Free Agency: One Free Agency pick for each team

Montreal Alouettes – RB C.J. Gable

With the loss of all-star running back William Stanback to the NFL, Montreal needs a replacement. They could look to their own, giving Jeremiah Johnson a starting role in 2020, but a wiser option might be to sign C.J. Gable from Edmonton. A skilled playmaker who has lit up both Hamilton and Edmonton’s offence, Gable would give Vernon Adams Jr. the options to continue to pull of diverse and exciting plays.

Ottawa Redblacks – WR Dominique Rhymes

Yes, he’s already on the team, but the Ottawa Redblacks need Dominique Davis more than they know, especially with the addition of QB Nick Arbuckle. Davis was the team’s biggest receiver in 2019, and with Arbuckle looking to power up Ottawa’s offence, the Redblacks need someone with experience on the team they can rely on make plays and perform at a high level. There’s no-one that can do that better than Rhymes, and Ottawa should look to re-sign as soon as possible.

Toronto Argonauts – RB Marcus Thigpen

Another team that’s lost a star running back – James Wilder Jr. – the Argos need a replacement to ensure that their offence gets back in shape for 2020. Wilder Jr. didn’t put up numbers anything like we’re used to, and the Argos need a strong RB if they want to become contenders in the league again. Thigpen won’t have much use in Saskatchewan due to the prescence of William Powell, but would make a great addition to Toronto to complement McLeod Bethel-Thompson’s passing skill.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats – K Lewis Ward

The loss of kicker Lirim Hajrullahu will definitely hurt the Cats in 2020 if they don’t find a replacement of equal calibre. Enter Lewis Ward. The young kicker has proven a valuable asset to the Ottawa offence and is just what Hamilton needs to support the skills of QBs Evans and Masoli as well if its all-star receiving corps. Having a great offence is all very well, but can’t be impactful without those extra points from kicks. A strong kicker is a must for Hamilton in 2020 – Ward is probably the best option for them.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers – DB Frankie Williams

The loss of DBs Marcus Sayles and Winston Rose are two of the losses that will hurt Winnipeg in their bid to defend their Grey Cup title, and in order to perform well in 2020 they need replacements on defence. A good start would be Ticats DB Frankie Williams, who won the Most Outstanding Special Teams award in 2019 for his performance as a returner, but is equally strong in the Ticats backfield. Winnipeg’s defence was second-to-none in 2019, and the addition of Williams would allow them to remain a threat.

Calgary Stampeders – WR Armanti Edwards

Another team with no QB problems, Calgary will suffer from the loss of WR Reggie Begelton to the Green Bay Packers, and the receiving corps will need to step up to reach the skill ceiling Begelton set. One player that might help them to do this could be Toronto’s Armanti Edwards, who put up some amazing numbers in 2019 and would strengthen any offence he’s part of. Signing Edwards would mean that QB Bo Levi Mitchell is able to keep his pass options open and continue to make the incredible offensive plays we’re used to.

Saskatchewan Roughriders – QB James Franklin

With QB Cody Fajardo under contract until 2021, Saskatchewan shouldn’t have much problem with leading their stellar offence. However, if quarterback injuries resurface as a feature of 2020, the Riders don’t really have a strong secondary to back up Fajardo. Toronto’s James Franklin didn’t work in a starting role in Toronto in 2019, but could be perfect supporting a strong offence, such as the one in Regina.

Edmonton Eskimos – WR Shaq Evans

Edmonton had a bit of a sub-par performance offensively last year, scoring only 406 points across the regular season. The defense wasn’t the problem – Edmonton’s Points Against was 400, the 3rd lowest in the league – it was just that the offence wasn’t scoring. To counter this, the signing of Riders WR Shaq Evans would give Trevor Harris more options on offence – Evans is a good playmaker whose skill would help the Eskimos extent drives and put more points on the board.

BC Lions – OL Mike Filer

A big issue for the Lions in 2019 was their offensive line – it was weak and disorganised, and led to way too many sacks on QB Mike Reilly. Reilly is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but to lead BC to success he needs time to make plays which his current O-line doesn’t provide. The addition of offensive lineman Mike Filer from Hamilton would tighten up the Lions’ QB protection and make the O-line just a bit more organised to give Reilly the time to score.

Do you agree with these picks? If not, what would you do differently and why? Let me know in the comments!