BY ARASH MADANI
sportsnet.ca

Brendan Taman, the former Winnipeg Blue Bombers general manager who spent the bulk of the 2009 season working in Saskatchewan's front office, has agreed to a multi-year deal to be the next general manager of the Roughriders, sportsnet.ca has learned.

Taman accepted the offer from team president Jim Hopson Wednesday and will work closely with head coach Ken Miller, who will likely have an expanded role with the franchise's personnel next season.

The 43-year-old Taman, a native of Saskatoon, replaces Eric Tillman, who resigned on January 8, days after pleading guilty to sexual assault and then receiving a full discharge.

Sources tell Sportsnet that Taman, a Saskatoon native, was presented with an offer from the Blue Bombers to return to his old post as GM. Ironically, he resigned in Winnipeg a year and a week ago today after he was told his role would be forced to change with the hiring of Mike Kelly as the club's head coach. Kelly lasted one rocky season, fired on Dec. 17, 2009.

But Taman decided to remain in Saskatchewan, where he has a good working relationship with Miller and is expected to make few immediate changes with staff, although there is a tall task ahead of him with 15 players facing free agency if they are not signed by midnight on Feb. 15.

Winnipeg had Taman at the top of their list, contrary to published reports Wednesday. While Jim Barker and Joe Mack were favourites of some on the board, Taman was actually offered the general manager position with the Blue Bombers and was the franchise's No. 1 target.

Winnipeg is still without a CEO since Lyle Bauer resigned last month. It appears the organization is intent on hiring a football executive before a team president. Mack, one CFL source suggested, does not want to take up primary residence in Manitoba.

The Blue Bombers will now re-examine Barker and Mack mainly, while interim GM Ross Hodgkinson has an outside, but unlikely, shot at being offered the position.

RUMOUR MILL: Two league sources told Sportsnet they are hearing Marc Trestman is interviewing with the Oakland Raiders Wednesday. A report in a San Francisco newspaper suggested Trestman, a former offensive coordinator with the Raiders, would be approached by owner Al Davis soon. Profootballtalk.com reports Davis would speak with Trestman about the OC job and not head coach. "I am not aware of any NFL team asking permission to talk to our head coach," Jim Popp, the Als general manager, told Sportsnet's Montreal-based reporter, Louis Jean... Saskatchewan offensive line coach Bob Wylie was hired Wednesday by the Denver Broncos to be their line coach.