Monday Morning Sentimonies: Free Agency Is Coming - Part 2

Last week we looked at the Riders’ pending Free Agent. This week we turn our attention to other teams’ pending FAs to see where the Riders may be currently tampering… oh come on, let’s not pretend like its not happening.

In terms of need at the present time: Offensively we still need an impact WR (presumably Shaq Evans fills this spot though), a starting offensive tackle, Canadian depth at O-line, and a back-up RB/returner (i.e. Marcus Thigpen but preferably a decade younger).

Defense is another story as we have extensive needs there. We need linebackers desperately, we need a starting D-tackle and a starting halfback. So based on this, you can expect our free agent shopping to focus on this side of the ball.

For each team I’ve highlighted 3 names. A super obvious name (i.e. a big name player that odds aren’t great we land), an under the radar name (i.e. probably not a well known name or even a starter) and a possible target (i.e. someone we realistically might pursue and land).

Calgary

Obvious: DL Chris Casher. With 7 sacks in his first season, Casher went from unknown new guy to coveted pass rusher. At only 26 his phone will be busy.

Under The Radar: LB Marcus Ball. Not an under the radar name but a name that people may have forgotten about after he returned from the NFL only to be promptly injured. He’s an impact player and we need linebackers.

Possible target: RB Terry Williams. If you are looking for the next Thigpen, Williams certainly fits the bill as one of the premier returners in the league. Not sure we actually would be willing to pay enough to pry him away from the Stamps.

Edmonton

Obvious: LB Larry Dean. Pretty simple here. We need linebackers and he is the best one that will potentially be available. He will be looking to get paid though.

Under The Radar: RB Martese Jackson. With Christon Jones locked up, Jackson likely shakes loose. He's a returner that could be a change of pace RB. At 27, he's a baby by our current RB standards. 

Possible target: LB Jovon Santos-Knox. After an injury filled season, his price tag won’t be as hefty as Dean.

BC

Obvious: Brandon Bridge… kidding, kidding. Aaron Grymes is the guy. He’s a top tier cover guy (though coming off injury).

Under The Radar: OL Jean-Simon Roy. A second round pick of the Eskimos. Roy has yet to grow into a fulltime starter but could offer some OL depth with potential to grow.

Possible target: OL Justin Renfrow. I had him as a potential target even before his bizarre twitter exchange with Charleston Hughes where he seemed to imply he wanted to come here. He played well at left tackle after coming over to BC from Calgary in a trade.

Winnipeg

Obvious: Willie Jefferson. Don’t see it happening but he’s the top name on their list of pending FAs.

Under The Radar: LB Korey Jones. He was here in 2016 a fact you might not remember because much of that year was utter shite. He’s consistently the same player wherever he ends up… solid back-up LB who can fill in as a starter if need be.

Possible target: I honestly don’t see us targeting any Bomber players they have a pretty small list to begin with an no one on there jumps out as someone we would target.

Montreal

Obvious: LB Chris Ackie. Given that we have Mike Edem I don’t see us actually targeting him but as an impact Canadian starter he’s big name.

Under The Radar: DL Woody Baron. A guy who could be a rotational DT and would come cheaper then top end options like Micah or Dylan Wynn.

Possible target: LB Patrick Levels we need linebackers and Level is coming off a breakout season where he made 86 tackles and 5 sacks. Could slide nicely into Moncrief’s old spot.

Hamilton

Obvious: DL Dylan Wynn and Ja’Gared Davis. Two of the top D-lineman in the league. Whoever lands either of these 2 is getting a huge boost.

Under The Radar: DB Rico Murray. Starting to get up there in age but has experience playing both HB and cover LB… 2 places we currently have vacancies.

Possible target: LB Justin Tuggle is a name to watch as a veteran guy who could slide in at MLB if Elimimian doesn’t return.

Toronto

Obvious: DB Jonathan Mincy. One of the top cover guys in the league. He will have multiple suitors… side note “Multiple Suitors” sounds the topic of someone’s nightmare.

Under The Radar: DL Tobi Antigha. It doesn’t seem that Jason Shivers has the same affinity for “freak athletes” that don’t necessarily fit a specific position as Chris Jones did but as a guy familiar with the team and the system Antigha would be nice depth add.

Possible target: OL Jamal Campbell. He’s a 27 year old Canadian that has played tackle at the pro level. An intriguing prospect for a team in need of a youth injection at OL.

