Adam Gagnon/CFL.ca
TORONTO — In a passing league, no one’s mistaking the value of a game-changing receiver. Such value has even skyrocketed in the last year or so.
Consider the last two Grey Cup Champions. The Eskimos won in 2015 partly on the strength of dynamic duo Derel Walker and Adarius Bowman. The following campaign, those two set a CFL record for combined receiving yards in a single season.
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The REDBLACKS, meanwhile, wouldn’t have ended their 40-year championship drought without their top four receivers, who became the first foursome in CFL history to eclipse 1,000 yards each in back to back seasons.
The trend here is obvious: elite pass-catchers win championships. So how can teams help themselves for 2017?
With more than a third of CFL.ca’s top 30 free agents lining up at receiver, we break down a major position of strength in free agency:
The Elite
Ernest Jackson is one of three REDBLACKS pass-catchers slated for free agency (The Canadian Press)
Ernest Jackson
The 30-year-old Buffalo graduate tops all the free agency charts heading into February, coming off a career season that saw him earn East Division Most Outstanding Player. Yet the numbers — 88 catches, 1,225 yards and 10 touchdowns — don’t tell the whole story: the Grey Cup hero caught virtually every pass that touched his hands in 2016.
Greg Ellingson
With career-highs in catches, yards and average, Ellingson has put himself among the CFL’s most dynamic receivers. The 28-year-old stands out for his yards per catch in particular, which at 16.6 ranked him third among qualified receivers in 2016 behind only Bryan Burnham and DaVaris Daniels.
Bryan Burnham
Still just 26, Burnham took major strides in 2016 after leading the CFL with 15 catches of 30 yards or more along with a league-best 17.6 yards per catch. The CFL’s fourth-leading receiver in all (1,392 yards), Burnham, most importantly, showed he’s not afraid to make the tough catches over the middle.
Diontae Spencer
Spencer’s arrow is pointing up in a hurry after a strong second season with the Argos. Diminutive at 5-foot-8, 163 pounds, he’s more than dynamic enough to be a dominant CFL receiver, last season catching 71 passes in just 12 games (5.9 per game) in an otherwise struggling Argo offence. That and he turns 25 in March.
Chris Williams
Fair or not, the focus for one of the league’s most dominant receivers over the last two seasons is squarely on a surgically repaired knee. Williams was having a season for the ages in 2016 before tearing his ACL last October and now he won’t likely be ready for training camp. Red flag or potential steal for interested suitors?
Terrence Toliver
Toliver was among the league’s top producers last season, needing only 13 games to reach 1,036 receiving yards. He has 15 touchdowns in two seasons despite playing in only 26 of 36 games due to injury. What the numbers can’t tell you is his size: At 6-foot-5, Toliver is almost impossible to handle in one-on-one situations.
Kenny Shaw
The Argos have always loved Shaw for his potential, but the Florida State graduate couldn’t get on the field in 2015 thanks to the emergence of the ‘Big 3’. Injuries gave him an chance in 2016 and Shaw made the most of them, racking up 1,004 yards and five touchdowns on 77 catches. With age on his side having just turned 25, Shaw should be in for a big pay raise come February.
Marquay McDaniel
Other than one season that he lost due to injury (2011), McDaniel has recorded no fewer than 688 receiving yards over each of his eight professional seasons. A model of consistency and a veteran leader, the 32-year-old should be a valuable commodity should the Stamps let him slip away.
Second Options
Tori Gurley should garner plenty of interest come Feb. 14 (The Canadian Press)
Terrell Sinkfield
Despite his small seven-game sample size with the Lions in 2016, Sinkfield was explosive just like we remember in his CFL return. The 26-year-old has added some polish to his game and could border on elite in 2017, although his strength as a deep ball threat remains clear.
Quincy McDuffie
Already a dominant returner, McDuffie could make waves as a pass-catcher if given the opportunity. He’s fast and hard to get a grip of at 5-foot-8, 178 pounds, something he showed in spurts throughout 2016 with the Bombers. Look for the 26-year-old to continue his growth as a receiver in 2017.
