Toronto Star : CFL free agency beckons but will the Toronto Argonauts be a player?

[R.J]

http://www.thestar.com/sports/footba...ts-be-a-player

In a surprising move, the Argonauts have signed former Edmonton clutch receiver Jason Barnes, a move that reunites quarterback Ricky Ray with one of his favourite targets from last season.

Tuesday’s signing likely means the Argos won’t be pursuing Andy Fantuz when CFL free agency opens at noon on Wednesday.

But Barnes, 27, could well turn out to be the deep threat the Argos have been lacking. He’s a rising star, who already has chemistry with Ray.

“I’m definitely excited about the opportunity to come to Toronto and continue to play with Ricky,” Barnes said in a club release. “I’m glad it worked out the way it did. I can’t wait to learn from coach (Scott) Milanovich; I like what he did in Montreal and look forward to working with him.”

Ray said he was excited to have Barnes as an Argonaut.

“We’ve developed a good chemistry over the years in Edmonton. He’s a guy who will bring some big plays to our offence and he is going to be a great leader for the younger receivers in our locker room.”

It’s a surprising move because most expected Barnes, 27, to be heading to the NFL after getting his release from Edmonton under terms of a contract that he signed last season, giving him the option to resign or leave. He chose to leave.

Barnes had a career-year last season, catching 50 passes for 869 yards and seven TDs despite missing five games with a broken rib. The import slot back from California, whose older brother is Matt Barnes of the L.A. Lakers, was a key component of the Eskimos playoff run, catching four passes for 55 yards and a TD in the West semifinal and another six passes for 99 yards and a TD in the West final.

Fantuz, a Chatham, Ont., native who was the league’s top Canadian in 2010, is expected to hit the free-agent market at noon Wednesday.

But with a substantial amount of cash (rumoured to be $400,000) already tied up in Ray, a two-time Grey Cup winner, don’t expect the Argos to go after the 6-foot-4, 220-pound receiver, although GM Jim Barker says he expects to talk to Fantuz’s agent.

He also hasn’t shut the door on other free agents, although anybody who wants to play for the Argos this season not only has to fit into the team’s salary structure but also have the skill to play under the offensive and defensive schemes being created by Milanovich and defensive coordinator Chris Jones.

On the defensive side, particularly in the secondary, Barker will be looking for players with speed and the ability to play man-to-man defence, something the team expects to emphasize more this season as it tries to rebound from a last-place 6-12 record in the East.

“Receiver is a position we’re obviously looking at. But is there anybody in the free-agency market, who fits in with their ability and our salary structure, who we can afford? That’s what it comes down to,” Barker said in an interview this week. “You can’t add a quarterback in Ray, who is the top-paid quarterback in the league, and not change your salary structure.”

Barker expects Fantuz, 28, to command big bucks. League scuttlebutt has him seeking a $200,000 contract, but that’s QB-type money and teams have to fit into the $4.35 million salary cap. The 42-man active roster must consist of a minimum 20 non-imports. Three QBs don’t count towards the import-non-import ratio but do count in the salary cap.

“But to say I’m not looking at him (Fantuz) is totally inaccurate,” Barker said. “When it happens (Fantuz becomes a free agent), we’ll talk to his agent and we’ll either be involved in it or not involved in it.”

Ray, 32, was acquired in a trade with Edmonton in exchange for QB Steven Jyles, kicker Grant Shaw and the Argos’ first-round pick in the 2012 draft (second overall). Ironically, with Ray gone, the Eskimos are expected to make a run at Fantuz. The 6-foot-3 Ray passed for 4,594 yards and 24 touchdowns last season. As a team, the Argos only had 17 TDs through the air.

Barker has made contract offers to some of his own free agents. Altogether, 10 players could be on the market after running back Jeff Johnson, defensive back Matt Black and cornerback Jordan Younger re-signed. Still unsigned are backup QB Dalton Bell, linebackers Mike Eiben and Jason Pottinger, defensive backs Byron Parker and Willie Pile, offensive linemen Taylor Robertson, Rob Murphy and Dominic Picard, and defensive ends Alex Buzbee and Ben Ishola.

Not every player has been offered a contract, Barker said, including some veterans.

“I won’t make any offer, particularly to a veteran player, if it’s an insulting offer,” he said. “Will we lose more than we sign? Possibly. We don’t know exactly who is going to still be with us. ... You have to augment your team with a certain amount of rookies and younger players in order to survive under our salary cap.

“Free agency is a necessary evil that you go through but it’s rare when that becomes the way that you’re going to build your football team.”

Barker concedes that the free-agent signing of QB Henry Burris when he was with Calgary in 2005 became one of those cornerstone signings for the Stampeders.

For a free-agent acquisition to work, the player’s ability and salary has to fit within their team financial structure, Barker said, perhaps even more so this season.

