Other Teams Free Agent Signings

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The usual large number of free agent signings is likely to occur in the next few days, but one thing will be different. GM John Hufnagel plans to be much more active in free agency this year than in previous years.

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2019 Argo RB/KR Chris Rainey has signed a one year contract with BC where he played from 2015 to 2018.

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Former Argo Dylan Wynn has signed a two year extension with Hamilton.

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The Riders have signed former QB James Franklin to a one year deal.

Franklin joins the Roughriders after spending the previous two seasons with the Toronto Argonauts. The 28-year-old pivot played 27 games for the Double Blue, throwing 2,836 yards on 187 passes and scoring 11 touchdowns. He added 448 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. As the primary short yardage quarterback in 2018 Franklin scored 14 rushing majors – and led the CFL in that category.

https://www.cfl.ca/2020/02/11/report...ed-riderville/

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Former Argo QB Logan Kilgore has re-signed for one year with Edmonton.

In 18 games (five starts), he completed 114 of 174 passes for 1,199 yards with six touchdowns. He also rushed 18 times for 60 yards and three touchdowns.

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Argo kicker Ronnie Pfeffer is one of four players Calgary has signed as the team becomes more active in free agency this year than is usual.

Traditionally, the Calgary Stampeders haven't been active when CFL free agency begins. But Hufnagel, the club's president/GM, told reporters Monday that could change this year. And once the CFL free-agent period began at noon ET on Tuesday, Hufnagel was a man of his word as Calgary made three separate deals less than an hour into the process.

Before the start of free agency, Calgary signed Canadian kicker/punter Ronnie Pfeffer to a one-year deal after the Kitchener, Ont., native accepted the club's qualifying offer during the free-agent negotiation window. He fills a need with the West Division club with the retirement of veteran punter Rob Maver.

Then Calgary added Canadian defensive lineman Connor McGough, a former Calgary Dino who spent the last three years with Hamilton, and American defensive backs Richard Leonard (Ticats) and Branden Dozier (B.C.). The Stampeders also re-signed backup quarterback Montell Cozart, an important move after dealing Nick Arbuckle to the Ottawa Redblacks.

https://www.sootoday.com/national-sp...period-2085816

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The Redblacks have signed former Argos free agents DL Cleyon Laing and RB/WR Anthony Coombs, as well as LB Don Unamba. They also extended LB Kevin Brown and DB Randall Evans for one year just before free agency opened.

“I just felt Ottawa would be the best situation for me and my family,” said Laing, who agreed to a three-year contract. “I was only there for a short time, but it left me with a good vibe in my heart. I love the city and I love the people. Money was obviously a small factor, but having been in Ottawa, I felt very comfortable. There’s nothing I can complain about during my time there, the experience was literally amazing.”

https://nationalpost.com/sports/foot...8-36528e8ee0bb

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Here's a look at the Als free agent signings:

While there were legitimate concerns regarding our defence, the team made sure to quickly address them, starting with the signing of two impactful DBs, Ciante Evans and Tyquwan Glass. After recording 29 defensive tackles and, mostly, three interceptions in 13 games last year with us, Ciante Evans was one of those key weapons our team just wasn’t ready to let go of. ...

Glass, on the other hand, was part of our squad in 2018 and showcased his talent last year in Edmonton under our new DB coach Barron Miles’s supervision. We are now in possession of a solid group of potential starters, including Ciante Evans, Taylor Loffler, Greg Reid, Najee Murray, Tyquwan Glass and perhaps even Jarnor Jones, that can only continue to grow with the help of Hall-of-Famer Barron Miles. ...

Then came Monshadrik “Money” Hunter. Yes, Money Hunter, that is. An interesting addition considering how often our GM has brought up the cap issues in the past weeks (bad joke), but also because he’s a highly versatile player. So, who’s this Money guy? “You’ll know who he is,” promised Danny. “He’s a valid candidate for the strong-side linebacker position.

The most crucial moves of the week, however, were arguably those involving the defensive line. The return of Woody Baron, Bo Banner and Lord Hyeamang, and, above all, the addition of Defensive End Adrian Tracy came as a positive answer to the pass-rushing issue. Although he was limited by an injury last year, Tracy says the rehab allowed him to grow even stronger. If he shows up 100% healthy to training camp, the DE could certainly pair up with fellow John Bowman to become a serious double-threat.

“Ideally, we would play with eight Canadian starters to ensure more flexibility in case of an injury.” To better his odds at achieving that, Danny hired four Quebecers, including three alumni Carabins. David Ménard and Junior Luke, who both were part of the BC Lions organization last year, have what it takes to stir the pot at training camp, according to our GM. ... Frederic Chagnon, who also played for both the Carabins and the Lions, as well as Alexandre Gagné, are coming in as linebackers contending for spots on special teams.

