Where Will the Top 20 Sign?

The time has come, football fans!

No, it's definitely not yet June. But rather, the second most exciting time of the offseason: free agency! There is a little more than 24 hours to go before players can put pen to paper with new clubs and, thankfully, a decent crop of free agents remain.

Since a staff writer at CFL.ca completely bombed their ranking of the Top 20 free agents still available – backup running back Kendial Lawrence was atop the list, while Kevin Glenn, a BACKUP quarterback, was listed ahead of two-time All-Star tackle Stanley Bryant – so I decided to take matters into my own hands and come out with what I believe is a more accurate list of the top 20 remaining free agents and where I think they may be heading.

(1) Brett Jones, Centre, Calgary
Only the Calgary Stampeders could afford to lose a player like Brett Jones and hardly suffer the next year. Jones, the 2014 Most Outstanding Lineman, is reportedly still drawing interest down south and, fortunately for Calgary, they have 2014 first-overall pick Pierre Lavertu ready to replace the 23-year-old phenom. Should Jones stay up north, expect Saskatchewan to go all out in pursuit of the Regina native. After losing Ben Heenan to the NFL and releasing former centre Dominic Picard for salary cap reasons, the Riders could really alleviate the consternation in Rider Nation by picking up Jones. Despite the Riders' room for Jones' salary and the Stamps being prepared to lose him, my gut feeling tells me Jones won't be able to leave the Stampeders just two years into his career. It will be close, but the Stamps will retain Brett Jones.

Prediction: Re-signs with Calgary.

(2) Stanley Bryant, Left Tackle, Calgary
Bryant, a back-to-back All-Star in 2013 and 2014, will likely be in the middle of a bidding war between the Ottawa RedBlacks and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Bomber general manager Kyle Walters has stressed numerous times that upgrading Winnipeg's offensive line is his No. 1 priority this offseason. Ottawa general manager Marcel Desjardins would also like to beef up his offensive line, but there are other large holes to fill as well. Bryant will be in for some good money wherever he signs.

Prediction: Signs with Winnipeg.

(3) Geoff Tisdale, Cornerback, Montreal
I expect BC, Saskatchewan, Toronto and Ottawa to all be in on the auction to sign Tisdale, the only No. 1 corner still available. The Leos made it known they were looking for an upgrade over veteran Dante Marsh this offseason, which is why I believe Tisdale will return to the West Division and line up across from Ronnie Yell in BC in 2015.

Prediction: Signs with BC

(4) Brian Peters, Linebacker, Saskatchewan
Peters remains an absolute must re-sign for the Riders. If Saskatchewan lands Brett Jones or Geoff Tisdale, then Peters will follow Richie Hall, his defensive coordinator in Saskatchewan, to Winnipeg. Since I have my doubts regarding the Riders actually signing one of Jones or Tisdale, I think they hang on to their leading tackler.

Prediction: Re-signs with Saskatchewan.

(5) Ernest Jackson, Wide Receiver, BC
All signs point to Jackson reuniting with his college quarterback Drew Willy in Winnipeg. The Bombers are in need of another international receiver and Jackson is the best of those available; however, Winnipeg made a splash by signing Nick Moore in free agency last year and just inked Clarence Denmark to an extension last September, so I don't think Winnipeg will want all three of their international receivers to be making north of $180,000/year. Ottawa would be Jackson's next best option as they are still starving for playmakers and can give Jackson the money he desires.

Prediction: Signs with Ottawa.

(6) SirVincent Rogers, Left Tackle, Toronto
Ottawa will have to "settle" for SirVincent Rogers at left tackle after missing out on Bryant. Rogers will still be a major upgrade over the revolving door of players the RedBlacks plugged in to protect Henry Burris' blindside last season.

Prediction: Signs with Ottawa.

(7) Tristan Jackson, Cornerback, Saskatchewan
Jackson's skills in coverage have come a long way since his early days in Saskatchewan, when he was primarily used a returner. Hamilton and Montreal are both in the market for upgrades at cornerback, but I think Montreal will win out on this as they may be looking for Geoff Tisdale's replacement.

Prediction: Signs with Montreal.

(8) Nic Grigsby, Running Back, Hamilton
No teams are currently in the market for a No. 1 running back this off-season, so the market for Grigsby’s services might not be that hot. Perhaps the Argonauts will give the 2014East Division All-Star a look, but even I don't think Grigsby would change allegiances for a third time in less than a year… would he? Grigsby will re-sign in Hamilton and form a pretty dynamic duo with C.J. Gable in 2015.

Prediction: Re-signs with Hamilton.