“You don’t just say, well we need receivers so we’re going to go out and get this guy and that guy,” Barker said. “There has to be a particular player, whose skill set fits in with what you’re doing, and whose dollar amount fits with what you can afford to pay.

“Finding that match for a team isn’t always the easiest thing to do. Whether you can get them to come to your place all comes down to dollars and cents.”

With training camp four months away, Barker is fairly happy with his team.

“I wouldn’t say that I’m uncomfortable in any area,” he said.

“Obviously, we’ve undergone changes in the off-season.

“A player’s value is different for any team he goes to. We’ll lose players, who we’ve made offers to, to another team, who may pay $20,000 more. … If that’s his value to that team, then God bless him. His value to us wasn’t that. We didn’t make a mistake and the other team didn’t’ make a mistake. What a player’s value is to a particular team changes year by year.”

Barker said the Argos have been “beating the bushes” at various U.S. free-agent camps, looking for “younger players who can get things done but for less money.”

On Monday, the Argos signed former Saskatchewan offensive lineman Marc Parenteau, a three-time Grey Cup veteran, who will fill one of the offensive line spots with the expected departures of at least one of the Piccard, Taylor or Robertson. Donnie McKenzie, a 310-pound all-star offensive tackle out of Wilfrid Laurier, also signed on Monday. Also inked from U.S. free-agent camps were import defensive back Marcus Ball, from the University of Memphis, and wide receiver Jarmon Fortson, from North Alabama.

[Area 51]

On the defensive side, particularly in the secondary, Barker will be looking for players with speed and the ability to play man-to-man defence

Very interesting. Kinda implies the secondary was too slow and didn't have players with the ability to play man coverage last season. I seem to recall somebody mentioning that in this forum a few times, only to be attacked by various players. I wonder if Parker, Younger et al. are busy writing a letter to the editor to try and shoot down this column?

[argonaut11xx]

Very interesting. Kinda implies the secondary was too slow and didn't have players with the ability to play man coverage last season. I seem to recall somebody mentioning that in this forum a few times, only to be attacked by various players. I wonder if Parker, Younger et al. are busy writing a letter to the editor to try and shoot down this column?

your wit is caustic....and your comments so very accurate....

[1argoholic]

As I've mentioned in every post so far today. Well if we indeed have come to a reality that tons of our vets will be done as Argos it'll be a serious rebuild. No one should have any thoughts of this team being anywhere near Grey Cup other that in the parties leading up to it. I obviously knew that we'd have changes but I thought because we where hosting Grey Cup 100 that we'd tweek the areas we needed help. Seems like when all is said and done we'll have a very young team full of rookies who were found at US free agent camps. Reading all that Barker has to say about CFL free agents makes it obvious that he doesn't believe in signing other teams players. Not sure you can be that close minded. Time will tell.

[bluto]

As I've mentioned in every post so far today. Well if we indeed have come to a reality that tons of our vets will be done as Argos it'll be a serious rebuild. No one should have any thoughts of this team being anywhere near Grey Cup other that in the parties leading up to it. I obviously knew that we'd have changes but I thought because we where hosting Grey Cup 100 that we'd tweek the areas we needed help. Seems like when all is said and done we'll have a very young team full of rookies who were found at US free agent camps. Reading all that Barker has to say about CFL free agents makes it obvious that he doesn't believe in signing other teams players. Not sure you can be that close minded. Time will tell.

overreaction much? we were a 7th place team. our offence was abysmal and now looks to be potent. our D was inconsistent and now we're making changes to address that. i hate seeing some of my favourites leave, but ultimately i care most about the shirt and not the men who wear it. harsh but true.

[1argoholic]

No over reaction just a new found realization that we are finally rebuilding. A rebuilding he should have started last off season or the one before. I wouldn't get so excited about our O yet. One guy doesn't make it potent. I'll wait to see what Barker has at camp.

[bluto]

No over reaction just a new found realization that we are finally rebuilding. A rebuilding he should have started last off season or the one before. I wouldn't get so excited about our O yet. One guy doesn't make it potent. I'll wait to see what Barker has at camp.

it isn't one guy... it's 3 so far (Ray, Barnes, Milanovich) in addition to a decent line and all star RB. could be our best offense since 97.

[R.J]

it isn't one guy... it's 3 so far (Ray, Barnes, Milanovich) in addition to a decent line and all star RB. could be our best offense since 97.

Would have to disagree bluot I'd take Flutie over all 3 of those guys put together, but yes the offense so far on paper looks better than what the Argos have had for more then a decade.

[bluto]

Would have to disagree bluot I'd take Flutie over all 3 of those guys put together, but yes the offense so far on paper looks better than what the Argos have had for more then a decade.

who wouldn't? but you get my point. it looks like we'll finally be able to move the ball and have fun watching our O... been a longgg time.