REDBLACKS STILL HAVE BIG HOLES TO FILL ON DEFENCE
But don’t expect GM Desjardins to break the bank on CFL free-agent acquisitions
While after three days of Canadian Football League free agency it looks like there are a couple of gaping holes in the Ottawa Redblacks’ defence, general manager Marcel Desjardins isn’t hitting the panic button.
Patience is the key. Time is another factor. There are plenty of days between now and the start of the CFL season.
The Redblacks made a big move to beef up the pass rush that produced just 31 sacks last season, fourth worst in the nineteam league, by signing defensive end A.C. Leonard on Tuesday, the opening day of free agency.
However, they lost defensive tackle Zack Evans as a free agent to the Saskatchewan Roughriders for a one-year deal worth $170,000, according to 3DownNation. Starting middle linebacker Taylor Reed also remains unsigned. A couple of other strong middle linebackers, Henoc Muamba and Bear Woods, were also still on the free-agent market as of Thursday.
But Ottawa may get none of them, at least not at the going rate.
“I don’t see how,” Desjardins said Thursday. “Never say never, though. I guess what I’m getting at is if we felt we had to do something like that, that would have to be offset elsewhere. What is that elsewhere? That’s kind of how I’m looking at it.”
At least one former player, though, says the Redblacks will need to make moves to rebuild the middle of their defence.
Quarterback Henry Burris, who led the Redblacks to a Grey Cup victory in 2016, told TSN 1200 radio on Wednesday he thought Ottawa needed to find bodies for the interior of the defensive line.
“If you look at it now, (Jake) Ceresna is in Edmonton, Evans is in Saskatchewan, then there’s Tank Reed,” Burris said. “They always talk about the inside triangle; that’s who takes the run away. You have to be able to stop the run. You don’t want to overcompensate, take one thing away from an offence, then give up another. It all starts up front.”
Talking about the defensive line, Desjardins said: “Look, it’s going to be similar to the linebacker thing: We’ve got guys who have played some, we don’t have guys who have proven to be long-term solutions at the position. We’ll keep looking at other options as well and see how that plays out.”
One option at defensive tackle is Mehdi Abdesmad, the Redblacks’ third-round pick in the 2016 CFL college draft. Abdesmad has been with both the Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the National Football League, but is currently a free agent.
“He has an offer from us,” Desjardins said. “He’s looking at that maybe, but also looking down south. We’re just being patient with the process.”
Maybe the answers are already there. Sometimes in the CFL things just seem to work out with under-the-radar players making impressions.
“Kevin Brown could play (middle linebacker)," Desjardins said. “He’s the only guy (at that position) with any real CFL play time. The other guys are just young guys who either haven’t been around the CFL much or not at all.”
The Redblacks did make a couple of free-agent moves Thursday, signing defensive lineman Cam Walker and defensive back Andrew Lue.
Walker, 25, played 35 games over three seasons for the Toronto Argonauts, recording seven special-teams tackles last year. Lue played in seven games last year for the Edmonton Eskimos, recording four special teams tackles. In four seasons with Edmonton, Saskatchewan and Montreal, the 25-year-old has 29 special-teams tackles.
"(Special teams is) obviously the primary role they will have, but we certainly feel they can both contribute on defence as well. It’s just going to be a function of to what extent,” Desjardins said.
The Redblacks also announced the signings of international defensive lineman Louis Palmer (Central Michigan) and receiver R.J. Shelton (Michigan State).
There are plenty of players remaining on the free-agent market.
In some cases, the price tags will come down.
“We’ve had discussions with agents, but there are no offers,” Desjardins said. “We’re still looking to find guys we think can come in and compete, whether they make our team as starters or whatever. We’re still trying to make our roster better. If there’s not a need at a position, we’re not going to go down that path.”
There’s also the possibility other CFLers could become available. Sometimes the numbers game catches up with teams that get caught in salary cap crunches, forcing the release of some veterans.
“I can’t sit here and say what other teams are going to do in terms of letting guys go. That plays into the equation,” Desjardins said. “That happens every year where guys you think from a distance are locked into another team are let go for whatever reason, whether it’s cap related or not. I’m sure that’s going to happen.”
I don’t see how. Never say never, though. I guess what I’m getting at is if we felt we had to do something like that, that would have to be offset elsewhere.