Calm Before the Storm: A question for every team this off-season

CFL.ca Staff

TORONTO — It was only a week after the 103rd Grey Cup ended last November when it was announced that Chris Jones was headed for greener pastures, literally, to join the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The domino effect jump-started one of the busiest off-seasons the league has ever seen, from coaching changes and free agency to the CFL Draft.

A Grey Cup winner was only just determined on Sunday but with so much up in the air heading into the 2016/2017 off-season, don’t expect to be waiting long to hear big news.

Some teams have more questions than others but we look at one for every team in the league:

Can the Lions keep Team 100 together?

What an amazing difference over the span of a calendar year for the BC Lions, who appear to be one of the league’s up-and-coming powerhouses thanks in part to the return of Wally Buono to the sideline and the emergence of Jonathon Jennings as an elite quarterback.

Part of the challenge is keeping what appears to be a winning core together; in that aspect, the Lions’ head coach and general manager has a lot of work to do.

Solomon Elimimian is one of the top pending free agents this off-season (Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca)

Solomon Elimimian, Alex Bazzie, Mic’hael Brooks and Bryan Burnham are among key free agents and all helped BC finish with the second-best record in the CFL and an appearance in the Western Final.

Elimimian’s name is no doubt the biggest on the list as he and Adam Bighill, also known as Team 100, are the face of the Lions’ ferocious defence.

Also: Can the Lions keep the other Team 100 together? You know, Bryan Burnam (No. 16) and Emmanuel Arceneaux (No. 84)? Burnham’s contract is also expiring and those two formed the backbone of the Lions’ passing attack last season.

Will James Franklin and Mike Reilly both be with the Eskimos next season?

The Eskimos aren’t under any pressure to make a move at quarterback as both Mike Reilly and James Franklin are under contract. Is status quo how it’ll all end up panning out, though?

Chatter about Franklin has been almost non-stop this season and that’ll intensify in the coming month, especially in Saskatchewan where the 25-year-old is seen as a potential option should the Riders decide to move on from pending free agent Darian Durant.

With that said, the Eskimos and Riders are division rivals and if the Esks are as high on Franklin as everyone seems to think, don’t expect them to give him up easily. On the flip side, if the Esks really do think Franklin is a superstar in the making, don’t rule out the off chance Reilly gets traded.

The Esks have options: either trade Franklin, trade Reilly or wait it all out and potentially lose Franklin in 2018 for no return. It’s a good problem to have but a problem nonetheless.

Also: Who will fill the void of Derel Walker, assuming he heads south? Could free agent Duron Carter be a fit?

Can the Stamps keep their O-line together?

Like almost every year of late, Calgary’s offensive line was the class of the league in 2016, paving the way for league-leading rusher Jerome Messam while keeping a clean pocket for Most Outstanding Player Bo Levi Mitchell.

The free agent list revealed that John Hufnagel has some work to do if he’s going to keep that unit together, as three starters — Pierre Lavertu, Dan Federkeil and Derek Dennis — are free agents on Feb. 14.

Derek Dennis holds up his award for Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (The Canadian Press)

True, the O-line has been a strength for the Stampeders for a number of years ever since Hufnagel was in control. And players like Brett Jones and Stanley Bryant have come and gone in the past without significant consequence.

On the other hand, can they afford to lose all three? Federkeil has been a rock for the Stamps, Lavertu is a former first overall pick while Dennis was the CFL’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman this season.

Also: After nine years in Calgary, could CFL co-leader in sacks Charleston Hughes play for a different team in 2017?

Will Darian Durant be back in Riderville next season?

This might be the number one question of the off-season.

It’s hard to envision No. 4 wearing any other colour than green next season, yet here we are, 10 weeks out from free agency and Durant remains without a contract.

There was a time when it seemed inevitable that Durant would re-sign while lately contract talks have cooled. Even if that is merely a negotiating ploy on both ends, there’s no longer any guarantee that Durant returns to Riderville next season.

A lot of teams around the league will have vacancies next season while several QBs will be without contracts and in search of a starting job. Meanwhile, Jones has suggested that he has confidence in the other quarterbacks currently on the roster as well that the Riders could lean on in the future.

Also: How will the Riders’ O-line shape up in three months’ time? That’s the key to success in 2017 because that unit has to improve.

Are the Bombers convinced Matt Nichols is their long-term answer at quarterback?

