February 7, 2016

Catching Up: Intrigue surrounds pending free agent receivers

Adam Gagnon/CFL

TORONTO — In a word, this year’s class of pending free agent receivers is intriguing.

Teams will have the opportunity on Feb. 9 to bolster their receiving corps, as so far some pretty big names are primed to hit the market.

In this year’s class there appears to be something for everyone, from the young and speedy Ryan Smith and the high-on-potential Jeff Fuller to the proven vets in Chad Owens and Fred Stamps. Then there are those with the Canadian passport – national receivers like Shamawd Chambers or Andy Fantuz that can help break the ratio.

(Click here to view the full list of players set to become free agents on Feb. 9).

Whoever decides to go shopping at the start of free agency next week, here are some of the best receivers we anticipate will be available:

Chad Owens
Toronto Argonauts
chad-owens-2015-1

One down season at age 33 hasn’t made Chad Owens a forgotten man, as the Mighty Mouse is primed to hit free agency only a year removed from being an elite CFL receiver. Owens was one of the league’s most productive receivers from 2012 through 2014, catching 274 passes in 42 games for 3,296 yards and 15 touchdowns (a per-game average of 6.5 catches and 78.5 yards).

Injuries and life without Ricky Ray each played a role in Owens’ drop in production last season, picking up only 570 receiving yards and two touchdowns over 13 games – but a bounce back season is highly possible as Owens still flashed plenty of game-changing ability.

Kenny Stafford
Edmonton Eskimos
Kenny_Stafford_2015_7

A trade from Montreal to Edmonton facilitated a breakout year for Kenny Stafford, and now the 25-year-old is due to hit free agency after helping the Eskimos capture the 103rd Grey Cup Championship.

A 6-foot-3, 204-pound playmaker, Stafford was among league leaders with nine touchdowns and 732 yards in his first season as an Eskimo and his age and physical makeup should make him a highly appealing option should he remain without a contract on Feb. 9.

Ryan Smith
Saskatchewan Roughriders
THE CANADIAN PRESS

Don’t mistake a lack of size for any absence of physical ability, as Ryan Smith is as athletically gifted as anyone. The 24-year-old put his name on the map after going vertical to make one of the best catches of the year in a Week 2 loss to the Argos, but Smith’s entire body of work in 2015 was equally impressive.

In his first season with a major role on the team, Smith elevated himself in the Riders’ receiving corps and caught 59 passes for 991 yards and seven touchdowns, just falling short of the 1,000-yard plateau despite missing three games to injury.

The age and game-breaking ability make Smith a potential building block for any offence.

Jeff Fuller
Calgary Stampeders
THE CANADIAN PRESS

A receiver still best described by unfulfilled potential, Jeff Fuller is on the track to stardom after a career year with the Stampeders in 2015. The 25-year-old possesses freakish athletic ability and shows it often, but injuries and inconsistency have limited him to a career-high of 619 receiving yards last season.

Teams should focus on upside over total production so far in his career, as the 6-foot-4, 223-pound pass-catcher is ripe for a breakout season any time.

Nick Moore
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
nick-moore-2015-1

After breaking out with the Lions in 2013, Nick Moore sputtered out of the gate during an injury-plagued 2014 season with the Bombers. Yet the 29-year-old Moore has since become one of the more underrated receivers in the league, averaging 60.1 yards per game over two seasons in Winnipeg including 899 yards in 15 games last year.

The 6-foot-2, 201-pound veteran of five CFL seasons figures to be a valued commodity should he hit the market on Feb. 9.

Shamawd Chambers
Edmonton Eskimos
THE CANADIAN PRESS

Shamawd Chambers is another player not often talked about heading into this year’s free agency, the reason being a lack of production so far over the span of his career. So far through four CFL seasons, Chambers has never played more than 14 games or eclipsed 465 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

Yet teams should see plenty of potential in Chambers, a Wilfrid Laurier graduate who was picked sixth overall by the Eskimos in 2012. Chambers is a big target at 6-foot-3, while at the combine in 2012 he ran a 4.42 in the 40-yard dash, at the time the fastest electronic time ever recorded.

Fred Stamps
Montreal Alouettes
Johany Jutras/CFL

After an alarming drop-off in production in 2014, Fred Stamps was traded to the Alouettes last season in exchange for Kenny Stafford and continued to struggle putting up big numbers with his new team.

Quarterback play may be part of the equation as Stamps was forced to adjust to several different passers, from rookies Brandon Bridge and Rakeem Cato to veterans Tanner Marsh, Kevin Glenn and Jonathan Crompton – but in the end, we’re left to question whether Stamps will ever get back to the elite level of play we saw from 2009 through 2013.

For five seasons Stamps was arguably the best receiver the CFL had to offer, something teams will have in mind as they look to score big with a proven veteran.

Andy Fantuz
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
andy-fantuz-2015-2.jpg

Regularly a top producer through most of his CFL career, Fantuz had one of the worst seasons of his career in 2015. Injuries held him to just nine games last season, while the 32-year-old Chatham, Ont. native managed just 432 receiving yards and two touchdowns on two catches.

Whether it’s in Hamilton or elsewhere, the towering 6-foot-4 ratio-breaker will have a chance to rejuvenate his career in 2016 and is without question one of the top national receivers on the market heading into free agency.

Bakari Grant
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
bakari-grant-2015-6.jpg

Another Ticats receiver coming off a down year, Bakari Grant was hampered by injury both to himself and quarterback Zach Collaros last season, as a strong pace to kick off the season was thwarted when number four went down with a season-ending knee injury.

At 28, Grant is a talented receiver with speed and size (6-foot-4, 195 pounds) and has teetered on the verge of CFL stardom ever since a career year in 2013 when he recorded 947 receiving yards. Grant is no doubt one of the more underrated members of the pending free agent class.

Chris Getzlaf
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Arthur Ward/CFL

While the Riders have extended the contract of Rob Bagg, so far no news has come on pending free agent Chris Getzlaf. The 33-year-old Regina native is coming off two down seasons in a row by his standards, but when healthy he could still produce at a high level.

The veteran receiver has spent eight seasons as a Rider and it would be odd seeing him in any colour other than Green and White, but Getzlaf would no doubt provide a boost to any offence bidding for his services.