Despite the
fact that I have yet to be asked to host an all day special on TSN, CFL Free
Agency will open tomorrow at 11am Saskatchewan time. While coverage will
probably be lacking due to the Olympics, I maintain that we should care a lot
more about CFL Free Agency than a made up event like team figure skating.
There are a
number of big names still out there both for the Riders and other teams so here
are my meandering thoughts on what will go down tomorrow:
- Craig
Butler will be going to the highest bidder, and spoiler alert: that won’t be
use. Expect BC, Edmonton and Ottawa to make big pushes for him. With BC a
likely landing spot (we should all collectively spit on the ground at this
point). Its not that we don’t want Butler back, its that we can’t/won’t give
him a blank cheque where others will. Our “fair” offer likely won’t be good
enough.
- Chris Milo
is the other name to watch. Taman said today that its not likely that we get
both him and Butler back, meaning we might have the budget for one of them,
most likely Milo. My gut still says either Ottawa or Montreal use the french
connection to swoop him but he still might return here. Been saying for a while
that if Milo goes, look for the recently released Luca Congi to make a return
to green.
- One name
that I am getting increasingly concerned about is Jermaine McElveen. Assumed he
would be signed right away after Shologan left. But unless we have a lot of
faith in practice roster prospect Richard Sumlin (who is also unsigned as this
point) or a stunning new recruit we currently have a big hole that I would love
McElveen to fill (pause for immature chuckling at wording of previous
statement)
- Chris
Garrett was released today and while nothing is for sure yet that move tells me
that we are very confident that Kory Sheets will re-sign. There is no way we go
into camp without a vet RB so either Sheets will be back shortly (probable) or
we have our eyes on an FA RB (e.g. Will Ford, Chad Simpson) (less likely)
- Been saying
all along, that other re-signing our own guys and maybe adding a depth guy or
two (ala Jade Etienne), I doubt we are very active tomorrow.
- Would love
to see Newman and Schmitt re-sign. Anyone expecting Alex Hall back here is off
in lala land.
- Be
interesting to watch the kicking position play out. Currently us, Montreal,
Toronto and Ottawa have no kicker. BC has a senior citizen Edmonton and
Winnipeg has junk. With Milo, Congi, Whyte and Waters in play, could be a lot
of kicker shuffling going on.
- Lots of big
name defenders hitting the market with Kerron Williams, Torrey Davis, Ted
Laurent, Damaso Munoz, Shea Emry, Jamall Johnson, Pat Watkins and Robert McCune
all in play. I expect Ottawa to go hard after an LB like Johnson or Emry to
help build their non-existent D. Expect Chris Jones to do everything in his
power to land Pat Watkins. Expect Winnipeg to make a lot of offers to this
group that mostly will get rejected.
- Other than Butler another big name
Canadians to watch will be Josh Bourke (who will go with either Montreal or
Edmonton)
In lieu of a television special, if you have
questions about free agency you can either leave a comment or tweet me with the
hashtah #AskProphet and I’ll do my best to answer.
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