(9) Kendial Lawrence, Running Back, Edmonton
Lawrence, named the No. 1 free agent by CFL.ca, had an impressive first year with the Eskimos, playing both slotback and running back. John White, Edmonton's starting tailback, had a good year but isn't exactly cemented as the team's starter like Jon Cornish is in Calgary or Andrew Harris is in BC. For that reason, and because no other team is in desperate need of a starting running back or return specialist, I think Lawrence stays in Edmonton and has another good year as a feature player in Edmonton's offence.

Prediction: Re-signs with Edmonton.

(10) Sam Giguère, Wide Receiver, Hamilton
National players often move back home in free agency and I fully expect the Sherbrooke, Quebec native to continue that trend this offseason. The Als are in need of another Canadian pass-catcher and Giguère is the best one available. Giggy would be the icing on the cake to an already successful offseason in Montreal.

Prediction: Signs with Montreal.

(11) Rennie Curran, Linebacker, Edmonton
Curran played very well while filling in for the oft-injured JC Sherritt in the middle of Edmonton's linebacker corps. Curran is the exact type of player Bomber head coach Mike O'Shea wants in the middle of his defence: big, physical, vocal and a locker-room favourite. Winnipeg needs a MIKE linebacker and Curran meets the requirements.

Prediction: Signs with Winnipeg.

(12) Brad Sinopoli, Wide Receiver, Calgary
Just like Giguère heading home to Montreal, Sinopoli will head home to Ottawa and immediately receive a large role in the RedBlacks’ offence. The former CIS quarterback has been steadily developing as a receiver since arriving in Calgary and will look for his first big role in the nation's capital.

Prediction: Signs with Ottawa.

(13) Glenn January, Left Tackle, Winnipeg
Calgary and Toronto are both likely losing their starting left tackles, Stanley Bryant and SirVincent Rogers, to Winnipeg and Ottawa, respectively, and may be looking for new starters in free agency. Hamilton may also be in the market for an upgrade at tackle, but I expect them and Calgary to address that need in the draft. The eight-year CFL veteran will have options this year as a cheaper alternative to Bryant and Rogers.

Prediction: Signs with Toronto.

(14) Kevin Glenn, Quarterback, BC
Riders general manager Brendan Taman will get run out of Riderville if he doesn't bring in another quarterback and Darian Durant gets injured once again. Taman will turn to the league's best insurance policy to add veteran the depth behind Durant.

Prediction: Signs with Saskatchewan.

(15) Johnny Sears, Defensive Back, Winnipeg
Sears can line up all over the field and would be a useful player for many teams. The Bombers are reportedly close to re-signing the four-year pro, who would likely start at SAM linebacker for Winnipeg in 2015.

Prediction: Re-signs with Winnipeg.

(16) Dan LeFevour, Quarterback, Hamilton
LeFevour looked impressive last year before tearing his ACL in his fourth game as Hamilton’s starter. The Lions will look to the scrambling Central Michigan product to provide some certainty at quarterback as Travis Lulay's shoulder injuries continue to hang over the franchise.

Prediction: Signs with BC.

(17) Justin Hickman, Defensive End, Hamilton
Hickman hasn't played in very many football games over the last few years, serving mostly as a reserve player with the NFL's Indianapolis Colts before signing back with Hamilton midway through the 2014 season. The Ti-Cats need another pass rusher opposite Eric Norwood and will turn to the 2011 CFL All-Star in the hopes that he can return to form in 2015.

Prediction: Re-signs with Hamilton.

(18) Jason Barnes, Wide Receiver, Toronto
Despite an injury-riddled campaign in 2014, Barnes is still one of the league’s best red zone targets. The BC Lions may look to add another international receiver if Ernest Jackson leaves and, coincidentally, Barnes and Jackson are similar receivers. The Ray-Barnes connection is six-years strong, so I see Barnes returning to T.O. after testing the market.

Prediction: Re-signs with Toronto.

(19) Dan Clark, Guard, Saskatchewan
If Clark's blocking skills are anywhere near as good as his hands, he will start somewhere in 2015. Edmonton and Hamilton are both in the market for offensive guards and would certainly like to bring in a national like Clark to compete for a starting spot in 2015.

Prediction: Signs with Hamilton.

(20) Bakari Grant, Wide Receiver, Hamilton
Grant hauled in 69 passes for 947 yards in 2013 and would fit in nicely as a third receiver in Winnipeg or BC and would do so at a much more reasonable price than many other receivers both teams could target. Hamilton is deep at the receiver position and will let Grant look for a larger role elsewhere.

