Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
I feel like I’ve said, “this is the best free agent class I can remember” for the last four off-seasons running, but here we go again. The league released the list of free agents late last week and, once again, it’s as star-studded a list as I can remember.
Tracking what happens between now and mid-February when free agency opens is going to be fascinating.
Free-for-all
The run of re-signings started with a bang and got going almost immediately. It took almost no time at all for the Ottawa REDBLACKS to re-up with Brad Sinopoli for two more years, which must have been one of the easiest decisions ever for General Manager Marcel Desjardins.
Since signing with Ottawa in free agency prior to the 2015 season, Sinopoli transformed from a promising receiver with the right passport to a bona fide elite playmaker in the snap of a finger. Whether part of a fearsome foursome for his first two years with the REDBLACKS or, like last year, as one half of a dynamic duo, Sinopoli has done nothing but produce.
Injuries happen, and taking nothing away from Saskatchewan, you have to wonder how things might have been different for Ottawa had Sinopoli been healthy for the Eastern Semi-Final. Regardless, though, Sinopoli’s early re-signing takes a big name off the board. Fear not, though, because there are myriad big name options still potentially up for grabs.
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Esks backup James Franklin is one of the marquee names on this year’s free agent list (David Chidley/CFL.ca)
For evidence of that, all you have to do is look at the number of potential free agent quarterbacks on the list. Led by East Division MOP Ricky Ray, I count five fascinating names on the 2018 list (more on Ray later).
Let’s start with Ray’s former understudy in Toronto. After two extremely productive seasons in Ottawa, Trevor Harris is up for a new deal and I would be stunned if he didn’t follow the same path as his aforementioned teammate Sinopoli.
Harris has proven to be one of the CFL’s most prolific passers the last three years and is coming off a career performance in his first season as an unquestioned starter. He’ll command a nice payday thanks to his numbers the last two years, but it would be a surprise not to see him back for another few years in red and black. His repeated declarations of wanting to return certainly add to my confidence level here.
Saskatchewan’s Brandon Bridge and Edmonton’s James Franklin are in very similar boats. Both have started games, both have boatloads of potential and both possess the traits that would suggest they could be future number ones in this league.
Do the Riders believe enough in Bridge to give him a legit shot as next year’s starter? And can the Eskimos match what Franklin might get on the open market just to keep him as Mike Reilly’s backup? Oh, and then there’s the whole matter of potential NFL interest in Franklin, as reported by 3DownNation, which complicates matters even more.
Perhaps the most interesting pivot in need of a new contract resides in Hamilton, though. Jeremiah Masoli took over for Zach Collaros midway through the 2017 season and the results were rather staggering. After going 0-8 to start the season under Collaros, Masoli led the Tiger-Cats to a 6-4 finish as the team just narrowly missed a playoff berth.
While he’s not a free agent, Ticats pivot Zach Collaros will garner plenty of attention this off-season (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
For the first time in his professional career, Masoli looked more than just a quarterback with good tools and ridiculous athleticism. Instead, he looked like the total package and used those tools better than he ever has. Masoli threw just four interceptions in the 10 consecutive games he started while completing almost 65 per cent of his passes.
Masoli’s decision-making has come a long, long way, even going back to the 2016 season. Masoli threw 12 interceptions in 10 appearances that year because he was forcing things when they weren’t there. His patience and comfort level in the pocket is noticeably better and leads you to believe what we saw down the stretch was not just a one off.
But will that be enough for Hamilton to commit the dollars and years necessary to keep Masoli off the market? And what does that mean for Collaros, who remains one of the league’s highest-paid players? Stay tuned over the next two months or so; free agency opens on Feb. 13.
A fly in the ointment
Last week’s MMQB was headlined by Ricky Ray’s pending decision on his playing future. Will he retire? Or will he come back to give it another go in Toronto with Head Coach Marc Trestman? As I said last week: it really is a win-win decision for one of the best quarterbacks in CFL history. Of course, there is one mitigating factor we didn’t talk about while caught up in the sentimental hoopla.
Are the Argonauts interested in another year with Ray at the helm? That sounds callous to say about the guy who just helped Toronto to a 105th Grey Cup victory, but it’s also not unfair. Football is a business, after all, and the Argos have to think about their long-term future and not just the 2018 season.
With the aforementioned Collaros almost certainly on the trade block this winter, there is plenty of speculation linking him to Toronto, where his CFL career got started. Remember, Collaros was impressive in relief of Ray during the 2013 season prior to signing with Hamilton the following season.
If Ricky Ray does return, Steinberg writes the Argos could have a tough decision to make (Alex D’Addese/CFL.ca)
There’s plenty of merit on both sides, here. On the one hand, Ray is 38 years old and isn’t a long-term play for the Argos. Collaros, on the other hand, is 29 and could be a really nice add if partnering with Trestman helps him return to prior form. In that scenario, signing Ray for another year wouldn’t make a ton of sense, knowing the salaries both players demand.
On the other hand, Ray is coming off a resurgent season that saw him win the East Division’s MOP award rather convincingly. Working with Trestman had the desired effect and Ray was able to stay healthy for most of the season. After a Grey Cup victory and with a full off-season for Trestman and GM Jim Popp, you couldn’t fault the Argos for giving it another go with Ray.
This decision ultimately comes down to what Ray wants to do, because if retiring is his what he chooses, then the rest becomes moot. If Ray still has the drive to keep going, though, the other questions become much more valid. Is that the direction Toronto wants to go in? And if not, is there another landing spot for him? Your move, Mr. Ray.
Tough break
You had to feel bad for a couple former CFL coaches over the weekend. Fresno State head coach Jeff Tedford and defensive coordinator Orlondo Steinauer were less than five minutes away from a Mountain West Conference championship before it all came crashing down. Even worse, it all happened against a top rival they had beaten one week prior.
Tedford, of course, started his coaching career as an assistant in Calgary in 1989 and also spent one year as head coach of the BC Lions in 2015. Steinauer, on the other hand, parlayed a stellar playing career in the CFL into a commensurate tenure as a coach in the league.
After three years as Hamilton’s defensive coordinator, Steinauer signed with the Bulldogs prior to this season in the same role. In short order, Steinauer helped guide one of the best defensive units in NCAA Division 1 (FBS).
Unfortunately it didn’t have a happy ending. After finishing the regular season with a 28-17 home win over the Boise State Broncos, No. 25 Fresno State had the difficult task of beating the same team in consecutive weeks to win a conference championship. Making matters worse, the Bulldogs had to go on the road to accomplish the feat.
The blue turf in Boise, Idaho helps the Broncos to one of the best home field advantages in mid-major college football, but that didn’t seem to deter Tedford’s group for most of the evening. Up 14-10 with fewer than five minutes to go, though, Fresno State allowed the game’s final major and ended up ceding the Mountain West title to BSU.
Things look very positive for the Bulldogs going forward, nonetheless. Year one with Tedford and Steinauer at the helm saw a remarkable turnaround from 1-11 in 2016 to 9-4 one year later. Yes, FSU agonizingly missed out on a conference championship in 2017, but led by a couple CFL coaching alums, the future looks extremely bright.
