Taking a look at the winners and losers from the first week of the CFL free agency period.
Big Winners
Edmonton: General manager Eric Tillman had one objective going into free agency: load up on Canadian talent. He did just that. He raided the Hamilton Tiger-Cats roster and signed receiver Chris Bauman, defensive tackle Jermaine Reid and offensive tackle Brian Ramsay, each of whom is capable of being a starter. They are young, and in my opinion, Bauman is ready to become an impact slotback. The Canadian wide receiver couldn't supplant Dave Stala in Hamilton, who is really coming into his own. Although, I'm not sure why Hamilton didn't use both slots, taking advantage of Canadian talent similar to what Saskatchewan does.
Bauman has the size and grit; he just needed to be used more effectively. The Cats wasted him as a wideout. He was a slotback, plain and simple, and the Eskimos have invested heavily in him with big money relative to what he's done so far.
Reid may become the non-import ratio player on the Eskimos' defensive line if bad boy Adam Braidwood doesn't play for the Eskimos this year because of off-field legal issues. At worst, he gives them Canadian depth on the defensive line. Ramsay's true value as an everyday offensive tackle is hard to gauge. He will get a chance to prove himself as a starter in training camp and the pre-season, but he's a ratio type guy, and the Eskimos needed considerable help on their offensive line. The troubling unit will likely undergo more changes, including the trading or release of massive Canadian offensive guard Patrick Kabongo.
The free-agent moves, combined with asking quarterback Ricky Ray to take a $100,000 salary cut, are all part of Tillman's grand plan. He is known as Trader Tillman for a reason, and the moves are expected to start happening as early as next week. Once the major free-agency moves are made, teams can address other needs through trades and releases, while also paying attention to their overall salary structure.
Montreal: Because the Als chose to concentrate primarily on signing their own free agents, they made only a few moves, but were significant nonetheless. They took a huge shot on cornerback Dwight Anderson, who got some serious cash because of a bidding war. Anderson has to prove he's more than just a motor mouth. He was a ball-hawk in Calgary, but was arguably the second or third most important player in the secondary. Montreal's cornerbacks weren't great in man-to-man coverage, so apparently they felt Anderson can help. He's a kind of hit and miss guy who likes to play with emotion but sometimes loses it mentally.
The Als were quite prepared to re-sign running back Avon Cobourne, deeming him expendable because of his age (almost 32) and wear and tear. Apparently, the Als have a deal in place with former Green Bay Packers running back Ahmed Green, who is still under contract in the United Football League. The signing of Yvenson Bernard, who was buried behind Fred Reid in Winnipeg, gives the Als a young player with a huge upside. This is his chance to prove he can be a starter.
The Als picked up Canadian safety Tad Crawford from B.C. because of what's expected to be the impending retirement of Mathieu Proulx, combined with Etienne Boulay's injury issues. After deciding to cut Chris Leak, who was battling with Adrian McPherson for the backup quarterback job, the Als will be looking for a pivot. As long as Anthony Calvillo is healthy, his backups won't play very much anyway.
Hamilton: Yes, this may surprise some people given my thoughts about signing Avon Cobourne, though I stated before free agency they had to go after him to address their running back issues. The only concern is the cost, literally and figuratively. He has tons of talent and can run, catch and block, but his body wearing down is a concern. If he can stay healthy, he's a big upgrade over DeAndre' Cobb. If nothing else, he'll create a buzz on a team that needs to find a way to compete with more effectiveness against Montreal and Toronto, who beat them in the semi-final.
Adding middle linebacker Rey Williams may have been the most important move of all by the Ticats because he's a stud and gives them a younger and more athletic type than Otis Floyd, who made big plays but also took some needless penalties. Daniel Francis from Saskatchewan is a fair tradeoff for losing defensive back Geoff Tisdale to Calgary. The Ticats' back end is still an issue.
The team picked up versatile offensive lineman Wayne Smith, who began his career in Hamilton, from Saskatchewan. It could be significant if he can battle back from injuries that he's suffered the last two years. When he was health in Hamilton, he had a hell of a motor and was one of the fastest offensive linemen in the league. He can play guard or tackle, and is essentially a tradeoff for George Hudson, who signed in Saskatchewan.
