More discussion of why the Stamps needs will be mostly met internally.

There is an official start date to CFL free agency, but that has never mattered much to the Calgary Stampeders. When looking at the pending free agents, the Stamps are generally enamoured with the players they know best, which is basically how this off-season has gone. No other CFL team has retained its own talent more than the Stamps have in the months leading up to the time the market opens, and don’t be surprised if they announce a couple more signings before the frenzy starts.
What the Stampeders could use however, probably won’t be found on the free-agent market anyway. If there is one area that has been lacking over the past two seasons, it’s depth on the offensive line, although that’s not really the fault of the players who man that position. Injuries have hit the Stampeders depth hard among the protectors, so what this team really needs is more capable hands, especially players holding a Canadian passport. What team doesn’t need another Canadian offensive lineman? Right.
That’s why they are so precious. This free-agent crop doesn’t have much in the way of Canadian hoggies, so expect Ottawa RedBlacks guard Nolan MacMillan to be a hot commodity. The problem with the Stamps is when they are healthy, they don’t have a spot for a free-agent to start, so it’s more likely they replenish this area in the draft and hope the likes of Karl Lavoie, Cam Thorn and Roman Grozman keep progressing and can contribute more when called upon.
Already this off-season, the Stamps took one of the most attractive pending free agents off the market when they re-signed Pierre Lavertu, locking up their starting centre. They still have some work to do though. Some players on the ‘must-sign’ list are offensive tackles Dan Federkeil and Derek Dennis, the former a local product who isn’t likely to go anywhere else and the latter looking to land in the NFL. Both are extremely valuable though and would be tough to replace.
The other area the Stamps could use more depth is at the Canadian receiver position, thanks to the pending loss of Simon Charbonneau-Campeau, who is going back to university to finish his degree and won’t play this season, instead focusing on coaching the receivers at Sherbrooke. Again, this isn’t an area with a lot of names to be had in free-agency, although B.C. Lions veteran Marco Iannuzzi would look great in Stampeders colours. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a product of the local St. Francis Browns system. Instead, expect the Stamps to turn their attentions to players from their own program, with the top names on the priority list being receiver Marquay McDaniel and defensive tackle Micah Johnson.
McDaniel’s value to the Stamps was front and centre during the Grey Cup because after he went out with an injury, the offence didn’t quite have the same oomph to it. Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell certainly has a comfort level with McDaniel that can’t be overstated, and the passer has told the receiver to get that deal done over social media in the past couple of weeks. As important as McDaniel is to the offence, the same could be said on the other side for Johnson, who has anchored the defence from the middle the past few seasons. When healthy, and he’s already gone through two knee reconstructions, Johnson is as strong a tackle as there is in this league. His return seems to depend on whether he finds an NFL deal, and his time seems to be running out on that idea.
There is also a trio of receivers — Bakari Grant, Joe West and Greg Wilson — set to become free agents, but the market for internationals is much more stocked. There is a good chance the Stamps get a couple of those players back.
As for players the Stamps might pursue, how about Canadian linebacker Sam Hurl? The former University of Calgary Dino could work as a backup to Alex Singleton and provide some special-teams depth. Don’t expect the Stamps to make a huge splash in free agency though. They almost never do when GM John Hufnagel has called the shots. The system has worked well though. The Stamps build in other ways, and when they keep their players around, they are generally successful.
http://3downnation.com/2017/02/10/st...t-free-agency/