Some tougher decisions also had to be made, like the trade involving kicker Boris Bede. In return, our Alouettes acquired Canadian kicker Tyler Crapigna. The key word here is Canadian. Tyler’s status certainly can’t be overlooked, nor can his compensation. ... Not to mention, the team also acquired beast of a kicker Ryan Santoso as well. A 6’6, 258 lbs kicker. He has to have a strong leg.

https://en.montrealalouettes.com/202...orth-shopping/

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Below is a review of Hamilton's free agents signings, including former Argos Devier Posey, Quadrius Ford and Justin Herdman-Reed:

LB Larry Dean doesn’t need much of an introduction for Ticats fans having played here for three seasons from 2016-to-2018. The product of Valdosta State University had the best season of his career with the Ticats in 2018, finishing with 105 defensive tackles, the fourth most in a single season by a Ticats, while adding two interceptions and a touchdown. Dean is also one of the most durable players in the CFL having never missed a game in his four-year CFL career. A divisional all-star has been in three of the four seasons he has played. ...

WR DeVier Posey With Bralon Addison signing with the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, the Ticats have filled the void by adding veteran receiver DeVier Posey to the mix. The 29-year-old Redwood City, California native has played in 36 games across four seasons in Toronto, BC and Montreal. He had his best season in 2017 as a member of the Toronto Argonauts, appearing in 12 games. That season, he recorded 52 catches for 744 yards and seven touchdowns, and registered seven catches for 175 yards and two touchdowns in the 105th Grey Cup, en route to being named the game’s Most Valuable Player. Posey had a great season last year hampered by a stint on the six-game injured list with a calf injury, and still managed to finish with a career high 780 yards. ...

DB Patrick Levels While he may not be a household name quite yet, people I’ve talked to in Montreal said not to sleep on this under-the-wire pick-up on defence. The 25-year-old Dallas, Texas native had a breakout season with the Alouettes last year, posting career highs in tackles (86), and sacks (5) while starting all 18 games and being named an East Division All-Star. Just this week, 3DownNation’s Justin Dunk wrote that CFL personnel have “unanimously viewed” him as one of the best strong side linebackers in the CFL today. ...

DB Courtney Stephen is a player who needs no introduction to Hamilton Tiger-Cats fans. A fan-favourite on the field and off, the 30 year-old appeared in 96 games over his first six seasons in the league with the Tiger-Cats. Stephen has played all over the field, but in recent years has become a special teams specialist recording a career-best 17 special teams tackles in 2018 in the Black & Gold before signing with the Stampeders last season. The Brantford native also became a staple in the Hamilton community in his time here. ...

RB Don Jackson The Tiger-Cats have big hopes for speedy running back Don Jackson heading into 2020. The 26-year-old has spent the last two seasons with the Calgary Stampeders and battled injuries in 2019 appearing in just seven games. Jackson was dangerous in his limited action finishing with 246 yards on the ground and a pair of touchdowns, while adding 21 catches for 132 yards including a very impressive 121 yards after the catch. Shawn Burke told me they believe the potential is there for Jackson to have a break out season. ...

DB Qudarius Ford is certainly not the first – and won’t be the last – player to have traded in their Argonaut double blue for Black & Gold and move down the QEW. Ford started 16 of the 17 games he appeared in with the Argonauts last season, finishing tied for third on the team in defensive tackles with 56, while adding two interceptions, three forced fumbles and a defensive touchdown on a fumble recovery. The native of Pensacola, Florida will bring added depth to what potentially could be the most feared defence in the CFL.

LB Justin Herdman-Reed joins Ford on the trip down the QEW after spending the last three seasons with the Toronto Argonauts. The 25-year-old native of Winnipeg had his season cut short after just 11 games last year when he suffered a shoulder injury in Week 13. In limited action, he still managed to finish the year with 37 defensive tackles and two sacks. Herdman-Reed will provide the Ticats with excellent depth at the linebacker position and could end up playing an important role because of his Canadian birth certificate.

https://ticats.ca/article/getting-to...-class-of-2020

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GM Ed Hervey and HC Rick Campbell review BC's free agent additions to BC's roster in the video below.

https://www.bclions.com/2020/02/13/🎥...new-additions/

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Here's Ottawa's free agent signees including former Argos Cleyon Laing, Anthony Coombs, and Abdul Kaneh:

Defensive tackle Cleyon Laing It’s pretty uncommon to see a three-year deal doled out during free agency but the contract reflects the fact that the 29-year-old Canadian is one of the best defensive tackles in the league. Laing, who joined the Redblacks near the tail end of the 2016 season and helped them win a Grey Cup, returns to the nation’s capital after three seasons with the Argos. ...

Strong-side linebacker Don Unamba The well-traveled Unamba — Ottawa will be his sixth team in seven seasons — is everything you want in a prototypical SAM (strong-side) linebacker. Excellent in coverage and a sneaky-good pass rusher, the 2018 CFL All-Star will be an integral part of Mike Benevides’ defence. The 30-year old was limited to 12 games in 2019 but still notched 43 tackles, six sacks (a career-high), an interception and two forced fumbles. ...

Linebacker Chris Mulumba-Tshimanga Heading into his fourth season, Mulumba-Tshimanga is a special teams ace who should thrive under the tutelage of special teams coordinator Bob Dyce. In 43 career games, Mulumba-Tshimanga has made 53 defensive tackles, 34 special teams tackles, five sacks and forced four fumbles. ...