Ottawa

Obvious: DL JR Tavai. Ottawa had just 28 total sacks last season (2^nd worst in the CFL). Tavai had 8 of those. If he can do that in a bad defense (while missing 2 games), imagine what he could do with some real pass rushers around him.

Under The Radar: LB Jeff Knox. No longer appears he’s the top end player he was when he was first with the Riders but he is only 27 and would be a niece piece of depth to add given the current question marks we have at LB

Possible target: LB Anthony Cioffi. A bright spot on an otherwise miserable RedBlacks defense. In the search to replace Moncrief, he’s another name to watch.

Monday Morning Sentimonies: Free Agency Is Coming - Part 1

While the sporting news reel is dominated by the Astros cheating scandal, Tkatchuk and Kassian’s drama and whatever OBJ did or didn’t do at the College championship game, CFL free agency is quietly approaching. Quite frankly I’m sick of all the other crap and look forward to the 15 minutes of fame the CFL will garner.

Between NFL signings and team re-signings the list of potential free agents slowing continues to whittle down. There is still an extensive list of people poised to hit the free agent market on February 11.  In this 2-part series I will preview free agency. Part 1 (today) will look at the Riders left unsigned. Part 2 will look at the potential FAs of other teams and identify any potential targets.

Cameron Judge – Obviously the #1 most important pending FA on our list. An impact Canadian starter. With only one workout so far, it’s looking like the NFL might not scoop him up. It’ll cost us to keep him, but he’s one of those top end talents that’s worth the investment.

Micah Johnson – He didn’t turn in the season we were expecting when we signed him in the offseason… that said don’t write him off. Sacks may not have been there but he was impactful… maybe just not to his 2018 standards. No way Hughes leads the CFL in sacks without Micah’s impact and I honestly saw him miss at least 6 sacks by inches because he made a great move but just couldn’t squeeze the tackle. He started slow but I think improved as the year wore on. He will once again be courted by many teams and big cheques… be nice to keep him but no guarantee.

Shaq Evans – Despite getting an NFL tryout I don’t see that panning out. His growth from year 1 to 2 was phenomenal. He went from a guy I referred to as the American Chris Getzlaf to a true game breaker. The chemistry he and Fajardo have both on the deep ball and those quick crossers is something I don’t want to lose. My sense is we will give him the bump in pay he’s looking for and he’ll be back.

AC Leonard – Death, taxes and whoever plays opposite of Charleston having a career year… the 3 certainties in life. I initially had Leonard pegged as purely a product of the Chris Jones system but after 6 sacks in Ottawa and 9 last season, I’m having to admit that he may just be a good player. Given that Hughes is old and we have yet to develop the next best thing is pass rushing, we either need him back or need to go out a buy a DE on the AF market.

Namaan Roosevelt – This is the one I struggle with the most. I am a HUGE Roosevelt fan. Love his heart, love how he gives 100% on every play, love how clutch he is on second down. He’s a savvy vet receiver and exactly the kind of guy you want in your locker room. But… I can also see the case for this being it for him. Assuming you re-sign Evans, you have Moore, Evans, Williams-Lambert and Stafford (with new guys like Henderson and McRoberts raring to go). How much money are you willing to invest in Roosevelt at this point? It’s not about talent or fit. This one will boil down to whether O’Day is willing to cut a cheque in an amount Roosevelt deems sufficient… I’m not convinced at this point that will happen.

Ed Gainey – Halfback is always a tough position to properly assess as they routinely draw the toughest coverage assignments but my sense in watching Gainey is that he is slowing down. It’s not just the lack of INTs but just some of the catches allowed this past season. I can see the team wanting him back but with a pay cut. I can see him not wanting to take a discount and looking elsewhere. HB is a tough spot to fill but unlike past years I don’t see him as a must sign.

Thaddeus Coleman – He has missed just 1 start in 4 years which is damn impressive. He’s been solid at right tackle (not outstanding but solid). All things being equal I’d say bring him back. But… he will be 35 next season and likely up there on the salary scale. We have an opportunity to get cheaper and (more importantly) younger along the O-line.

Phillip Blake – Trading for him was a nice boost for our Cdn O-line content but I'm just assuming he won’t be back. We already have old man Labatte (33) and Clark (31) under contract. With Shepley ready to go I don’t expect Blake back due to salary and age (not talent). 

