'Always have a plan': Riders' GM Jeremy O'Day heading into free agency with options
The Canadian Football League’s (CFL) free agency period will officially open on Feb. 13, which means teams will be allowed to sign and talk to players who have not already signed extensions with their respective clubs.
“We’re open about talking about areas that we’re going to attack but I think that if you look to the roster and the players that we’ve signed back, you can kind of predict some of the areas that you know we would be looking at through free agency,” Jeremy O’Day, Roughriders general manager and vice president of football operations said.
“We always have a plan, you actually have two or three plans, sometimes more. If you get ‘this player’ in free agency or you’re able to attain him in free agency then what that means in other areas if you don’t get a player you were kind of earmarking or putting in the puzzle there. Then you have to shift to a different plan.”
The team has made some moves ahead of free agency when it comes to signing some of their bigger stars. On Thursday it was announced that receiver Shawn Bane Jr. had signed a two-year contract extension with the club. Bane played all 18 games in 2023 where he made 93 receptions which ranks him 8th all-time in Roughrider history.
“I’m happy to get Shawn back. Just had a great year for us. Everything that we had hoped for last year when we signed him in free agency,” O’Day said.
On Tuesday the team also announced the extension of American defensive lineman, Anthony Lanier II. Lanier played 14 games last season where he recorded 19 tackles, five sacks, and two tackles for loss.
“We’re excited for Anthony to work with coach Mace and our defensive line coach. Obviously, we’ve done a lot of evaluation on our own free agents and it’s nice to go through those with the new staff to get their opinions on the players,” O’Day said.
The team has also made some moves at the quarterback position. It was announced in late January that they decided to re-sign backup Mason Fine instead of Jake Dolegala. Fine signed a two-year extension.
“We spent a lot of time watching film on our quarterbacks from last year. Obviously with two, actually all three of them, that were becoming free agents in the off-season we had to make sure that we evaluated them. With our new head coach and new offensive coordinator. Through that process we decided that we wanted to go with Mason. For us it was just the fit with Marc’s offence and how comfortable he would be with the quarterback,” O’Day explained.
However, there is a very noticeable player the Riders have yet to re-sign and that is their number one running back from last season, Jamal Morrow.
“We’ve had discussions with his representation and right now there’s nothing that’s in the works,” O’Day said.
The running back position group as a whole heading into free agency has some big names available across the league.
“That’s a market that seems like there’s going to be quite a few that are going to be hitting the window. We’ll see where that goes. Is it surprising? I think that if you look at it, there’s different reasons for each guy maybe hitting the window. Whether it’s salary, whether it’s a team looking to make a change at the position,” O’Day said.
CFL free agency begins at noon EST on Feb. 13.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Liberal, Conservative MPs to speak at Oct. 7 march to Parliament Hill
A Liberal MP and a Conservative MP will be part of a team delivering speeches at an event in Ottawa commemorating the one year anniversary of the attacks on Oct. 7.
Looking for cheap flights for the holidays? Here are some tips to remember
Travelling on a budget can be stressful, but there are ways you can ensure you're getting the best deal on flights as the holiday season approaches.
Officer arrested after allegedly stealing alcohol from store: TPS
A Toronto police officer has been arrested after allegedly stealing three bottles of alcohol from a store.
Three injured, including child, in rural south Ottawa crash
Three people were taken to hospital after a crash between a pickup truck and a car in a rural part of Ottawa's south end on Saturday afternoon.
Son charged with mother's murder on Vancouver Island
Police on Vancouver Island have made an arrest in the case of a 78-year-old woman found dead in her home almost two years ago.
A strike on a mosque kills 19 as Israel bombards northern Gaza and southern Beirut
An Israeli strike on a mosque in the Gaza Strip early Sunday killed at least 19 people, Palestinian officials said, as Israel intensified its bombardment of northern Gaza and southern Beirut in a widening war with Iran-allied militant groups across the region.
Trump ramps up his campaign in Wisconsin, where a Republican win could knock out Democrats
Donald Trump's fourth scheduled stop in eight days in Wisconsin is a sign of his increased attention as Republicans fret about the former president's ability to match the Democrats' enthusiasm and turnout machine.
Police ID mom, daughter killed in Old Montreal; video shows person break into building before fatal fire
Police released the identities of the mother and daughter who were killed after a fire tore through a 160-year-old building in Old Montreal on Friday.
Car flies into B.C. backyard, lands upside down
A driver suffered only minor injuries after going airborne in a residential neighbourhood in Maple Ridge, B.C., on Friday, the car eventually landing on its roof in someone’s backyard.