Departures and Arrivals: Lions, Esks have holes to fill

TORONTO — How do you replace Derel Walker?

It’s a question fans are asking right now after Walker was granted early free agency, subsequently signing south of the border. Walker is now a Tampa Bay Buc, his two-year stint with the Eskimos over almost as quickly as he burst into stardom during his 2015 Most Outstanding Rookie campaign.

Last season, the 25-year-old was responsible for nearly 27 per cent of the yards accumulated by the CFL’s second-ranked passing offence, while, along with Adarius Bowman, he broke the single-season receiving yards record for a duo.

Walker and Lions linebacker Adam Bighill are among big-name free agents already suiting up for new teams, leaving the Eskimos and BC Lions with gaping holes on their roster. Esks linebacker Deon Lacey and Lions rush end Alex Bazzie and punter Richie Leone are also on the way out.

Yet you don’t sense any panic from those front offices.

‘You can’t replace a Derel Walker’, some might say, but someone will take Walker’s spot and the Eskimos’ offence, led by the flame-throwing Mike Reilly and mad scientist Jason Maas, will continue to fly.

How will these two Western foes replace their departed stars? We look at just some of the possibilities.

Derel Walker | REC | EDM
2016: 109 REC (2nd), 1589 yards (2nd), 10 TD (2nd)

Derel Walker’s departure leaves a major void on offence for the Esks (CFL.ca)

Derel Walker produced more than a quarter of the Eskimos’ passing output in 2016, ranking second in the CFL in receptions, yards and touchdowns. He also finished second in targets (154) while leading the league in yards after the catch (662).

The sophomore receiver was second in almost everything league-wide last season but only to teammate Adarius Bowman. Yet the numbers might not even do justice the impact Walker had on the Eskimos’ offence.

Consider the difference Walker made in 2015 when he suited up for the first time in August. The Eskimos were 4-2 in six games without Walker, scoring 165 points (27.5 per game, fourth in the league) while averaging 254.2 passing yards per game (seventh in the league at the time).

Since Walker joined the lineup in Week 8, the Eskimos went 10-2, scoring 301 points (25.1 per game) while averaging 283.3 passing yards per game — an 11.4 per cent increase in production.

Eskimos’ offence in 2015

While the Eskimos scored fewer points with Walker in the lineup, that is explained by the team’s ability to sustain longer drives and keep the defence off the field — Edmonton went from seventh in possession time before Walker played to second in the league by season’s end.

As for Walker’s replacement, that could already be on the roster. Brandon Zylstra came into the league at the age of 23 last season, emerging as a legitimate third option on Edmonton’s pass-dominant offence with 508 receiving yards in only six games. He’s a young player that knows the offence and has a high ceiling, making him an obvious candidate to fill Walker’s spot.

Bryant Mitchell is another internal candidate that should be considered. The 24-year-old had a strong showing in pre-season for the Esks and has two years of CFL experience after first joining Edmonton at the start of 2015.

Then, of course, there are those outside of the organization. Imagining what Duron Carter could do catching passes from Mike Reilly should be enough to make CFL fans giddy. Greg Ellingson and Ernest Jackson are pending free agents linked to Edmonton given their history with Jason Maas back in the nation’s capital.

Chris Williams would need some time to work back from his season-ending knee injury, but he’s as fast as anyone in the CFL and also has experience working with Maas.

Either Kenny Shaw, Bryan Burnham, Diontae Spencer and Terrence Toliver would be a dream fit for Maas but could be NFL-bound, while Tori Gurley, Darvin Adams, Jeff Fuller, Marquay McDaniel, Nick Moore and Terrell Sinkfield are other proven pass-catchers that could fill a void.

Deon Lacey | LB | EDM
2016: 87 tackles (6th)

The Eskimos lose another key defensive player following the departure of Deon Lacey (Larry MacDougall/CFL.ca)

Deon Lacey is a versatile defender who has played both defensive end and linebacker for the Eskimos while also starring on special teams. For all of the losses the Eskimos have taken on that side of the ball the last two seasons, this one hurts.

