Elimimian, Arceneaux inching closer to game action

A pair of the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ top free-agent signings this off-season could soon find themselves in game action for the first time in 2019.

Linebacker Solomon Elimimian and receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux have been inching closer to getting off the CFL team’s injury report.

“I’m excited to be out here with my teammates,” Elimimian said after practice Thursday at Mosaic Stadium. “As a football player (the field) is kind of like your sanctuary so when you’re not out here, it hurts.”

Elimimian signed late in the off-season with the Roughriders after being let go by the B.C. Lions following nine seasons in orange and black.

The practice Thursday was Elimimian’s first with Saskatchewan this season. He didn’t participate in any on-field activities during training camp due to a calf injury.

“Its been tough, especially coming into a new situation and a new team,” Elimimian said. “You have to be patient and try not to be selfish and try not to rush things but be ready that when your body’s ready that you can come out here and make an impact.”

Elimimian, who was voted the CFL’s most outstanding player in 2014, said having an injury shows you can’t take things for granted while playing football.

“Guys complaining about practice is normal but when you haven’t practised, it’s actually fun to be able to practise and be out with the guys and not be in the training room trying to get healthy,” he said.

Elimimian’s leadership could provide a boost to a Roughriders defence that gave up 44 points to the Ottawa Redblacks in a 44-41 loss on June 20.

“He’s a lead-by-doing guy,” Saskatchewan head coach Craig Dickenson said. “He will talk and he’ll be vocal but he wants to be out there running around, so to see him out there moving today, it was really encouraging.”

Dickenson said it could take about a week for the rust to wear off of Elimimian, who hasn’t played since Nov. 11.

“The nice thing is that he has years of experience so that rust will be less than a first-year guy,” Dickenson said.

Wide receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux practises with the Saskatchewan Roughriders on June 27, 2019. (Britton Gray/980 CJME)

Arceneaux is another player who will need to work off some rust over the next week or so. The former Lion hasn’t played since suffering a torn ACL in a 24-21 loss to the Roughriders on Aug. 25.

Arceneaux feels he is ready and healthy enough to start contributing on the Roughriders’ offence.

“I always feel as if I can go,” Arceneaux said. “It’s just about following protocol. Coming off a season-ending injury you don’t want any setbacks and you want everything to fully heal up so it’s just taking it one day at a time. I’m just waiting to get that tap (on the shoulder) and they be like, ‘Manny, we’re ready for you to get out there.’ ”

Arceneaux signed with the Roughriders after eight seasons in B.C., where he amassed 8,169 receiving yards and 55 touchdowns. He was named a CFL all-star in 2015 and 2016.

Arceneaux said the injury allowed him to focus on things outside of football while he was on the road to recovery, including working towards certification in teaching and coaching.

“You can’t play the game forever but when I got a call (from the Roughriders) to be able to come back out, I was busting my butt because my goal was to show up at training camp ready to compete for a spot,” Arceneaux said.

Both players offer a veteran presence to a team trying to turn around an 0-2 start to begin the season.

“They’ve been a really nice addition,” Dickenson said. “(Arceneaux) challenges the receiving group to do better each day and (Elimimian) brings a lot of intensity to the linebackers. Both of them provide a lot of things in the locker room as well as on the field.”

Dickenson said both players will be monitored throughout the week but wouldn’t say if either one would be ready to start Monday, when Saskatchewan opens its home schedule against the Toronto Argonauts.

“We feel like we’ve got a pretty good group so to put two new guys in there, you’re going to have to lose two so there’s a little bit of juggling that we will have to do,” Dickenson said.

The Argonauts lost their Week 2 game against Hamilton 64-14. Kickoff at Mosaic Stadium is set for 5 p.m., with the 980 CJME Green Zone pre-game show starting at 3 p.m.

Notes

Injured quarterback Zach Collaros is in Hamilton and will not join the team until after its bye week following a July 6 game against the Calgary Stampeders. Dickenson didn’t say if Collaros would begin football activities once he returned … Marcus Thigpen missed Thursday’s practice due to personal reasons and is expected to be at practice Friday … Offensive lineman Terran Vaughn was practising with the starters Thursday, but Dickenson didn’t say if he would start in Monday’s game.