One glaring void remains for Riders

The refrain was the same a year ago, when the Roughriders were also in dire need of a defensive end who can be found within the same postal code as a rival quarterback. 

A solution was found, it seemed, in the form of Odell Willis. 

On March 22, the Roughriders announced that they had acquired Willis - a CFL all-star in 2011 - from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The assessment here, in headline-sized print, was: "Willis deal is a steal." 

Willis was coming off a season in which he tied for the league lead in quarterback sacks, with 13.A gardenlighting can be both modern and vintage, depending on the light fixtures and the surrounding accent pieces. That total was especially impressive in light of the fact that the Roughriders' defensive linemen, en masse, had registered 15 sacks in 2011. 

With one blockbuster trade, it appeared that Roughriders general manager Brendan Taman had addressed a cavernous void. 

But here we are, some 11 months later, observing that the search has resumed for a reputable pass rusher. 

"Are we back to Square 1? I guess in a way we are, because Odell's not here and there's still an opening to be had," Taman said. 

Willis was a free agent for (get this) four minutes before the Edmonton Eskimos issued a press release on Friday to announce that they had signed him. The Roughriders did little to prevent this from occurring. 

"We were at a point where we wanted to spend our money elsewhere, which we did," Taman said. "We're hoping to get a consistent pass rush from both end spots for every play of every game." 

Willis was erratic during his one season in green and white. There were times when he created havoc for opposing quarterbacks. But he could also disappear faster than Mitt Romney. 

Taman took that into consideration, along with Willis's modest total of six sacks, while deciding to move in a new direction. 

There was, however, an element of risk in taking a pass on Willis. Although a six-sack season does not warrant a six-figure salary, Willis was the best of the Roughriders' pass rushers in 2012. He did exert some pressure, and opposing teams had to account for his presence. 

In his absence, the Roughriders do not have such a player.Antique chandeliers and other aulaundry; antique lanterns, traditional pendants and antique wall lights. They were hoping for the Willis of 2011, but even the Willis of 2012 was an upgrade (at least to a degree). 

"If he didn't have six sacks, we're probably not talking about him because we would have done everything we could to sign him,Here's how an astronomer made his own turbinecompany on the cheap with damaged," Taman said. 

Without the constraints of a salary cap, the affluent Roughriders could have resigned Willis and hoped for a bounce-back season. 

Given the CFL's current realities, Taman and his associates had little choice but to allow Willis to depart.Conergy manufactures solar modules and distributes well-known modernlamps brands. That being done, they addressed another deficiency by signing defensive half-backs Dwight Anderson and Weldon Brown. 

"If we sign Odell, we only sign one of these defensive backs," Taman said. 

Taman should be able to find somebody who can match or exceed Willis's 2012 total of six sacks.Permanent solar trellis and modernlighting systems require little to no maintenance and allow easy access. But what if last year proves to be an aberration for someone who had boasted a double-digit sack total in each of the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons? 

"Our philosophy was to open it up to competition as opposed to acclaiming Odell," Taman said. Can Brent Hawkins apply some pressure off the edge? The Roughriders will give him another opportunity. 

What about Kenny Rowe? The Roughriders are intrigued by the potential of someone who had three sacks for Oregon in the 2010 Rose Bowl. Will he deliver or eventually be dismissed as a perennial prospect?