Roughriders head into free agency with linebacker the biggest need

The 2020 CFL free-agency period is just about underway and Saskatchewan Roughriders general manager Jeremy O’Day has been busy leading into it.

The team had 32 potential free agents following the 2019 season. O’Day since has signed 14 players to contract extensions, including receiver Shaq Evans and Canadian linebacker Cam Judge.

The team has brought back a majority of its starters but some new ones are expected in the receiving group and at linebacker.

Free agency gets underway Tuesday at 11 a.m.

Quarterbacks

Under contract: Bryan Bennett, Cody Fajardo, Justice Hansen, Isaac Harker.

Pending free agents: None.

The Roughriders finished the 2019 season with all three quarterbacks on their roster signed through the 2020 season.

Fajardo, who was named the West Division’s most outstanding player last season, signed a contract extension on Oct. 21 that will keep him in Saskatchewan through the 2021 season.

Fajardo took over as the starting quarterback in Week 1 after Zach Collaros suffered a concussion. In Fajardo’s first season as a starter, he completed 338 of 473 pass attempts for 4,716 yards and 23 touchdowns with just nine interceptions. He also rushed for 611 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Harker started one game for the Roughriders, completing 23 of 28 passes for 213 yards on Nov. 2 in a 23-13 win over the Edmonton Eskimos.

Fajardo will once again have Harker, who is entering his second year in the CFL, and Bennett as his backups.

On Monday, Roughriders general manager Jeremy O’Day said they are always looking for ways to improve the team.

“I wouldn’t say that we will get a free agent quarterback but I wouldn’t say there’s not some interest.”

Running backs

Under contract: William Powell, Jamal Morrow.

Re-signed: Albert Awachie, Kienan LaFrance, Patrick Lavoie, Atlee Simon.

Released: Marcus Thigpen.

Powell is once again expected to carry most of the load at running back.

The versatile veteran rushed for 1,093 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground last season. The 31-year-old is also an option in the passing game, catching 37 passes for 296 yards and two touchdowns.

The backup to Powell is expected to be LaFrance after the team elected to release Thigpen in the off-season. Thigpen was one of the team’s main kick and punt returners in 2019.

Second-year rushers Morrow and Simon, a former University of Regina Rams standout, could also make a push for a roster spot during training camp if the Roughriders choose not to seek a veteran backup in free agency.

While Awachie played most of the season as the team’s fullback, Lavoie was the starter in the West Division final against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Lavoie missed most of the 2019 season due to a back injury.

Receivers

Under contract: Jake Harty, Carlos Henderson, Brayden Lenius, Justin McInnis, Paul McRoberts, Kyran Moore, Mitch Picton, Kenny Stafford, Jordan Williams-Lambert, Max Zimmermann.

Re-signed: Shaq Evans.

Pending free agents: Emmanuel Arceneaux, Naaman Roosevelt, Cory Watson.

O’Day checked off one of his biggest free-agency priorities Friday with the signing of Evans to a one-year contract extension.

Evans led the Roughriders last season with 1,334 receiving yards and five touchdown catches. The 28-year-old is expected to be the team’s No. 1 option again, after he showed chemistry with Fajardo all season.

Moore is also expected to continue his progress as he enters his third CFL season. Along with Evans, Moore took a big step in his development in his second season, recording 996 yards and six touchdowns. Moore could also contribute on punt and kick returns, especially with the release of Thigpen.

Three of the starters from 2019 could find themselves on the open market. Roosevelt, Arceneaux and Watson haven’t signed extensions with the team.

Roosevelt has spent all five of his CFL seasons with the Roughriders and the 32-year-old recorded 946 yards and one touchdown in 2019. Arceneaux and Watson completed their first seasons with the Green and White.

O’Day said there’s a small possibility Roosevelt could return to the team but it would be dependent on how negotiations with other players go.

Williams-Lambert, who was named the 2018 West Division rookie of the year, is expected to slot into the starting lineup in 2020. After trying out for the NFL in 2019, Williams-Lambert joined the Roughriders late in the regular season. He could take Roosevelt’s spot in the slot.

If the Roughriders choose not to chase a free-agent receiver, Lenius, McInnis and Picton could fill the national void in the receiving group.

Stafford (who was acquired from the Eskimos during the season) and McRoberts (a 2019 training camp standout) are expected to battle for the final starting spot in the group.

Offensive line

Under contract: Jake Bennett, Rene Brassea, Logan Ferland, Brendon LaBatte, Braden Schram, Dakoda Shepley.

Re-signed: Dan Clark, Takoby Cofield, Terran Vaughn.

Pending free agents: Dariusz Bladek, Philip Blake, Thaddeus Coleman.

The Roughriders will be anchored on the offensive line by veterans Clark and LaBatte.

Clark, who was named a CFL all-star for the first time in his career last season, signed a two-year contract extension in the off-season. The 31-year-old Regina-born centre was the one constant presence on an offensive line that dealt with a rash of injuries in 2019.

LaBatte will be expected to return as the team’s left guard in 2020. He missed most of the 2019 season due to a hip injury.

