February 7, 2016

Landry: Is it noon yet? 5 thoughts on Free Agency 2016

THE CANADIAN PRESS

We’re less than a week away, fans.

You’re looking at the crop of 2016 CFL free agents and you just can’t wait for 12:00 pm ET, Feb. 9th, to come. I’m suggesting a new hashtag for this impatient waiting period: #IsItNoonYet.

Check CFL.ca’s free agent tracker and you will see that this off-season is providing a major list of game-breaking free agents at just about every position. So many temporarily homeless football players, so many phone calls, so many announcements, so many disappointments for your hopes of landing ALL OF THEM.

Lots to consider. This is a nerve-racking, frenetic occurrence that could leave you curled up on the floor if you don’t take the proper precautions to prepare yourself for its emotion-twisting, unrelenting tribulations.

Here are my observations – and advice – heading into Free Agency 2016:

1. Your team is not getting Ted Laurent. DON’T PANIC.

Look, your team might, in fact, land the 28-year-old All-Star defensive lineman as a free agent. He will be one of the most sought after players on the market if the Hamilton Ticats can’t lock him down before the free agency period begins. Your team will kick his tires, no doubt. They’d better. Guys like Ted Laurent get on the market? You call his agent. It’s just that, math being what it is, odds are your team is not getting Ted Laurent.

CFL.ca

Ticats’ defensive tackle Ted Laurent is fast becoming the most talked about pending free agent.

Again, do not panic. There are so many defensive linemen potentially available, from Keith Shologan, to Cleyon Laing (hello, Edmonton), Justin Hickman, Khreem Smith, Freddie Bishop, Justin Capicciotti, Bryan Hall, Tristan Okpalaugo… again, the math suggests your team is getting SOMEBODY good.

Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing whose jersey Hall pulls on, only to immediately remove it and go for a shirtless walk in the snow.

2. You need to be careful on FA Day.

Prepare yourself. Here’s what is absolutely going to happen: We’re all going to be sitting at our computers or holding our smartphones, hitting “refresh,” with even more frequency than Jesse Eisenberg at the end of “The Social Network.” Tape your refresh finger, like it was a quarterback’s ankle, to avoid any ligament damage or blistering.

Before noon hits, take 10 minutes to do that “spider doing push-ups on a mirror” gag with your hands to ensure that your primary refresh finger – and its back up fingers in case of injury – is limbered up. The more enterprising out there may want to go with the Homer Simpson method. Get one of those old drinking bird toys, position it over the keyboard so that its beak comes down on the ‘enter’ key and turn it loose. You’re welcome.

3. Don’t be surprised if a flurry of contract announcements comes right away.

Specifically, lots of contract announcements pertaining to players staying with their current teams. Sometimes, agreements are all but hashed out in the days, even weeks before free agency hits and those agreements are tucked away until right about now. It all has to do with cap space, budgets, bonuses and the like.

THE CANADIAN PRESS

Pending free agent quarterback Travis Lulay (right) readies for the snap.

On the other hand, do not go on the internet and complain five minutes after free agency opens because “nothing’s happening, what are you waiting for?? (frowny face emoji, angry face emoji, puzzled face emoji, thumbs down emoji, snoring emoji).” We could get a deal or two done, in principle, soon after the period opens. However, most of them will happen hours later. Some will take days. Hope you warmed up your “refresh finger” properly.

4. The pay structure for nationals is shifting.

Not so long ago, national offensive linemen were in the catbird’s seat and teams loathed seeing them get to free agency. That’s why year after year, so many of them had extensions in their pockets long before they could get to the open market. Teams kept lots of financial space available in order to lock down the best Canadian O-line talent.

It’s not that linemen can’t get a big payday now. It’s just that CFL general managers and coaches have been shifting away from what used to be a concrete, absolute must-have: an all Canadian offensive line.

THE CANADIAN PRESS

Is the value of national offensive linemen dropping off a little bit?

Two factors have been changing the way national dollars are being distributed: the growing talent boom, Canuck-wise, at every other position and the plethora of fine international offensive linemen available. National offensive linemen aren’t necessarily going to be the highest paid Canadians on any team going forward and this crop of free agents is filled with Canadians at other positions that could be in for some really good loot.

5. Actually, your team “didn’t do anything” is not quite accurate.

You thought they should snag Andrew Harris or Jerome Messam and they didn’t. They absolutely had to have Trevor Harris and they failed you on that score. And, you know, the Ted Laurent thing (see number one above).

Fact of the matter is, as I scan the free agent tracker, every single team has retained at least two important returnees from the 2015 season. Or, as in some cases, like Hamilton (John Chick), Winnipeg (Weston Dressler, Quincy McDuffie), and Saskatchewan (Shawn Lemon, Maurice Price), there have already been outside adds. So, even if the name you wanted doesn’t end up on the back of your favourite jersey, there has been positive movement.

THE CANADIAN PRESS

Weston Dressler (left) is introduced as a member of the Bombers, who got a head start on their off-season.

Now that I’ve finished writing that point, I’m not sure I even need it in here. Again, looking at the massive list of top-notch free agents ready to make a deal, I’d be shocked if not everybody got something good when the free agency piñata is busted open on Tuesday.

Enjoy this frenzy. It should be one of the most exciting off-seasons of change we’ve seen in a long, long time. Be careful with that “refresh finger” and remember to breathe deeply.

And one more thing: #IsItNoonYet