The B.C. Lions boasted one the deepest linebacking corps in the CFL in 2023 but keeping that talented group together through next season could be an impossibility.
The challenge facing co-general managers Rick Campbell and Neil McEvoy comes in the form of expiring contracts for Canadian Ben Hladik and American Josh Woods. Both players could be due massive pay raises after finishing the final year of their respective rookie deals.
The 24-year-old Hladik has been a feel-good story for the team since he was selected in the third round of the 2021 CFL Draft, allowing the Lions to keep the ratio Canadian at both traditional linebacker spots. The native of Vernon, B.C. took over the starting job at middle linebacker mid-way through the 2022 season and made 2020 first-overall pick Jordan Williams expendable in the process.
The six-foot-four, 235-pound defender had a historic season in his first full year as a starter, becoming just the fourth Canadian in CFL history to record 100 defensive tackles, while adding five sacks and an interception. That should be enough to earn him one of the largest contracts for a linebacker in the league, with top-paid Canadians at the position earning north of $130,000 last season.
However, middle linebacker is no longer viewed as the premium position it once was and the Lions will be wary of overspending in a spot where statistics are often inflated. Strong drafting has provided the luxury of a succession plan and the club is extremely high on 2022 third-round pick Ryder Varga, who earned their Most Outstanding Rookie nomination last year after recording nine defensive tackles, 13 special teams tackles and a sack.
There is a belief that the former Regina Ram, who won the President’s Trophy as U Sports top defensive player in 2022, is already on a similar trajectory to Hladik and could step in seamlessly as a starter at a greatly reduced price. Even so, depth elsewhere on the roster makes a ratio switch possible at the position, a tantalizing possibility given the development of the American pending free agent Woods.
The 25-year-old UCLA product has spent the past three seasons with the Lions as a backup defensive player and special teams stalwart, quietly earning a reputation around the league as a budding future star. He recorded 45 defensive tackles, nine special teams tackles, two interceptions, and a defensive touchdown as a rotational package player in 2023, but truly came into his own when forced to play in place of the injured Hladik in the playoffs.
Woods was the best player not named Vernon Adams Jr. in B.C.’s Western Semi-Final win over the Calgary Stampeders, notching an incredible 11 tackles for loss. He followed it up with 12 tackles in a loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers the next week. That was enough for NFL teams to take notice, as the six-foot-two, 234-pounder has already worked out for the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots.
The window to sign with NFL teams opens on January 8 and Woods can take his time weighing potential options given his expiring contract. If he doesn’t strike a deal south of the border, the Lions will need to commit starter money or risk him reaching his potential with another franchise.
While both Woods and Hladik are best suited to playing in the middle of the defence, the American is versatile enough to start at weakside linebacker if the Lions were able to keep both under the cap. That would likely spell the end for another one of the team’s top defensive players in current starter Bo Lokombo.
Though the local product is 33 years old, he is still just two years removed from winning Most Outstanding Canadian and posted a career-high in defensive tackles in 2023. However, the veteran national was the eighth highest-paid linebacker in the league last season and is due more than $140,000 in hard money next year, starting with a $20,000 offseason bonus on February 1.
Spending well over six figures for all three linebackers likely won’t be a feasible strategy for the Lions, especially with bills due for players like Alexander Hollins and Mathieu Betts as well as upgrades needed in the interior of the trenches. That leaves the team with some tough choices to make.
Any combination of Hladik, Woods, Lokombo, and Varga could work for B.C. next season, but all four won’t be wearing orange in 2024. At least one talented defender is likely to be left available on the open market.
CFL free agency is set to get underway on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at noon ET.
