The Green and White are starting to look a little more black and blue.

The list of injuries for the team continues to grow.

And, yes, everybody is dealing with injuries this time of the year, but the Riders brain trust can take a bow for what they’ve been able to do in the last few weeks to solidify their depth.

Jay Alford, Milt Collins, Joe Lobendahn and Diamond Ferri were the standout defensive players from last week’s win over the Calgary Stampeders.

All four have one thing in common.

None of them were on the team when the Riders started the season.  And now, they look to play integral roles with the team in the final third of the season and the playoffs if the team gets there.

All throughout training camp, Head Coach Corey Chamblin preached depth. The need was there to have guys on the roster that can step in and play. As the weeks went on Chamblin obviously didn’t think it was there, so he pressed General Manager Brendan Taman to find more.

Taman, Director of Player Personnel Craig Smith and Assistant GM Jeremy O’Day have done that with the help of the head coach.

Collins and more recently Robert Rose have made the move from Hamilton, where Chamblin was the defensive coordinator last season.

Lobendahn, obviously, has connections with Taman from their Bomber days.

The Riders were a young team out of training camp and possibly a little too young, that’s why it’s been beneficial the Riders brought in players that don’t need much coaching to get into the lineup and perform.

And now that depth is being tested to the max.

Keith Shologan, Brent Hawkins and Mick Williams will be missing from the defensive line on Saturday. That puts Alford and Rose into the starting lineup.

Not the best timing, with dynamic running back Andrew Harris next up on the agenda.

In the defensive back field, Woodny Turenne remains out, and now Eddie Russ looks to be on the shelf so Milt Collins now moves from corner to half.

Not the best timing, with the dynamic duo of Arland Bruce and Geroy Simon next up on the agenda.

The expectations from the coach, however, will not change. Whether your 1st on the depth chart or last, when called upon it’s time to step up and perform or someone else will take the job.

Last week, Chamblin was threatening jobs to be lost and the players met that threat with a dose of reality. They know, despite Chamblin saying it into microphones, it’s not like losing your job because of a bad performance is a new idea.

It’s the daily life of a professional football player.

On Thursday,  Chamblin admitted that more players are coming in as CFL teams will start to begin to extend their practice rosters. Usually, this plane load of NFL cuts or guys who waited and never got a call from NFL over the last few months doesn’t yield much in terms of talent to be used for this season.

But don’t put it past Chamblin.

He has numerous rookies and first year starters playing like veterans, because he doesn’t look at years of service. He looks at talent, ability and that ‘it’ factor when the lights turn on.

When the switch is flipped at Mosaic on Saturday against the Lions there will be another group of players playing a larger role or in an entirely new one, with jobs on the line.

Oh and never mind they have the added comfort of knowing these changes will be made against the best team in the CFL.