Tori Gurley
It’s hard to believe how quickly things went wrong for such a talented receiver as Gurley, who was among the CFL’s top pass-catchers before being released last autumn. The 6-foot-4 South Carolina graduate has all the tools to be a physically dominating No. 1 receiver in this league and will look to reclaim that status this summer.
Andy Fantuz
At 33 and coming off a season-ending knee injury, Fantuz has an uphill battle to prove he’s still a top-flight CFL receiver. Don’t put it past him though — few expected the 101 catches and 1,059 receiving yards he put up in 2016 before getting hurt. Is there any chance the Chatham, Ont. native leaves Hamilton?
Kevin Elliott
Elliott showed significant potential with the Argos in 2015 but last year got off track. He’s a gifted athlete with an inviting frame for quarterbacks and should be on the radar for general managers across the CFL.
Value Picks
Chad Owens put in a productive campaign before injury struck (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
John Chiles
Chiles’ reunion with Chris Jones was short-lived as the former Argonaut was released just three games into his tenure with the Riders. The 28-year-old struggled to produce in eight games in 2016 (five with Hamilton) but has speed to burn and could be an underrated buy.
Chad Owens
The name rings a bell, but can he still play? Owens was on track for 1,000-plus yards in his first season with Hamilton before suffering a season-ending injury after 12 games. Now, at 34, he’ll look to prove he’s still got something left in the tank.
Clarence Denmark
Despite being released last off-season, Denmark re-joined the Bombers and put up his most productive season as a pro — 705 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns in only 10 games. He’s 31 but if last year is any indication, that shouldn’t scare anyone.
Bakari Grant
Grant was productive in 10 games with the Stamps last season, hauling in 44 passes for 625 yards. While he turns 30 in June and his numbers have never jumped off the page, Grant is a reliable veteran.
Joe West
While he has the talent, West has never really asserted himself as a leading receiver throughout five CFL seasons. That’ll be hard to do at age 32, but it doesn’t mean he can’t still be productive.
Nick Moore
Moore was having a productive return to the Lions — then he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the fourth game of the season. Rebounding from that at age 30 will be difficult but not impossible. After all, he’s just a year removed from racking up 899 yards over 15 games with Winnipeg.
Ratio-Breakers
Chris Getzlaf is set to become a free agent after one year with the Eskimos (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
Rory Kohlert
A Regina native, Kohlert started 18 games for the Bombers in 2016, hauling in 29 passes for 283 yards. He just turned 29 and should he reach free agency could be getting quite a few phone calls.
Simon Charbonneau-Campeau
For the first time in his career, Charbonneau-Campeau played in all 18 games, making two starts and eclipsing career-highs in receptions (18) and yards (249). He’s clearly talented and could get a chance to start somewhere.
Natey Adjei
The 27-year-old started three games for the Eskimos in 2017, finishing the season with just six catches for 53 yards. Will season four be the year Adjei finally gets his shot?
Devon Bailey
Once a top prospect, Bailey has barely made a ripple since being picked sixth overall in the 2014 CFL Draft. The talent is there but something is stopping the 6-foot-5 Mississauga, Ont. native from getting on the field consistently.
Chris Getzlaf
Strange as it was to see Getzlaf in Green and Gold, the long-time Rider was productive in Edmonton, putting up 455 yards on 41 catches. At age 34, he could still latch on and help out somewhere.
Marco Iannuzzi
Iannuzzi enjoyed a nice resurgence in 2016, racking up 360 yards while playing in all 18 games. He’s 30 in May but should still have plenty left in the tank for anyone interested.
Andre Durie
Durie started seven games last season but more importantly played in all 18, something he made a priority after an injury-riddled two seasons. There’s no guarantee he suits up in ’17 but if he does, he could still help despite his age (35)
