With the 2022 CFL season wrapping up just over a month ago and free agency in the Canadian Football League (CFL) set to begin on Valentines Day, teams including the Saskatchewan Roughriders are nearing the halfway point in the offseason where they can exclusively negotiate with their own free agents.
During this offseason, Saskatchewan has agreed to a new contracts with key players including returner Mario Alford, running back Jamal Morrow, defensive backs Rolan Milligan and Nick Marshall.
General manager Jeremy O’Day and head coach Craig Dickenson will now spend the remaining time in the offseason figuring out which players that would like to retain from the 2022 squad that ended the season with a 6-12 record before they can look to sign free agents from across the league.
The following is a look at the players that are scheduled to become a free agent in February.
Quarterbacks
Pending Free Agents
Cody Fajardo
The biggest question that the Saskatchewan Roughriders will need to settle before the beginning of training camp is who will be the team’s starting quarterback. Last year’s starter, Cody Fajardo is scheduled to become a free agent in February after a season where he ended up with 3,360 yards passing, 16 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The Nevada product started 15 of the Roughriders 18 games in 2022 as Fajardo was benched for the final two games of the season.
A reunion between Fajardo and the Roughriders could still occur in 2023, but it seems that the Roughriders will wait until the other dominoes in the quarterback market fall before circling back to Fajardo. (Where does Bo Levi Mitchell go? Does McLeod Bethel-Thompson retire? What happens then to Chad Kelly? Is Nathan Rourke heading to the NFL? What happens to Vernon Adams Jr. if Rourke stays in BC? Does Trevor Harris stay in Montreal?)
Running Backs
Pending Free Agents
Shaq Cooper
James Tuck
If there is a position that Roughriders seem set heading into 2023, it’s running back. This month, the Roughriders agreed to terms with Morrow on a new one year contract after he finished third in the CFL in rushing with 666 yards despite missing six games. The Washington State product also had 366 yards receiving. Frankie Hickson is also set to return to the Roughriders, the team’s top rookie finished fifth in the league with 533 yards. Running backs coach Kelly Jeffrey will replace Jason Maas as the team’s offensive coordinator and has already indicated that the running game will be more of a factor in 2023.
James Tuck joined Saskatchewan last offseason and teamed up with Albert Awachie at fullback to help out the green and white rushing attack.
Wide Receivers
Pending Free Agents
Shaq Evans
“Duke” Williams
Kyran Moore
Mitchell Picton
Justin McInnis
Jake Harty
Wesley Lewis
There is plenty of uncertainty for the Roughriders at the receiver position with only Brayden Lenius, Samuel Emilus, Tevin Jones and Kian Schaffer-Baker under contract with the team for the 2023 season. Schaffer-Baker is currently exploring options in the NFL this offseason.
Injuries plagued the receiving core in 2022 with Williams, Evans, Moore, McInnis and Picton all missing at least five games this past season.
Evans was injured in Week 3 against Montreal and did not return the green and white lineup until the Labour Day Classic against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He ended his season 32 receptions, 487 yards receiving and a pair of touchdowns.
2022 was not the year Williams and the Roughriders were hoping for in 2022. Outside of his “nacho” celebration in Edmonton, there weren’t too many highlights for the Auburn product this season as Williams was suspended following an incident with the Toronto Argonauts Shaq Richardson before the Touchdown Atlantic game in Wolfville, as well the receiver took a bench penalty during the Labour Day Classic. Williams had 29 catches for 480 yards after missing the second half of the season with an ankle injury.
After suffering a significant knee injury late in the 2021 season, Moore returned to Saskatchewan’s lineup late in August and ended his season with 295 yards receiving over seven games.
McInnis was able to post a career high 364 yards receiving and a pair of touchdowns. The highlight for McInnis season came on August 19 when he had six receptions for 111 yards receiving and added a touchdown against the BC Lions.
Picton had 18 catches with 220 yards and a pair of touchdowns over eleven games with Saskatchewan in 2022.
Offensive Linemen
Pending free agents
Dan Clark
Terran Vaughn
Jamal Campbell
Josiah St. John
After the Roughriders allowed a league high 77 sacks this past season, Rider nation have been paying particular attention this winter to what moves former Riders centre, O’Day will make this offseason.
Clark only played in six games this past season after suffering a broken fibula in Week 2 against Edmonton that kept him out of the lineup for over three months.
At left tackle Vaughn suited up for ten games in 2022 as he battled a variety of injuries in 2022.
Campbell joined the Roughriders last offseason, he backed up Na’Ty Rodgers at right tackle at the beginning of the year before Rodgers was released. Campbell ended the season backing up Kooper Richardson.
St. John, the first pick of the 2016 CFL Draft rejoined the Roughriders in 2020 for his second stint with the team and has appeared on the team’s roster in 25 games over the last two seasons.
The Roughriders have made some additions to the offensive line this offseason with the signings of Jerald Hawkins and Jeremiah Poutasi, a pair of players with a background in the NFL.
Defensive Linemen
Pending Free Agents
Anthony Lanier
Pete Robertson
Charleston Hughes
A big part of the Roughriders 4-1 start in 2022 was the dominating pass rush from the green and white defence led by Robertson and Lanier. After five weeks, Robertson was the league leader in sacks with seven, but a broken foot injury against Ottawa kept the defensive end out of the Riders lineup for over a month. Following his return, Robertson added a pair of sacks to end the season with nine.
Lanier was one of the top defenders for the green and white at the beginning of the season as he had seven sacks in his first ten games of the season. The Roughriders run defence also took a noticeable hit when Lanier was out of the green and white lineup during the second half of the season. He did return to the lineup for the Roughriders until the season finale against Calgary.
Hughes recently celebrated his 39th birthday, but the defensive end has already indicated that he will not retire this offseason and plans on playing in 2023. In eleven games with Saskatchewan he had four sacks to push his career total up to 136 which is 5th on the all-time list. Heading into 2023, Hughes is six sacks away from the third spot on the all-time list which is held by Roughrider legend Bobby Jurasin.
Linebackers
Pending Free Agents
Darnell Sankey
Larry Dean
Nigel Harris
Jordan Herman-Reed
Justin Herman-Reed
Gary Johnson Jr.
After establishing a new franchise record for tackles (120) in 2022, Sankey was the Roughriders nominee for Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Defensive Player. The linebacker is one of the top remaining free agents that remains unsigned for the team ahead of free agency.
The comeback of Larry Dean was one of the few feel good stories for Saskatchewan after he missed the entire 2021 season with an Achilles injury. Dean was in the lineup for all 18 games and earned 101 tackles. The 34 year old showed no signs of slowing down this past season, but with Micah Teitz set to return after missing the entire 2022 season with a groin injury, there may not be enough room for the green and white to bring back both Sankey and Dean in 2023.
Johnson Jr. and both Herman-Reed brothers were key contributors to the Roughriders special teams coverage groups when they were in the lineup with Justin Herman-Reed finishing third on the team in special teams tackles.
Defensive Backs
Pending Free Agents
Jeremy Clark
Blace Brown
Mike Edem
Godfrey Onyeka
Saskatchewan has spent the last couple of weeks on solidifying the team’s secondary with the signings of Rolan Milligan and Nick Marshall.
Clark like Milligan, joined the Roughriders in the late stages in 2021 and played in 17 games this season splitting time at cornerback and halfback.
Edem’s season ended following a scary collision against the Stampeders on October 22. He finished fourth in the team with 57 tackles with a pair of sacks and an interception.
During the past season Brown split time on the Roughriders roster and practice squad, playing in five games and collecting one interception.
CFL Free Agency will officially begin on February 14, 11:00 (SK time).
