Riders' Picton willing to fill in where needed
In his seventh year with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Regina native and Riders' receiver Mitch Picton is once again being called upon to fill in for an injured teammate.
Kian Schaffer-Baker suffered a foot injury in week one's victory over Ottawa, and that has thrust Picton into the starting lineup.
'Things change really quickly, so yeah, it's something that I'm comfortable with,' Picton said. 'The more time I get on the field, the more reps I get, I'm happy with that. Unfortunate circumstances obviously but I'm ready to go and step in wherever I'm needed.'
Picton relayed to CTV News that despite some bad injury luck for both him and quarterback Trevor Harris, the two have built a good rapport with each other.
'Me and him have been getting injured at opposite times, so we actually haven't played that many games together. So, not a ton of live reps but we've had off-seasons, training camp and practice, so we're comfortable with each other and happy with the spots that we're going to be in,' Picton said.
The duo will get to add one more shared game to their list, as Picton will be the lone new name added to the starting receiver lineup for Saturday's road game in Hamilton.
Harris said he has full confidence in Picton's ability to step in and help the offense continue to thrive.
'I think Mitch Picton's one of the better receivers in this league. I love throwing the ball to him. Just his depth, trusty hands, and sneaky good after the catch, and yeah, not a guy we worry about,' Harris said.
That confidence shown by Harris towards not only Picton, but the entirety of the receiver core, enables the pass catchers to be a cohesive unit.
'He has the utmost confidence, and he says whoever is on the field, we're going to throw it. He has confidence in us, and we have confidence that he's going to put us in a position to make plays. So, yeah, we are very fortunate to have Trev,' Picton said.
Picton, Harris, and the offensive unit put up 31 points in week one. They will be looking for an encore performance in Hamilton.
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