THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO — Who will end up where? In the next 24 hours we’ll start to get some answers as the pieces begin to fall in place and the 2016 free agency storm arrives.
Like the Christmas morning of the CFL off-season, free agency is set to kick off at noon ET on Tuesday as some of the league’s brightest stars hit the open market.
It’s hard to imagine a free agent class more highly-anticipated than this year’s, a crop that seems to have something for everyone — whether it’s big interior lineman Ted Laurent or a potential franchise quarterback in Trevor Harris.
Who’s hitting the market?
View 2016 Free Agent Tracker
Fans and front offices alike will watch keenly as the market unfolds, while general managers will take varying approaches as the opportunity arrives to make what could be a make or break splash to their roster.
At least one team, the Bombers, plans to spend big out of the gate. Others like Calgary and Toronto typically take a reserved approach to free agency and spend later on. Some, meanwhile, remain coy.
“Various degrees of attack throughout the league,” said CFL.ca insider Justin Dunk. “In Winnipeg, Kyle Walters has said he’s going to be very aggressive looking to add starting-calibre talent on day one. In Calgary, John Hufnagel historically has waited until day two and three to do his dealings to get value — that’s what he’ll do this year.”
Related:
| Watch: CFL.ca’s Free Agency Primer |
Then there’s Riderville, where Chris Jones has taken the reins as head coach and general manager just months after winning the Grey Cup on the sideline for the Edmonton Eskimos. Jones has already rebuilt a large part of the team in his image and hardly anything he does moving forward could come as a surprise, especially given his previous bold off-season moves.
“A lot of people are focused on Saskatchewan, that new regime is there,” said Dunk. “It seems from talking to people around the league that the Riders want to go hard after some Canadian starters to really shore up their ratio.”
Andrew Harris is the big name in free agency, a dual-threat running back than can make as big an impact in the passing game as on the ground and also has a Canadian passport. Harris is a ratio-changer in the offensive backfield, a position where nationals rarely make such a significant impact, while at 27 he has a lot of football left in him.
The Lions have been transparent in their approach with Harris, the number one-ranked free agent on CFL.ca’s list of the top 30, announcing that he will not be offered a contract by Wally Buono and company. Early on he’s been linked to Winnipeg, his hometown.
Then there’s the other big player in free agency, big literally and figuratively in Laurent. Laurent would be at the top of most lists regardless of passport, but the fact that he’s a Canadian and is an impact player as an interior defensive lineman puts him over the top.
“Ted Laurent is a big hold-up here, especially in Hamilton,” said Dunk. “A lot of people thought the Ticats would get him re-signed before free agency but at this point, it doesn’t seem so. And if you think about it from Laurent’s perspective, you’re in the prime of your career, why would you not go out and at least test the market, even if you do end up back in Hamilton.”
If there’s one thing everyone agrees on, it’s that Ticats’ DL Ted Laurent is a name to keep an eye on.
While former Most Outstanding Player Travis Lulay was crossed off the list and won’t reach free agency after extending with the Lions, one quarterback remains and that’s Trevor Harris, a monumental player on the free agent list heading into Tuesday. Harris, 29, was an MOP candidate at times last season and the Argos have been working to try and get a deal done before the start of free agency.
“There are talks going on between the Argos and Harris’s camp, the issue is he doesn’t want to go to another team that has an established starter and if you look around the league, pretty much every team has that,” said Dunk. “Toronto might be the best spot for Harris to get on the field and compete with Ricky Ray for that number one job.”
That said, it’s not often a potential franchise quarterback hits the free agent market, especially in his prime like Harris is.
While those are the names everyone’s talking about, the big winners in free agency might be the ones that pay less and find value in the lesser-talked about players. Veteran Chad Owens was never expected to reach Feb. 9 but could get a chance to talk to other teams, while all teams will likely be interested in some of the younger, higher-upside players like receiver Jeff Fuller or Edmonton’s Kenny Stafford.
Finally, the anticipation is over and all that’s left is to sit back and watch. One of the most highly-anticipated free agent classes ever is hitting the market and it’s game on for all nine CFL teams and over 100 free agents.
