We’re now almost two weeks into 2024 Free Agency and more top names keep coming off the board. In fact, nine of the top 10 in our CFL.ca Top 30 Free Agents have either signed elsewhere or re-upped and opted to stay put. As such, we’re starting to get a better picture of the landscape for the coming season.
Completely agree on the Argo deal. Though the Argos lost a lot of players, look at their front 7. Olimorade & Ceresna may be the best 1-2 duo in the league @ DE & Ceresna was an all-star when he played DT 2 years ago. They still have Oakman & Brinkman @ DT so - maybe best front 4 in the league. Add in young Jonathon Jones & McManus @ LB & they have an elite starting front 7.
Als - not much more has to be said. Another great front 7 who has only gotten better. Right up there with the Argo group.
Ottawa?? While I don’t disagree that getting Brown was a great move, I’m not buying into the REDBLACKS @ QB for reasons already mentioned. They signed Arbuckle after a good run in Calgary, released him so LaPolice could get Nichols. Then Masoli - yes, injuries were a problem but they started 0-4 with him that 1st year. I’m not sure that Brown is going to fix their problems. But, yeah, it was a move they had to make, so there’s that. And there’s Crum…& Adams…& Masoli… - all of whom “could” be the “next one”. I’m just not buying it. 
If keeping Bo & Powell is the best move the TiCats made, that’s a problem. I do see some nice changes on D but, man, 1/3 of their 37 FA’s are still unsigned. By my guess 5 of them are likely retired & I’m really not sure how many others are high on anyone’s list - Mayala maybe? I have no idea what to make of the TiCats this year other than the gap between them & the top 2 appears to have gotten bigger.
Everything is up in the air with the Argos and Kelly. Winnipeg Free Press has a concise assessment today of the situation, giving a rounded perspective on this case. I doubt that Kelly - and John Murphy - will come out of this unscathed. How the team responds should these two be jettisoned, will be the story of this upcoming season.
Ticats moved quickly to secure their O-Line but duct tape Bo Levi is still a question mark. Tim White will receive double coverage all season so expect his production to drop. The question is who will step up to be Ticats 2nd best receiver because if they can just catch they are on their way to a 1000 yard season. At running back Butler is the CFL’s hardest working player and richly deserves every penny he gets paid. Defense has been a revolving door this off season and will take time to gel and find their identity. This defence will make mistakes and will need the the veteran Offense to save them and if Offense isn’t up to the task, it is going to be a long painful season. Also Ticats has lost their best Special Teams Coach that have seen in a generation and the new Ticat ST Coach made a “horizontal move” from Winnipeg. What’s the deal with that? Closing on a good note new Head Coach Scott is a winner. If Scott can channel is inner Tom Coughlin this new discipline holding all coaches and players accountable will make Ticats a winner!!!
He had one Cinderella Grey Cup run with Ricky Ray in 2012, followed by one winning season with no Cup and then three straight seasons without a playoff win (two seasons missing the playoffs). He hasn’t proven he’s a consistent winner. Being an NFL assistant may have helped, though. We’ll have to see.
To me, the Cats are banking on Milanovich being transformative for the team and BLM being able to regain some of his old form. They’d better hope both those scenarios come to pass.
Well, if Kelly leaves that will be the biggest move in Toronto.
I don’t have access to the Free Press w/o subscribing. I did read the Rick Westhead piece on 3DN & it doesn’t put Murphy or Kelly in a good light, to put it mildly. Going by that article I’d say Murphy is gone. He’s had some issues in the past, hasn’t he??? Kelly??? Your guess is as good as mine. This should have been dealt with a long time ago. Absolutely right - that’s the big story now.
Another season, another dollar, and my crystal ball is clearing nicely to show that the Tiger-Cats’ success will be determined by Taylor Powell. Can Powell continue the success he has had and quickly become the number one guy? No huge signings like Butler last year but maybe that is a good thing. All the linebackers need to be replaced which could be a tremendous challenge: Edwards dropped, Thurman the best defensive player lost in free agency, and the inimitable Lawrence retired.
JMO, of course, but if Powell is starting a lot of games for Hamilton in 2024, it means the season is not going well for the Cats. Everyone on that team wants Bo to be healthy and productive in 2024.