February 13, 2017

A team by team look at Free Agency

Montreal Alouettes

TORONTO — With an unprecedented amount of free agents in 2017, the first wave of free agency on Valentine’s Day had no shortage of exciting moves around the league with teams choosing new matches and keeping some familiar faces.

Last season’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman, Derek Dennis, found himself a new home in Saskatchewan while the Hamilton Tiger-Cats bolstered their secondary by adding Grey Cup Champion Abdul Kanneh and re-signing Emanuel Davis.

With that and much more happening around the league on the first day of free agency, here’s a look what what each team has done so far:

Jump to team:

BC | Calgary | Edmonton | Saskatchewan | Winnipeg | Hamilton | Toronto | Ottawa | Montreal

BC LIONS

Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca

In short: The Lions did a lot of their work in the last few hours before the deadline, retaining a list of veterans on defence, most importantly, DL Mic’hael Brooks.  Focusing on their own protected the nucleus of the defence from free agency and may have set them up for some depth signings in the days following.

Additions/Re-Signings:

Player Position Transaction Former Team
Mic’hael Brooks DL Re-Signed (02/14/17)
Marco Iannuzzi WR Re-Signed (02/14/17)
Ronnie Yell DB Re-Signed (02/14/17)
Tony Burnett LB Signed (02/14/17) WPG
Chris Williams WR Signed (02/15/17) OTT
Dequin Evans DL Signed (02/15/17) MTL
Matt Bucknor DB Signed (02/16/17) CGY
DeQuin Evans DE Signed (02/16/17) MTL

 

Departures:

Player Position Transaction New Team
Ryan Phillips DB Signed (02/15/17) MTL
Jabar Westerman DL Signed (02/15/17) MTL

 


EDMONTON ESKIMOS

Patrick Doyle/CFL.ca

In short: Kendial Lawrence returns to try and re-ignite his career in the place he made a name for himself as he returns to the Esks.  GM Ed Hervey made a pair of additional signings to help solidify his Canadian talent but for the most part, stayed away from the sweepstakes involving big-name free agents.

Additions/Re-Signings:

Player Position Transaction Former Team
Alexandre Dupuis FB Signed (02/14/17) TOR
Kendial Lawrence RB Signed (02/14/17) HAM
Andrew Lue DB Signed (02/14/17) SSK
Phillip Hunt DE Re-signed (02/15/17)
Travon Van RB Signed (02/16/17) OTT
Aston Whiteside DE Signed (02/16/17) OTT

 

Departures:

Player Position Transaction New Team
 Aaron Milton RB Signed (02/15/17) SSK

 


CALGARY STAMPEDERS

Johany Jutras/CFL.ca

In short: The Stampeders did what they always do — stayed the course.  The wanted to ensure they maintained two veterans on each side of the ball and refused to pay over market value to retain Derek Dennis.  There is enough talent on a team that ran away with the West Division to allow GM John Hufnagel to remain patient.

Additions:

Player Position Transaction Former Team
Micah Johnson DL Extended (02/14/17)
Marquay McDaniel WR Extended (02/14/17)
Beau Landry LB Signed (02/15/17) HAM
Mitchell Gale QB Signed (02/15/17) SSK
Anthony Woodson RB Signed (02/17/17) HAM
Dan Federkeil OL Re-Signed (02/17/02)

 

Departures:

Player Position Transaction New Team
Adam Berger DB Signed (02/14/17) (Unconfirmed) OTT
Derek Dennis OL Signed (02/14/17) SSK
Matt Bucknor DB Signed (02/16/17) BC
Glenn Love LB Signed (02/21/17) SSK
Bakari Grant WR Signed (02/21/17) SSK
Zach Minter DL Signed (02/21/17) SSK

 


SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS

Walter Tychnowicz/CFL.ca

In short: Chris Jones once again made one of the biggest signings of the first day of free agency, bringing in last year’s Most Outstanding Lineman, Derek Dennis, from the Stampeders; the left tackle just the latest addition to an offence that is being re-tooled in Saskatchewan.

Additions/Re-Signings:

Player Position Transaction Former Team
Derek Dennis OL Signed (02/14/17) CGY
Marc-Olivier Brouillette LB Signed with SSK (02/15/17) MTL
Chad Owens WR Signed (02/15/17) HAM
Aaron Milton RB Signed (02/15/17) EDM
Ryan White OL Signed (02/15/17) MTL
Cameron Marshall RB Signed (02/16/17) NFL
Glenn Love LB Signed (02/21/17) CGY
Bakari Grant WR Signed (02/21/17) CGY
Zach Minter DL Signed (02/21/17) CGY

 

Departures:

Player Position Transaction New Team
Andrew Lue DB Signed (02/14/17) EDM
Jeff Fuller WR Signed (02/16/17) TOR
Matt Webster DB Signed (02/17/17) TOR

 


WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS

Johany Jutras/CFL.ca

In short: The Bombers were significantly less busy than this day last year but they did solidify the interior of their defensive line, signing Drake Nevis who spent last year with the Tiger-Cats.  Khalil Bass is now on his way to Ottawa, leaving a hole at linebacker though.

