Johany Jutras/CFL
REGINA — Chris Jones’ vision of the 2016 Saskatchewan Roughriders is far from complete, but recently-acquired Maurice Price may be a big part of it.
The 30-year-old receiver was added in a trade on Monday and agreed to an extension on Tuesday, while Jones spoke highly of what Price brings to the table in an interview with CFL.ca’s Jamie Nye.
“People think highly of Maurice Price,” the Riders’ head coach and GM was quoted by Nye on his twitter account, @jamienye. “Knows league . . . can fit in to a bunch of different positioning.
“[Price] can get behind you in both man and zone and can catch us the football when he’s down the field, which I like.”
A 6-foot-1 burner, Price adds a dimension of size and speed that the Riders currently lack. Three prominent Riders receivers, Rob Bagg, Ryan Smith and Chris Getzlaf are due to become free agents, while star receiver Weston Dressler is shifty but diminutive at 5-foot-7, 179 pounds.
Nye wrote on his blog at CJME 980 that the four-year CFL veteran likely slots in behind Western Dressler and ahead of national Nic Demski, Naaman Roosevelt, Seydou Junior Haidara, Alex Carroll, Michael Campbell and Ryan Lankford.
In other words, the opportunity is there for Price to make a major impact in his first season in Riderville — a low-risk, high-reward situation for Jones and his team.
“It reminds me a lot of the Riders signing Jamel Richardson last off-season,” Nye wrote on his blog. “Worst case scenario is Price doesn’t get back to his ‘A’ game and the Riders shed his salary down the line as well . . .
“Best case scenario is Price becomes that big play receiver again and stars in Saskatchewan: All the Riders gave up is a sixth round pick, we’ll all say. It can turn into a similar deal when the Riders gave up a late round pick in 2012 for Xavier Fulton.”
Price was traded to the REDBLACKS last off-season after spending his first three CFL seasons as a member of the Calgary Stampeders. The Orlando, Fla. native caught a career-high 58 passes for 603 yards (second in his career) and one touchdown, but took a back seat to four 1,000-yard receivers on the league’s number one-ranked offence.
WATCH: Price scores his first as a REDBLACK
After exploding for 405 yards and three touchdowns over his first six CFL games upon arriving in Calgary in 2012, Price’s production plateaued in 2013 when he registered 788 yards and seven touchdowns in 13 games. Still, over the span of his career, Price is averaging nearly 50 yards per game.
“What the Riders get is receiver who comes with the upside of a big play, deep threat, who struggles with consistency catching the ball and was the fifth wheel in Ottawa after the REDBLACKS traded for him a year ago,” Nye added.
Jones meanwhile is optimistic, but added Price will have to prove he can fit in.
“He’s going to have to fit in with our group, so it’ll be interesting to see what all he brings to the table,” said Jones.