Lacey recorded six sacks and four forced fumbles in 2015 en route to winning a Grey Cup with the Eskimos, then just last season moved to linebacker before ranking sixth in the CFL with 87 defensive tackles. Just 26 years old and only entering his prime, Lacey has recorded 16 or more special teams tackles in every season (68 over three seasons in total) and played in all 18 games each year in the league.

The Eskimos are losing both reliability and durability with Lacey gone and will have some work to do replacing him, especially a year after losing Dexter McCoil to the NFL.

So who could fill the WILL linebacker position alongside JC Sherritt and Kenny Ladler, who are penciled in as started for 2017?

Donnie Baggs could be the darkhorse at the position after signing with the team last season and making 12 special teams tackles on the year. The 24-year-old played in the Esks’ season-finale against Toronto and recorded two tackles and should be worth a look in training camp.

Alex Hoffman-Ellis could be another internal candidate to take Lacey’s spot while Adam Konar and Doug Parrish could contribute but aren’t likely in a position to start.

The durable Winston Venable could be a free agent option for the Eskimos but will the Alouettes let him go? Jeff Knox Jr. and Glenn Love are also linebackers that could fit the mold.

It’s more likely Edmonton fills this role with a young player through competition in camp, as we’ve seen elsewhere on that unit.

Adam Bighill | LB | BC
2016: 108 tackles (3rd)

Adam Bighill was a constant on the Lions’ defence over the past six years (CFL.ca)

Getting Solomon Elimimian back was huge for the Lions because with both him and Loucheiz Purifoy set to return, Wally Buono has only one starting linebacker to replace.

The loss of Adam Bighill is a big one for the Lions as the 5-foot-10, 230-pound defender had become the face of the franchise throughout his six seasons on the west coast. Just last year, Bighill recorded 108 tackles (third in the CFL) and five sacks, leading the Lions to the second-best record in the league in a resurgent season.

Replacing a player who’s missed only three games over his past five seasons while averaging 96.4 tackles a year is a significant task for the Lions’ head coach and GM.

While the Lions have a number of concerns, among them finding fill-ins for Richie Leone, Alex Bazzie, Anthony Gaitor and potentially Bryan Burnham and Mic’hael Brooks, who fills Bighill’s spot is the biggest question heading into free agency.

Former top CFL Draft prospect and 26-year-old Bo Lokombo would seem to be the favourite and a ratio-breaker if he had a contract beyond 2016. Alas, the former Oregon Ducks star is due to become a free agent on Feb. 14.

Look for the Lions and Lokombo to get a deal done before then but if not, will the Lions look to free agency to fill the void?

Alex Bazzie | DE | BC
2016: 11 sacks (T-4th)

Alex Bazzie has recorded double-digit sacks in two of his three seasons (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)

The Lions face some big questions along their D-line with Mic’hael Brooks pending free agency and Alex Bazzie recently released to try and find an NFL team.

Who can replace the production of Bazzie, who led the team with 11 sacks last season and has recorded double-digit sacks in two of his three CFL seasons?

Darius Allen is a possibility to fill in internally, a 24-year-old who had a dominant camp last year for the Lions and suited up for multiple NFL teams the year before. David Menard could give the Lions ratio flexibility if they choose to start their former draft pick, who recorded a career-high six sacks in 2015 and has 10 next to his career total.

Head Coach and General Manager Wally Buono isn’t one to spend big in free agency but could set his sights on the likes of Gabriel Knapton, Aston Whiteside, Justin Hickman, Willie Jefferson, Marcus Howard or Phillip Hunt — all pending free agents.

There are plenty of options for the Lions at that position and Buono has shown in the past he’s not afraid to be creative when it comes to filling out his depth chart.