Following the Saskatchewan Roughriders expected win against the terrible East Division in their trip to face the Ottawa Redblacks, the biggest story leading into their game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Thursday is an off the field one as the team will be forced to play a big game against their rivals without arguably their best wide receiving threat in Taj Smith due to violations of his release stemming from an incident in a Regina nightclub last season.
On Tuesday the team confirmed that Smith would not play on Thursday when the team travels to Winnipeg for a game that has heavy implications for the defending Grey Cup champions who could inch back closer to the race for first place in the West with a road win against a Bombers team that is surprisingly sitting in first at 5-1 thanks in part to the breakout season of former Saskatchewan backup quarterback Drew Willy. Smith violated a condition of his release during the team's Ottawa road trip and head coach Corey Chamblin has made it known that the team is still assessing their options with Smith.
Many on Tuesday suggested that it may be possible that the Roughriders cut ties with Smith due to his repeated mistakes and missteps while with Saskatchewan, citing the team's policy for maintaining a public image and upholding certain standards in the community. However Smith has been productive enough in Saskatchewan to warrant the team turning a blind eye to the assault incident that took place outside of a Regina nightclub during the team's Grey Cup season. After all, the Riders fans as well as coaching staff and front office had no problem rooting on Smith as he racked up 1,007 receiving yards and seven touchdowns during the 2013 season where Smith's 78 catches did more than a fair share in helping the team win the Grey Cup at home last year.
That is why Smith is still in Saskatchewan after all while teammate Dwight Anderson was shipped off to Toronto via a trade earlier this season as the team cut ties with the other popular Roughrider who was involved in the unfortunate incident last season where a group of Roughriders players assaulted a man. Smith has now been accused of violating conditions of the consequences he had to face for his role in those criminal acts and while the accused violation for entering a bar is nowhere near as serious as the assault charges that were handed to him in 2013, Smith still made the wrong choice following the team's win in Ottawa by even going into a bar in the first place during the regular season. Especially with a big game against the Bombers less than a week away, something that shows to some that Smith still has problems with his decision making off of the field. Perhaps even enough to warrant getting rid of the potential distraction that Smith brings each time he gets himself in trouble as part of a franchise that is constantly under the spotlight in this province. Whether it is fair or unfair, pockets of Riders fans expect morally perfect behaviour from the players that put on the jerseys and represent the team they love which is why the conduct policy was made in the first place. However it is not uncommon for both fans and team to turn a blind eye to the less than perfect acts of players if they are talented enough to ignore less than desirable decisions made off of the football field.
From all accounts it needs to be stated that Smith is more than talented enough and is the team's biggest athletic weapon left on offense with Kory Sheets and Weston Dressler both currently still trying to crack AFC West rosters in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs. A 1,000 yard receiver from 2013 who has 11 career touchdowns in under two and a half seasons in the CFL, Smith's presence on the field is probably a necessity for the Riders to have any hope of defending the Grey Cup unless the team picks up another player. A reality that some fans may not feel is true, but when you look at the options on the depth chart after Smith it becomes clear that the team is going to have to deal with Smith's legal problems and ensure that he can stay on the field.
That likely means that the team is going to have to make it clear to Smith that he is on his last strike with the Roughriders, hopefully a message that will help Smith make the correct decisions to stay out of trouble off the field. Already missing Dressler in the slot, the Riders can't really afford to move on from Taj Smith until the end of the 2014 season if they also want to contend for another championship. An uncomfortable relationship that Riders fans who are tired of Smith getting in trouble are going to have to deal with.
