February 10,2015 potential free agents.

Based on the list made available today, there are presently 134 potential free agents,i.e. an average of 15 per team. The RoughRiders have the most at 28 and the BC Lions the least at 5. The Grey Cup participants have a total of 31,i.e. 14 for Calgary and 17 for Hamilton. There are good players amongst the list of 134 and, for some teams, it will be extremely difficult “voire” impossible to re-sign all their key players. Teams with 2014 cap funds available will have an advantage and will do the outmost to re-sign some key players before the end of 2014.

Richard

The list is complete for the players with expiring contracts. For instance, BC only has 5 names with Glenn on it who's contract is expiring. But the list excludes players who currently have options that have been or will be declined. For instance, Jamall Johnson, Ricky Schmitt, Dante Marsh, and Khalif Mitchell are not included, all option year guys Buono has said he wasn't going to retain.

I thought they did away with the option thing in contracts.

From how I understand it in the new CBA, new players to the CFL have to sign a minimum 1+1 in their first contract, once your first contract is over you can sign contracts for one year at a time. This would explain how Nic Grigsby is a FA with Hamilton - first contract was with Winnipeg, his second contract then was a 1 yr deal with Hamilton that expired at the end of the season. Some players that were already under contract may still have option years in their terms. I don’t think the CBA eliminiated them from existing contracts. I could be wrong though.

You are wright wolverine29, i.e. all players, including veterans, that signed before the new CBA still have the option clause; it will still apply for rookies but not for veterans who signed or will sign after the new CBA.

Richard

I lot of people in Hamilton are saying “Well, we have a good team, we have a shot at it next year” but we have a lot of high quality free agents looking to hit the market, and from my understanding, Hamilton has pretty much used up all of it’s 2014 cap space. That does not bode well for the Ti-Cats.

For clarification, is the option clause in the new 1+1 CBA a regular/bilateral option again or, as I understand like as signed by many veterans prior to the current CBA, only the club’s/unilateral option in the option year?

The option year,when applicable, is only the club's unilateral option. A player who has an option year, in his contract, cannot opt out.

Richard

Well hopefully the turnover rate can be limited a bit this year.. Maybe a few team will have a brain wave and realize that Calgary had the smallest amount of turnover from last season ,and ended up being the only team actually playing pro level football, the second half of the Grey Cup notwithstanding.

For those who may have overlooked, forgotten like me, or not even had known, here's the link to the tracker via the home page under the News < Around the League:

http://www.cfl.ca/article/2015-free-agent-tracker

The format of this year's tracker is much better too. So far Tyrell Sutton is the only player re-signed.

Here are my questions on just BC for now.

BC
Kevin Glenn QB - Which team do you think ends up picking him up now?

Ernest Jackson WR - Why would they not re-sign him? I see even more upside given his last season, and let's not overlook his size at 6-2 220.

I think if you are KG, you have to accept a backup role. The only two places that might be looking to replace a starter is Ottawa, who wronged Glenn greatly (in my eyes as well as his) and BC if Lulay is never the same again.

Mitchell, Riley, Durant, Wily, Collaros, Ray and Crompton. None of these QBs would I swap for Kevin Glenn. So where can Kevin backup? Well, BC is out and Ottawa is likely out, Hamilton has LeFevour who showed potential and doesn’t need KG’s cost towards the cap, Calgary has Drew Tate, I think Matt Nichols showed enough to not be in the market there so doubtful, Trevor Harris showed poise but too soon to tell, so that leaves Montreal, Saskatchewan, Winnipeg (which KG has history and might not work out for them).

Crompton could use a veteran backing him up, and the Sophomore slump is a real thing, Wily is the same story (and probably the best fit I would think) and Saskatechewan, well Durant doesn’t need mentoring but I think last season might have made Riders management paranoid. Having to bring Kerry Joseph out of retirement to find a QB didn’t do them any favors.

19 days before free agency begins; presently, there are still 98 2015 potential free agents; the numbers,by Team ,are:

BC Lions 4
Ottawa REDBLACKS 7
Calgary Stampeders 8
Montreal Alouettes 8
Edmonton Eskimos 11
Winnipeg Blue Bombers 12
Toronto Argonauts 13
Hamilton Tiger-Cats 16
Saskatchewan RoughRiders 19

These 2015 potential free agents include:

From Montreal
Int WR Duron Carter NFL
Int SB S.J. Green
Int CB Geoff Tisdale

From Toronto
Int WR John Chiles
Nat Ol Tyler Holmes NFL ?
Int RB Curtis Steele
Nat WR Spencer Watt

From Hamilton
Int WR/KR Brandon Banks NFL ?
Int DB Delvin Breault NFL
Int Wr Craig Ellingston
Nat WR Samuel Giguère
Int WR Bakari Grant
Int RB Nic Grigsby
Int DE Justin Hickman
Int LB Taylor Reed NFL ?
Int WR Luke Tasker. Apparently,he has re-signed

From Winnipeg
Int DB Johnny Sears NFL ?
Int Ian Wild NFL ?

