Roughriders’ GM O’Day expecting to be ‘less active’ in free agency

Photo by KAYLE NEIS /Regina Leader-Post General manager Jeremy O'Day speaks at a press conference inside Mosaic Stadium.

Taylor Shire

Regina Leader-Post

Jeremy O’Day has accomplished a lot of what he set out to do this off-season.

Most importantly since the 2024 CFL season ended, the general manager of the Saskatchewan Roughriders has solidified the quarterback room with the re-signing of starter Trevor Harris and addition of veteran backup Jake Maier. He has also retained a couple of key defenders by re-signing middle linebacker Jameer Thurman and defensive end Malik Carney.

With many other key players like defensive back Rolan Milligan Jr., linebacker C.J. Reavis, running back A.J. Ouellette and a full receiving group under contract for next season, O’Day doesn’t expect to make a massive splash in free agency, which is set to open Feb. 11.

“We feel good where we’re at,” O’Day told media virtually on Thursday while he was attending the East-West Shrine Bowl in Dallas. “I know everyone gets to free agency and everyone tends to play fantasy football and say, ‘Oh, if they added these three players…’

“Well, those three players that people always talk about are always going to be the highest paid players, right?

“We have players on our roster that make substantial amounts of money, and there’s only so much that can go around.”

After entering the off-season with 32 players on expiring deals, the Riders have been able to re-sign 12 of them, with 20 more set to hit the open market. Beginning on Sunday, the CFL’s weeklong “free agent communication window” opens as teams from across the league can openly talk with pending free agents.

While O’Day didn’t get into specific position groups he will target this year, looking at the roster, there appears to be a need at defensive back and defensive line. Plus, the Roughriders need to secure a starting centre, sign a returner while also adding some Canadian depth to the receiver position.

Among the big names on expiring contracts are defensive back Marcus Sayles, centre Peter Godber, receiver Mitch Picton, returner Mario Alford and defensive lineman Micah Johnson, Miles Brown, Anthony Lanier II and Bryan Cox Jr.

“There’s probably three different categories,” noted O’Day. “There’s some that we’ve already offered contracts to. And then there’s some players that we may still offer, kind of yet to be determined, and there’s some players that we probably won’t offer.

“And when I say that, that can change as well because you’re going into free agency, and if that player doesn’t get the opportunities that they feel that they have then maybe we have a conversation at the end.”

While the Riders were quite active in free agency last year, there’s a different vibe heading in this year.

After missing the playoffs for a second straight year in 2023, the Roughriders began last off-season by hiring head coach Corey Mace before adding Ouellette, Thurman, Carney and offensive lineman Jermarcus Hardrick in free agency.

“We were very active last year,” said O’Day. “And we’ve got a lot of those guys still under contract, which is great, but we’re also going to do everything we can to try to improve our team if there’s areas that we can, but also within the restrictions of the salary cap that we have to abide by.

“Last year, we were just getting our coaching staff in place and really going through and evaluating the free agents and any roster adjustments or changes that we needed to improve on with the new staff,” he continued. “This year, the staff is in place. A lot of the free agents that you signed last year are currently still with us, or we’ve re-signed, so just a different situation.

“We took a step forward in the season which hopefully leads us to having more continuity going into the season and probably likely being a little less active in free agency.”

tshire@postmedia.com

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