The Saskatchewan Roughriders have released 21 players ahead of the CFL’s roster cutdown deadline, including American quarterback Mason Fine and Canadian receiver Brayden Lenius.
The 27-year-old Fine was engaged in a contentious battle for the backup quarterback role, but lost out to Shea Patterson. Short-yardage option Antonio Pipkin was also released, leaving Trevor Harris, Patterson, and rookie Jack Coan as the three QBs left on the team’s roster.
Fine was signed to a two-year extension this offseason after he went 1-3 as a starter last year. He completed 94-of-136 pass attempts for 1,043 yards, three touchdowns, and five interceptions on the year and ran the ball 10 times for 57 yards.
The five-foot-eleven, 190-pound passer signed with the Riders as a free agent in December 2020 and spent most of his rookie season on the club’s practice roster. He has thrown for 1,797 yards, six touchdowns, and eight interceptions over 32 career CFL games
Lenius was originally selected in the second round of the 2019 CFL Draft and recorded 58 receptions for 659 receiving yards and five touchdowns over four seasons in Regina. He had a brief stint with the Atlanta Falcons following a breakout 2021 season before returning to the Riders late in 2022.
The 27-year-old has battled injuries over the last two years and was not healthy during training camp. He won the CFL’s prestigious Jake Gaudaur Award in 2023 after missing nearly the entire year with a lacerated kidney and a Lisfranc sprain.
The other 18 players released by the team were as follows:
- National defensive back Richard Aduboffour
- American wide receiver Geronimo Allison
- American linebacker T.J. Brunson
- American defensive back C.J. Coldon
- American defensive lineman Tre’ Crawford
- American linebacker Diego Fagot
- National offensive lineman Evan Floren
- American defensive back Nicario Harper
- American defensive lineman Sidney Houston Jr.
- National defensive back Katley Joseph
- American wide receiver Kalija Lipscomb
- American defensive lineman R.J. McIntosh
- National wide receiver D’Sean Mimbs
- American wide receiver Jake Parker
- National fullback Morgen Runge
- American defensive back Eric Smith
- National linebacker Nick Thomas
- American offensive lineman Jordan Tucker
An additional 12 players landed a spot on the team’s practice roster:
- Global defensive lineman Habakkuk Baldonado
- American offensive lineman Jacob Brammer
- American defensive back Antoine Brooks Jr.
- Global punter Joe Couch
- National offensive lineman Zack Fry
- National linebacker Jordan Herdman-Reed
- American running back Frankie Hickson
- National offensive lineman Daniel Johnson
- American linebacker Zakoby McClain
- American wide receiver Dohnte Meyers
- American wide receiver Joe Robustelli
- American defensive lineman Caleb Sanders.
A trio of Canadian players will also begin the year on the six-game injured list in receiver Dhel Duncan-Busby, defensive back Jaxon Ford, and linebacker Nick Wiebe.
The Riders will kick off their 2024 regular season when they visit the Edmonton Elks on Saturday, June 8 at 7:00 p.m. ET.