Alexandre Gagne – Led the Riders with 19 special teams tackles last season and was 3^rd in the CFL in 2018 with 23. We’ve seen the disastrous results of poor play on special teams last season. I would be doing what I can to keep our top end special teamers locked down.

  

Solomon Elimimian – 2019 started pretty slowly for Elimiman and left many of us wondering whether it was a mistake to take a chance on him. Once he got healthy and on the field he showed he was still Elimimian. Clearly he’s not the MOP level player he once was. But he’s still a solid presence in the middle of our D. I’d rather we go younger but MLB is such a key position and if not him, then who? Other than Larry Dean (who will be pricey) or Justin Tuggle there’s not much else for proven MLB’s on the FA market.

Jon Ryan – It’s well documented that I’m not among the many who get wet even at the thought of Ryan punting. That said, I am not opposed to him returning. It’ll mean enduring another season of ridiculous over-hype but at this point we don’t really have a back-up plan. He may not be the best punter in the CFL but we could certainly do worse.

Takoby Cofield – He’s a key signing if we are moving on from Coleman like I speculated. I thought he was among our best linemen in 2018. Last year was a bit of a down year (not sure if injuries played a factor) but I would love a combo of him and Vaughn manning the tackles.

Dariusz Bladek – I get that he’s not a top end OL (he takes a lot of penalties and will get beat from time to time) but he brings a nice bit of nastiness to the line and quite frankly we need young Canadian OL. He can start if needed or be a stellar 6^th OL. I want him back.

Brandyn Bartlett – He’s been with the team for 3 years and yet to appear in 18 total games. He’s nothing more than a depth/special teams guy and he’s clearly behind Chevrier, Gagne and Teitz. If we re-sign him, fine but he’s hardly a priority.

Denzel Radford – Very torn on this. In 2017 he was our best special teamer. He lost 2018 due to injury and returned to make some spot appearances in 2019. We need Canadian depth behind Edem and Bouka and a guy with top end special teamer potential would certainly fit the bill but he’ll be 3 years removed from showing that top end ability so who knows.

Sam Hurl – I’ll cut to the chase here. If you can get him cheap as a depth guy great. But at this point he’s not worth getting in a bidding war over.

Dyshawn Davis – He stood out in a huge way in the preseason… and then disappeared so abruptly that I’m sure many of you forgot he still played with us for the duration of the 2019 season. He had 9 ST tackles so it’s not like he didn’t contribute but I thought we’d see a lot more. Given that we currently have no LBs under contract I would be ok with bringing him back again to see if what he flashed in preseason can actually be replicated when it matters.

Emanuel Arceneaux – He was brought in last year to be Geroy circa 2013. Vet to help a younger receiving core improve and contribute here and there to get us deep in the playoffs. He filled his role perfectly but neither he, nor the team are interested in doing that for another year. He gone. 

Marcus Thigpen – He’s a game breaker both as a returner and an RB (running or receiving) but he’s going to be 34. Given that our starting RB is over the age of 30 it would be nice to find someone sub-30 to be the back-up RB/returner.

Albert Awachie – A bet not many fans even know his name but I can guarantee you Fajardo and Powell like him a lot. For the first time this season, I really noticed his blocking abilities as a FB. It’s a dirty, thankless job but he does it well. I want him back. 

Lavar Edwards – I’m not convinced he’s fulltime starter material yet. But he’s one of the few D-lineman we’ve actually recruited so I’d like to see if he can take a step forward in year 2.

Jordan Reaves – I willing to bet his absence from the lineup can explain some of our early struggles on special teams. He’s a risk coming off injury but likely a low risk investment.

Monday Morning Sentimonies: This and That

It’s January in Saskatchewan and 90% of any conversation relates to how cold it is. Yes, it happens every year and yes if we haven’t moved away by now clearly we should have accepted this as a reality in our lives. But dammit, it’s our right to complain about it! I’m pretty sure its in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms somewhere.

But what better way to cope with the cold then to huddle up inside and pass the time reading your favourite blog… and once you are done that, then this blog.

