Jamie Nye
CFL.ca

While the calendar won’t flip on 2012 for another two months, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are already well into next year.

In one week, the Roughriders lost their head of football operations and head coach and have already replaced him in the front office.

There are many opinions about Miller’s replacement, Brendan Taman, who answered to Miller as General Manager over the last two years.

Taman comes in as a man who detractors say doesn’t know the importance of Canadian talent, who can’t and won’t be able to find import talent, and more importantly hasn’t won in his 20-plus years as a member of the CFL front office fraternity.

Only the final argument is something Taman can’t prove wrong until he does indeed win. Roughriders President and CEO Jim Hopson will point to the East Division title Taman guided the 2007 Winnipeg Blue Bombers to before losing the Grey Cup to his current employer, but a West Division title won’t please Taman’s critics.

As for the other two arguments, Taman is starting to prove those wrong.

Over the last two years, he has led the front office in two successful drafts and will be able to draft in the number one spot for the second time in three years, although this time it is due to the team’s performance on the field rather than a draft day trade like the one he pulled off in 2010.

As for the import talent, the Roughriders deployed Brandon West, Chris Graham, Nick Graham, Kenny Rowe, Tyron Brackenridge, Ernie Wheelwright, Terrence Nunn and Freddie Barnes. All players have generated interest among the fan base; however injuries or veterans ahead on the depth chart held back many of these players from proving whether Taman was able to the find import talent.

As I mentioned in training camp, there were very little openings on a veteran laden Roughriders squad for these import rookies to crack the line-up.

Taman’s one major fault was the lack of defensive end to put a fear into the opposition. Brent Hawkins re-aggravating a shoulder injury in training camp didn’t help, as he missed the entire season.

The Roughriders would deploy a series of ends with Tearrius George the only one to prove he could be an every down player. The others were Montez Murphy, Luc Mullinder, Shomari Williams, Shawn Lemon, Remond Willis, Kenny Rowe and R.J. Roberts.

The bottom line is this: Brendan Taman was part of the problem that led to the Roughriders worst season in a decade. And fans have every reason to be skeptical things will get worse before they get better.

But when Taman had full control of a football team and his own coach (Doug Berry) for the first and only time in his career, the Bombers had a 27-26-1 regular season record over three seasons and made the playoffs every year.

Mediocre, maybe, but there aren’t many personnel people available for the Roughriders to go out and get who have a better track record.

So here we are.

Brendan Taman will now be tasked to take the Saskatchewan Roughriders from the basement to the penthouse with one-year remaining on his contract.

First order of business is assessing all the talent on the roster and setting priorities on where the depth chart has its deficiencies. The salary structure of the current roster will also be looked at to see where the team can find money to give to high priority free agents and help them fill other holes.

The second order of business and most important will be hiring a head coach. Taman says he will not make his list of potential candidates public out of respect for those coaches who are preparing their teams in the CFL playoffs.

As teams are eliminated, the rumours and interviews will start taking place.

Taman knows the type of coach he wants and with the interviews the team went through last year, his list of candidates should be strong.

There is no doubt Taman is under the microscope from not only the fans but Hopson but the Board of Directors as well.

But as the true boss of the Roughriders, Taman has his shot to go from one of the more unpopular people in Saskatchewan to a hometown hero.

But with only one year left on his contract, 2012 may be his only opportunity.

Happy New Year!