Shepley, Lauther discuss opting out of deals with Riders

Dakoda Shepley is going to try and parlay a successful 2019 CFL campaign into an NFL deal.

The 25-year-old offensive lineman opted out of his contract with the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Monday.

“I want to play football in 2020,” Shepley told The Green Zone from Dallas, where he has been training for the past week. “I feel like that’s what everyone in the CFL wanted and unfortunately it’s not going to be possible in the Canadian league.

“For players like me who have an opportunity and the option to play down south, why not exercise it if you want to play football?”

It was the second time in as many days that a member of the Green and White opted out of their CFL deal, with kicker Brett Lauther doing so on Sunday.

“It just seems like it’s a no-brainer with all the pros compared to the cons in this situation,” Lauther told The Green Zone from Truro, N.S.

The CFL cancelled its 2020 campaign last week, unable to secure funding from the federal government that would have helped the league through tough financial times caused by COVID-19.

The league’s decision prompted Shepley to make one of his own.

“I wouldn’t say it was a no-brainer, but after they announced that the season was cancelled, it’s like, ‘OK, well, I just spent eight months of my time and energy and a lot of money training and preparing for a season that isn’t going to happen,’ ” he said.

“The first thought on my mind was, ‘I need to play football one way or another,’ and this was the perfect opportunity for me to do that.”

Shepley isn’t a stranger to NFL training camps, having participated in training camp and three pre-season games with the New York Jets in 2018.

“When I was going through that circuit of workouts in 2018, I was really just going out there and doing whatever they told me to do,” he said. “Now I kind of know what to expect.

“Having a year of pro ball under my belt with the Roughriders, you learn how to prepare like a pro and how to carry yourself in a building. Just the knowledge that I’ve gained from the past season, walking into an organization’s practice facility and onto the field, it’s more mental than anything.”

Shepley was selected by the Roughriders with the fifth selection in the 2018 draft out of the University of British Columbia. He signed a two-year contract in 2019 that included an option for the 2021 season.

Shepley dressed for all 18 games last season and started 14 due to a bevy of injuries along the offensive line. He was named the team’s most outstanding rookie, but he doesn’t expect that alone will earn him an NFL invitation.

“You start from zero when you walk into an NFL locker room,” he said. “No one really cares what you did before; it’s about what you’re about to do. Hopefully if I get that opportunity, I’ll show up.”

Shepley doesn’t have anything lined up with any NFL teams as of yet, but he simply wanted to be available if someone called. If they don’t call and if he has to return to the CFL, he had some good news for Saskatchewan fans.

“I don’t want to play anywhere in the CFL other than Saskatchewan,” he said. “I love the Roughriders, I love the team there, I love the personnel and the organization and there’s no atmosphere like Mosaic Stadium.

“I’m excited that if I don’t stick somewhere in the States or if nothing happens at all, I’ll be right back in Regina — back home.”

Lauther feels the same way.

After bouncing around the CFL before finding a job in Saskatchewan, the 29-year-old is eager to try his luck in the NFL — with what he feels is a pretty good fallback plan.

“This is just another part of the path to go down,” he said. “It’s not new for me. I did this for years with the CFL, so (if I’m going) to take a risk, now seems like the time.

“It’s not really a risk because, at worst case, hopefully I’m just back with the Green and White next season. I’ve been down this road before and (I’m) prepared to bet on myself again.”

Lauther spoke with a number of people — including Roughriders head coach Craig Dickenson and general manager Jeremy O’Day — and they felt he was right to take his shot with the state of placekicking in the NFL.

Lauther doesn’t have any irons in the fire in the NFL, but he already has spoken to people with connections in that league. That group includes Roughriders punter Jon Ryan and former Saskatchewan head coach Chris Jones.

Others can expect to hear from Lauther in the coming weeks.

“I”m going to be that annoying guy for the next few months,” he said.

Linebacker also opts out

In a media release, the Roughriders announced they had released American linebacker Deon Lacey so he could pursue NFL opportunities.

Lacey, who spent the previous three seasons in the NFL before signing with Saskatchewan in May, decided to opt out of his contact after the 2020 CFL season was cancelled due to COVID-19.