REDBLACKS HEAD FOR A DIFFERENT FREE AGENCY
They'll add Unamba, but tighter budgets could affect making any other moves
While there may not be much in the way of “bombshell” announcements from the Ottawa Redblacks with the arrival of
CFL free agency Tuesday at noon, the team will announce at least one significant signing.
The Redblacks have extended the contract of SAM linebacker Don Unamba, a guy they signed a year ago in free agency. It fills a big hole in the lineup and gives them a potential difference maker on defence. During the 2018 season in Hamilton, Unamba had 59 defensive tackles, four sacks, an interception and three forced fumbles. In 2019 in Edmonton, he had 43 defensive tackles, six sacks, an interception and two forced fumbles in just 12 games.
While there may be some additional fine tuning over the next few days, Redblacks GM Marcel Desjardins said it likely will be nothing major. With teams keeping a tight grip on their wallets because of the crippling economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and a lost 2020 season, there is still potential for the Redblacks to grab a bargain or two.
“There's not going to be a lot of money going around in free agency, I'll tell you that,” said Desjardins. “There is no treasure chest to be able to spend big money, that's a pretty big misconception going around. We've been cutting this whole time and adding a piece or two here and there. You have to make choices. Everybody's in kind of the same boat. Some people are walking away from players because of the new reality of what's going on with the salaries.
“It's going to come down to dollars; there's not a lot of flexibility to do a whole lot. We'll have to see what's left and what the numbers are. It's about adding pieces we think make us better going into camp and see how it plays out. Could there be a piece, maybe two, out there deemed to be automatic starters? Maybe. There are a couple of guys we're interested in, I don't know whether we'll get them or not, that's the best way to put it.”
The price tag may be too hefty, but available veteran defensive linemen Micah Johnson and Almondo Sewell are proven allstars. National linebackers Henoc Muamba and Cameron Judge are both very good and available, but probably end up elsewhere. Available receivers include Ricky Collins Jr., Lucky Whitehead and Canadians Dan Petermann and Natey Adjei. If Ottawa is looking for a running back, John White had more than 1,000 yards rushing in 2019 in B.C.
Likely gone are two of the Redblacks' starting offensive linemen in 2019. It's expected Evan Johnson will sign with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, while it would be surprising if Jason Lauzon-Seguin doesn't wind up in Montreal. That sets the Redblacks up to likely go with just three Canadian offensive linemen (and two Americans playing at the tackle spots), a departure from 2019 when they started five much of the time.
“It's not because we don't think Evan and Jason are good football players,” said Desjardins. “But you have to make choices. With the Canadian O-linemen,
there's no way we'd be able to keep them all with the (salary) cap restrictions that are kicking in. It's not just a matter of keeping your starters, you also have to be able to maintain the depth. You would need to have a couple more of them around and that wasn't feasible for us. We've been able to sign a good crop of American tackles and we're looking forward to seeing those guys compete and, hopefully, be dominant guys for a number of years up here. And we have one of the best O-line coaches (Bob Wylie) in the business.”
Much of the heavy lifting was done in the weeks leading in. Among the players whose contracts were extended before they could become free agents: Receivers Rafael Araujo-Lopes, Jalen Saunders, Anthony
Coombs and R.J. Harris, defensive backs Sherrod Baltimore, Gump Hayes, Abdul Kanneh, Randall Evans and Corey Tindal, linebackers Avery Williams and Jerod Fernandez, quarterback Dominique Davis, running back Timothy Flanders, offensive lineman Mark Korte, defensive linemen Avery Ellis and Danny Mason, punter Richie Leone and kicker Lewis Ward.
“Marcel has signed a lot of guys we targeted,” said Redblacks head coach Paul LaPolice a bit more than a week ago. “The entire special teams unit coming back is excellent. Bringing Saunders in, he's an impact speed guy. Coombs gives us a different role player ... we're bringing back a 1,000-yard guy in R.J. Harris. We've got the double Averys, Williams and
Ellis. Plus, we've signed a lot of (defensive) secondary guys.”
To address a key area of need, the Redblacks recently signed quarterback Matt Nichols. Interestingly enough, Argos quarterback Michael O'Connor, who's from Ottawa, is also expected to become a free agent and would be a good addition.
THE POINT AFTER: Ottawa will have the final pick of the first round of the April 15 CFL Global Draft. The Redblacks will pick first in the second round of the four-round draft ... LB Chris Ackie was released by the Argos and could land back in Montreal, where he played from 2015-18. He was dealt to the Redblacks near the end of the 2018 season ... Former Redblacks long snapper Tanner Doll agreed on an extension to stay in B.C.