Prediction: Signs with Winnipeg.

Other notable offseason signings:

Greg Ellingson, WR, Hamilton: Re-signs with Hamilton.
Nik Lewis, WR, Calgary: Signs with Ottawa.
Dante Marsh, CB, BC: Signs with Saskatchewan
Aaron Kelly, WR, Winnipeg: Signs with BC.
Curtis Steele, RB, Toronto: Re-signs with Toronto.
Spencer Watt, WR, Toronto: Signs with Calgary.
Edwin Harrison, RT, Calgary: Re-signs with Calgary

The Missing Pieces

It was beginning to seem as though the 2015 CFL free agent class was going to be the best crop in a long time.

Just like last year, where numerous blockbuster trades kicked off the offseason, teams were seemingly clearing up cap space and upgrading at positions that were occupied by upcoming free agents in the run-up to this year's start of free agency. With just under two weeks to go, CFL fans and teams were licking their chops after looking at how many star players remained unsigned… which lead to the final few days of January being real disappointing (depending on which team you cheer for, of course).

The dominoes began to fall on January 28 when the Alouettes locked up franchise slotback S.J. Green for three more years. It snowballed from there as Weston Dressler (Saskatchewan), Odell Willis (Edmonton), Luke Tasker (Hamilton) and Tyler Holmes (Toronto) all re-signed with their 2014 clubs. Those signings thinned out the top tier of the free agent class. The NFL didn’t help matters either, as they snagged Canadian offensive tackle Ben Heenan from the list, as well as Ian Wild, Delvin Breaux and Duron Carter, all of whom were expected to head down south when the 2014 season ended.

There is no denying that this year’s crop of free agents is no longer as exciting as last year’s group. Other than Calgary’s Brett Jones, who is expected to find employment down south, there aren't many big-name players who will be testing the market on February 10. Last year, players such as Shea Emry, Pat Watkins, Zach Collaros, Henry Burris, Nick Moore, Jamall Johnson and Drew Willy were all available to the highest bidder. This year, the group is nowhere near as bountiful.

While free agency alone is seldom used to build a Grey Cup champion, it can be used to plug in the final pieces of the puzzle for a team’s Grey Cup run. As we all know, Ottawa isn’t going to turn into East Division champions in one offseason, but those solid ‘tweener’ teams like Edmonton, Montreal or Saskatchewan certainly can. Even a team like Winnipeg, who I would expect to open their large wallet and steal plenty of free agents, can turn into contenders if they decide to take a risk and spend right to the salary cap.

Highlighting this year’s free agent list would be the bevy of receivers that could be available. That list contains BC’s Ernest Jackson, Winnipeg’s Aaron Kelly, Calgary’s Brad Sinopoli, Toronto’s duo of Jason Barnes and Spencer Watt, and Hamilton’s trio of Sam Giguère, Bakari Grant and Greg Ellingson. There are no No. 1 receivers now that Dressler, Green and Tasker have all re-signed, but plenty of second and third receivers in Jackson, Barnes and Grant, who are all good fits for Edmonton, Winnipeg, BC or Ottawa. Jackson, who was named October’s offensive player of the month, is the most talented out of the group while Barnes, 30, is still one of the league’s best red zone targets despite having an injury-riddled year in 2014. While Grant, Ellingson and Kelly are all talented receivers, they may not be as valuable to an offence as Giguère, Watt or Sinopoli because of their passport and team’s now dedicating a starting receiver position to a Canadian. Winnipeg and Ottawa are both in need for top national targets to balance out their ratio, which makes Giguère and Sinopoli two interesting targets as I don’t think either of them has reached their full potential. I’m certainly expecting the majority of these pass-catchers to collect some good coin with a thinner pool of receivers available this off-season.

Defensively, there are plenty of starters to go around. Alouette cornerback Geoff Tisdale is coming off two solid seasons as the shutdown corner in Montreal with 13 interceptions in his last two campaigns and will certainly get interest from a number of teams in need of a No. 1 corner. Saskatchewan’s Tristan Jackson is also a solid corner who would excel opposite of guy like Tisdale on a team like BC or Edmonton. The Blue Bombers will likely look to upgrade their linebacker core this February after losing Ian Wild to the NFL, and both Saskatchewan’s Brian Peters and Edmonton’s Rennie Curran are slated to be available. Peters, 26, led the Riders with 78 tackles and played under Winnipeg’s newly hired defensive coordinator Richie Hall in Saskatchewan. Curran, meanwhile, complimented the often injured J.C. Sherritt at middle linebacker and would be a big upgrade over Ejiro Kuale, whom Winnipeg released earlier this week.

