Eskimos Reilly set to test free-agency waters
QB the top target for CFL clubs as free agency begins
Mike Reilly is expected to significantly raise the bar in the quarterback-driven open market when CFL free agency begins Tuesday. The Edmonton Eskimos passer is regarded as the best player available in a deep talent pool that’s top heavy with quality starting quarterbacks. Also poised to become free agents are Bo Levi Mitchell — who led the Calgary Stampeders to last year’s Grey Cup title — and Trevor Harris of the East Divisionchampion Ottawa Redblacks. The expectation is Reilly, 34, will be the first of the three to sign. For weeks, the overwhelming sentiment has been that Reilly, the CFL’s highest-paid player last year with a salary over $500,000, would sign a multi-year deal with the B.C. Lions worth about $700,000 annually.
Reilly hasn’t missed a game the last three years and has thrown for more than 5,500 yards in each season. After guiding Edmonton to a Grey Cup title in 2015, Reilly was the league’s outstanding player in 2017 and has thrown a combined 88 touchdown passes the last three seasons.
But the six-foot-three, 230-pound Reilly is a dual threat, having rushed for a combined 1,311 yards on 319 carries and 34 touchdowns the last three seasons. In 2018, Edmonton was first in CFL passing (311.14 yards per game), second in net offence (399 yards), third in offensive points (26.1) and fourth in rushing (103.6 yards). By comparison, the Lions were seventh in passing (220.6 yards per game) and offensive scoring (23.5 points) and eighth in both rushing (94.4 yards) and net offence (316.8 yards). What’s more, Reilly is a native of Kennewick, Wash., and relocating to Vancouver would move him closer to family. He’s certainly familiar with the Lions, spending his first two CFL seasons in B.C. before heading to Edmonton in 2013. Earlier this month, the Eskimos gave Reilly permission to speak to other teams before the start of free agency.
Reilly ’s departure from Edmonton would provide a second blow to the Eskimos. On Monday, the club announced president/CEO Len Rhodes will be leaving the club on Feb. 20.
There was a flurry of action Monday as teams locked up pending free agents. Most notable were cornerback Delvin Breaux and linebacker Simoni Lawrence re-signing with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, while receiver Bryan Burnham and Canadian offensive lineman Hunter Steward remained with B.C. Only Hamilton (Jeremiah Masoli) and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Matt Nichols) head into free agency with established starting quarterbacks under contract. That should leave no shortage of potential suitors for Mitchell and Harris once Reilly is off the market. Mitchell, 28, has led Calgary to four Grey Cup appearances (winning two) and captured the CFL’s most outstanding player award twice (2016, ’18) since becoming the club’s starter in 2014 while amassing a 69-15-2 record. The native of Katy, Texas worked out for seven NFL teams this winter, but hasn’t signed a contract and the prevailing talk is if Mitchell decides to remain in Canada, he’ll consider all offers.