Running back/receiver Anthony Coombs The addition of Coombs is an interesting one because it seems as though he’ll be used primarily as a receiver. I wouldn’t read too heavily into that, though, because head coach Paul LaPolice is known for his creative offensive schemes and loves to use players in hybrid roles. LaPolice should be able to take advantage of Coombs’ speed and route-running ability to get him into space, create mismatches and give opposing defences fits. ... Coombs, a six-year veteran, has spent his entire career in Ontario (five seasons in Toronto and one in Hamilton). In 16 games last season he carried the ball 37 times for 158 yards (4.2 yards per carry) and hauled in 20 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns. ...

Defensive back Abdul Kanneh Kanneh’s initial stint in the nation’s capital lasted 43 games and will forever be remembered for his Grey Cup-saving goal line tackle. Heading into his seventh year in the league, and back for another tour of duty, the 29-year-old will look to build on that legacy. Since that championship 2016 season, Kanneh has split time between the Ticats and Argos. A dynamic playmaker when on the field, the two-time East Division all-star is a difference-maker capable of elevating the play of the entire secondary when healthy.

https://3downnation.com/2020/02/17/a...e-agent-moves/

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Winnipeg signed the following free agents: former Tobi Antigua, Eskimo DB Josh Johnson, and extended former Argo LB/ST Thomas Miles, as GM Kyle Walters focused on keeping his Grey Cup winning team together as much as possible. However they are trying to sign former Argo WR Derel Walker.

[paulwoods13]

Winnipeg signed the following free agents: former Argos WR Derel Walker and Tobi Antigua, Eskimo DB Josh Johnson, and extended former Argo LB/ST Thomas Miles, as GM Kyle Walters focused on keeping his Grey Cup winning team together as much as possible.

What's your source for Walker? Not being reported anywhere I can find.

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HC Dave Dickenson talks about Stampeder free agents signings including former Argos OL Sean McEwen and QB Dakota Prukop, Hamilton DB Richard Leonard and BC DB Brandon Dozier.

https://www.stampeders.com/2020/02/1...ve-than-usual/

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What's your source for Walker? Not being reported anywhere I can find.

Sorry about that I meant to say they are making a strong recruiting effort with regard to Walker. I fixed the post above.

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On draft day the Riders extended LB Solomon Elimimian and DL Jordan Reaves. After the opening day of free agency they re-signed National OL Josiah St. John and 2019 American PR OL Devon Johnson. They also signed free agent former Argo QB James Franklin.

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The Eskimos have signed former National Argos WR Jimmy Ralph and DB Jermaine Gabriel and American DB Jonathon Mincy, former Argo and Ticat LB Justin Tuggle, Als American QB Antonio Pipkin, and BC Lion National OL Jean Simon-Roy, as Edmonton focused on retaining the players it wanted before free agency.

“I think we did a lot of heavy lifting before today,” said Sunderland, who kept himself busy re-signing a host of his own players in the days and weeks leading up to CFL contracts expiring at 10 a.m. “There’s a lot of players on our team we like that we think we can win with: David Beard, Jacob Ruby, Mike Moore, Jordan Hoover, Mark Mackie, Shaq Cooper …

“So we did a lot of re-signing people and I think the biggest one, he wasn’t a pending free agent, but we secured our franchise quarterback for two more years.”

At the end of January, Harris re-upped with the Eskimos through to the end of the 2022 season, which is about as opposite as it could get for Sunderland compared to one year ago, when he didn’t even know who his starting quarterback was going to be as free agency opened. “We’re biased, we think he’s the best in the league,” Sunderland shrugged. “So anytime you have the best player, in our opinion, at the most important position locked up for three years, that’s vital. So that was huge for us. It gave us a lot of stability moving forward.”

Of course, a quarterback can’t do it all by himself. And there were a couple of pretty deep holes developing around Harris as his former teammates were plucked, beginning with middle linebacker Larry Dean, to Hamilton, and boundary cornerback Josh Johnson, to Montreal.

“They were probably two of our bigger names that we signed today. Obviously, Mincy we anticipate being our boundary corner,” Sunderland said of the defensive back who regularly covers the top opposing receiver. “Tuggle’s going to be our middle linebacker. A lot of that is going to be dependent upon Jovan Santos-Knox too, that’s a big re-signing that we have that, when he’s healthy, we feel he’s pretty ferocious. We’re not sure where he’s going to be exactly coming into camp, the anticipation is he will probably start out on the injured list. But we’ll see where that goes.”

Of course, this year’s edition of the free-agent cycle has proven more of a challenge with the minimum salary increasing by $11,000, while the entire salary cap each team gets to work with was only raised by a total of $50,000.

“A huge challenge and I’m glad that you asked that because for us alone, and I know all teams have this issue, it’s certainly not an Eskimos problem, but the players we have on our projected roster right now, with the minimum going up, that’s $138,000 right away onto the cap,” Sunderland said. “With the cap only going up 50, I believe that’s an $88,000 net loss, so that’s a big challenge and I think that had a big part in everybody’s participation today. I think that’s why it’s maybe a little slower today than it has been.”

https://edmontonsun.com/sports/footb...of-free-agency