Additions:

Player Position Transaction Former Team
Matt Coates WR Signed (02/14/17) HAM
Drake Nevis DL Signed (02/14/17) HAM
Sam Hurl LB Re-Signed (02/14/17)
Dan LeFevour QB Signed (02/16/17) TOR
Clarence Denmark WR Signed (02/17/17)

 

Departures:

Player Position Transaction New Team
Khalil Bass LB Signed (02/14/17) OTT
James Tuck FB Signed (02/15/17) TOR

 


HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

Johany Jutras/CFL.ca

In short: Hamilton was willing to let a few pieces depart as long as they focused on bolstering their secondary.  They did just that.  First, they inked arguably the league’s best cover DB in Abdul Kanneh from Ottawa and then complemented by bringing Emanuel Davis and his five interceptions last season back into the mix.

Additions/Re-Signings:

Player Position Transaction Former Team
Abdul Kanneh DB Signed (02/14/17) OTT
Emmanuel Davis DB Re-Signed (02/14/17)  —

 

Departures:

Player Position Transaction New Team
Matt Coates WR Signed (02/14/17) WPG
Kendial Lawrence RB Signed (02/14/17) EDM
Jeff Mathews QB Signed (02/14/17)  TOR
Drake Nevis DL Signed (02/14/17) WPG
Ron Omara LB Signed (02/14/17) (Unconfirmed) OTT
Chad Owens WR Signed (02/15/17)  SSK
Jacory Harris QB Signed (02/15/17) MTL
Beau Landry LB Signed (02/15/17) CGY

 


TORONTO ARGONAUTS

Adam Gagnon/CFL.ca

In short: The Argos remained relatively quiet despite rumours they were after Dennis and WR Ernest Jackson. They added another arm under centre in Jeff Mathews and a hard-hitting linebacker by reportedly taking Winston Venable off the Alouettes’ roster.

Additions/Re-Signings:

Player Position Transaction Former Team
Jeffrey Finley DL Signed (02/14/17) MTL
Jeff Mathews QB Signed (02/14/17) HAM
Winston Venable LB Signed (02/15/17) MTL
James Tuck FB Signed (02/15/17) WPG
Jeff Fuller WR Signed (02/16/17) SSK
Matt Webster DB Signed (02/17/17) SSK
Matt Black DB Re-signed (02/17/17)
Johnny Sears Jr. DB Signed (02/17/17) HAM
Khalil Paden WR Signed (02/21/17) OTT

 

Departures:

Player Position Transaction New Team
AJ Jefferson CB Signed (02/14/17) OTT
Kenny Shaw WR Signed (02/14/17) OTT
Diontae Spencer WR Signed (02/14/17) OTT
Alexandre Dupuis FB Signed (02/14/17) EDM
Dan LeFevour QB Signed (02/16/17) WPG

 


OTTAWA REDBLACKS

John Sokolowski/CFL.ca

In short: The REDBLACKS went all-out once again on Day 1, taking three impact players off Toronto’s roster and adding a game-changing linebacker in Khalil Bass.  Doing so made Dumaso Munoz expendable as he was released later in the day according to reports.

Additions/Re-Signings:

Player Position Transaction Former Team
AJ Jefferson CB Signed (02/14/17) TOR
Kenny Shaw WR Signed (02/14/17) TOR
Diontae Spencer WR Signed (02/14/17) TOR
Ron Omara LB Signed (02/14/17) (Unconfirmed) HAM
Khalil Bass LB Signed (02/14/17) OTT
Adam Berger DB Signed (02/14/17) (Unconfirmed) CGY
Drew Tate QB Traded (02/21/17) CGY
Scott Macdonell WR Re-signed (02/22/17)

 

Departures:

Player Position Transaction New Team
Kienan Lafrance RB Signed (02/14/17) SSK
Abdul Kanneh DB Signed (02/14/17) HAM
Domaso Munoz LB Released (02/14/17) (Unconfirmed)
Chris Williams WR Signed (02/15/17) BC
Ernest Jackson WR Signed (02/16/17) MTL
Travon Van RB Signed (02/16/17) EDM
Aston Whiteside DE Signed (02/16/17) EDM

 


MONTREAL ALOUETTES

Johany Jutras/CFL.ca

In short: The Alouettes were the not very active, retaining just Nicolas Boulay and letting Winston Venable walk. Time will tell if they make a significant mark on this free agent period.

Additions/Re-Signings:

Player Position Transaction Former Team
Nicholas Boulay LB Extended (02/14/17)
Boris Bede K Re-signed (02/14/17)
Jacory Harris QB Signed (02/15/17) HAM
Jabar Westerman DT Signed (02/15/17) BC
Daryl Townsend DB Re-signed (02/15/17) (Unconfirmed)
Ernest Jackson REC Signed (02/16/17) OTT
Michael Klassen DL Re-signed (02/16/17)
Don Oramaisonwu DL Signed (02/16/17) EDM
Brandon Rutley RB Re-signed (02/20/17)
Jovon Johnson DB Re-signed (02/20/17)

 

Departures:

Player Position Transaction New Team
Jeffrey Finley DL Signed (02/14/17) TOR
Winston Venable LB Signed (02/15/17) TOR
Marco-Olivier Brouillette LB Signed (02/15/17) SSK
Ryan White OL Signed (02/15/17) SSK
DeQuin Evans DL Signed (02/15/17) BC