Esks not ruling out big free agent deal
GM says finding right fit most important but doesn’t rule out making major splash
With the floodgates set to open on free agency Tuesday at 10 a.m., it could be a matter of sink or swim for CFL clubs gearing up for the 2018 season.
And while some teams tend to treat free agency like a life raft, when it comes to the Edmonton Eskimos, general manager and vice-president of football operations Brock Sunderland has already been forging full steam ahead with off-season re-signings of players on his roster who were scheduled to become free agents.
The list includes: wide receivers Derel Walker and Vidal Hazelton, both the West and East Division most outstanding rookies in 2015; running back C.J. Gable, whose arrival from Hamilton coincided with Edmonton’s 6-0 run to wrap up the regular season; defensive captain J.C. Sherritt, whose 2017 season was cut short by an opening-day Achilles injury; and kicker Sean Whyte, whose league-leading 93 per cent field-goal accuracy was sorely missed for much of last year due to a leg injury, just to name a few.
Sunderland also wasted no time answering one of the biggest questions coming into the off-season.
What was happening with James Franklin?
The rights for the backup quarterback, who was in his contract year, were dealt to the Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts in early December, along with a third-round draft pick in exchange for 6-foot-9 Canadian offensive lineman Mason Woods.
Still, making a big splash when free agency opens Tuesday would go a long way for the Eskimos fan base, especially after Sunderland made waves last week when he cut bait on a couple of big-name veterans, trading defensive end Odell Willis and releasing slotback Adarius Bowman.
“We’ll see what happens,” Sunderland said, not ruling out the possibility of landing a big free agent.
“There are some guys we’re thinking that if they hit the market, we’ll make a run at, but that’s all dependant upon whether they hit the market.”
At the same time, Sunderland doesn’t necessarily want to rock the boat when it comes to steering an Esks franchise that has made it to the division final in each of the past four seasons, including last year, which marked his first at the helm.
“I thought we had a good team last year, we were 12-6 and 13-7 overall so instead of making a big splash in February, my thought is if you keep continuity and keep the right people here, then you make the big splash in November, which is significantly more important.”
But with such tantalizing talent — the likes of defensive tackle Ted Laurent, cornerback Tommie Campbell, defensive end Jamaal Westerman and return man Roy Finch — scheduled to hit the open market, the only sure thing is the CFL landscape is going to look noticeably different this year.
“It will, it always does,” Sunderland said. “In free agency, I think if you get the right person for your needs, then it’s very worthwhile spending your money. But if the exercise for an organization is simply to make a splash, I think it’s for the wrong reasons.
“I think building the best team is the best way to go about it, so if there is a guy who can fit your needs, absolutely go all in. But if you’re doing it simply to get headlines in February, my belief is that’s the wrong way to approach it.”
In his first full off-season with the Eskimos, Sunderland inherited 37 free-agent contracts.
As of Monday ’s interview for this article, that number was reduced to 19. One was traded, two went to the NFL and three others were released, leaving a dozen Eskimos re-signed.
That had them in the lead for the most roster returnees on the eve of free agency, prior to a pair of Calgary Stampeders signing announcements made Monday.
“I’m going to pat our organization because there’s been a lot of help in this,” Sunderland said.
“I think that says a lot about this team.”
And nothing is stopping more Eskimos from returning as free agents.
“If things were to fall right, then we’re probably going to have upwards of 20, 21 of those guys back, which for me, it’s been busy,” Sunderland said.
“Some teams have a free agent list total of that, so to get that many guys back, I think it speaks to the city and it speaks to the organization and people we have here.
“Just getting that many people back within itself has been all day, all night, weekends and everything. The focus is on trying to keep continuity and the guys that we do like here. And then we might keep some money and see who does hit the market.”