Wayne Scanlan examines the Redblacks situation following the Grey Cup and free agency. The latter involves a lot of faces familiar to Argos.

Just this past week, Desjardins said goodbye to:
  • Receiver Ernest Jackson, who caught the winning touchdown in overtime of the Grey Cup game.
  • Kienan Lafrance, the Canadian running back who warmed Ottawa hearts in a wild CFL East Final, coming off the bench to rush for 157 yards and a vital touchdown in the driving snow.
  • Chris Williams, one of Ottawa’s 1,000-yard receivers and a kick returner.
  • All-star defensive back Abdul Kanneh. Plus his dreadlocks.
  • And several more players including kicker Chris Milo and tailback Trevon Van, linebacker Damaso Munoz . . .
Legendary CFL quarterback Henry Burris retired last month and will be smiling on CTV Morning Live instead of on the Redblacks sidelines.

So much for the warm afterglow of Ottawa’s first Grey Cup title since 1976.
But here’s the thing. Desjardins, who built a championship roster in three years, has suitable replacements for these players, including two receivers from the Toronto Argos (Diontae Spencer and Kenny Shaw) who caught passes for Ottawa quarterback Trevor Harris when Harris was an Argo. In 2016 Shaw was a 1,000-yard man on a very dysfunctional Argos team while Spencer hit the 700-yard mark in just 12 games played. Spencer and Shaw are both kick returners, meaning Ottawa won’t have to dress a return specialist. A.J. Jefferson, also a decent returner, is a cornerback from the Argos to help fill the void of Kanneh and linebacker Khalil Bass from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers is a motivated replacement for Munoz.
“It’s not fun in the sense that we owe a lot to all of these guys, we really do,” Desjardins says of the departures, nearly all to free agency. “But you’ve got to turn the page.” Most fans understand the realities of the CFL fuel February movement around the cozy nine-team league. Others, Desjardins admits, “don’t understand why we would let somebody go after he scored the game-winning touchdown in the Grey Cup game.” It’s a question of priorities. American receivers and running backs come and go in waves. Canadian offensive linemen are precious and limited in supply. Desjardins and his staff felt it was imperative to get Nolan MacMillan of Arnprior re-signed to maintain domestic depth on the O-line. Priorities, according to Desjardins, involve the age and ability of a player, but also how the loss or gain of an individual will impact the overall roster.
The retirement of Burris wasn’t a big saving because Harris was already signed on as the starter for next season. Burris left some backup QB money on the table that will go to someone else. The Redblacks had targeted quarterback Jeff Mathews of the Hamilton Ticats, but he signed with the Argos.
Hockey teams love to reward loyalty. Championship clubs try to bring their players back, with raises, until the salary cap bursts. (Chicago is one franchise that is forever winning, then losing valuable assets due to cap issues).
There is less room for loyalty — either way— in the CFL. Players target free agency to make a little money before their short-lived careers play out.
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