Davis: Saskatchewan Roughriders plucked discarded Rose from CFL free agency
The Saskatchewan Roughriders didn't have much room on their roster for newcomers, but they gladly cleared space for defensive tackle Mike Rose, a seven-year CFL veteran and four-time conference all-star who won a Grey Cup with the Calgary Stampeders in 2018 and was surprisingly available during the offseason.
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Calgary released Rose mere days before he was supposed to receive a $37,000 contract bonus on Feb. 1, according to John Hodge of 3Down Nation. Rose turned 32 last season and his production had slipped only marginally from the previous campaign, again playing all 18 of Calgary's games while recording 19 defensive tackles (compared to 25 in 2023) and six sacks (down from 11).
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Rose, 6-foot-1 and 258 pounds, was still named to the 2024 West all-star team. The Roughriders wanted him. They knew him pretty well.
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Second-year Riders head coach Corey Mace was a Stampeders assistant, overseeing their defensive line, when Rose arrived in Calgary in 2017. For two seasons Rose played alongside Micah Johnson, who is now a stalwart on Saskatchewan's defensive line.
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Rose was also a Stampeders teammate with Saskatchewan's middle linebacker, Jameer Thurman, and has practised every day — as far back as anyone can remember — while wearing sweat pants, regardless of the weather. Rose said he's paying homage to James Harrison, a Pro Bowl linebacker and two-time Super Bowl champion with the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers.
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'Mike Rose is as advertised,' said Mace. 'I'm really excited about him and, you know, his football brother being Micah Johnson, to see those guys being able to do it together is going to be fun.'
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'One thing I will say, Mike Rose has been wearing sweats for a long time. I don't think I've seen his legs since 2017. I seriously have no idea why. That's his thing. I let these guys be themselves as long as they get the job done.'
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That understanding gave the Roughriders an inside track on recruiting Rose, who signed with Saskatchewan before a a glut of CFL players became available when their contracts expired Feb. 15. Among those free agents were defensive tackles Anthony Lanier and Miles Brown, who were allowed to leave Saskatchewan for the Toronto Argonauts and Calgary respectively.
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