With the 2016 CFL pre-season just two months away, the free agency deadline and off-season trades out of the way, and with the CFL draft in May, it’s time to make a Calgary Stampeders off-season check up.
After the 2015 Calgary Stampeders season ended, there were, as expected, some departures. Most notably, the Stamps lost star receivers Eric Rogers and Jeff Fuller, both being signed by NFL teams. Also, the team and fans had to say their good-byes to record-breaking running back Jon Cornish, when he announced his retirement from football. On the defensive side, the Stampeders released veteran linebacker, Juwan Simpson – a surprise to many – and Freddie Bishop III signed with the NFL. And of course on the sidelines, coach John Hufnagel stepped down and new head coach, Dave Dickenson, has taken the reins.
Free Agency
As the free agency deadline quickly approached in February, the Stamps signed some veteran players before they hit the market. Some of these included, Frank Beltre, Micah Johnson and Joe Burnett on defence, and offensively, receivers Simon Charbonneau-Campeau and Anthony Parker signed. With Cornish out of the picture, Calgary was also sure to ink Jerome Messam at running back before the deadline.
It’s no secret that Calgary’s approach to free agency has always been to groom and keep veteran players rather than spending money on free agents. Hufnagel has traditionally secured players before hand or shortly after the deadline, once he’s assessed where the holes are. This is why it was surprising to see Keon Raymond, Randy Chevrier, and Jabari Arthur go to free agency, while it may be understandable why Fuller was not re-signed, as he wanted to pursue a career in the NFL. But veteran players do come with higher salaries, so sometimes tough decisions need to be made. But these losses, combined with NFL departures, leave a big hole, especially when it comes to veteran receivers.
Shortly after the deadline, the Stampeders did sign Bakari Grant, a very productive receiver who spent the previous five years with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Grant is a tall, fast receiver; a perfect match for Bo Levi Mitchell. This much improves the Stamps receiver line.
Calgary Stampeders Off-Season Check Up
I made a big deal about losing top-notch receivers and strong, veteran linebackers. But the truth of the matter is, when combined with contract extensions of phenomenal existing players, is the team really in such bad health? The Stampeders have extended contracts with All-Star quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, Marquay McDaniel, Joe West, Deron Mayo, Charleston Hughes, Rob Maver and super-kicker, Rene Paredes, just to name a few. Talent-wise, it’s a healthy team overall.
A few areas are a cause for concern, such as missing star receivers and linebackers, but wait until after the draft before we start waving the red flags. Just because strong players have left, it does not mean that disaster will follow. There is still a strong foundation which the team has been built on; one that Hufnagel and Dickenson have been building together for years. This has been Calgary’s recipe for years; it has served the Stampeders very well. This year it should really be no different.
With a fun-filled off-season this past year, and a wild free agency, it will be exiting to see how teams fair in 2016. As we’ve seen in CFL news lately, April is rather early to make bold predictions as to what the standings will be come October, based on teams right now. If anything is for certain, it’s the CFL, and anything can happen.
Main Photo.