Just like the Durant situation, what happens with Winnipeg and Matt Nichols will be another key off-season domino. There’s word that Nichols wants the big bucks and deservedly so after leading the Blue and Gold back to the playoffs in 2016.

Still, there’s a little more risk associated with both sides when it comes to the timing of any potential new contract.

On one hand, while 2016 was a breakout season for the 29-year-old, is this year’s sample size large enough to pay Nichols like an elite quarterback? On the other, meanwhile, can the Bombers risk losing the quarterback that helped them win 11 games this season and reach the Western Semi-Final?

Matt Nichols (left) and Kevin Glenn (right) both remain without a contract through ’17 (Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca)

All tough questions, especially after what happened the last time the Bombers anted up when they re-signed Drew Willy a couple of years ago.

Also: Still no contract extension has been announced for Mike O’Shea beyond 2016. That’s odd for a coach that’s in good standing and is expected to return next season. Will he be back?

Will Orlondo Steinauer get a head coaching job and leave Hamilton?

It seems likely that Orlondo Steinauer stays in the Southern Ontario region, but will the Ticats be hunting for a new defensive coordinator at the end of it all?

Steinauer is overdue to become a head coach and the Argos seem like a logical fit should the team decide to move on from current head coach Scott Milanovich, something that’s expected to be determined either way in the coming weeks.

If that’s the way things go, what happens with Kent Austin’s staff? Austin is one of the CFL’s premier coaches but losing two coordinators in two years (Tommy Condell last season) isn’t the continuity a head coach aims for.

Either way, Steinauer is currently without a contract and the Ticats will have a hole to fill should he exit.

Also: With an aging Chad Owens, an injured Andy Fantuz and a potentially-departed Terrence Toliver, how will the Ticats fill out their receiving corps?

What does the future hold for Jim Barker and Scott Milanovich?

Last off-season was a vote of confidence for Jim Barker and Scott Milanovich as new ownership took over and each of them earned a contract extension. How quickly things went wrong in Argoland.

With many drastic moves along the way, like the release of Keon Raymond, Tori Gurley and Kevin Elliott and the acquisition of Drew Willy, the Argos finished in the CFL basement with a 5-13 record, losing 11 of their last 12 games while struggling on both sides of the football.

The 2016 season turned into one big headache for Head Coach Scott Milanovich (Adam Gagnon/CFL.ca)

So much promise was seen when Milanovich coached the Argos to a Grey Cup in 2012 and an East Division title in 2013. What happened?

That’s the question Argos upper management is facing in deciding whether Barker and Milanovich will return in 2017.

Also: What happens at QB? Ricky Ray could retire or return while Drew Willy was acquired at a high price at last year’s trade deadline. Plus there’s Dan LeFevour and Logan Kilgore.

Does Hank ride into the sunset?

Otherwise, what do the REDBLACKS do with their two starting quarterbacks?

All indications are that Trevor Harris is the starter in 2017 as originally planned when he signed with Ottawa to a back-loaded deal a year ago. At the same time, however, how do you justify sitting Henry Burris on the bench after what he accomplished these last two months?

You’d think these things could sort themselves out, much like they did this year at the pivotal position for the REDBLACKS. But what if it’s not so simple? Is Henry Burris willing to accept a backup role after proving, at age 41, he can still sling the football as well as anyone?

And finally, what if Harris is the starter but struggles out of the gate? How much patience will Rick Campbell give?

So many questions and they could get settled this off-season if Hank decides to retire; or they could linger into training camp and beyond next May.

Also: Who will the QBs throw to next season? Three of the four 1,000-yard receivers are free agents, including Chris Williams following his season-ending surgery.

Who takes over the GM chair in Montreal?

For the first time in the two decades the Alouettes have played in Montreal, someone other than Jim Popp will be the general manager in 2017.

The Als will have to figure out soon who that may be.

While a decision is to be made at GM, will Jacques Chapdelaine return in ’17? (MontrealAlouettes.com)

Reports out of both Montreal and Ottawa indicate the team is meeting with Brock Sunderland about potentially filling the position. Sunderland has been Marcel Desjardins’ right hand man as the assistant GM, playing a crucial role in the REDBLACKS winning the Grey Cup just three years into their existence.

Another option might be Danny Maciocia, a former CFL head coach more recently in charge of the Montreal Carabins.

Also: Is Vernon Adams Jr. ready to become a full-time starter?

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