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Riders sign Darian Durant to multi-year extension: can he maintain a high level of play?

The Saskatchewan Roughriders may have suffered remarkable attrition this offseason after winning the Grey Cup last November, but they've managed to retain one of their key pieces for the foreseeable future, signing quarterback Darian Durant to a multi-year extension Wednesday that will likely make him one of the league's highest-paid players.Based on his recent play, that's a solid move; 2013 saw Durant throw for 4,154 yards with a 61.2 per cent completion mark and 31 touchdowns against just 12 interceptions, staying effective and efficient when called upon despite the Riders' run-heavy strategy, and he was a crucial part of their run to the Grey Cup. His 2012 campaign was also impressive, as he racked up 3,878 passing yards with a 64.4 per cent completion mark and 20 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. It's worth noting that Durant has had substantial struggles in the past, though (something discussed here in 2012, the last time he signed an extension), and that he is turning 32 in August. The Riders are betting that he can maintain his impressive recent form for years to come; we'll see if that proves to be smart.

There's plenty to support Durant as one of the league's best quarterbacks right now. The 4,154 passing yards he put up last season were the third-highest total in the league, and that was with him missing one full game and most of a second one thanks to injury. His 31 touchdown passes were also a league-high, and his 31/12 touchdown to interception ratio was excellent. Durant did everything the Riders asked him to do, and he did it very well; he was selected as a divisional all-star. If he can keep up that level of performance going forward, Saskatchewan should be in a good place offensively.

That may be difficult, though. The Riders have already lost two of their most important offensive pieces (RB Kory Sheets and SB Weston Dressler) to the NFL, and that may impact how Durant does. If they're not able to recreate the dominant running game that was the key feature of their offence last year, that's going to allow defences to cheat more towards the pass, and that will certainly make life challenging for Durant. Dressler, who had been with Saskatchewan since 2008, was also one of Durant's most consistent and valued targets; we'll see if the Riders are able to find a top target to replace him.

Even without considering personnel changes, there have still been some flaws in Durant's play over the years. He put forth impressive yardage totals in 2009 and 2010 (a league-leading 5,542 yards in that latter season), leading the Riders to back-to-back Grey Cup appearances, but he did so without great TD/INT ratios or completion percentages. 2011 saw the team really struggle, finishing just 5-13, and while there were plenty of other factors there (including personnel turnover and uncertainty at the top), Durant's performance that season was far from superlative; he threw for just 3,653 yards with 18 touchdowns, 14 interceptions and a 61.1 per cent completion mark. Now, there's a case to be made that Durant's improvement since then is more indicative of his future performance, as experience tends to be vital for CFL quarterbacks, but it's worth remembering that his successful 2012 and 2013 campaigns aren't the only ones on his record.

Overall, this looks like a solid move for the Riders, and one they almost had to make. Durant's incredibly popular with their fans (well, except the ones who went after him on Twitter last year), and he was crucial to their Grey Cup victory. While he was still under contract for 2014, many teams don't like having their starting quarterback as a pending free agent, and for good reason; it can be exceptionally difficult to find good starting quarterbacks in this league, and it takes a long time to develop a capable replacement. (The Riders also traded primary backup Drew Willy, who was a pending free agent and was looking for a starting job, to Winnipeg this offseason, so they likely won't have anyone ready to replace Durant any time soon.) Durant's age also isn't that bad; while 31 isn't that young by CFL standards, it's pretty young in terms of quarterbacks. Henry Burris (38) and Ricky Ray (34) are both considerably older than Durant, and both shone last year.

The biggest question is if Durant will be able to maintain his high level of recent performance despite some of the Riders' stars leaving. The team is betting that he can, and that he won't revert to the inconsistency we often saw earlier in his career. (Or, that even if his performance drops off a bit, he'll still be the best option they have at QB.) Those aren't sure bets, but they do have pretty decent odds. The team's stepped up and shown their belief in Durant; the question now is if he'll reward them for doing so.