The biggest day on the CFL off-season calendar is February 14th, which makes the start of free agency. For the second straight season, there are plenty of big names on the board and that should make for an intriguing day of signings with the expectation that a number of stars will sign on Valentine’s Day. Here is a look at the top pending offensive free agents in the CFL right now.
WR: Ernest Jackson, Ottawa Redblacks
Jackson is coming off an absolutely dominant 2016 season in which he registered 1,225 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns for the Grey Cup champion Redblacks. Jackson’s reliability is just as important as his explosiveness and big play ability and there is no doubt that he will be the top-ranked free agent receiver on the board. Ottawa could be tempted to open up the wallet to bring him back but if not then Jackson will head somewhere else with an opportunity to provide another team with a major boost on offense.
WR: Greg Ellingson, Ottawa Redblacks
Jackson isn’t the only star receiver the Redblacks have to worry about losing in free agency and there is a good chance they will have to choose between bringing back him or Ellingson. With 2,321 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns over the last two seasons, Ellingson will be a highly courted free agent with a number of teams looking to lock down his experience and talent. Ottawa has some tough choices to make and it will be very interesting to see who they choose at wide receiver on Valentine’s Day.
OL: Pierre Lavertu, Calgary Stampeders
Lavertu is coming off a torn ACL but he has made a full recovery and there is little doubt that he can return to form in 2017. Lavertu is still just 26-years-old and he will be the top-ranked offensive lineman available on February 14th. Calgary would love to bring him back to anchor the left side of their offensive line but there will be a number of teams interested in stealing him away from the defending West champions.
Remember that the Stampeders put together one of the best offenses in CFL history last year, so getting Lavertu back would help them maintain the level of production they had. The Stamps scored a whopping 586 points in the regular season. Only two other teams surpassed the 500-point mark and the closest to Calgary was the B.C. Lions, who scored 545.
WR: Bryan Burnham, BC Lions
Burnham is coming off a monster 2016 season in which he finished with 1,392 receiving yards with an average of 17.6 yards per catch. Burnham’s explosiveness and big play ability will be highly coveted when he hits the open market and it will be interesting to see where he ends up. Burnham and Emmanuel Arcenaux formed the second-best wide receiver tandem in the CFL last season but there is a good chance the 26-year-old will be headed elsewhere in 2017 as he hits the prime of his career. It’ll be a big blow for the Lions if he does leave as receivers work in tandem and if there is only one big receiving weapon instead of two, it makes the defense’s job all that easier to slow them down.
As mentioned, the Lions fielded the second-most productive offense in the CFL last season, so they don’t want to lose a key weapon.
WR: Diontae Spencer, Toronto Argonauts
The final spot on this list goes to another electric wide receiver that is entering the prime of his career. Spencer finished last season with 71 receptions for 706 yards but the feeling is that the 24-year-old has only started to tap in to his immense potential. Spencer has all of the tools to become an elite CFL wide receiver but there is a very good chance it won’t be with Toronto.
The Argos were the worst team in the CFL last season when they finished with just five wins. Losing a guy like Spencer won’t help their cause in terms of rebuilding and working towards a better record in 2017.
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