From Saskatchewan
Int S Tyron Brackenridge NFL ?
Nat G Dan Clark
Int SB Weston Dressler
Nat OL Ben Heenan NFL ?
Nat LB Samuel Hurl
Int DB/Kr Tristan Jackson

From Calgary
Int OL Stally Bryant
Nat Ol Brett jones NFL ?
Nat WR Brad Sinopoli

From Edmonton
Int LB Rennie Curran NFL ?
Int SB Kendial Lawrence NFL ?
Nat OL Matthew O’Donnell
Nat DT Dan Oramasionwu
Int DE Odell willis

While good players will opt for the NFL or other CFL teams, to me the team that has the most to lose is definitely the Hamilton Tiger-Cats; good for them if Luke Tasker has re-signed but the must do the outmost to re-sign Brandon Banks. He will command a salary of no less than $150,000 and as much as $180,000.

Presently, with the canadian dollar at roughly 0.80 cents US ,the Int players are definitely asking as much as possible, but they won’t be successful; their only hope is that the canadian dollar will rebound. Not so sure.

Richard

The Bombers released Ian Wild a couple of days ago. He's rumoured to be going to the Steelers.

And a couple of minutes ago the Cats released Delvin Breault who also has NFL hopes.

In the past week, CFL Teams have been active re-signing key players-Green in Mtl.,Holmes in Tor.,Tasker in Ham.,Brackenridge and Dressler in Sask. and Willis in Edm.- or releasing players-Chiles in Tor.,Breaux in Ham.,Wild in Win.and O'Donnell in Edm.

I expect CFL Teams to be busier in the next 10 days. I am listing some of the best players,currently potential free agents, and foresee where these players will re-sign or sign with another team. I list the present teams of these players; in most instances, I foresee these players to remain with their team, but I list 1 or 2 more possibilities. I definitely expect Ottawa to be quite active once free agency begins.-Noon,easter time, on February,10,2015.- Presently, Hamilton has the best potential free agents, but I expect that they will re-sign some of these players in the next week or so. The best players that could be available are:

Quarterbacks:
Int. Kevin Glenn,with BC. To: Mtl, Sask.
Int. Dan LeFevour,with Ham. With/to: Ham.,Ott. or Mtl.
Int. Tino Sunseri,with Sask. With/to: Sask. or Ott.

Receivers:
Int. Duron Carter,with Mtl. To: NFL
Int. Brandon Banks,with Ham. With/to: Ham.,NFL or Ott.
Int.Greg Ellingston,with Ham. With/to: Ham.,Ott. Tor.
Nat. Samuel Giguère,with Ham. With/to: Ham.,Mtl. or Ott.
Int. Bakari Grant,with Ham. With/to: Ham.,Ott.or Tor.
Nat. Brad Sinopoli,with Cal. With/to: Cal. or Ott.
Int. Kendial Lawrence,with Edm. With/to: Edm. or NFL.
Int. Ernest Jackson,with BC. With/to: BC.,Tor. or Ott.

Running Back:
Int. Nic Grigsby,with Ham. With/to: Ham.,Tor. or Mtl.

Offensive linemen:
Nat. Ben Heenan,with Sask. With/to: Sask,NFL or Ott.
Int. Stanley Bryant,with Cal. With/to: Cal.,Ott.or BC.
Nat Brett Jones,with Cal. With/to: Cal.,NFL or BC.

Defensive lineman:
Int. Justin Hickman,with Ham. With/to: Ham.or Cal.

Linebackers:
Int. Marcellus Bowman,with Ham. With/to: Ham.or Ottawa
Int. Taylor Reed,with Ham. With/to: Ham.or NFL.
Int. Rennie Curran,with Edm. With/to: Edm.or NFL.

Defensive backs:
Int. Jerald Brown,with Mtl. With/to: Mtl or Ott.
Int. Geoff Tisdale,with Mtl. With/to: Mtl.,Tor.or Ham.
Int. Johnny Sears,with Win. With/to: Win. or NFL.
Int. Tristan Jackson,with Sask. With/to: Sask. or Mtl.

Next 10 days will be interesting.

Richard

Okay, seriously, I looked at the header and thought to myself, "There can't possibly be that many free agents on only 9 teams." :smiley:

http://www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/ppc-cpp/images/small-check-mark.jpg
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Jerald Brown has been re-signed by the Als.

Nat. OL Ben Heenan has been released by Sask., to pursue NFL interests. I understand the players,particularly Nat. players, going to the NFL for much,much,$$$$$ but I HATE IT. One/main reason why I would like the numbers of starting Nat. players be reduced from 7 to and even 5.

For the upcoming CFL draft, there are many good prospects but, unfortunately, the 5 to 6 of the best will look to the NFL.

Richard

So it looks like Heenan is the next to get an NFL contract. Leaves Brett Jones as the only primo National Offensive Linesman left to sign.

With the difference in Salaries, changing the ratio would accomplish absolutely nothing.

Agreed. While a ratio change might free up some dollars from the chase for quality National/Canadian starters, it would not impact the desire of players to try their hand in the NFL for (a) much bigger money and (b) the competitive challenge of playing in what, whether we like it or not, is considered the highest level of football (NA style).