O’Day doesn’t expect Roughriders to be active to start free agency

Saskatchewan Roughriders general manager Jeremy O’Day doesn’t expect to be a big player when CFL free agency hits Tuesday.

“I would say that we’re probably not going to be very active in free agency. We’re still talking to a couple of our players but it can change quickly depending on how the next day or two shape up,” O’Day said Monday at Mosaic Stadium.

O’Day already has been busy, re-signing 14 of a possible 32 free agents, including wide receiver Shaq Evans, linebacker Cam Judge and defensive back Nick Marshall.

O’Day said the team’s goal this off-season is to bring back as many players from the 2019 team as possible.

“We thought if we did that, we didn’t have a lot of holes that we would need to attack in free agency,” said O’Day.  “We’ve been plugging away at that. That has kind of been our philosophy.

“We’ve always said that we’ve liked our team and we still like our team and we’re just trying to get those guys back.”

Some veteran Roughriders still remain without a contract with free agency set to begin on Tuesday at 11 a.m. Saskatchewan time.

Linebacker Solomon Elimimian, defensive lineman Micah Johnson and slotback Naaman Roosevelt are some of the bigger names who could see what the open market holds.

“We are still in discussions with some of those guys but some of those guys will also be hitting free agency and some of those guys we’re not expecting to get back,” O’Day said.

Roosevelt was the longest-serving member of the Roughriders’ receiving group, spending five seasons with the Green and White.

“I don’t want to say 100 per cent that he won’t be back but it’s going to be a decision that comes down to how we do with the rest of the guys,” O’Day said.

He noted the Roughriders feel good about their current group of receivers, including 2018 West Division rookie of the year Jordan Williams-Lambert, Kenny Stafford, Paul McRoberts and Carlos Henderson.

The linebacking group could see the most change.

Judge is the only starter from 2019 under contract. Elimimian is a pending free agent and strong-side linebacker Derrick Moncrief signed with the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders in the off-season.

“We’ve had discussions with (defensive co-ordinator Jason Shivers) and what his plans are for (Moncrief’s) position. He feels comfortable with some of the guys that are on our roster currently but we’re always going to try and create competition for every position,” O’Day said.

Later Monday, the Roughriders announced they had signed Otha Foster III, who last played in the CFL in 2018 with the B.C. Lions. Foster played linebacker for Saskatchewan in 2016 and ’17.

The Roughriders still have three veteran offensive linemen without a contract: Dariusz Bladek, Philip Blake and Thaddeus Coleman.

O’Day said the team wants depth at the position group.

“I thought we had a luxury (in 2019) that we had a lot of quality depth at that position,” O’Day said. “When you have that many quality guys, the (salary cap) perspective will come into a factor where you can’t always keep your good players. It’s certainly a position that we know is a very big key to our team.”

While the Roughriders are hosting the 2020 Grey Cup, O’Day said the approach to free agency doesn’t change for them. But he does admit some players keep that in their minds when negotiating.

“I think that when you’re talking — especially to our guys — and they agree to a contract, they’re excited about the chance of winning a Grey Cup at home,” O’Day said. “Even guys that are maybe getting later in their career, getting the chance to win one in your home stadium is a big deal.”

This off-season was the first in which general managers could reach out to possible free agents from other teams before the signing period began.

O’Day said the Roughriders didn’t make any formal offers to any possible free-agent targets.

“It was nice to know there was an openness where you’re able to talk to whoever you want to at any time,” O’Day said.

Last year, the team made a splash on the first day of free agency, signing Johnson and tailback William Powell to deals. Saskatchewan also found eventual starting quarterback Cody Fajardo in last year’s class of free agents.