Who is Winning and Losing in the Lead Up To and in Free Agency among Other CFL Teams?

[OV Argo]

The Tiger Cats have signed only one free agent - former Argo Lirim Hajrullahu, but have extended most of their free agents including National valuable starters OL Brandon Revenberg, DL Ted Laurent, DL Justin Capicciotti, and promising LB Nicholas Shortill. They have also extended Internationals WRs Luke Tasker and Brandon Banks, LB Larry Dean, QB Jeremiah Masoli, OL Tony Washington, and DB Demond Washington. While continuity in personnel has its advantages and these are good players, I wonder if this involves a pattern of overvaluing those he is familiar with and/or enamoured with, as happened with his signing of assistant offensive HC Art Briles despite his being fired for covering up sexual assault allegations by players at Baylor, of 76 year old Jerry Glanville, a 40-year friend of Jones who has been out of full-time coaching since 2009, and of his pursuit of Johnny Manziel, despite all the warning signs. Did Jones and Austin overspend to extend these players and to sign Hajrullahu, leaving them little money to sign others?

It's hard to say there, and I like the idea of maintaining continuity on the roster by re-signing key players.

The Ticats have some good talent on the roster that June Jones seemed to put together nicely at times after he took over.

Only FA signed Liam H as kicker but they did add QB Vernon Adams in a trade (and maybe learned Manziel is a total @$$-hat?) - Adams has some CFL experience and lots of potential, IMO.

Not sure what to think of Glanville as DC, but i was leery of the June Jones hire as well.

I believe the Ticats will be the Argos main challenger for first in the East this coming season - mostly because of their passing offence - Masoli is quite under-rated and did well under June Jones and they have 5 receivers who have had 1000 yard Ticat seasons (Tasker, Banks. Saunders (last season), plus Fantuz & Tolliver) - (I've asked on other forums - has any CFL team before ever went into TC with 5x CFL 1000 yard receiver season guys on their roster ?) The Ticats also have some very good talent on their defence. Not really sure they needed to add a lot via free agency, so maybe they were wise there = we shall see.

Ottawa might be another force in the East this year, but IMO that depends a lot on what type of defence Thorpe can put together there - and they did add some pretty decent talent on D - Hebert & Murray as vet leaders in particular, perhaps. Ottawa is very solid on offence IMO.

[jerrym]

Before free agency began, the Riders were able to extend WR Duron Carter, who is one of the league's best receivers even if one has to expect problems of one kind or another; QB Brandon Bridge, who provides a strong backup following the acquisition of Zach Collaros in case Zach continues to be injury-prone or does not return to his old form; and veterans DL Willie Jefferson, DB Jovon Johnson and OL Thaddeus Coleman and Dan Clark. They also extended National WR Devon Bailey, but he has never lived up to the promise of his 2014 rookie season.

While the Riders were cutting older veterans, Darian Durant, Weston Dressler, and John Chick last year, the addition of talented but aging 33 yea-old Jerome Messam and 34 year-old Charleston Hughes, signals HC Chris Jones is moving from rebuilding to competing for the Grey Cup, which is wise as Saskatchewan fans are likely to get restless if evidence of moving in that direction does not happen by the end of his third season as HC. The question is whether Messam, who showed signs of slowing down as 2017 wore on, and Hughes will continue to perform at a very high level.

The Riders also added free agents Nationals DL Zach Evans, LB Sam Hurl and WR Jake Harty giving them some Canadian depth. They also signed International OL Travis Bond, who played well in Winnipeg.
However, they also lost valuable but expensive free agents from last year in Derek Dennis and Henoc Muamba, as well as a young promising Nationals in WR/KR Nic Demski and DL Ese Mrabure, in addition to International Otha Foster, who had an off year, in part due to injury.

A healthy Collaros should be a major upgrade over Kevin Glenn. The remaining question is whether the additions to the lineup sufficiently outweigh the losses in order to allow the Riders to compete in a major way for the Grey Cup. I don't think Saskatchewan is there yet.