After seeing the Tiger-Cats, Roughriders and Alouettes struggle through certain stretches of the year, the 2014 season proved the importance of depth at quarterback. The Lions have decided to part ways with Kevin Glenn and look for a younger and more promising signal-caller like Hamilton’s Dan LeFevour. LeFevour looked promising in 2014, making four starts while completing 68 per cent of his passes for 1,276 yards and 314 yards rushing, including a Week 5 victory over Ottawa which saw LeFevour win offensive player of the week. What LeFevour doesn’t have in arm strength, he makes up for with his ability to scramble outside the pocket and rush for first downs. Those skills are why I see BC signing LeFevour with Travis Lulay’s ongoing shoulder issues continuing to hang over the franchise.

Lulay’s old “backup”, Kevin Glenn, remains the league’s best insurance policy and would prevent another wasted season in Saskatchewan caused by not having a reliable backup if starter Darian Durant goes down. Second-string quarterbacks aren’t usually credited when a team wins a Grey Cup, but a solid backup that can step in for a handful of games may prevent a team from regressing during the 18-game regular season and maintain confidence heading into the post-season, a trait the Riders lacked last November.

The Stampeders will most likely be supplying everyone with lineman this February. There is still a chance 2014 Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Brett Jones stays in the CFL this offseason. With an expected cap hit of well over $200k, the team that signs Jones will pay a hefty price, but one worth paying since he is a national and has dominated despite only being in the league for two years. Jones’ left tackle, Stanley Bryant, a 2013 and 2014 All-Star is an instant starter wherever he signs, while Edwin Harrison is a solid option at right tackle for Winnipeg or Hamilton. With Ben Heenan (NFL) and Tyler Holmes (Toronto) off the market, the demand for starting lineman has certainly increased despite limited options available.

It’s hard to predict which teams will open their wallet when free agency rolls around, and which teams will lay low and build through the draft and smaller international signings. It is safe to say that free agency this year is a bit of a letdown, but still carries a good amount of complimentary talent to round out the positional needs of contending teams. Unfortunately for R-Nation, the RedBlacks won’t be turned into the contenders Saskatchewan, Edmonton, Montreal and Hamilton are in one offseason but, after all, Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither were the Calgary Stampeders.

Take It to the Bank: Speedy B Staying in Tiger Town

No reason to bury the lede: Speedy B is staying put.

The Ti-Cats announced a few hours ago that Brandon Banks has signed a three-year contract extension that will keep him with the team until 2017. Banks' contract was set to expire in five days.

With the slew of re-signings last week, Banks was probably biggest free agent left... until today. His signing for three years is also not insignificant. He has committed to the team for the long haul and, at 27, he has likely decided to make the CFL, and Hamilton, is permanent professional home.

Banks' 2014 season saw him emerge as the league's premier returnman. He led the league in combined yardage and was twice named Special Teams Player of the Week. The diminutive speedster from Kansas State also was a threat on offense, finishing with 529 yards on 42 catches and tying for the team lead with five receiving touchdowns. The progress he made from year one to year two shows that he can be a significant contributor on offense to go along with his excellence on special teams. And if his role continues to increase in the offense, the sky is the limit for him.

And while some might point to the disappointing ending to the Grey Cup as their lasting memory of Brandon Banks, I think we need to look a week earlier when Speedy B took over the East Final against the Als with two of the most amazing punt return touchdowns I have seen in my 25+ years of watching football. Those two returns will be what I remember of Brandon Banks from the 2014 season.

With Banks and Luke Tasker both signed for the long term, the dominoes can fall regarding other players. Taylor Reed is apparently close to signing an extension of his own and there are a couple other players – namely Bakari Grant and Justin Hickman – who I would like to see brought back.

But we can worry about who else will be back if and when they sign. This is about Brandon Banks. And I think I speak for all of Tiger Town when I say: Welcome Back, Speedy B!

Podskee Wee Wee, Episode 2

Episode 2 is now ready for one and all.

We are now on iTunes, so you can click the "Subscribe on iTunes" button at the bottom of the post and when a new episode goes up, it will be go right into your podcast playlist.

Also, if you want to leave a rating and/or review on iTunes, that would be great. Mike and I are always looking for feedback, both positive and negative. We just want to make the best show possible for you, our listeners. So hit us up here in the comment section or on Twitter and let us know what you liked, what you didn't like, and what you would like to hear in the future. Enjoy Episode No. 2.

Taman Needs to Try to Getz as Much as He Can

It's been a crazy week for Saskatchewan Roughriders general manager Brendan Taman.

