DECISIONS AWAIT
Many Riders nearing free agency
The 2020 Saskatchewan Roughriders won’t be the same team that came so close to earning a berth in Sunday’s Grey Cup.
Nineteen of the 24 players who started for Saskatchewan in Sunday’s West Division final — a downto-the-wire contest that the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers won 20-13 — are eligible to file for free agency Feb. 11 if they don’t re-sign with the Riders.
The starters who aren’t free agents are quarterback Cody Fajardo, tailback William Powell, safety Mike Edem, cornerback L.J. Mccray and guard Brendon Labatte.
“We want to try to keep this team together, but the reality is we won’t be able to keep everybody,” Riders head coach Craig Dickenson said. “We’ll do the best we can and that’s something we’ll talk about next week.”
A number of factors have to be considered when it comes to re-signing prospective free agents.
“Salary is an issue, as is age,” Dickenson said. “How we want to structure our Canadians and what we do with our ratio is a concern, or at least something we have to think about.”
A position the Riders don’t have to think about is quarterback. Fajardo — the West Division’s nominee for the most-outstanding-player award — is signed through the 2021 season. No. 2 quarterback Isaac Harker will also return.
“Signing Cody at least gives you a guy you can build your offence around,” said Dickenson, the West’s coach of the year. “I’ve always felt that way and (general manager) Jeremy O’day shares that with me. You need a quarterback and you need to be good upfront on both lines.
“We feel like we’re in good shape at quarterback. Now we’ll start looking at our lines and we’ll go out from there. It’s a good feeling to hopefully have a foundation in place and to go from there.”
The CFL is expected to release its list of pending free agents after Sunday’s Grey Cup game between the Blue Bombers and Hamilton Tiger-cats. Unofficially, the Riders have 30-plus potential free agents.
From Sunday’s starting defence, the list includes ends Charleston Hughes and A.C. Leonard, tackles Micah Johnson and Makana Henry, linebackers Solomon Elimimian, Derrick Moncrief and Cameron Judge, and defensive backs Nick Marshall, Ed Gainey and Loucheiz Purifoy.
Offensively, receivers Shaq Evans, Naaman Roosevelt, Kyran Moore, Cory Watson and Manny Arceneaux, tackles Terran Vaughn and Thaddeus Coleman, guard Philip Blake and centre Dan Clark are pending free agents.
Punter Jon Ryan, offensive linemen Dariusz Bladek and Takoby Cofield, tailback/returner Marcus Thigpen and linebacker Sam Hurl are also pending free agents.
“There will be a lot of free agents,” Coleman said. “Hopefully the nucleus comes back, but some guys will have to make a sacrifice if they want to continue playing here. We won’t be the same team and that’s the hard part.”
Coleman wants to return to the Riders in 2020.
“The way it ended makes me want to come back,” Coleman said. “I want to give it one more shot, but who knows? It’s a business.”
Clark, a Regina product, has spent all eight of his CFL seasons in Green and White and sounds as if he wants to remain with the Riders.
“This is home for me,” said Clark, who was the Riders’ nominee for most outstanding defensive lineman. “Until Jeremy O’day calls me or calls my agent, I can’t lose sleep over it. I have to continue to be the best person I can be in the community, the best dad and best husband in the situation. It’s something that I thrive on and that’s putting the hard work in. I want to come back bigger, better, faster and stronger.”
Cameron Judge, the West Division’s nominee for the most outstanding Canadian award, may draw NFL interest after a stellar third season.
“I don’t know what (the future) holds because I didn’t expect to be thinking about it right now,” said Judge, 24, who was the second overall selection in the 2017 CFL draft. “I’ll meet with my agent and see where it goes from there. If I get the (NFL) call, I’ll make the best decision for myself.”
Hopefully the nucleus comes back, but some guys will have to make a sacrifice if they want to continue playing here.