February 7, 2016

Nye: 10 potential free agents flying under the radar

THE CANADIAN PRESS

With CFL free agency just a week away, it’s easy to pick out the stars of the game who could immediately impact your team.

There is no doubt Ted Laurent, Andrew Harris, Josh Bourke, Trevor Harris and others in the top of the CFL.ca Top 30 Free Agents list would make any team better. In fact they’d make them instantly better.

But it’s the depth that will win in the CFL and there are tonnes of players outside that top 30 that many teams could use to fill some voids by signing next Tuesday.

(For the full updated list of pending free agents on Feb. 9, click here).

These 10 players would be on my to-sign list as they may have a high ceiling but not command the big time dollars that the above names would be requesting.

GRAIG NEWMAN, DB
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
graig-newman-2015-1

Graig Newman was one of the best defenders in Canadian Junior Football when he finally landed on the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ roster for the 2012 and ’13 seasons. Newman was displaying a nose for the football in the pro ranks and was becoming a fierce special teamer until a leg injury derailed his 2014 season. He came back midway through 2015 and again made an impact on the Bombers’ special teams.

If healthy, Newman has a knack for the Canadian game and if he can find his potential as a safety, could be a surprise contributor for a team in 2016. His work ethic will never be a question.

DYLAN AINSWORTH, DE
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
THE CANADIAN PRESS

If you have a national at defensive end and need some depth behind him to have some insurance in case of injury, Ainsworth would be worth a close look. Since being drafted in the second round in 2014, Ainsworth never really got a shot to show his promise as a pass rusher in Saskatchewan, but did show well on special teams in back to back seasons. A young Canadian with still a tonne of upside would improve any depth chart.

MIKE EDEM, DB
HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
THE CANADIAN PRESS

Mike Edem is a curious case. As a highly touted defender out of college, Edem never took hold of a spot in Montreal. Traded at the deadline to Hamilton last year, Edem was in a deep hole with so much depth at Canadian defensive back in Tiger town. He’s one of a few 2013 draft picks that could be looking to find a fresh look in this free agent period. With his high praise when he entered the draft, Edem should give a team a low risk/high reward option in the secondary and on special teams.

BEN D’AGUILAR, DE
CALGARY STAMPEDERS
THE CANADIAN PRESS

Ben D’Aguilar is another 2013 top pick that could be looking for a fresh start. He’s been deep down the depth chart for a few years in Calgary with so many prominent pass rushers in front him. He may choose to continue to learn the craft behind some crafty veterans or again try to bolster some depth on a team that would like to do so with a Canadian pass rusher.

WELDON BROWN, DB
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
CFL.ca

Weldon Brown could have been on this list leading into the free agency in 2013. Signed by the Roughriders, he was overshadowed by many of the moves made that off-season in the build up of forming the eventual Grey Cup Championship roster. But truth be told, it was Brown who turned into a major key to the team’s success and was heralded as one of the most under-rated players in the league by coaches and peers.

After a torn pectoral ended his 2015 season, Brown was released last month and has a head start on looking for a new place to call home to re-establish himself as a top defender in the league. Someone should give him that chance.

CORY GREENWOOD, LB
TORONTO ARGONAUTS
THE CANADIAN PRESS

The Toronto Argonauts waited a long time to finally land Cory Greenwood after his NFL career. The Argos aren’t likely to give up easily on the Canadian middle linebacker. But if he does hit the market on Feb. 9, Greenwood should get some modest interest to try and lock down a spot in the linebacking corps.

DON ORAMASIONWU, DL
EDMONTON ESKIMOS
THE CANADIAN PRESS

Keith Shologan is in a similar spot as ‘Donny O’ after a decent career in the CFL, as the reality is that number 30 in the age category can hamper the interest come free agent time when you aren’t high on the priority list. Oramasionwu will turn 30 in training camp but with many teams having Canadian tackles, he is not only a capable starter but an excellent number two to rotate in along the line.

SHAMAWD CHAMBERS, REC
EDMONTON ESKIMOS
THE CANADIAN PRESS

How many teams love having two Canadian starters at receiver for the ratio? Almost all of them! The 2012 top prospect overcame some serious lows in his career already because of injury but fought through them to contribute to the Edmonton Eskimos’ 2015 Grey Cup Championship. Chambers is an incredible talent with size and speed, who all nine teams wouldn’t mind having.

TRISTAN OKPALAUGO, DE
TORONTO ARGONAUTS
THE CANADIAN PRESS

Just slightly out of the top 30 but still, with the number of quality defensive lineman, Okpalaugo is in the back half of the top tier that will be a good addition to come off the edge. Now, you may have to wait on the NFL, as teams south of the border are sniffing around the 2014 nominee for Most Outstanding Rookie. The 26-year old still has a lot of football left in him and should be garnering a lot of interest.

OTHA FOSTER, DB
EDMONTON ESKIMOS
otha-foster-2015-1

With all the play makers on the Edmonton Eskimos’ defence, Foster has slid outside the spotlight when you think of JC Sherritt and Aaron Grymes among those potential free agents. Foster has great size at 6-foot-2 and is versatile as well, as Chris Jones used him as a linebacker in Edmonton though he’s listed as a defensive back.

Going into his third season in the CFL, Foster could start to become a great utility defender in many schemes for any defence — although, like Okpalaugo, Foster is seeing if he can get back into the NFL before committing to a CFL team.