Taman made a series of trades recently, dealing defensive end Ricky Foley to Toronto in exchange for veteran linebacker Shea Emry, and also trading Kris Bastien, a second-round pick in 2015 and an unnamed player from their negotiation list to Winnipeg for receiver Cory Watson and a third-round pick in 2015. And in perhaps his most important moves, Taman secured the services of the league's best safety in Tyron Brackenridge and fan-favourite receiver Weston Dressler, ending six months’ worth of speculation debating where No. 7 would be playing in 2015.

Taman certainly deserves credit for what he has done so far leading up to the start of free agency, but he still has a lot left to do. Saskatchewan entered the offseason with a whopping 29 free agents – including three players that are arguably the best at their positions – and, as expected, can't bring them all back with their salary cap situation.

While we can only guess how much cap room Taman has left to work with, it is obvious there isn't much money left over for Ben Heenan, Brian Peters, Tristan Jackson and other starters like Brandon Boudreaux, Dan Clark and Rod Williams. Heenan, the best of the bunch, is likely gone with Winnipeg willing to make him the league's highest paid lineman. Even with the versatile guard/tackle gone, Saskatchewan currently has 16 other free agents and will still likely want to make other small improvements come February 10.

Fortunately, for Rider fans, Taman has demonstrated his willingness to trade this offseason, which is why I propose he continues to do so in order to balance out the roster as we head toward the opening of free agency in eight days.

Highlighting Saskatchewan's trade candidates has to be Canadian receiver Chris Getzlaf. The two-time 1,000-yard receiver carries a rumoured cap hit of $220,000/year and his 2014 production did not match the salary of a top-five receiver. While I would agree his underwhelming stats – 591 yards and one touchdown – were impacted by Saskatchewan's poor quarterbacking after Darian Durant was lost for the season; however, it should be mentioned he only averaged 15 yards per game during the 10 games Durant started, including three straight games with zero receptions. These coming from a guy who is considered the team’s No. 1 receiver is concerning. I am confident Getzlaf can rebound with a healthy Durant and new offence, and probably haul in around 850 or so yards in 2015, but all that could be good for nothing if Taman can't re-sign his key defenders. At 32 years old, Getzlaf is at the end of his prime and is a good fit for a team like the Ottawa RedBlacks or even the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Speaking of the Ottawa RedBlacks, they are desperate for play-makers and would surely overspend to acquire Getzlaf. With only one year left on his deal, and plenty of cap space left, Ottawa can take on his salary and play him alongside Mo Price and Marcus Henry to form a pretty dynamic receiving corps. If a trade were to occur, Saskatchewan could swap first-round picks with Ottawa and draft Heenan's replacement with the top pick, while also acquiring a second- or third-round pick.

With Dressler locked up, the Roughriders have one of the best receiving corps in the league and would survive without Getzlaf. Not only do they boast one of the best, but probably the most expensive, with approximately one-fifth of their entire salary cap dedicated to their group of pass catchers. Taman seems to have the Riders prepared for changes at slotback after taking a risk trading for Watson and signing another former 1,000-yard receiver in Jamel Richardson, who did not play in 2014 due to injury. Getzlaf's main replacement, Rob Bagg, played great in 2014, catching 54 passes for 803 yards while probably getting paid close to half of what Getzlaf brings in.

While I am sure Rider Nation would be sad to see a great player like Getzlaf go, it would be best for the team if it means re-signing Brian Peters or any other of the starters previously mentioned. Peters, 26, led the Riders in tackles and has the potential to be an elite WILL linebacker. Not re-signing Peters would also devalue the Foley-Emry trade, as Saskatchewan would be back to only one solid linebacker but with the added sting of no longer having an elite Canadian pass rusher. Getzlaf is not Saskatchewan's only option (Taj Smith seems expendable), however he carries the most trade value and a far higher cap hit.

Taman's reputation has gone on a crazy roller-coaster ride this week, and is currently on the upswing since Dressler's contract was announced. But all of that could change if February 10 rolls around and a good chunk of Heenan, Peters, Jackson and/or others aren't under contract. Taman has plenty of decisions to make and I wouldn't be shocked to hear that Chris Getzlaf's name was being mentioned during some calls with Marcel Desjardins' Ottawa Redblacks.

I'm sure it would be hard for Rider Nation to see fan-favourite players like Ricky Foley and Chris Getzlaf traded around the same time, but it should be appreciated that what they are getting in return will help balance out the positional talent level on the roster. It's a tough pill to swallow, but football is a business, and if Taman makes the right moves, business may once again be booming in Saskatchewan.