Roughriders land top lineman Dennis as free agency opens

Chris Jones and Marcel Desjardins highlighted an eventful opening day of CFL free agency.

Jones, the Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach/GM, landed one of the most coveted free agents in Derek Dennis. The six-foot-three 340-pound Dennis was the CFL’s top lineman last season after anchoring a Calgary Stampeders offensive line that allowed a league-low 20 sacks and paved the way for rushing leader Jerome Messam.

Shoring up the offensive line is one of many off-season priorities for Jones, who posted a 5-13 record in his first season with the Riders. Saskatchewan’s offence ranked last in points (19.4 per game) and second-last in rushing (74.2) and sacks allowed (57). Yet, that didn’t deter Dennis. “Just looking at the overall roster, at the O-linemen on the team and at the need, I think I can be a good complement to what the Riders are trying to build and help them be a competitive team in the West,” Dennis told the Riders’ website. “Out of all the offers I had on the table, I think Saskatchewan was my best option.”

Saskatchewan also signed Canadian running back Kienan LaFrance, who spent the last two years with Ottawa. LaFrance ran for 157 yards, a TD and two-point convert in the Redblacks’ 35-23 win over Edmonton in the East Division final before adding 42 yards on 11 carries and six receptions for 31 yards in the club’s 39-33 overtime Grey Cup win over Calgary.

But Jones wasn’t nearly as busy as Desjardins. The GM of the Grey Cupchampion Ottawa Redblacks re-signed offensive lineman Nolan MacMillan — the first player drafted in franchise history — before the start of free agency. Desjardins then went about changing the look of his team by adding linebackers Khalil Bass (Winnipeg) and Ron Omara (Hamilton), receivers Kenny Shaw and Diontae Spencer and defensive back A.J. Jefferson (all Toronto) and defensive back Adam Berger (Calgary).

Spencer and Shaw have the daunting task of replacing 1,000-yard performers Ernest Jackson and Chris Williams in Ottawa’s receiving corps. Jackson and Williams were among 16 Redblacks players to hit the open market Tuesday.

Rookie Montreal GM Kavis Reed was busy, re-signing linebacker Nicolas Boulay and receiver Kyle Graves to extensions before adding veteran Ryan Phillips, a free-agent defensive back who was released last week after 12 seasons with the B.C. Lions.

B.C. signed defensive back Buddy Jackson to a one-year contract. He played in six games last year with Saskatchewan.