The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have never been afraid to spend big on their offensive line, but this offseason could truly test their financial mettle.
With a little less than a month to go before free agency, the Tabbies have already re-signed four players up front from last season with significant pay raises. With two other players due significant offseason money in two weeks, the team is projected to spend more than a million dollars on the position.
Perennial all-star left guard Brandon Revenberg cashed in with an extension worth $205,500 next season, with up to $4,500 more in playtime bonuses if he doesn’t miss a game and standard all-star incentives. Right guard Coulter Woodmansey also earned a substantial pay bump after playing out his rookie deal, expecting to earn $160,500 next season with the same incentive structure as his teammate.
“We want to be physical at the line of scrimmage, but we also believe that protecting our quarterback and being able to run the football is important,” general manager Ed Hervey told the media at the CFL winter meeting earlier this month.
“With respect to offensive line play and those two gentlemen in particular (Revenberg and Woodmansey), those were priority signings for this organization regardless of who was in place at the general manager position.”
There has been money to go around for Americans as well. The team recently inked tackle Jordan Murray, who returned from the NFL for the final seven games of last season, to a deal that will pay him $129,500 in hard money and $143,000 if he plays the majority of every game next year. Brandon Kemp, who started 10 games last season, will collect $84,500 in hard money with up to $13,500 in playtime incentives.
Those two contracts hardly break the bank but they do create an interesting financial situation at tackle. Hamilton made a huge investment in blindside protector Joel Figueroa last offseason, luring him away from the B.C. Lions by making him the highest-paid American blocker in the league. However, the 10-year veteran was limited to just five games in 2023 due to injury and is set to turn 35 years old in June.
The Ticats survived without him, finishing with the fourth-highest-graded offensive line in the CFL according to Pro Football Focus. Murray, Kemp, and Tyrone Riley all stepped up for periods as young bookends. With Figueroa due $199,800 in hard money next season, beginning with a $50,000 offseason bonus on February 1, it would seem reasonable to question whether he’ll be back in 2024. Hervey, however, would entertain no such suggestion.
“The players who are rewarded salary-wise, contract-wise, there’s a high expectation that comes with that. Sometimes guys don’t meet it, whether they play poorly or there’s other times where guys get bit by the injury bug. This was one of those cases,” he insisted.
“I’ve always had a tremendous amount of respect for Joel and that hasn’t changed. We feel like he’s a very important part of what we’re doing and we love what he brings to the table. If he’s healthy, we’re a much stronger offensive line.”
Figueroa could still be a target for renegotiation, but he isn’t the only Ticat who will begin next month with a paycheque. Canadian centre David Beard will also collect $25,000 on February 1, the first segment of the $200,000 he is owed in 2024.
The Tiger-Cats spent big up front last year as well, paying out three of the top 10 largest contracts in the league for offensive linemen in Beard, Figueroa, and Revenberg. They would have had five players in the top 20 if not for significant preseason restructures for both Chris Van Zeyl and Kyle Saxelid, who ultimately played a combined seven games for the team in 2023 with zero starts.
Based on last year’s numbers league-wide, Hamilton’s 2024 squad would have four of the top 15 highest-paid blockers and three of the top five. While free agency will undoubtedly alter that equation, the current spending in the trenches is eye-popping.
As a result, Van Zeyl, Saxelid and Tyrone Riley are all expected to hit the open market, with 2023 first-round pick Dayton Black and journeyman Jakub Szott providing cheap Canadian depth. A bumper draft class will also help in that regard, while the team plans to keep adding to the tackle position via their negotiation list.
“Obviously, the offensive line is a high priority for us with respect to not only the guys who are slated as the starters but also depth-wise,” Hervey said. “We want to be able to have the kind of depth that in the event that we do have injuries — and they’re just a part of the game — we’re able to be just as effective offensively when guys are filling in.”
Hamilton has some cap space to play with after re-negotiating the contract of presumptive starting quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, cutting his hard money from $522,000 to just $225,500 with a maximum earning potential of $361,500. The new deals for Revenberg and Woodmansey were also struck before the new year, meaning their combined $45,000 in signing bonus money could be applied against the 2023 salary cap if the franchise can fit it in.
Nevertheless, it is clear that the Black and Gold are willing to pay whatever premium necessary to keep the soon-to-be 34-year-old Mitchell upright next season. If no significant changes are made, expect the Ticats to have the CFL’s most expensive starting five in 2024.
