Quarterback tops Riders’ free-agent frenzy wish list
Big Three passers among the 200 players poised to hit the open market on Tuesday
Quarterbacks own the show heading into the CFL’S 2019 free-agent frenzy.
Three of the league’s best passers — Mike Reilly (Edmonton Eskimos), Bo Levi Mitchell (Calgary Stampeders) and Trevor Harris (Ottawa Redblacks) — are to hit the open market Tuesday at 11 a.m.
But there are more than quarterbacks among the approximately 200 potential free agents. Here are five positions the Saskatchewan Roughriders could upgrade via the free-agent route:
QUARTERBACK
The Riders would be a significantly better team if they signed Reilly, Mitchell or Harris. Failing that, they could be in a similar situation to 2018, when the hole at quarterback contributed to a quick exit from the playoffs.
Plan A would be for the Riders to throw as much cash as they can at the Big Three and hope one bites.
A combination of Jonathon Jennings (B.C. Lions) and Kevin Glenn (Edmonton) would be an option.
The 26-year-old Jennings could serve as the starter and allow the Riders to look toward the future with a young quarterback. Glenn turns 40 in June, but boasts a fresh throwing arm after spending the 2018 season as Reilly’s backup without throwing a pass.
Glenn would also provide an insurance policy if Jennings struggles.
RECEIVER
Uncertainty at quarterback would increase the challenges facing the Roughriders in terms of signing a premier receiver.
Regardless, the Riders will need someone to catch the ball and there is an impressive list of pending free agents, including Derel Walker (Edmonton), Greg Ellingson (Ottawa), Naaman Roosevelt (Saskatchewan) and Duron Carter (Toronto Argonauts).
Walker could be the game-breaking receiver the Riders lacked last season provided he has fully recovered from a knee injury that sidelined him for the second half of the 2018 campaign.
Re-signing Roosevelt would also be an option. Last season was a down year for the 31-year-old Roosevelt, but the drop-off was more a product of Saskatchewan’s struggling offence than Roosevelt.
With a decent quarterback, Roosevelt might be more like the slotback who had 1,000-plus receiving yards in 2016 and 2017 than the one who had 570 yards in 2018.
RUNNING BACK
If the Riders can’t land one of the Big Three, they may have to turn to a ground game to alleviate the pressure on whomever they do sign.
The Riders have Marcus Thigpen, Tre Mason and Cameron Marshall on the roster. Marshall is a pending free agent, but is worth another look.
He came on in the latter part of the 2018 season and at 27 still has life in his legs.
The Riders could go big with William Powell (Ottawa), who finally shook off the injury bug in 2018 while rushing for 1,361 yards and adding another 319 on receptions. He’s 30, but is among the league’s best.
DEFENSIVE END
Regardless of what takes place at quarterback, re-signing game-changing defensive end Willie Jefferson must be a priority.
Jefferson will draw interest from other CFL teams and perhaps from the NFL as well. The Riders shouldn’t let that deter them from opening their bank account to resign him.
If Jefferson does not return, the Riders have options: re-sign Tobi Antigha or sign Ja’gared Davis (Calgary).
Antigha also saw time at safety and was a solid backup to Jefferson and Charleston Hughes in 2018. Davis (six-foot-one, 238 pounds) is undersized for a defensive end, but still had seven sacks and two interceptions in 2018.
LINEBACKER
The Riders will have one or two openings at linebacker in 2019.
International Samuel Eguavoen has already departed for the NFL’S Miami Dolphins. Sam Hurl, the Roughriders’ starting middle linebacker last season, is a pending free agent.
There are international and national options among the free agents.
Larry Dean (Hamilton Tiger-cats) has emerged as one the league’s best middle linebackers. He recorded 105 defensive tackles last year.
The Riders could make up for the loss of Hurl’s ratio impact by signing Chris Ackie, another national who started the season with the Montreal Alouettes before being sent to Ottawa at the trade deadline.
Ackie had 88 defensive tackles and is among the league’s top defenders.
Plan B could include Hurl, who has started at middle linebacker for the 2017 Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the 2018 Roughriders. He’s steady and contributes on special teams.