Impact players still available as CFL free agency set to begin Tuesday | 24CA News

Now comes the ready for Jeremy O’Day.

According to CFL sources final week, the Saskatchewan Roughriders GM reached agreements in precept with quarterback Trevor Harris and receiver Jake Wieneke through the CFL’s free-agent negotiating window.

The sources spoke on the situation of anonymity as offers reached throughout that point couldn’t be introduced.

Now, the Montreal Alouettes can have till Tuesday morning to re-sign Harris and/or Wieneke earlier than the beginning of free company, though each are anticipated to go West as soon as their current offers expire.

O’Day stated the Riders had good conversations with each Harris and Wieneke.

“We’re just in a position where we’re waiting to get to free agency so that we can get to that point where these guys are allowed to sign contracts,” O’Day advised reporters in Regina final week.

Harris and Wieneke had been slated to grow to be free brokers at midday ET on Tuesday however had been allowed to entertain gives from different golf equipment from Feb. 5 till Sunday.

Any proposals made — together with base wage and incentives — needed to be registered with the league and CFL Players’ Association and could be thought of binding.

When the window closed Sunday, groups had 48 hours to barter completely with their very own potential free brokers. The CFL would give golf equipment any registered gives that had been made to these gamers.

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Teams then had till 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday to make gives to their gamers, with copies given to each the league and CFLPA. Then the gamers would have two hours (10 a.m.-noon ET) to decide on a proposal or reject all of them and enter free company at 12:01 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

The window was launched in 2020 to curb tampering and permit pending free brokers to discover all of their choices earlier than the free-agent interval.

“I think what’s better is it’s a more open process,” O’Day stated. “You can openly talk to the player, you can openly have your position coach call the player, the head coach can call the player and you don’t feel like you’re doing anything wrong.”

Harris, 36, accomplished 71.6 per cent of his passes for 4,157 yards final season. The six-foot-three, 212-pound Harris is getting into his twelfth CFL season however Saskatchewan could be his fifth completely different league group.

The six-foot-four 215-pound Wieneke, who’s reportedly excellent mates with Harris, has spent the final three seasons with Montreal. In 48 regular-season video games, the 28-year-old American had 142 catches for two,056 yards with 21 touchdowns.

Saskatchewan (6-12) completed fourth within the West Division standings final season, lacking the CFL playoffs. And whereas Harris and Wienke are anticipated to assist an offence that was second-last in offensive factors (19.8 per sport) in 2022, there’s nonetheless the matter of bettering an offensive line that allowed a league-leading 77 sacks final yr.

“I guess the reality is we’ve got a lot of starting positions going into free agency that have to be filled,” O’Day stated. “If that’s what you want to call active, I’d say, yes, we’re going to be active… we’ve got positions we’ve got to fill with starters.”

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A reality not misplaced upon Dave Dickenson, the longtime Calgary head coach who can also be in his first season because the membership’s GM.

“I find if you’ve had a tough year, you should be louder on opening day,” Dickenson advised reporters in Calgary final week. “I think if you’ve had a good solid year, a year that you like your team, if you do your job well you should try to get those guys back and get as many as you can.”

Montreal signed American linebacker Avery Williams and re-signed American receiver Reggie White Jr. to a contract extension Monday. American defensive lineman Mike Moore was launched, reportedly earlier than a bonus was due.

Many different pending free brokers signed extensions with their golf equipment, together with defensive lineman Lorenzo Mauldin IV (CFL’s high defensive participant final yr with Ottawa), receiver Kurleigh Gittens Jr. and operating again Andrew Harris (each Canadians with Grey Cup-champion Toronto), quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell (Hamilton), offensive linemen Stanley Bryant (league’s high lineman final yr with Winnipeg) and Derek Dennis (Calgary) and Canadian linebacker Cam Judge (Stamps).

O’Day additionally re-signed defensive linemen Anthony Lanier II and Pete Robinson, linebacker Larry Dean and operating again Jamal Morrow, all Americans.

But there are different high gamers who might hit the open market. They embody: Montreal receiver Eugene Lewis (East Division’s high participant final yr with 91 catches, 1,303 yards, 10 TDs), quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson and Canadian linebacker Henoc Muamba (Toronto); defensive lineman Shawn Lemon (West’s high defensive participant final yr with Calgary) and American linebacker Darnell Sankey (CFL-high 122 tackles final yr with Saskatchewan).

Others, like Canadian defensive lineman Kwaku Boateng (Ottawa), American receiver Kenny Lawler (Edmonton), American linebackers Jovan Santos-Knox (Hamilton) and Jameer Thurman (Calgary) and American defensive lineman Folarin Orimolade (Calgary), had been amongst gamers who reportedly agreed to phrases with completely different golf equipment. But that was earlier than their guardian groups had the appropriate to barter with them earlier than the formal begin of free company.

On Monday, the B.C. Lions signed American receiver Dominique Rhymes a contract extension by means of the ’24 season. Rhymes had 85 catches for 1,401 yards (second-most in CFL) and 11 TDs final season.

On Monday, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers re-signed Canadian linebacker Jesse Briggs, whereas Canadian fullback Charlie Power remained with the Calgary Stampeders. Both veteran gamers had been slated to grow to be free brokers Tuesday.

One participant who received’t be testing free company is Tony Washington. The American offensive lineman retired Monday after taking part in 11 CFL seasons.

The six-foot-seven, 318-pound Washington appeared in 138 profession regular-season contests with Toronto, Edmonton (two stints), Hamilton and Montreal. A two-time Grey champion, Washington, 36, dressed for 9 contests final season with the Elks.

Edmonton signed American quarterback Vincent Testaverde Jr., whose father, Vinny, spent 21 NFL seasons underneath centre, whereas releasing operating again Ante Litre and defensive lineman Malik Tyne, each Canadians.

— With recordsdata from Donna Spencer in Calgary