Michigan State
While we all love the realities of the CFL off-season, which range from the 2020 schedule release to knowing who your team’s new head coach is, sometimes it’s fun to live in a theoretical mind space, especially if you love playing armchair quarterback.
No event on the CFL calendar is better suited to that imaginary exercise than the negotiation releases.
Some people find little value in the names that appear in the twice-a-year list of names, which is understandable considering the limited number of difference makers who actually make their way north to the CFL and the small list of names relative to the rest of the group who remain clouded in secrecy. However, one conversation with a CFL decision maker and you quickly begin to understand the role these lists play in building the on-field product.
» CFL reveals list of 10 negotiation list players for each team
For the final time this season, all nine Canadian Football League teams have unveiled ten players from each of their negotiation lists. Clubs are required to do so on two occasions throughout the year following a measure approved at the 2018 CFL winter meetings.
The lists are typically quarterback heavy, especially in terms of the names traditionally released, so let’s take a look at one intriguing quarterback and one interesting non-passer name for each of the teams releasing their list on Tuesday.
BC Lions
Shea Patterson | QB Michigan
On Monday, Patterson was named Michigan football MVP for 2019 and there are rumours he could be exploring a fifth and final year with the wolverines after transferring from Ole Miss. His varied skill set could work well if he ever arrives in Vancouver with the Lions to learn the game’s intricacies under Mike Reilly.
Emanuel Hall | REC Missouri
Hall finished his injury plagued, yet productive, career at Mizzou in the 2018 Liberty Bowl. In that game he had 72 yards on two catches, putting him over 2,000 receiving yards in his career and became the 10th Missouri pass-catcher to haul in more than 2,000 career yards.
Since then Hall went undrafted and has bounced around the NFL and is a perfect negotiation list candidate.
Edmonton Eskimos
Shane Buechele | QB SMU
Buechele attended legendary Lamar High School in Arlington, Texas, where he was a star in both football and baseball. He was ranked among the top quarterback recruits in his class and was invited to the Elite 11 quarterback competition before committing to Texas where he became only the second true freshman to ever start at QB for Texas and the first since Bobby Layne in 1944.
For his senior season (2019) Buechele transferred to SMU where he appeared in seven games throwing for 2,122 yards, 18 touchdown passes and just six interceptions.
Mark Fields | DB Clemson
A two-time national champion with the Tigers, Fields currently resides on the Minnesota Vikings practice roster but his length and athleticism could kick-start NFL interest in a more prominent role if the Esks were able to put him on display for a year or two.
Calgary Stampeders
Chason Virgil | QB Southeastern Louisiana
In two seasons at Fresno State – one while current Ticats head coach Orlondo Steinauer was there – Virgil threw for 2,843 yards and 19 touchdowns. Virgil recently ended his collegiate career with a 73-28 loss to Montana in the FCS playoffs.
In his final game as a Lion, SLU quarterback Chason Virgil threw for 436 yards and four touchdowns on 36-of-59 passing.
Virginia Tech DE Dadi Nicolas
Nicolas is a Haitian-born defensive end who is currently a free agent after being drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Nicolas has bounced around to several teams and was recently waived by the Denver Broncos from injured reserve. A classic negotiation list candidate with excellent length.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Donnel Pumphrey | RB San Diego State
Even casual college football fans remember what Pumphrey was able to accomplish a few short years ago when buzz surrounding his career accomplishments began to add up.
Pumphrey rushed for 2,018 yards in 2016 season. In the 2016 Las Vegas Bowl, he passed Ron Dayne of Wisconsin for the all-time NCAA Division I FBS lead in career rushing yards. At five-foot-eight and 170 pounds, Pumphrey is a small, quick back with some route running experience who could appear in Regina after a season with the XFL’s DC Defenders beginning this February.