Bladek started multiple games for the Roughriders but suffered a knee injury on June 13. Coleman started all but one game for the team in 2019. Blake suffered a broken leg in a July 20 game against the B.C. Lions.

Shepley started in the games while Bladek and Blake were injured and eventually was named the team’s sixth offensive lineman when Blake returned to the starting lineup.

Despite the injuries, the Roughriders’ offensive line was among the league’s best. The group allowed 37 sacks (fifth-fewest in the league) and led the way for a rushing attack that scored a league-leading 26 touchdowns.

“I thought we had a luxury last year of having a lot of quality depth at that position,” O’Day said.

The Roughriders could have Vaughn at left tackle, LaBatte at left guard, Clark at centre, Shepley at right guard and Cofield at right tackle to begin 2020. Schram and Bennett are the favourites to battle for the sixth spot depending on if the Roughriders go out and sign someone in free agency.

“Certainly a position we know is a very big key to our team,” O’Day said.

He said the team would like to get more depth along the offensive line.

Defensive line

Under contract: Charbel Dabire, Zack Evans, Chad Geter, Charleston Hughes.

Re-signed: Makana Henry, A.C. Leonard.

Pending free agents: Lavar Edwards, Micah Johnson, Jordan Reaves.

The Roughriders are bringing back most of a dominant defensive line that tied for the league lead in sacks with 56.

The team will have Hughes back for 2020. The veteran end recorded a league-leading 16 sacks last season.

On the other end of the line, the team re-signed Leonard to a two-year contract extension. He recorded a career-high nine sacks in 2019.

The interior of the defensive line could see some changes with Johnson set to become a free agent.

One of the biggest free-agency signings for the team in 2019, Johnson missed multiple games due to ankle injuries and finished with four sacks after recording 14 in 2018. Despite not having a lot of sacks, Johnson drew a lot of attention and often faced double-teams, freeing up other rushers.

Henry, who signed a two-year extension, and Dabire could also be called upon to fill the hole left by Johnson if he leaves in free agency. Henry (who is entering his fifth CFL season) and Dabire (who was a rookie in 2019) both saw an increase in their roles with the injuries to Johnson and Evans.

With Johnson set to become a free agent, the Roughriders could look to replace him with another free agent or they could feel comfortable letting Dabire or Henry step into the starting role next to Evans.

Linebackers

Under contract: Alexandre Chevrier, Otha Foster III, Micah Teitz.

Re-signed: Cam Judge.

Pending free agents: Brandyn Bartlett, DyShawn Davis, Solomon Elimimian, Alexandre Gagne, Sam Hurl.

Released: Derrick Moncrief.

Linebacker appears to be the position the Roughriders are most likely to spend money on during free agency.

Judge, who was named the West Division’s most outstanding Canadian last season, is the only starter from the 2019 group set to return in 2020. Judge signed a one-year contract extension after having a breakout season in 2019, when he recorded 61 tackles, five sacks, two interceptions and one touchdown.

Moncrief was released so he could sign with the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders and Elimimian has not re-signed. The Green and White will need to find a way to replace the production of the two talented linebackers, who combined for 157 defensive tackles (88 for Elimimian, 69 for Moncrief) in 2019.

On Monday, the Roughriders signed Foster, who spent the 2016 and ’17 seasons with Saskatchewan before playing with the B.C. Lions in 2018.

Another scenario could see defensive back Loucheiz Purifoy move to the strong-side linebacker spot. Purifoy played there in place of an injured Moncrief in Saskatchewan’s regular-season finale.

Defensive backs

Under contract: Blace Brown, Jacob Dearborn, Mike Edem, L.J. McCray.

Re-signed: Elie Bouka, Ed Gainey, Nick Marshall, Loucheiz Purifoy.

Pending free agents: Denzel Radford.

The Roughriders will welcome back their 2019 secondary for the 2020 season.

The team re-signed Marshall (one year), Gainey (one year) and Purifoy (two years) in the off-season; they’ll once again team with McCray and Edem.

The Roughriders’ passing defence was among the league’s best in 2019, surrendering only 19 touchdowns through the air (second-fewest in the CFL) and picking off 19 passes (fourth-most in the league).

While every starter should return to their same positions at 2019, there is a scenario where Purifoy could find himself playing linebacker in place of Moncrief.

If Purifoy makes the move to linebacker, Bouka or Brown could fill his spot if the Roughriders don’t find someone else during free agency.

Special Teams

Under contract: Brett Lauther.

Re-signed: Jorgen Hus, Jon Ryan.

The Roughriders’ kicking game will remain the same heading into 2020, with the team re-signing Hus (its long-snapper) and Ryan (its punter) to one-year contract extensions.

Ryan averaged 48.8 yards in 2019. Lauther, who dealt with a groin injury early last season, finished the campaign with a 78 per cent conversion rate on his field-goal tries, hitting 32 of 41 attempts.

Below is a depth chart put together by The Green Zone’s Jamie Nye based on the Roughriders’ current list of free agents and re-signed players.