Rookie QB Bennett soars up depth chart
Pivot was ranked fourth in mini-camp but has worked way to Glenn’s backup
All 13 of Bryan Bennett’s passes were caught during Saturday’s Saskatchewan Roughriders mock game.
There was only one problem: Two of the passes were intercepted.
Those picks were noted by head coach and general manager Chris Jones on Monday when he discussed Bennett, who completed 11 of 13 passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns during the intra-squad contest.
“He threw two balls to the wrong team so he has to take better care of the football,’’ Jones said. “He has tremendous athletic ability. He has a strong arm and he fit the ball a couple of times into very tight windows. It will be interesting to see what happens when we play somebody different.’’
That day looms with the Riders set to play host to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in pre-season action on Saturday. How much game time quarterback Kevin Glenn will see remains to be determined because the Riders already know what the veteran can do.
The first pre-season game may provide the Riders with an extended opportunity to evaluate Bennett and fellow quarterbacks Vince Young, Brandon Bridge and Marquise Williams during live action. Bennett was fourth on the Riders’ depth chart during their April minicamp in Vero Beach, Fla., but is now seeded second — behind Glenn.
“It’s surprising how fast (Bennett) has moved up the depth chart,’’ said quarterbacks coach Jarious Jackson. “I knew what we had athletic-wise coming in. I didn’t think that he would be as good as he is right now. There is definitely a high ceiling for him to continue to learn, and he still makes rookie mistakes. Those are the kinks that will be worked out in time.’’
Despite being a rookie, Bennett has some CFL experience. He was on the Blue Bombers’ practice roster late in the 2015 season and for all of the 2016 campaign. Bennett is considered a rookie by the CFL because he hasn’t played in a regularseason game.
Bennett put his time in Winnipeg to good use while watching the other Blue Bombers quarterbacks.
“I like what we did last year when we had an opportunity to stand behind the quarterback, see defences and see every single rep even though I wasn’t throwing the ball,’’ said the 25-year-old Bennett. “I was able to get a ton of mental reps. I wasn’t able to physically work on my footwork or make actual throws, but it was a huge help on the mental side of the game.’’
Glenn became familiar with Bennett during the latter portion of the 2016 season. The two quarterbacks became teammates when the Montreal Alouettes traded Glenn to the Blue Bombers on Oct. 11.
“(Bennett) is very coachable and that’s the one thing that I look at with younger guys coming up that want to succeed,’’ Glenn said. “He listens and he asks questions. You can explain something to him and he transfers it over from the meeting room to the field.’’
A six-foot-three, 215-pound product of Tarzana, Calif., Bennett originally joined the University of Oregon Ducks after high school. He made it to second on the depth chart behind Marcus Mariota, the 2014 Heisman Trophy Award winner who is now the starting quarterback with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.
After the 2012 season, Bennett transferred to Southeastern Louisiana University after hearing talk that he might be moved to safety. Over the 2013 and 2014 seasons with Southeastern, Bennett threw for 5,522 yards and 39 touchdowns, adding 1,715 rushing yards and 31 TDs.
Bennett signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He joined the Bombers after being released by Indianapolis.
After the 2016 season, he decided to sign with the Riders as a free agent rather than return to Winnipeg.
“I felt like it would a better opportunity to get on the field,’’ Bennett said.
Bennett’s opportunities with the Riders may extend beyond quarterbacking. He has also lined up on the punt team.
“I’m a football player and if they want me to do that, I’m more than happy to run around out there and make some plays,’’ Bennett said. “Special teams are a huge part of the game up here. If I can help, I would love to do that.’’