The CFL is a passing league, which means having a strong group of receivers is essential to reaching success.
Below we’ve ranked every pending free agent wide receiver and slotback sorted by nationality. Most of the big names have already re-signed — Eric Rogers, Greg Ellingson, Bryan Burnham — but there is still talent to be had.
Make sure you check out our wildcard listings for some intriguing names you may have forgotten about.
Americans
1) Bryant Mitchell, Free Agent
The 28-year-old had a breakout season with Edmonton in 2018 when he made 60 receptions for 867 yards and three touchdowns in just eleven games.
Mitchell left for the NFL in 2019, though he suffered a torn Achilles in training camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He returned to the Bucs in 2020 but was waived in September and has remained a free agent since.
2) Ricky Collins Jr., Free Agent
Collins had a breakout season with the Edmonton Football Team in 2019, making 78 receptions for 1,103 yards and three touchdowns.
The six-foot, 200-pound target was released on January 31 ahead of his $33,000 roster bonus coming due. Still just 28, Collins is a solid option for a team looking to make an upgrade in the receiving corps.
3) DeVier Posey, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The 2017 Grey Cup MVP has established himself as one of the CFL’s best deep threats, catching passes of over 50 yards in each of the last three seasons.
Posey has recorded 2,080 yards and 13 touchdowns on 144 career receptions as a member of the Argonauts, Lions, and Alouettes. The Ohio State product will turn 31 in March.
4) Kenny Stafford, Free Agent
The Toledo product was traded to Saskatchewan midway through the 2019 season but never dressed for team and was cut last month.
Stafford is a career journeyman whose best years — 2015 and 2018 — came in two different stints as a member of the Edmonton Football Team.
5) Caleb Holley, B.C. Lions
The four-year veteran has recorded 157 career receptions for 1,963 yards and seven touchdowns as a member of the Roughriders and Redblacks.
Now 30, Holley should receive consideration for a depth role on a receiver-needy team.
Wildcard — Quan Bray, Montreal Alouettes
The 27-year-old was arrested in February 2020 for possession of 157 pounds of marijuana and is facing up to twenty years in prison. With that said, head coach Khari Jones said he would welcome Bray back if the situation presented itself.
Is it likely that Bray will play in the CFL again? No, but let’s not forget how great he was in 2019 when he made 58 receptions for 818 yards and six touchdowns in just 15 games.
Nationals
1) Natey Adjei, Toronto Argonauts
The Buffalo product quietly had the best season of his career with Edmonton in 2019, making 58 receptions for 534 yards and two touchdowns.
Adjei is a possession slotback who is also capable of pitching in on special teams, making 33 career tackles.
2) Daniel Petermann, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The former third-round pick has a knack for making plays. He’s only caught 25 career passes, yet the McMaster product has 125 yards after the catch and two touchdowns.
Petermann is currently buried on Winnipeg’s depth chart behind Drew Wolitarsky and Nic Demski and could be a candidate for a larger role on a more receiver-needy team.
3) Brian Jones, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The No. 4 overall selection in the 2016 CFL Draft hasn’t made an impact on offence since his rookie season with Toronto, but he put up six special teams tackles in nine games with the Ticats in 2019.
The six-foot-four, 233-pound slotback hasn’t lived up to the hype he generated before draft day. Could that change in 2021?
4) Michael Klukas, Calgary Stampeders
The St. Mary’s product took the long road to the pros, dressing for his first career game three years after going unselected in the 2016 CFL Draft.
Klukas made 16 receptions for 169 yards in 13 games with his hometown Stamps.
5) Alex Charette, Free Agent
The Guelph product has caught just two passes over the past four years but brings intangibles and the ability to pitch-in on special teams.
6) Devon Bailey, B.C. Lions
He hasn’t dressed for a CFL game since 2018, but the Mississauga native is six-foot-five and over 200 pounds. If you’re looking for size, this former first-round pick has got it.
Wildcard — T.J. Jones, Free Agent
The Winnipeg native played six seasons in the NFL, making 67 receptions for 852 yards and five touchdowns. He signed a contract with the Toronto Argonauts last February, but the deal was rejected because it wasn’t in accordance with the league’s rookie pay structure for national players.
The CFL would need to amend its collective bargaining agreement to allow Jones to sign a contract, but the Notre Dame product could be an impact Canadian if he ever came north.
Click the link below for our previous positional installment and come back tomorrow for our receiver rankings.
2021 CFL free agent rankings: quarterbacks
2021 CFL free agent rankings: running backs & fullbacks