Kaleb Barker | QB Troy
A big, tough, physical and mobile quarterback, Beaver fits the mould and honestly looks very similar to recently re-upped Riders main man Cody Fajardo. In 2018 he finished the season with the highest completion percentage in school history at 73.0 percent and the fifth-highest efficiency rating (163.6) before wrapping up his career in 2019 for the Trojans.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Taylor Heinicke | QB Old Dominion
In 2013, Heinicke passed for 4,022 yards, 33 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He also ran for 348 yards and five touchdowns while also punting 13 times for a total of 539 yards. During 2013, Heinicke became just the 18th quarterback from Division I to pass for 10,000 career yards and rush for 1,000. His 2013 season marks placed him in the top ten among FBS quarterbacks in passing yards, passing yards per game and touchdown passes.
The NFL journeyman has landed – for now – on the St.Louis Battlehawks of XFL but could fill a role for the Bombers depending on their volatile quarterback free agency situation.
Brandon Reilly | REC Nebraska
Reilly was awarded Academic All-Big Ten twice in 2013 and 2014, as well as six Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll awards. His biggest moment in Lincoln came on the game-winning touchdown pass to upset the undefeated No. 7 Michigan State Spartans football team in the 2015 season.
Since then Reilly has seen stints with the Bills, Lions, Cowboys, Steelers and now St.Louis Battlehawks of the XFL.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Jalen Hurts | QB Oklahoma
One of the more interesting and unique NCAA careers is set to come to a close this January as Jalen Hurts enters the college football playoff as a dramatically improved passer than his championship winning time at Alabama before transferring.
I doubt Hamilton will see Hurts anytime soon, but it’s a fun thought.
Kyle Wilson | LB Arkansas State
A strong two year player for Arkansas State, Wilson made 173 tackles, including 26.5 for loss, grabbed an interception and forced a fumble while helping the Red Wolves win 15 games and play in two bowls.
He would supply competition and special teams talent at the weak side linebacker pot in Hamilton.
Toronto Argonauts
Connor Cook | QB Michigan State
He’s tall and needs somewhere to prove himself after a distinguished career with the Spartans. A similar body type and playing style to UBC grad Michael O’Connor, I wonder if new head coach Ryan Dinwiddie would be able to convince Cook that the CFL is the right fit after he is slotted in to play for former Ticats head coach June Jones in the XFL this spring.
Eli Harold | DL Virginia
A top-end recruit looking to find his way after slowly sliding down depth charts, Harold is a prospect worth knowing for Argos fans.
Regarded as a four-star recruit by both Rivals.com and ESPN, Harold was ranked as the No. 1 overall player in the state of Virginia, the No. 5 defensive end nationally and No. 1 outside linebacker in his recruiting class. Since then Harold was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round with the 79th overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft. As a rookie in 2015, he played in 16 games making 13 tackles and one fumble recovery before being traded twice and released this August.
Ottawa REDBLACKS
Roland Rivers | QB Slippery Rock
At six-foot-three and 230 pounds, Rivers has all the size needed to survive pro football as a runner and showed he can throw it all over the field.
Three times in his career Rivers threw for six touchdowns in a single game, he also rushed for 135 yards in a game this season and in his final four games was given the freedom and trust to sling the rock more than 40 times each outing.
Ejuan Price | LB Pittsburgh
A standout for the Panthers, Price was drafted by the LA Rams before spending some time with the Ravens. His five-foot-11, 241-pound frame would add some pop down the middle of a REDBLACKS defence looking to regroup after a tough 2019.
Montreal Alouettes
Austin Allen | QB Arkansas
While the Alouettes have their immediate QB depth chart more than figured out between Matthew Shiltz and Vernon Adams Jr., Allen is a legitimate prospect who is worth taking a look at if he comes to the CFL in a training camp setting.
Reggie White Jr. | REC Monmouth
The six-foot-two, 208-pound White holds the Monmouth career record for receptions with 249 catches and had 71 catches for 1,133 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2018. His addition would add more size and speed to a quickly evolving Als receiving room.
