Redblacks receiver Dominique Rhymes preaches patience

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It’s more about the wait than the height these days when it comes to Dominique Rhymes and Nick Mardner, two towering Ottawa Redblacks receivers who entered the 2024 season amid different sets of circumstances and expectations.

Through four games, neither has done anything to prevent Ottawa from having the worst aerial attack in the Canadian Football League.

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At some point “soon,” the team believes that will change.

Rhymes has been the biggest disappointment, but neither head coach Bob Dyce nor offensive co-ordinator Tommy Connell pin the blame on him.

The 6-4 veteran, who was the Redblacks’ biggest free-agent signing of the offseason, has the third-most targets (22) and the fifth-most receptions (10) on the team.

Rhymes has caught just one pass in each of the past two games for a combined eight yards, bringing his season total to 121 yards, placing him 35th among all CFL receivers.

“A lot of that time it’s, from a progression standpoint, either he’s been covered or the progression takes us the other way,” Condell said. “It’s certainly not from what he’s done. He’s been such a great worker, hard worker and everything else, like the rest of the guys.  But there’s only one ball, and, if that progression doesn’t go to him … that’s the reality of football.”

Also a reality is that Rhymes is the most accomplished of the Redblacks’ four-pack of American ball catchers who have a 1,000-yard season on their résumés.

In 2022, while with the B.C. Lions, he was the CFL’s second-best receiver with 1,401 yards on 85 catches.

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“There’s so many moving parts,” Dyce said. “The coverage obviously is going to dictate some … Teams know who Dom is, right? They’re going to play coverages to try and eliminate him. As coaches, we have to find ways, sometimes manufacture opportunities for him.

“I don’t think it’s anything that Dom is doing. I think it’s more a matter of us making sure we put him in the right spot the majority of the time. It’s a long season, and it’s four games in. Dom has done a really good job for us as a leader, and he works extremely hard in practice. I know those things are going to come.

“It’s a bunch of new guys working together, so I’m excited for for when he does blossom here, and I expect it here in short order.”

The “new guys” include Condell and quarterback Dru Brown, both in their first season with the Redblacks.

“We’re just still trying to figure things out … Every day at practice you’re trying to figure things out,” Rhymes said. “How you can best utilize everybody, how you can best get the past game going … We’re just getting used to each other. Once it clicks, it’s going to click, so we just got to keep working towards it.”

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Rhymes doesn’t buy into the theory that his 2022 outburst has teams paying extra attention to him now.

“You’ve got a big, fast target, no defence is just going to let him run down the field,” the 31-year-old said. “It’s just how the defence has been rotating, maybe a few extra guys, but there’s ways around that.

“There’s no tight coverages. You might have a guy over the top and underneath, or just an extra person. That’s a part of football. Kind of take it as a compliment, like they must think highly of you as a receiver. Things will open up for me soon.”

Rhymes is using the slow start to his advantage mentally.

“I’m not frustrated, I would say more motivated,” he said. “I’m the type of person, if you want things to start going your way a little bit more, you just know you work a little harder. Eventually things do fall in line. I just got to keep putting my work in and things will fall in line eventually.”

Mardner is another story.

After six seasons playing NCAA Division 1 football with Hawaii (four), Cincinnati (one) and Auburn (one), the 6-6 Mississauga product was the Redblacks’ first pick, second overall, in the 2024 CFL draft.

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Of three targets, he has three receptions for a total of 32 yards.

“Nick has come back to the Canadian game and is figuring things out,” Dyce said. “He’s not on the field as much, so he doesn’t have the same opportunities. As he gets more comfortable, and we’re able to move him around more, I think, ideally, you’ll see his targets rise.

“He’s doing a good job of being focused and following the lead of the great veterans he has in front of him. I know it’s just a matter of time before you see more opportunities. When the ball has come to him, he’s made plays, and I look forward to seeing them get more opportunities.”

Mardner says getting adjusted to Canadian football rules is getting easier every week. He also says it helps him to have a group of veteran receivers to lean on.

“I’m pretty patient,” the 25-year old said. “I know it’s a new step, and it’s professional now, so I’m looking at it through a different perspective.

‘Practice is everything, right? The game is two, three hours and we practise for like 10 hours a week. So that’s the main time where you can really show the quarterback that you’ll fight for contested catches, show the OC that you know your stuff and you’re in the right spot at the right time. They think of that when they’re in the game.

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“I’m just trying to do my job to the best of my ability. I know, as the season goes on, my opportunities are going to open up a lot more. It’s a long season.”

GOING DEEP

Brown was a full participant in Thursday’s practice and looked good, especially on long passes to Rhymes and practice roster wide receiver Andre Miller, but he is still in concussion protocol and therefore can’t yet be confirmed as the Redblacks’ starting QB at Edmonton on Sunday. “I thought he was efficient in what he did and intentional in what he did, and I think the whole group fed off of that,” Dyce said. “It’s good to see him out there. He’s kept moving forward in the protocol. Obviously, with his play today, it gives you great confidence” … New additions to the Redblacks’ injury report under the “limited” participation category were wide receiver Bralon Addison (Achilles) and linebacker Frankie Griffin (hip). Dyce says he’s confident Griffin will be able to play Sunday in Edmonton, while Addison will be evaluated further.

dbrennan@postmedia.com

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