Tiger Cats Face Problems With 32 Free Agents

[jerrym]

Having extended only three players, while having 32 free agents (Argos, who have more than most teams with 22 free agents and 5 extensions) the Hamilton Tiger Cats have a major potential problem - they could lose many important players and some team cohesiveness once free agency hits Monday.



With just over a week to go before the start of CFL free agency, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats find themselves caught between a big man and hard place.
The Ticats currently have 32 players slated to hit the open market at noon on Feb. 9, including a number of starters and high-profile players (particularly on defence). While the team has re-signed a few depth Canadians and made a big splash in acquiring American defensive end John Chick, general manager Kent Austin has not been able to lock down any of his big name guys.
At least not yet.
The likely reason: 303 pounds worth of Ted Laurent.
The Canadian defensive tackle is one of the preeminent names on the might-be-available list — right at the very top, depending who you talk to. He's one of the best players at his position, a CFL all-star the last two seasons. And he's just 28 years old, meaning he should be both productive and durable as he's missed just three regular season games in two seasons and one was for a death in the family.
Put another way, Ted Laurent is a beast of a player who also happens to be Canadian. In the CFL, that means he's about to get paid.
But just how much Laurent is worth remains an open question, particularly in a marketplace that appears poised for some upheaval. The inclusion of one-year contracts in the last collective bargaining agreement — a move that many general managers think is bad for both the quality and marketing of the game — has fully come home to roost with a record number of players (in the 200 range) set to hit the market.
That's a lot of players with their hands out, expecting to finally get a slice of the TV and stadium money that started flowing before the 2013 season. That the cap has gone up just $100,000, to $5.1 million, the last two years doesn't seem to be a deterrent on expectations. But there are also plenty of options for general managers, which devalues the market further: As usual, the blue chip guys will get paid, everyone else will fight for scraps.



http://www.thespec.com/sports-story/6258355-the-big-man-a-big-problem-as-free-agency-looms/

[jerrym]

Although the Tiger Cats have now signed National DB Courtney Stephens, they still have a very large free agent list.



The Hamilton Tiger-Cats had remarkable roster consistency from 2014 to 2015. Of the 24 players who started on offense and defense for the team in the 102nd Grey Cup, just two did not return to the team in 2015: Delvin Breaux, who signed with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints, and Sam Giguère, who the team allowed to leave in free agency to Montreal (and who is a free agent again this year). Over the course of the season, the team made changes, but to have 22 of 24 starters back from one year to the next is almost unheard of in the salary cap era.
But then we come to this year and the Ticats have an incredible 33 players scheduled to hit the free agent market on February 9, many of whom started for the team last season. It will be impossible for the team to lock up all their pending free agents, so some will head elsewhere, while others may test the market and decide they would like to return to Hamilton.
The biggest name on the Ticats’ list, and probably the biggest name of any player available, is also one of the biggest players in the league: defensive tackle Ted Laurent. Laurent will have more than his far share of suitors, and will have his pick of where to go. While Hamilton is probably still in the mix, do not be surprised if Laurent heads west to the prairies and lands in either Saskatchewan or Winnipeg. Winnipeg has the money to spend and have been very vocal about being aggressive in free agency, while Saskatchewan just shed some salary and we all know how much Chris Jones loves his big, middle-clogging defensive tackles. Laurent is due a huge payday, so whether he stays in Hamilton or leaves for a bigger paycheque somewhere else will have a ripple effect on the rest of the free agent class. ...

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats had remarkable roster consistency from 2014 to 2015. Of the 24 players who started on offense and defense for the team in the 102nd Grey Cup, just two did not return to the team in 2015: Delvin Breaux, who signed with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints, and Sam Giguère, who the team allowed to leave in free agency to Montreal (and who is a free agent again this year). Over the course of the season, the team made changes, but to have 22 of 24 starters back from one year to the next is almost unheard of in the salary cap era.
But then we come to this year and the Ticats have an incredible 33 players scheduled to hit the free agent market on February 9, many of whom started for the team last season. It will be impossible for the team to lock up all their pending free agents, so some will head elsewhere, while others may test the market and decide they would like to return to Hamilton.
The biggest name on the Ticats’ list, and probably the biggest name of any player available, is also one of the biggest players in the league: defensive tackle Ted Laurent. Laurent will have more than his far share of suitors, and will have his pick of where to go. While Hamilton is probably still in the mix, do not be surprised if Laurent heads west to the prairies and lands in either Saskatchewan or Winnipeg. Winnipeg has the money to spend and have been very vocal about being aggressive in free agency, while Saskatchewan just shed some salary and we all know how much Chris Jones loves his big, middle-clogging defensive tackles. Laurent is due a huge payday, so whether he stays in Hamilton or leaves for a bigger paycheque somewhere else will have a ripple effect on the rest of the free agent class.
Fan favourites such as Bakari Grant, Taylor Reed and Justin Hickman might have to wait for the dust to settle on the bigger names before they will know what their futures hold.


http://3downnation.com/2016/02/06/ticats-free-agency-primer-pt-1-home-brew/

[jerrym]

With so many potential free agents, the Tiger Cats will have to go on offence and seek out other teams' free agents, including some possible Argos: Cleyon Laing, Cory Greenwood, Euclid Cummings, Tristan Okpalaugo, and even Swayze Waters (if Justin Medlock leaves).



