Former Alouette Philion returns to his first love
2008-04-02 10:44:07
Former Alouette Philion returns to his first love
By Arash Madani,
MontrealAlouettes.com
Calgary – Fred Perry was unveiled as an Edmonton Eskimo on Tuesday. To many in Regina, the sight was probably sickening; to Dave Dickenson, most likely haunting.
But to CFL fans, the deal – which sent Perry from Saskatchewan to Alberta for quarterback Steven Jyles and a swap of second round picks – has to be appetizing.
The trade foreshadowed what will be one of the most intriguing free agent periods in the history of the league.
The salary management system has dramatically changed the landscape of how teams can now do business. Even before the Feb. 16 kickoff to players with expiring contracts looking for greener pastures elsewhere, we have already seen household names throughout the CFL get released this off-season.
The Perry/Jyles move was just further evidence of how the SMS will affect roster movement, and subsequent signings, in the coming weeks and months.
The discrepancy in salary between the two players is about $35,000, or almost half of what Jyles’ base number is. The Riders, coming off a championship, will have players expecting salary hikes.
Perry, eight years older than Jyles, does not have the same potential and up-side as the young quarterback, but as a “proven commodity,” according to Danny Maciocia, made enough sense for Edmonton’s head coach to pull the trigger on the deal.
The cap will be as critical a factor as any with each upcoming move made by CFL clubs over the next number of weeks. In the first true winter of the SMS in place – with grandfathered signing bonuses not counting toward team’s player budgets of $4.2 million (up $150,000 from 2007) – expect the first 48 hours of free agency to be remarkably different than February’s of the past.
This is no longer a bidding war for the top talent. It will be about strategic management decisions that will have repercussions league-wide with each move.
Here is what else we are hearing across the board as the countdown to midnight on free agent Friday, with about 30 players (that number changing literally by the hour) potentially up for grabs:
• While Dan Goodspeed, the best offensive lineman available on the market, is going to New Orleans for a workout, there is no guarantee he will be back in Winnipeg if he does not sign in the NFL. Edmonton is interested in his services.
• The Eskimos have also spoken with Bombers defensive end Tom Canada, who apparently is seeking $150,000 annually, a ridiculous figure. Edmonton also has some interest in bringing John Avery back.
• After cutting Avery and Robert Edwards, Toronto is looking for a Number 1 running back. The Argonauts have one offensive free agent, and they do not want to overpay for wide receiver Tony Miles.
• With Kyries Hebert off to the Cincinnati Bengals, Winnipeg is looking to move its top rookie in 2007, Cam Hall, to the defensive backfield. He may replace Hebert in the safety spot, which is where Hall played in college at Boise State. The 25-year-old is expected to come into camp weighing about 10 pounds lighter than the 220 he reported at last spring.
• Saskatchewan is expecting Reggie Hunt to be gone, signing for a team in the East Division for big dollars. With Matt Dominguez re-signed at a huge salary (thanks in part to the cash freed up in the aforementioned Perry/Jyles trade) for two years, plus an option, Saskatchewan has all but bid adieu to Hunt, a terrific, veteran linebacker. With it quite apparent that Hunt will not be back, T.J. Stancil will most likely fill that weak-side starter spot. Expect Renauld Williams to be penciled in as a starter at another linebacker position.
• The B.C. Lions, who did not even dabble in free agency a year ago, are once again looking for a No. 4 receiver as the carousel continues to find a low-priced player in that spot. They will most likely take the route of finding a receiver off the street rather than pay big dollars for a CFL veteran.
• BC has high hopes for both linebacker Tim Goodwell and defensive back James Bethea, which makes their decision to deal Sebastian Clovis to the Blue Bombers all the more understandable.
• The Stampeders are interested in locking up open market free agent Terrence Wilkins, who once played in Calgary between stops in the NFL. A solid return-man and receiver, Wilkins could compliment an already deep corps of reliable hands for Henry Burris.
• That B.C. Lions option-year running back Joe Smith has some serious offers from the NFL. But he is gun-shy to sign. Although you’d have to think getting a dime instead of a nickel for recycling an empty soft drink container in Michigan may put him over the top if Detroit sends him a contract.
Cans and bottles aside, the dollars and cents will be the critical matter to watch as teams make the roster puzzle fit under the new SMS. And you can bet the aftermath of every management transaction will have a domino effect on what the next player move will be.
Arash Madani is a freelance journalist based in Calgary. He has previously worked in the CFL with the Ottawa Renegades and has worked for several local and national media including Montreal’s Team 990 radio, A-Channel and The Score.
