Friday Round-Up: Random Thoughts

Tuesday all the secret (or not so secret) tampering that's currently going on becomes legal. I will have a full free agency primer on Monday. For today I'll leave you with a smattering of random thoughts.

- In a move I've been expecting since mid last season, Shea Emry made his retirement official. You never like to see a career end like that, though you do have to respect a guy for knowing when to say enough is enough. Emry's Rider career didn't even last a full half. Like so many men out there in came in with so much promise and left us prematurely and unsatisfied. 

- Despite the dismal way it turned out, I still maintain the Foley/Emry trade made sense (and I am a self proclaimed Taman hater). It was a sound football move at the time. You can't predict injury. 

- While I don't expect the Riders to go on an all out shopping spree in free agency, I do expect them to be active. Look for a couple notable signings and maybe a handful of less heralded acquisitions.

- As I've been saying from some time now, I expect a Cdn DT to be something we target. I also be we try and land a vet DB and a couple guys to boost our Canadian depth. Also, I think we all be shocked if at least one former Eskimo doesn't join the migration east. 

- Andrew Harris will be on the move. BC has stated they will not be making him an offer (not that he seemed eager to stick around there anyway). He will be one of the hottest commodities on the market, though the roster realities of starting a Cdn RB will limit the teams who are serious. The guy has 45 touchdowns and close to 7000 yards over the past 5 seasons. With Cornish retiring, he is the best RB in the league in my opinion.

- Other big name free agents to watch include Ted Laurent, Josh Bourke, Kenny Stafford, Aaron Grymes, Trevor Harris, Emanuel Davis, Winston Venable and Justin Medlock... and that is only scratching the surface

- There is a group of formerly high paid players who will soon be facing the realities of massive pay cuts. That includes: Chad Owens, Travis Lulay, Andy Fantuz and of course Chris Getzlaf.

- I've been toying with the idea of doing a Live Free Agency Blog on Tuesday afternoon. They are always fun to do but I'll likely end up getting screwed in the timing. You see last year I ran a Live Blog right when free agency opened and literally nothing happened for the first couple hours. I almost had to resort to Live Blogging day time soaps. Given that everything happened in the afternoon last year, knowing my luck if I run a live blog in the afternoon this year, everything will go down before I even log on.

NFL Watch:

Erik Harris (Ham) - Signed with New Orleans 

CFL Ins and Outs

Saskatchewan

In: RB Malcolm Cyrus (free agent signing)

Out: Shea Emry (retired)

Calgary

In: LB Corbin Sharun, DL Ben D'Aguilar (contract extension)

Out: OL John Estes (released)

BC

In: WR Geraldo Boldewijn (re-signed)

Winnipeg

In: DB Macho Harris, DL Shayon Green (free agent signing)

Toronto

In: OL Wayne Smith (contract extension), RB Henry Josey, RB Michael Dyer (free agent signing)

Out: LB Brian Rolle (retired)

Ottawa

In: LB Matt Goldsmith, DL Cory Henry, DB Pierre Warren, WR Armon Binns (free agent signing)

Hamilton

Out: LB Erik Harris (signed with New Orleans)