Darrell Davis: Carter apparently Riders’ best choice at DB

It’s hard to believe the Saskatchewan Roughriders don’t have a defensive back who can replace injured starter Nick Marshall.

With Marshall sidelined by finger surgery, wide receiver Duron Carter is apparently moving to cornerback for Thursday’s CFL game against the Ottawa Redblacks. Carter proved last year he can play defensive back in the CFL. He worked again at that position during training camp and the preseason, in case the Roughriders couldn’t find anyone better.

Head coach Chris Jones says Carter has improved as a DB and, for this game at least, can best help the Riders on defence. Remember that Jones is also Saskatchewan’s defensive coordinator, plus it’s harder to find a bona fide defensive back than a wide receiver, so the decision-making process is biased. The Roughriders have extra receivers in camp, but none are as explosive as Carter.

Carter is multi-talented; he’s also high-spirited and prone to taking penalties. In that sense, penalties usually hurt the defence more than the offence.