Winners and losers in free agency
Signing season fails to help address B.C.’s need on offensive line; Saskatchewan has total makeover
The CFL’s free agent frenzy is finished, so there’s no better time to assess how everyone did.
Every team has different objectives going into free agency, but here we rank them one through nine based on how much they improved their squad (*Canadian players):
1. Saskatchewan
In: DE Justin Capicciotti* (Ott), CB Ed Gainey (Ham), RB/KR Kendial Lawrence (Edm), MLB Greg Jones (Tor), LB Otha Foster (Edm), RB Curtis Steele (Tor), OL Andrew Jones* (Edm), LB Graig Newman* (Wpg), WR Shamawd Chambers* (Edm)
Out: SB Ryan Smith (Wpg), OL Corey Watman* (Tor), OL Levy Adcock (B.C.) Re-signed: DE Dylan Ainsworth*
How they did: Pretty darn well. GM/head coach Chris Jones and player personnel man John Murphy might be orchestrating the largest roster makeover in CFL history. They brought in nine free agents and traded for a couple of others since Tuesday. Capicciotti is a ratio breaking defensive end, and four others — Jones, Lawrence, Foster and Gainey — were starters last season.
2. Winnipeg
In: RB Andrew Harris* (B.C.), K/P Justin Medlock (Ham), SB Ryan Smith (Sask), DT Euclid Cummings (Tor), DT Keith Shologan* (Ott), OL Jeff Keeping* (Tor), RB Pascal Lochard* (B.C.)
Out: SB Nick Moore (B.C.), K/P Lirim Hajrullahu* (Tor), DB Demond Washington (Ham), LB Graig Newman* (Sask)
How they did: They improved their Canadian talent, which had to happen. Harris, a Winnipeg native, comes home to start at tailback, giving the Blue and Gold ratio flexibility elsewhere. Smith nearly had 1,000 yards on a terrible Riders team last year, and Medlock is the most accurate kicker in CFL history. The offensive line is still a question mark, though.
3. Montreal
In: CB Jovon Johnson (Ott), SB Kenny Stafford (Edm) Out: OL Josh Bourke* (Tor)
Re-signed: LB Winston Venable, DB Dominique Ellis, CB Mitchell White, WR Sam Giguere*
Starters still free: CB Jonathan
Hefney
How they did: General manager Jim Popp was his usual quiet self in free agency, but stealing the always dangerous Stafford back from the Eskimos a year after trading him was smooth as silk. Kevin Glenn is going to have some weapons at his disposal. The big question, though, is who will replace Bourke?
4. Calgary
In: SB Bakari Grant (Ham), LB Taylor Reed (Ham)
Out: LB Keon Raymond (Tor), WR Jeff Fuller (Seattle Seahawks)
Starters still free: WR Jeff Fuller How they did: The CFL team that has won the most regular season games during John Hufnagel’s tenure had lost only Raymond and Fuller as of Thursday afternoon. They lock up their key pieces in advance of free agency. The receiving corps needed a jolt with the loss of Eric Rogers and Fuller, and Grant is a dependable pass catcher.
5. Ottawa
In: QB Trevor Harris (Tor), DE Arnaud Gascon-Nadon* (Ham), RB Brendan Gillanders* (Tor)
Out: DE Justin Capicciotti* (Sask), DT Keith Shologan* (Wpg), CB Jovon Johnson (Mtl), RB Jeremiah Johnson (B.C.) Re-signed: DT Andrew Marshall
Starters still free: DB Brandyn
Thompson
How they did: The Harris acquisition might end up being the best of this year’s moves. Everybody needs a quarterback, and the Redblacks didn’t have a battle tested CFL pivot behind Henry Burris. Losing two Canadian starters on the defensive line, especially Capicciotti, was not good, though.
6. B.C.
In: RB Jeremiah Johnson (Ott), DB Brandon Stewart (Ham), DB Mike
Edem* (Ham), SB Nick Moore (Wpg), OL Levy Adcock (Sask)
Out: RB Andrew Harris* (Wpg), LB Alex Hoffman-Ellis (Ham), RB Pascal Lochard* (Wpg)
Starters still free: LB Josh Johnson (likely NFL bound), DE Khreem Smith
How they did: They made the decision to go to an import tailback, and Johnson has shown the ability to run well with the rock. Moore could get to 1,000 yards if he stays healthy. There wasn’t much out there to help their offensive line, but they didn’t add a single piece when they probably should have.
7. Toronto
In: LT Josh Bourke* (Mtl), LB Keon Raymond (Cgy), DT Brian Bulcke* (Ham), OL Corey Watman* (Sask), K/P Lirim Hajrullahu* (Wpg)
Out: WR Chad Owens (Ham), DT Euclid Cummings (Wpg), OL Jeff Keeping* (Wpg), RB Curtis Steele (Sask), LB Greg Jones (Sask), RB Brendan Gillanders* (Ott), K/P Swayze Waters (Carolina Panthers)
Re-signed: LB Cory Greenwood*, RB Brandon Whitaker
Starters still free: DT Cleyon Laing*, DE Tristan Okpalaugo
How they did: There is both good and bad here. Bourke is a veteran Canadian left tackle, but how much does he have left? Raymond is a playmaker who will be familiar with defensive co-ordinator Rich Stubler, but he’s not getting any younger, either. Jones and Cummings are strong defensive players now gone.
8. Hamilton
In: LB Alex Hoffman-Ellis (B.C.), OL Brian Simmons (Edm), DB Demond Washington (Wpg), SB Chad Owens (Tor)
Out: S Mike Edem* (B.C.), DB Brandon Stewart (B.C.), P/K Justin Medlock (Wpg), CB Ed Gainey (Sask), SB Bakari Grant (Cgy), DE Arnaud Gascon-Nadon* (Ott), DT Brian Bulcke* (Tor)
Re-signed: DT Ted Laurent*, WR Andy Fantuz*, DT Michael Atkinson*
Starters still free: DB Emanuel Davis, DE Justin Hickman, LT Jake Olson (injured)
How they did: Re-signing Laurent was big. However, a few good players have left town because the Ticats let nearly 30 players get to free agency.
How they let Medlock go is a big head scratcher.
9. Edmonton
Out: LB Otha Foster (Sask), RB/SB Kendial Lawrence (Sask), SB Kenny Stafford (Mtl), OL Andrew Jones* (Sask), OL Brian Simmons (Ham), WR Shamawd Chambers* (Sask)
Re-signed: LB J.C. Sherritt, RB
John White
Starters still free: DB Aaron
Grymes
How they did: The defending Grey Cup champs were bound to lose talent to Saskatchewan due to the Chris Jones factor. Keeping Sherritt and White are good moves, but GM Ed Hervey and bird dog Paul Jones have a lot of work to do to fill voids. Holding on to Grymes would be a positive development as well, but the Esks took the biggest hit in free agency.