The Red Wings come out on top, 3-2
All-stars Murray, Leonard find new homes as the CFL’s free agency scramble heats up
The Ottawa Redblacks had another uneven day on the free agent market Thursday.
Once again, they lost much more than they brought back.
As opposed to Tuesday’s purge of their top four offensive players, this time they were hit on defence.
And it wasn’t just a tap. All-star defensive back/linebacker Rico Murray was signed by the Hamilton Ticats, while allstar defensive end A.C. Leonard went back to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The bigger loss is Murray. In one season with the Redblacks, the 31-year old native of Cincinnati was a popular teammate and a leader on defence. He was also tied for the CFL lead in interceptions with five, while adding 58 tackles and one forced fumble.
Murray spent four seasons with the Ticats (2013-16) and was on the losing side in the Grey Cup game for the first two. He jumped to the Toronto Argos in 2017 and wound up with a ring.
Murray was hoping for another last season, but the Redblacks fell to the Stampeders in the championship game.
While being welcomed “home” by many Ticats teammates on Twitter, Murray thanked the Redblacks organization, the guys he played with, fans and the city of Ottawa for “one hell of a ride.”
The Redblacks will miss his veteran presence.
Meanwhile, Leonard’s stay in the capital was short-lived before he returned “home,” too.
The 27-year old Floridian was here for just one year after starting his CFL career with the B.C. Lions in 2015 and then spending two seasons with the Riders.
Leonard played in 17 games for the Redblacks last year and, along with a career-high 50 tackles, led the team in sacks with six and in fumble recoveries with three.
The Redblacks need more from the position, however. Thirteen players across the league had more sacks than Leonard, with Saskatchewan’s Charleston Hughes’s 15 leading the way.
The Redblacks’ lone signing of the day was 28-year-old import Caleb Holley, a receiver who is big (6-4, 200 pounds) and has a unique origin. The Anchorage, Alaska, product spent three seasons with the Roughriders, over which time his combined numbers (109 catches, 1,476 yards, seven touchdowns) would have represented one very good year.
In 2018, Holley played in just nine games and caught 14 passes for 213 yards. The contract he signed with Ottawa is for one year.
Perhaps Friday, the fourth day of free agency, will see Redblacks GM Marcel Desjardins make a significant signing because, to this point, he has been relatively quiet and Ottawa has a lot of cap space to fill.
IN OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: While nothing had been made official as this was being written, it sounds like receiver Derel Walker has decided to sign with the Argos. It’s believed Toronto is prepared to pay him more than 280 grand on a one-year deal. … According to Jeff Hamilton of the Winnipeg Free Press, the Bombers offered Greg Ellingson $250,000, the same amount he signed for with the Eskimos. That’s a $40,000 raise from what he was making in Ottawa. … TSN1200’s Stephen Bunda is hearing the Redblacks are poised to re-sign 25-year-old WR Dominique Rhymes, who has spent the past two seasons in Ottawa. … The Argos have signed import DL Cory “Poop” Johnson, who comes by his nickname honestly. “I guess it’s because I poop so much,” Johnson said, per Sam Cooper of Yahoo Sports. “I poop like five times a day, so it’s hard to keep weight when you have so much going out.” … The Roughriders, who had 11 TD passes as a team last season, have re-signed and named Zach Collaros to be their starter again in 2019. … The one-year deal Saskatchewan signed for former Stamps sack specialist Micah Johnson is reportedly for a tidy $240,000. … Former Redblacks RB Jeremiah “Sweet Feet” Johnson is back in the East Division after signing with the Alouettes. JUST A THOUGHT: When it comes to the power in the CFL, is the pendulum ever again going to swing back to the right? Does anybody remember when the East Division was actually better than the West Division? Since the Redblacks arrived on the scene in 2014, western teams have a record of 256-192-2, while eastern teams are 147-211-2. You have to go back to 2009 to find an East Division team (Montreal) that had more wins (15) than any from the West, and 2004 (Montreal, 14) to find when it happened before that. The last time two East Division teams had more wins than teams from the West was 2001, but even then Winnipeg, which had hopped over to the East to even the balance in an Ottawa-less CFL, was one of them with 14. The other team was Hamilton, with 11. … All of this comes to mind because once again the West should rule, with Mike Reilly, Bo Levi Mitchell and Trevor Harris directing the Lions, Stamps and Eskimos. Meanwhile, Hamilton has the East’s only proven quarterback in Jeremiah Masoli.