Reggie Hunt checked in with Drew and myself to talk about the long off-season and how ready he is for 2007 to get underway on the Drew Remenda Sports Show Wednesday night. If you missed it, here it is.......

With Rider training camp just a few days away, most people I run into want my assessment as to where this team will finish in 2007. Will the first year of the Austin-Tillman regime bring immediate success or not. The answer is always the same......I just don't know. On paper, the BC Lions still look to be the class of the division if not the league. This team hasn't really changed from the team that walked off the CanadInns Stadium turf last November with the Grey Cup in its grips. The Stampeders have the same key players and Edmonton has vastly improved.

Times are changing not only in Saskatchewan with a new GM and a new coach, but in the CFL front office as well. I have heard nothing but good things about the new commissioner Mark Cohon. Tom Wright will probably go down as one of the best bosses this league has ever had. If Cohon can keep up or even surpass Wright's performance in the commish's chair this league will be stronger than ever.

In the first of a series of CFL state of the franchise addresses, Kent Austin and Eric Tillman map out plans for 2007. And we've got it here for you to listen.

The success of this year's Roughrider team will depend largely on how quickly(if at all) the team recovers from the loss of 2 of the club's most reliable defensive backs. Omar Morgan and Davin Bush have racked up nearly 200 man games between the 2 of them in what's been a pillar of strength during 5 straight playoff appearances.

Check out a review of the Saskatchewan Roughriders 2007 draft picks.

If Rider coach Kent Austin wants to get a good look at his receivers when training camp starts, he may have to start throwing the ball himself. On Tuesday, Queens University receiver Rob Bagg announced he has signed a deal with the club and will be here for training camp. Bagg joins a long list of receivers that will be here. There are Canadians Andy Fantuz, Jason French, Corey Grant along with 2nd round draft pick Dave McKoy. Add that group to imports Matt Dominguez, Jason Armstead, D-J Flick, Thyron Anderson and Craig Yeast along with rookies Curtis Jackson and Josh Tinch.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders kicking game still hasn't been completely settled and the Rider nation worries the same sub-par punting problems from last year will plague the team's field position again. Eric Tillman has vowed to bring 3 kickers to camp with Luca Congi likely holding onto the field goal duties while competing with Jaime Boreham and an import for the kick-off and putning chores. 15 different players around the CFL had better punting numbers than Congi's 38-yard average last season including Roughrider receiver Corey Grant who unleashed an impressive 46-yard boot.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders code of conduct is now a reality. At the team's Annual General Meeting Saturday, out-going chairman Graham Barker announced the new standard of behavior has been approved by the organization's board of directors and will take effect immediately. "We have faced some negative situations in the past few years that have tarnished our brand" Barker said in reference to past player run-ins with the law including the Trevis Smith case. The code of conduct includes all players, management and staff in the Roughrider organization.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have named Rob Pletch the team's new chairman. The Regina lawyer has served on the club's board of directors for 5 years and now takes over from Graham Barker whose leaving the team after 6 years on the board including the last 2 as chairman. Pletch says his biggest priority will be to ensure the team is competitive with the rest of the CFL and wants to move forward with more renovations of Mosaic Stadium which would include better seating.