Some Early Thoughts on Free Agency: West
Before launching into my grades for the West Division, I have to admit that I found gauging the effectiveness of the free agency activity out west much more difficult than the moves made by East Division clubs.
All four squads in the West are blessed with strong, competitive rosters at this point, and GMs like Eric Tillman and Waly Buono have such excellent track records, I’m fairly uncomfortable criticizing their “non-moves” without direct knowledge of their thought processes.
That said, all’s fair in love and grades.
So, on to the West:
B.C. LIONS—C+/B-
B.C. was certainly the most difficult of the West clubs to evaluate. Part of me wants to give Wally Buono bonus points for setting his roster so that only two players would be exposed to free agency—safety Tad Crawford (who didn’t factor into the team’s plans in 2011) and Jarious Jackson (who’s age and health more than make the player expendable).
The other part of me, however, wants to criticize the club for not being more active in the hunt for the Canadian playmakers available in this year’s free agent crop.
Buono’s signing of Eric Taylor will no doubt pay dividends this season. But the offensive side of the ball could’ve used a boost or two heading into the first year of the Travis Lulay era.
The bottom line in B.C. is simple: the Lions are a young, fast, developing roster, and Wally Buono obviously feels the players he has in-house already are better than those on the open market this year. We’ll know by the end of summer if he’s correct.
CALGARY STAMPEDERS—C+
The Stamps positioned themselves well for free agency by re-signing players like Romby Bryant, Devone Claybrooks, and Randy Chevrier prior to the deadline. The team took more direct hits with the losses of Dwight Anderson, Tearrious George, Wes Lysack, and possibly Ben Archibald, however, than they were able to reload with the signing of DB Geoff Tisdale.
Couple those losses with the defections of Brandon Browner and Tom Johnson to the NFL, and there’s no doubt Calgary is worse off than they were a year ago at this point.
EDMONTON ESKIMOS—B+
Eric Tillman has to feel a little like he’s living the movie Groundhog’s Day. For the third time in his career as a GM, he’s been tasked with overhauling an underperforming team’s roster in no-time flat. And for the second time in recent memory, he’s being asked to do it under the constraints of the league’s Salary Management System, A.K.A. salary cap.
While Tillman usually works his magic via trades at CFL Draft time, he managed to make some serious hay in free agency with the signings of Brian Ramsay and Jermaine Reid. He also penned the most coveted Canadian playmaker in this off-season’s crop, Chris Bauman, at the onset of the period.
In the end, though, Ricky Ray stirs the drinks in Edmonton, and unless the team can keep him upright and productive, their record won’t improve.
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS—B-
Losing in the Grey Cup two years running, it’s only natural that Saskatchewan would experience an exodus of players looking to see if they can get a ring somewhere else.
As important as it was to re-sign veteran leaders like Lance Frazier, Gene Makowsky, Mike McCullough, and Chris McKenzie, it’ll be equally vital for new head coach Greg Marshall to keep the team performing at a championship level after the losses of key contributors like Daniel Francis, Wayne Smith, and Jeremy O’Day. And that’s not even counting the potential departures of Joel Bell, Kitwana Jones, and Sean Lucas.
The Roughriders managed to fill some of the gaps with the acquisitions of Alexandre Gauthier, George Hudson, and Tearrious George, but it remains to be seen how all these changes to team chemistry will impact performance between the lines in July.
PROSPECTUS
The Western Division will sport four solid, competitive teams in 2011. With the Stamps ornery from losing in the playoffs to years running, an Eskimos squad on the rise, a team in B.C. that ended 2010 with some serious momentum with the promise of a Grey Cup played at home this season, and a well-coached, seasoned, and talent-laden team in Saskatchewan, I wouldn’t want to risk my own money betting against a team from out west taking the Cup home in Vancouver come November.
UP NEXT
Check back in a few days to get my top 10-wish list for the upcoming season. Until then, enjoy the hot stove while we have it.
JackBedell previous column: Some Early Thoughts on Free Agency: East