Free Agency kicks off 2021 season, but what kind of season will we get?

That may explain why when I asked around why the Riders had six quarterbacks signed before training camp, what the purpose of that would be. Usually CFL teams would bring in four quarterbacks so everyone gets some work in with the expanded training camp rosters.

However, with the CFL and CFLPA preparing to sit down to talk about return to play in 2021, be prepared to see CFL teams increase the size of practice rosters, which goes a long way to explain spending to the bottom of the cap. I was reminded of the predicament the Denver Broncos found themselves in this past season when all four quarterbacks were held out of a game due to Covid 19 exposure and the Broncos had to start a wide receiver who had played QB in college.

An expanded practice roster makes sense to deal with situations like the Broncos experienced or to deal with injuries where bringing a player up from the States might be tough when they have to be in quarantine for two weeks before going onto the roster. Having a pool of players up here would help reduce costs in bringing players in.

CFL teams have been operating on the assumption there may be fans in the stands, but they are not sure when. With the rollout of vaccines being relatively slow and a goal of having people vaccinated by September, it will probably result in a CFL season that may or may not start with teams in a bubble or playing in front of no fans, then by Labour Day there will be fans in the stands, just maybe not all of them.

I would imagine that when fans are admitted, they would have to show some proof of vaccination because like it or not, the season ticket base does skewer to the older and more vulnerable side to Covid 19. Masks would probably be also in effect and social distancing will be in effect.

For those who think this is overkill considering how the NFL managed to pull off its schedule, consider this – south of the border they have lost almost 500,000 lives to the disease through incompetence so if the price for having games is the potential for people dying, well, that pretty sums up what entitled means.

So the news came out late Tuesday night, early Wednesday morning through 3DownNation about Cameron Judge signing with Toronto. Judge was a free-agent who was exploring his NFL options and had a tryout with the Las Vegas Raiders.

One might have thought the Riders would have welcomed Judge back but when the Riders signed Canadian twin brothers Justin and Jordan Herman-Reed as Canadian linebackers, it was a sign the team was prepared to move on from Judge. Jordan in particular was drafted by BC and interestingly enough, moved into the linebacker position previously occupied by Solomon Elimimian.

The Riders also signed Larry Dean who had come out of Edmonton after becoming a star in Hamilton. So expect to see Dean as the middle linebacker, likely Herman-Reed on one side and Louchiez Purifoy on the other side. At least until the team shows up in training camp and we see what the rest of the recruitment looks like.

On the defensive line, the Riders lose Charleston Hughes, but considering he is 37 years old and likely would have been platooned this year doesn’t make this as big a hit as Judge leaving. The Riders brought back Micah Johnson who after the 2019 season signed with BC, but ended up not playing with them, and came back to the Riders.

Some consider Johnson to not have been worth the contract he signed to be the highest paid defender in the CFL in 2019, but while his sack levels were not the same as they were in 2018, Johnson had the effect of drawing a double team on almost every play, which frees up another player to make a play.

So considering that AC Leonard now inherits the title of Sackmaster for the Rider defense, anything that can spring him loose, or anyone else for that matter, can only be a good thing. It will be interesting to see how defensive coordinator Jason Shivers reconfigures the defense which previously relied on Hughes, Willie Jefferson and others to be the disruptive influences.

One might hope to see Jordan Reaves step forward and use his size to be a Jefferson V 2.0 on defense, although that may be projecting a bit too far, but a good coordinator can adjust to take advantage of the personnel he has. The Riders defense front seven will be the big question mark because the back end, although a bit aged, has come back remarkably intact.

There will be those who wonder how Toronto can sign so many big name players and stay under the cap. Well, with the expansion of the practice roster, one imagines a Toronto locker room where there are the haves and the have-nots, as players come to Toronto not realizing the cost of living is higher than it is in say, Regina.

Toronto is definitely going all in this season, with a defensive line made up of grumpy old men in Odell Willis, Cordarro Law and Charleston Hughes and former NFL number one draft picks who failed to stick south of the border. If the season is shortened due to Covid restrictions, that may help the Argos reduce the window of opportunity for injuries to knock out their senior citizens.

The Riders brought back players like Canadian linebacker Kevin Francis who the Riders took in the 2016 supplemental draft but who left to go to Ottawa for a year. Francis has returned and his familiarity with the Rider defense may help him reach the level of play Chris Jones might have saw years ago.

The other big signing for the Riders came courtesy of Evan Johnson, the former U of S offensive lineman who returned home after starting for Ottawa who drafted him three years ago. Johnson as a starter can start anywhere and that flexibility may come useful for the Riders, who with the signing of a pair of 6’7” 300 lb offensive linemen seem to be sending the signal they are going to be more physical in their line play which may mean William Powell goes four years in a row getting over 1,000 yards.

So while Judge leaving is a kick in the ass for Rider fans, GM Jeremy O’Day moved quickly to address it on paper with some interesting signings. Don’t forget the Riders, along with every other CFL team, will be in the unique positon of having not just one, but two draft classes competing for jobs, which is another reason to expand the practice rosters to give these players a chance.

There are still some interesting picks on the free agent market. Henoc Muamba is still on the marketplace and his presence may help the Rider linebacker corps, but the other factor the Riders may have to keep their powder dry because the Riders will need something in the bank to pay potential players who may or may not make it in the NFL this year.

Also consider the Riders will be hosting the Grey Cup next year, which means teams usually go all in to show their fans their dedicating to playing in from of them for the title. With the curse of one year contracts, the Riders could well lose a number of offensive stars next year to free agency or the NFL, but that is next year.

So as Jeremy O’Day emerges from the shadows of Chris Jones, who is looking for a CFL job after apparently being cut loose from Cleveland, it appears that O’Day is not panicking or blowing smoke up Riders fans collective rears. That is a good quality for a GM to be calm in the midst of free agency or Covid-19 emergency and not make moves for the sake of making moves.

Of course there are other issues, like why TSN cannot give the CFL the same platform they give hockey, but after making cuts, TSN may have issues of their own. Where the future may be headed could be the role that Rod Pedersen and Darren Dupont have charted with their show where they go live on Facebook and attract viewers from across North America.

So if that means teams televising pre-season games on Facebook, or better using social media to promote themselves and their players, then anything is better than what is going on now. For CFL fans the lesson may be that instead of complaining about the lack of coverage, do something about it. Do a podcast, go live, be entertaining and informative.

There is a lot that can be done.

by Greg Urbanoski

Free Agency kicks off 2021 season, but what kind of season will we get?

What's Trending