The Ticats have three players who all started the majority of the time at tackle last year — Joel Figueroa, Jeremy Lewis and Jake Olson — slated to hit the open market on Tuesday. Hamilton also has a number of starting-calibre Canadians — Andy Fantuz, Ted Laurent, Courtney Stephen, Brian Bulcke — also eligible to sign elsewhere, meaning the team could be in need of a new starting tackle and some starting Canadians. Enter Josh Bourke. The long-time Montreal Alouette and perennial all-star would be the perfect fit for the team. Hamilton could then start four players along the offensive line and protect themselves against losing one of their starting Canadians.
Linebacker is another spot where Hamilton could look to upgrade. With both Erik Harris gone and Taylor Reed possibly leaving, the Ticats will need to replenish their linebacking corps and a good place to find someone would be to look up the road to Toronto. Cory Greenwood spent five seasons in the NFL before finally making his way to the CFL. He only played eight games last year before being lost to injury, but he came back for the playoffs and showed what kind of player he can be. Getting talented, versatile Canadians has always been important to Kent Austin, and Greenwood fits the bill perfectly.
Another Argo that the Ticats might kick the tires on is defensive tackle Cleyon Laing. If the team loses one or both of Ted Laurent and Brian Bulcke, the Ticats could reach up the QEW and relocate Laing to the Hammer. Laing has not been Laurent-like, but he has been Laurent-lite the last couple of seasons. He will probably cost less than Laurent, but you will get similar production. If the Ticats fail to retain the services of of their two-time all-star, scooping up Laing would not be a bad idea.
While the above three might be wishful thinking, this next guy is someone who actually has a really good shot at signing with the Ticats: receiver Shamawd Chambers. Chambers’ career so far has been marred by injury, but the guy has a ton of talent and may finally be ready to unleash that talent on the league. The Ticats could very well be in need of a Canadian receiver with Andy Fantuz still unsigned, and Ticats linebacker Simoni Lawrence has been recruiting his former Edmonton teammate hard during the winter. The Ticats have started two Canadians in the receiving corps in all three of Kent Austin’s seasons as head coach, so if the team does lose Fantuz, Chambers would be a great replacement.

International intrigue ...
One player who has proven his worth in the CFL is Alouettes linebacker Winston Venable. Venable was spectacular in 2015, finishing fourth in the league in tackles, while also picking up five sacks, and was Montreal’s nominee for Most Outstanding Defensive Player. He is a versatile player who would be an excellent addition to the Ticats linebacking group.
Justin Medlock may be headed to another city, so that leaves a vacancy at kicker. So why not reach up the QEW and steal Swayze Waters from the Argos? Aside from his terrible performance in the East Semi-Final last year, Waters has been nothing short of spectacular in the games he has played in Hamilton. It all started back on the day the stadium was opened, Labour Day, 2014. His placement on punts that day was jaw dropping in its excellence. He placed two coffin-corner punts perfectly, getting the ball out at the one-yard line both times. Doing that once is amazing, doing it twice in the same game is otherworldly. Waters also might be the one kicker who has as big a leg as Medlock, making him a perfect replacement if No. 7 leaves for greener pastures. If Medlock is not in the team’s plans, getting Waters to head to Hamilton would not be the worst idea. He can do all three kicking jobs superbly, which is an advantage he has over Medlock. Medlock’s below-average punting forced the team to use two players in the kicking game, which is never ideal, especially when one of them is an American. Bringing in Waters would put all the kicking duties on one player. Watching Medlock kick elsewhere would be tough, but replacing him with Waters would soften the blow.
The Ticats showed they were not afraid to sign older players when the team inked 33-year-old John Chick last month. Could the Ticats dip into the veteran bag once again and pull out a guy like Keon Raymond? Raymond, like Chick, is 33, and also like Chick, looks to still have some mileage left on those tires. A gifted player who can play in the secondary as well as wide-side linebacker, Raymond could be the final veteran piece that the Ticats need to finally get over the hump.

The Ticats are in danger of losing a lot of players in the secondary and might need to replenish their back end with a few players from other CFL squads. The first place they should look is Edmonton, where Aaron Grymes remains unsigned. Grymes had an outstanding season in 2015, finishing with four interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown, and was named a league all-star for the first time in his career. Grymes is likely to have many suitors should he hit the open market and the Ticats should be one of them.

[jerrym]

A few things are becoming clearer with Tiger Cat free agents.



The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have reportedly re-signed one of their big-name Canadian free-agents-to-be but may be on the verge of losing another. Sources say Canadian defensive back Courtney Stephen has inked a three-year contract extension with the club. A Brampton native, Stephen has started 45 regular-season games in three seasons with Hamilton after being drafted No. 8 overall in the 2012 CFL Draft. ...
Sources say Laurent is determined to test the free agent market and may be asking for a contract in the $300,000 per year range — a number that would make him the highest paid non-quarterback in the CFL. Several teams are expected to be interested, particularly the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Laurent is also said to be interested in pursuing NFL opportunities, should they arise.Meanwhile, the Ticats are said to be interested in Eskimos receiver Shamawd Chambers, who is expected to hit the open market on Tuesday. The Toronto native has 112 catches over four CFL seasons and is good friends with Hamilton linebacker Simoni Lawrence.
The team has also reportedly re-signed offensive lineman Jeremy Lewis, another pending free agent. Lewis, who tweeted the news on Sunday, has played in 25 games over two years with the club, including 15 starts last season.


http://3downnation.com/2016/02/08/15294/
(http://3downnation.com/2016/02/08/15294/)




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