support staff as talented as the one hoisting the Grey Cup alongside him last year. But the inexperience and uncertainty heading into the season alone means hell have to do even more as both a leader and performer to keep the Roughriders in Grey Cup contention. The football crazy fans in Saskatchewan already love their veteran quarterback; if he can elevate his game and bring more success to the province, theyll cherish him even more. Notes Expansion Draft Roughriders fans were surprised to see DT Keith Shologan get picked by the Ottawa Redblacks in the national portion of the expansion draft after the veteran spent the past six seasons in Saskatchewan. Ottawa also grabbed Shologans backup in Zack Evans one round later, it being evident the Roughriders were making a ratio change. OT James Lee was Saskatchewans international loss in the draft. Coach of the YearIn his second season as head coach of the Roughriders, Corey Chamblin had a dream year. He led Saskatchewan to a scorching start to the season before guiding them to a Grey Cup win in front of a boisterous hometown crowd. Chamblin was awarded in the off-season with the leagues Coach of the Year award, beating out former Roughriders coach Kent Austin. Free Agency The Roughriders lost a lot more talent in free agency than they signed back. Notable losses included S Craig Butler, LBs Abraham Kromah and Graig Newman, WR Kierre Johnson, RB Jock Sanders, and QB Drew Willy, not to mention Kory Sheets and Weston Dressler who are now in the NFL. The team did lock up some of their pending free agents however, including DBs Paul Woldu and Terrell Maze, and WR Taj Smith. CFL DraftThe Roughriders traded out of the first round, stock piling picks later in the draft. With their first pick in the second round the team landed CFL Combine star Dylan Ainsworth, a DL from Western, before also grabbing WR Alex Pierzchalski from Toronto. Saskatchewan also had two picks in the third round, nabbing John Mark from Calgary and WR Kristopher Bastien from Concordia. Their remaining picks included DB Matt Webster from Queens and OL Kyle Paterson from Regina in the fifth round, LB Travis Bent from Concordia in the sixth round, and OL Terry Hart from St. Francis Xavier in the seventh round. New Mosaic StadiumRoughriders fans got a glimpse at the teams new stadium late in the off-season and not much longer ground was broken. The $278 million project should be completed by August 2016 and will give the 33,000 fans surely to pack the place on a regular basis a more comfortable viewing experience than the one they are getting now. Authentic Jerseys . A person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press the Steelers will part ways with the former Pro Bowler, a move that hardly serves as a surprise after fifth-year linebacker Jason Worilds agreed to accept a "transition player" tag last week. Cheap Authentic Jerseys . Winners of two straight, the Flames will try to become the first team in 25 years to go three consecutive games without taking a penalty Saturday night in San Jose. https://www.cheapjerseysjustwholesale.com/ . On Friday night, after a long rain delay, he was scratched from his scheduled start. Wholesale Jerseys . Nick Holden scored two goals and had an assist and the Avalanche held off the Nashville Predators 5-4 Saturday night for their fourth straight victory. Adidas Jerseys . Justine finished first with a score of 22.44 while Chloe was second with 21.66 points. Defending champion Hannah Kearney of the U.S., was third at 21.49. A third Dufour-Lapointe sister, Maxime, failed to make the final group and finished 12th while Audrey Robichaud of Quebec City was 10th.Eight-time champion Rafael Nadal, last years runner-up David Ferrer and Wimbledon titlist Andy Murray were a trio of fourth-round winners Monday at the French Open. The world No. 1 Nadal improved to a remarkable 63-1 lifetime at Roland Garros by crushing Serb Dusan Lajovic 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 on Court Chatrier. The lopsided affair saw the ruthless Spanish great assume set leads of 5-0, 4-0 and 5-0 on Day 9 of the clay court fortnight. "I played with no mistakes and having the control with the backhand, with the forehand from the baseline," Nadal said. "Sure, you never know whats better, but in theory, the theory says that its better win like this than win longer matches." The 13-time major champion Nadal is trying to become the first man to capture five straight French Open championships. Music superstar Prince was in attendance Monday, nearly hidden in the stands, sitting in the very back row of the presidential box at Chatrier clutching a shiny cane. When the Nadal match ended, Prince rose to leave then paused and paid his respects by applauding. The fifth-seeded Ferrer, meanwhile, had a hiccup in the fourth set in an otherwise routine 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1 victory over 19th-seeded former University of Illinois standout Kevin Anderson of South Africa. Ferrer will now appear in his 10th straight Grand Slam quarterfinal. He reached his first and only Grand Slam finall here a year ago before getting whipped by his fellow countryman Nadal in an all-Spanish title tilt.dddddddddddd. The two will meet in a rematch of that match in a quarterfinal on Wednesday. Nadal, who will turn 28 on Tuesday, is 21-6 lifetime against the 32-year-old Ferrer, including 3-0 at Roland Garros. Ferrer, however, upset Nadal on some red clay in Monte Carlo back in April. "I look forward to playing against David (Ferrer), it is going to be a very difficult match," said Nadal. The seventh-seeded Murray, seeking a trip into only his second-ever French Open semifinal, humbled 24th-seeded Spanish left-hander Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) on Court Lenglen. The British star improved to 10-1 lifetime against the hard-hitting Verdasco in reaching his 13th straight Grand Slam quarterfinal. Murrays quarterfinal opponent will be 23rd-seeded French crowd favorite Gael Monfils, who cruised past Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, 6-0, 6-2, 7-5. The 2008 semifinalist Monfils is now into his fourth career Roland Garros quarter. The quarterfinals will commence Tuesday when second-seeded 2012 runner-up Novak Djokovic takes on eighth-seeded Canadian Milos Raonic and sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych encounters 18th-seeded Latvian Ernests Gulbis. The former world No. 1 and six-time major champion Djokovic still needs a French Open title to complete a career Grand Slam. ' ' 'racter. Fundamentally, he sees himself as a teacher. He is an ideal fit for Samford. ' ' '