Fullback Daryl Stephenson, acquired from Winnipeg, is a minor addition. I thought Darcy Brown, who is a load at 6-foot-4, 251 pounds, is a prototypical fullback. Brown has yet to carry the ball for the Cats, but neither he nor Stephenson will be counted on for that.
Big Losers
Winnipeg: They re-signed defensive tackle Doug Brown and defensive back Jonathan Hefney, but for a team that faltered last year you'd think they'd do a little more. Maybe they will. They lost star defensive lineman Phillip Hunt to the National Football League, and picking up Canadian Shawn Mayne, whom Montreal released, is hardly the answer. They allowed backup running back Yvenson Bernard to leave, but maybe he wanted to go anyway, knowing he had no chance to supplant Fred Reid.
B.C: The Lions did next to nothing, aside from signing Argo rush end Eric Taylor and former Winnipeg quarterback Stefan LeFors. Still sitting on some potential signings, but the big move will happen via a trade of one of their kickers, Paul McCallum or Sean Whyte, which should fetch a first-round draft pick and likely at least one player, possibly two, in my opinion
Somewhere in between
Saskatchewan:The Riders signed Canadian offensive tackle Alexandre Gauthier from Hamilton and fellow Ticat line mate George Hudson. That addressed the non-import problem, which became an issue with veteran centre Jeremy O'Day retiring. Gene Makowsky will be moved inside to centre or guard, which means Gauthier takes his spot on the line. Rush end/linebacker Kitwana Jones, who's a great special teams player, and linebacker Sean Lucas were allowed to test free agency and still haven't been signed. Import offensive tackle Joel Bell is also on the street.
New head coach Greg Marshall is supposed to be overhauling the defence from small and athletic to a big and more conventional unit, so you have to figure trades or signings are in the works. They released Canadian cornerback Donovan Alexander, who was snapped up by Saskatchewan, and backup Leron Mitchell suffered a broken leg in the Grey Cup. The Alouettes attacked the Riders' cornerbacks at will in the second half of the Grey Cup, so you have to think Saskatchewan will go with imports at both cornerback spots. It also may explain why they decided to stick with non-import Mike McCullough at middle linebacker rather than sign former Rider Rey Willliams, who is better but more expensive.
The Riders have been solid in the West and have made it to the Grey Cup two of the last three years, but it's hard to gauge what the Riders are doing because you know there are many moves in play with trades or NFL free-agent signings.
Calgary: They allowed Anderson to walk believing they could replace him. It'll be interesting to see if it was the right move. Having lost cornerback/defensive back Brandon Browner and defensive lineman Tom Johnson to the NFL, and opting not to re-sign defensive end Tearrius George, the Stamps are without several starters from their defensive unit last year. But the Stamps have proven in the era of GM/head coach John Hufnagel that they don't mind making changes on defence. Remember how they overhauled almost the entire defence in Hufnagel's first year?
They elected to re-sign massive defensive tackle Devone Claybrooks, who figures to take over Johnson's spot. Picking up DB Geoff Tisdale from Hamilton takes the spot of Browner in theory, though you can't compare the two in actuality. Browner was used to shut down the opposition's key slotbacks and could also play cornerback, and his loss will mean more than the loss of Anderson. Signing free agent Tim St. Pierre from Edmonton gives the Stamps two long snappers, suggesting Randy Chevrier may be used in trade bait. Re-signing Romby Bryant helps make the Stamps' receiving corps arguably the best in the league, although Montreal may argue.
Toronto: Didn't do a heck of lot, aside from re-signing defensive tackle Kevin Huntley, who would have had offers on the free agent market, although his physical status is uncertain following a nasty shoulder injury last season. They allowed defensive end Eric Taylor to leave in free agency, which makes you wonder if the Argos are going to sign Calgary free agent Tearrius George. With Canadian defensive tackle Adriano Belli uncertain about his future - general manager/head coach Jim Barker says Mar. 1 is a key date to make a decision - the Argos are thin now at what was once of their key areas. Rush end Ricky Foley is the ratio guy on the line, so if Belli signs the Argos can look elsewhere to add an import, likely in the receiving corps. The question of quarterback is still the key issue.
