Argo GM Barker rushing against CFL free agency clock
Barnes, Watt and Steele among key offensive players who have yet to be signed
The CFL’s free agency period kicks in at noon on Tuesday and, as of Monday afternoon, there were 11 players on the Argonauts ready to test the open market.
However, general manager Jim Barker said negotiations are continuing with those players and no talks had broken down.
He would prefer to re-sign those players rather than go after a free agent.
“My approach to free agency is to keep your own guys,” Barker said in a telephone interview.
Last year, Barker dipped into the free agency market by signing linebacker Shea Emry (since traded to Saskatchewan for Ricky Foley). And in his first year as GM in Calgary, he signed quarterback Henry Burris.
Other than that, Barker’s pattern is to focus on re-signing his own players.
“I don’t believe you build a team that way (free agency),” Barker said. “I believe you build a team through the draft and developing players.”
With the new collective bargaining agreement, players can become free agents after just two years in the league.
Barker places a high value on players who know the Argonauts’ system. He also considers a player’s injury history. The Argos don’t want to go through another season like 2014 when several starters got hurt, leading to a non-playoff record of 8-10.
“I don’t want to go through what we went through again,” Barker said. “My job is to head that off.”
With the salary cap going up from $4.65 million to $5.05 million this season, many pending free agents are trying to see what they can get on the open market.
“My job is to place a value on a player and we have to stick fairly tight to that in order to make this cap,” Barker said. “There’s a certain value we place on a specific player. A player on our club may be worth more to another club, so he’s going to go and take that money.”
Once an Argo becomes a free agent, he can accept other offers, but there is nothing to say he can’t re-sign with Toronto.
Heading Toronto’s pending freeagent list are slotback Jason Barnes, wide receiver Spencer Watt, running back Curtis Steele and starting offensive tackle Sir Vincent Rogers, who is reportedly on Winnipeg’s wish list.
The other pending free agents on offence are running back Anthony Woodson, who is a national, and receivers Darvin Adams and Maurice Mann.
On defence, there are four Argo players about to hit the open market, including defensive linemen Ivan Brown and Marcus Thomas, defensive back Evan McCollough and linebacker Herve Tonye-Tonye.
Steele, who was the team’s leading rusher last season, could be a big loss. He platooned with Steve Slaton for much of the season at starting running back and, along with being the team’s leading ground gainer, he is a valuable special teams player.
Barnes has been one of the team’s big deep threats over the past number of years. However, he is going to be 31 soon and he’s coming off an unspectacular season that saw him injured for all but 10 games.
The loss of Watt could be damaging because he is a national and Canadian starting wide receivers are in short supply. Watt, although he isn’t a big-play receiver, is a dependable veteran who knows the Argo system and he is only 26.