A few news and notes,

Let’s start once again with the NFL…

Between Cameron Judge (who's already worked out for the Chargers), Derrick Moncrief (who's been released to pursue NFL opportunities and already signed with the Raiders), and Shaq Evans, it's highly likely that at least one member of the 2019 Riders makes his way onto an NFL active roster in 2020. Last year, 14 total CFLers signed NFL contracts. Given that 9 or 14 were on the defensive side of the ball, Judge is a little more likely than Evans says Paruk from SportsBettingDime.com.

The Moncrief signing is not at all shocking. I can’t imagine why he choose Vegas over Saskatchewan. I mean other than more money, better weather and ready access to pretty much any form of entertainment your heart (or other body parts) desires there’s really no difference. Moncrief is very deserving of this opportunity and I think he will stick down south. Think back to 2018 when we had both him and Eguavoen as our LBs (both NFL calibre players)… hard to imagine why our D was so go that year. The funny thing is that the 3^rd guy in that LB equation was often Sam Hurl… one of these things is not like the other.

Nick Marshall’s NFL interest must have turned out to be minimal as he signed a one year extension, we now have 4 of our 5 starting secondary under contract with Gainey being the lone exception.  I would imagine though, that his return is predicated on a salary reduction. While the secondary is looking solid, the linebackers is another issue… some big holes to fill there.  

The other big news was that Cody Fajardo played through a ton of injuries throughout the year beyond the torn obliques. It’s crazy going from a QB where a heavy breeze made us concerned for his safety to one who just casually shrugs of broken fingers and separated shoulders.

Monday Morning Sentimonies: Catching Up

Happy New Year. Let’s get to it.

Let’s start with the NFL watch. Some players (Begelton, Addison, Rose, Sayles, Kongbo, Stanback) have started signing NFL deals. So far no Riders have signed, but its just a matter of time. Derrick Moncrief has already worked for 8 NFL teams… in other words: He Gone. Generally, if you get 3 or more tryouts then odds are very good you are signing somewhere. One tryout could lead to a signing (as it did last year for Jake Ceresna and Mercy Maston) but remember that Jonathan Jennings garnered a tryout last year and Brandon Bridge got one in 2018… so 1 tryout could just mean that someone owed someone else a token favour. Moncrief will sign (within an hour of me posting this if history is any indication) and I like his odds of sticking. Big loss but he’s deserving of the opportunity.

Three other Riders have had NFL interest so far: Cam Judge (Chargers), Nick Marshall (Bengals) and Shaq Evans (Giants). With only one tryout each so far, it’s tough to say whether it will materialize into an offer. I give Judge the strongest odds. He’s younger than the other 2 and unlike them has not been through the NFL ringer already.

Now that the calendar has rolled over I expect a few re-signings will trickle out. Likely a few were hammered out before Christmas but couldn’t be finalized/announced so that the money all counted in the 2020 salary cap year. Up until now, O’Day has done a good job locking down the depth/role players (LaFrance, Geter, Schram, Bouka, Henry) with a heavy emphasis on Canadians. But with the exception of Purifoy and Clark we haven’t done anything with starters. That will need to change. Obviously some things hinge on NFL interest and some guys will want to wait until free agency to check their true market value but even locking up a couple starters would make me feel better. We currently have no starting linebackers and 1 (possibly 2 depending on the status of Hughes, more on that in a minute) starting d-lineman. 1 ish of your front 7 settled is not a great spot to be in. Not panic time yet as there is still plenty of time but a signing or two would certainly help allay some unease.

Last thing I’ll touch on today is Charleston Hughes. His status is somewhat murky. He did not appear on the list of pending free agents but no one (Hughes included) has definitively said he is under contract. So what’s the deal? Let me preface this next part with the following… I have zero insider info on this, this is purely my own speculation and reasoning. The only thing I’ve ever been considered a “source” for is in the context of who emitted that odour. Anywho, we know (based on CFL transactions) that the Riders quietly reworked Hughes’ deal back in May. My guess is that that contract included a team option for 2020. That would explain why he’s not on the FA list and why he can’t definitively say he’s under contract. So why then won’t the team just say so? Well my guess is that they did indeed pick up the option for 2020 but are currently negotiating a further amended salary. If 36 years old and coming off surgery don’t scream “asked for a pay cut” I don’t know what does. My guess is that it will all get sorted out and Hughes will be back in 2020 looking for his sixth sack title (5^th in a row). That part is fine with me but I would like to see this year’s recruiting class include a potential impact pass rusher. It’s been a while since we found/developed one and that has led to a need to bye them on the free agent market.