Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me a Match

Find me a find, catch me a catch.

With the required Fiddler on the Roof reference out of the way, I can move on to my actual point, which I promise will include no more show tunes.

With a little over three weeks until players report to training camp, there is still a handful of good players without homes. Of all the good players still left looking for work, which of them would be good fits for the Tiger-Cats? Let's see who is still available (all of the names are courtesy of CFL.ca, so if there is a problem, blame them), and decide from there.

First, we have Jonathan Brown, long-time Defensive End for the Toronto Argonauts. He's getting a little long in the tooth, so he might not be best the player to add. He's played his entire CFL career with the Argos, so a jump to the Tabbies is probably not in the cards. Should the team go after him? Probably not.

Next, we have Jesse Lumsden. Pass.

Fred Perry is the same as Jonathan Brown, except older. A pass on this front as well.

What about Kelly Malveaux? Much like Brown, Malveaux's best days are behind him. The Ti-Cats still need to make sure that their defensive backfield is improved over last year, and adding Malveaux, as a backup and veteran presence, might be a good idea. I'm not entirely sold, but Malveaux, if he has anything left, could be a nice addition.

Troy Westwood, who might have played in the first ever CFL game, could be someone the Tabbies bring in to compete for the Punter's job. The Cats drafted Justin Palardy earlier this month, but adding a veteran leg to the kicking race might not be a bad idea.

Now we come to Zeke Moreno. What to do with Zeke Moreno. He's a former Ti-Cat and was quite the fan favourite during his tenure in Steeltown. While it would be nice to see Zeke And Destroy back in Black & Gold, there really is no spot for him. We already have the best Linebacking group in the CFL, so Moreno wouldn't really add much.

Siddeeq Shabazz presents an interesting case. He was spectacular during the early portion of 2009, but injuries derailed his season in Winnipeg. Unfortunately, like Moreno, Shabazz's chances of playing in Hamilton are practically nil because of him being a Linebacker. Our talent at that position renders a Shabazz signing unnecessary.

There are two other names I'd like to mention, neither of whom will be available for training camp, but who might be interesting to consider: Stevie Baggs and Rickey Foley.

Both players are currently on NFL rosters, but it is possible that one, or both, could be cut after NFL training camps end in late August. I'm fairly certain that Foley's rights still reside with the BC Lions, so signing him is probably not possible. However, I am equally sure that Stevie Baggs is a free agent. He was a disruptive force for the Green Riders last season and likely would've been a DPOY candidate if he didn't play alongside eventual winner John Chick. If either of these players does become available, the Cats would be wise to at least try to get him inked to a deal.

From the looks of it, it doesn't seem that many of the free agents still available would improve the Tiger-Cats, with the exception of long shots like Foley and Baggs. Maybe bringing Malveaux and Westwood to training camp to see if they have anything left wouldn't be a bad idea.

I know I said no more show tunes, but I lied.