MontrealAlouettes.com
Calgary – Fred Perry was unveiled as an Edmonton Eskimo on Tuesday. To many in Regina, the sight was probably sickening; to Dave Dickenson, most likely haunting.
But to CFL fans, the deal – which sent Perry from Saskatchewan to Alberta for quarterback Steven Jyles and a swap of second round picks – has to be appetizing.
The trade foreshadowed what will be one of the most intriguing free agent periods in the history of the league.
The salary management system has dramatically changed the landscape of how teams can now do business. Even before the Feb. 16 kickoff to players with expiring contracts looking for greener pastures elsewhere, we have already seen household names throughout the CFL get released this off-season.
The Perry/Jyles move was just further evidence of how the SMS will affect roster movement, and subsequent signings, in the coming weeks and months.
The discrepancy in salary between the two players is about $35,000, or almost half of what Jyles’ base number is. The Riders, coming off a championship, will have players expecting salary hikes.
Perry, eight years older than Jyles, does not have the same potential and up-side as the young quarterback, but as a “proven commodity,” according to Danny Maciocia, made enough sense for Edmonton’s head coach to pull the trigger on the deal.
The cap will be as critical a factor as any with each upcoming move made by CFL clubs over the next number of weeks. In the first true winter of the SMS in place – with grandfathered signing bonuses not counting toward team’s player budgets of $4.2 million (up $150,000 from 2007) – expect the first 48 hours of free agency to be remarkably different than February’s of the past.
This is no longer a bidding war for the top talent. It will be about strategic management decisions that will have repercussions league-wide with each move.
Here is what else we are hearing across the board as the countdown to midnight on free agent Friday, with about 30 players (that number changing literally by the hour) potentially up for grabs:
• While Dan Goodspeed, the best offensive lineman available on the market, is going to New Orleans for a workout, there is no guarantee he will be back in Winnipeg if he does not sign in the NFL. Edmonton is interested in his services.
• The Eskimos have also spoken with Bombers defensive end Tom Canada, who apparently is seeking $150,000 annually, a ridiculous figure. Edmonton also has some interest in bringing John Avery back.
• After cutting Avery and Robert Edwards, Toronto is looking for a Number 1 running back. The Argonauts have one offensive free agent, and they do not want to overpay for wide receiver Tony Miles.
• With Kyries Hebert off to the Cincinnati Bengals, Winnipeg is looking to move its top rookie in 2007, Cam Hall, to the defensive backfield. He may replace Hebert in the safety spot, which is where Hall played in college at Boise State. The 25-year-old is expected to come into camp weighing about 10 pounds lighter than the 220 he reported at last spring.
• Saskatchewan is expecting Reggie Hunt to be gone, signing for a team in the East Division for big dollars. With Matt Dominguez re-signed at a huge salary (thanks in part to the cash freed up in the aforementioned Perry/Jyles trade) for two years, plus an option, Saskatchewan has all but bid adieu to Hunt, a terrific, veteran linebacker. With it quite apparent that Hunt will not be back, T.J. Stancil will most likely fill that weak-side starter spot. Expect Renauld Williams to be penciled in as a starter at another linebacker position.
• The B.C. Lions, who did not even dabble in free agency a year ago, are once again looking for a No. 4 receiver as the carousel continues to find a low-priced player in that spot. They will most likely take the route of finding a receiver off the street rather than pay big dollars for a CFL veteran.
• BC has high hopes for both linebacker Tim Goodwell and defensive back James Bethea, which makes their decision to deal Sebastian Clovis to the Blue Bombers all the more understandable.
• The Stampeders are interested in locking up open market free agent Terrence Wilkins, who once played in Calgary between stops in the NFL. A solid return-man and receiver, Wilkins could compliment an already deep corps of reliable hands for Henry Burris.
• That B.C. Lions option-year running back Joe Smith has some serious offers from the NFL. But he is gun-shy to sign. Although you’d have to think getting a dime instead of a nickel for recycling an empty soft drink container in Michigan may put him over the top if Detroit sends him a contract.
Cans and bottles aside, the dollars and cents will be the critical matter to watch as teams make the roster puzzle fit under the new SMS. And you can bet the aftermath of every management transaction will have a domino effect on what the next player move will be.
Arash Madani is a freelance journalist based in Calgary. He has previously worked in the CFL with the Ottawa Renegades and has worked for several local and national media including Montreal’s Team 990 radio, A-Channel and The Score.