CFL free agency is set to get underway on Tuesday, Feb. 13 and 3DownNation is looking ahead by ranking each group of pending free agents by position.
We’ve already looked at the quarterbacks, running backs and fullbacks, receivers, and offensive linemen currently set to hit the open market. Today, we shift our focus to those tasked with filling rushing lanes and terrorizing opposing quarterbacks.
The league’s negotiating window is set to open on Sunday, Feb. 4, allowing pending free agents to speak to interested teams without restrictions. Though players can’t officially change clubs until Feb. 13, a number of deals will be agreed upon in principle during the week-long window.
Please note that “N” denotes National players (ie. Canadians), “A” denotes American players, and “G” denotes Global players.
Defensive tackle
1. Dewayne Hendrix, Toronto Argonauts (A)
The 27-year-old has consistently improved over three years with the Argonauts and had a breakout season in 2023, recording 23 tackles, six sacks, and one forced fumble. The native of O’Fallon, Ill. can consistently collapse the pocket and was one of the main reasons Toronto led the CFL with 68 sacks this past season.
The one-time Grey Cup champion earned a little over the league’s minimum salary in 2023 and is sure to cash in on a big-money deal.
2. Ricky Walker, Winnipeg Blue Bombers (A)
Willie Jefferson and Jackson Jeffcoat get most of the attention in Bomberland, but Walker had a strong year in his first full season as a CFL starter. The Virginia Tech product made 37 tackles and five sacks over 17 regular season games, showing a relentless motor.
The 27-year-old received an offer from Winnipeg early in the free agent process, per source, but it appears he’s ready to see what others he might garner from teams across the league.
3. Shawn Oakman, Toronto Argonauts (A)
The six-foot-nine, 287-pound behemoth is a matchup nightmare for opposing offensive linemen and has consistently used his size to his advantage over three seasons with the Boatmen, making 90 defensive tackles, 18 sacks, and two forced fumbles over 45 games.
The two-time East Division all-star will turn 32 in April, though he’s played relatively little football for a player of his age. Oakman made close to the league’s minimum salary this past season, giving him a chance to cash in for the first time in his CFL career.
4. Derek Wiggan, Calgary Stampeders (N)
The six-foot-one, 303-pound defender had another solid season along Calgary’s defensive line, making 16 tackles and four sacks to tie a career-high. He earned around $160,000 and should command a similar dollar figure in 2024 whether he remains with the team or tests free agency.
The Queen’s product has been with the Stampeders since he was taken in the fourth round of the 2014 CFL Draft, playing 128 games and making 149 defensive tackles, 19 sacks, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one interception.
5. Micah Johnson, Saskatchewan Roughriders (A)
While he’s no longer the dominant force he once was, there’s no arguing that the three-time CFL all-star is still capable along the interior of the defensive line. Johnson made 27 tackles and five sacks over 18 regular season games this past season, helping draw attention away from Saskatchewan’s other pass rushers.
The native of Columbus, Ga. will turn 36 in June, which diminishes his value. He earned around $130,000 this past season in Riderville.
6. Jake Thomas, Winnipeg Blue Bombers (N)
The 33-year-old has had a significantly more prolific career than anyone could have reasonably predicted as a fourth-round pick out of Acadia University way back in 2012. The native of Douglas, N.B. has played 186 games with the Blue Bombers and made 166 defensive tackles, 31 sacks, seven forced fumbles, and six fumble recoveries.
Winnipeg paid close to $135,000 to retain pending free agent defensive tackle Cameron Lawson, per source, which would seem to indicate the club plans to start him at nose tackle in 2024. If this is indeed the end of the road for Thomas, he’s had an incredible career.
7. Dylan Wynn, Hamilton Tiger-Cats (A)
The 30-year-old is a three-time East Division all-star for good reason, though injuries have limited him tremendously over the past three seasons and he’s missed 23 games since 2021. This past year was the least productive of his seven-year CFL career as he made only four tackles and one sack over seven games.
Wynn earned just over $130,000 this past season and may have to take less in 2024 as he looks to prove he can still play at an elite level.
8. DeMarcus Christmas, Saskatchewan Roughriders (A)
The six-foot-three, 303-pound defender was primarily a rotational player for Saskatchewan this past season, making four starts over 15 games and recording 20 defensive tackles and one sack.
There’s not a lot of finesse to the Florida State product’s game as he’s a bruiser tasked with clogging rushing lanes and collapsing the pocket on passing downs. He’s not as dynamic as the top defensive tackles available but Christmas could be a gift for a team looking to add some muscle in the middle.
Best of the rest: Vincent Desjardins, Montreal Alouettes (N); Ted Laurent, Hamilton Tiger-Cats (N); Terrell McClain, Calgary Stampeders (N); Mike Moore, Calgary Stampeders (A); Daniel Ross, Edmonton Elks (A)
Defensive end
1. Mathieu Betts, B.C. Lions (N)
The 28-year-old had a career year this past season, recording 42 defensive tackles, 18 sacks, and four forced fumbles over 18 regular season games to be named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player. He broke Brett Johnson’s record for single-season sacks by a Canadian player and was named a league all-star for the first time.
The Montreal native and former Laval Université standout has been linked to his hometown Alouettes, though he’s made no secret regarding how much he loves living in Surrey, B.C. Regardless of where he ends up, expect Betts to be one of the CFL’s highest-paid defensive players in 2024.
2. A.C. Leonard, Edmonton Elks (A)
The 32-year-old continues to produce at a high level late into his career, recording a career-high 12 sacks as a member of the Elks this past season. He earned just over $170,000 in 2023 and is expected to earn a raise on his next deal.
The native of Palatka, Fla. has recorded 278 defensive tackles, 51 sacks, eight forced fumbles, and one interception since converting to the defensive line as a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2016.
3. Brandon Barlow, Toronto Argonauts (A)
The six-foot-four, 260-pound edge-rusher had a breakout season in 2023, recording 30 defensive tackles, nine sacks, and two forced fumbles with the Boatmen. Almost all of Barlow’s production came as a rotational pass rusher as he started only two games, raising the question of how much he could accomplish if he were a full-time starter.
The 26-year-old native of Cohoes, N.Y. earned a little over the CFL’s minimum salary this past season and is expected to more than double his income on his next deal.
4. Jackson Jeffcoat, Winnipeg Blue Bombers (A)
The 33-year-old made 21 defensive tackles, eight sacks, and three forced fumbles with the Blue Bombers this past season, though he missed four games due to injury. This has become a pattern over the course of Jeffcoat’s career as he has never remained healthy over the course of a full 18-game regular season.
The former CFL all-star has already informed the Blue Bombers that he won’t be signing back with the team prior to the opening of the negotiating window on Feb. 4. Though it remains possible that he’ll stay in Bomberland, it appears as though he’s seriously considering leaving Winnipeg for the first time in his seven-year career.
5. Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund, Calgary Stampeders (N)
The former first-round pick has filled a rotational role in Cowtown over the past two seasons after starting a number of games as a rookie in 2021. He has recorded 37 tackles, 13 sacks, and one forced fumble over that period of time despite being a depth defender, making the case that he deserves a larger role.
The native of Dartmouth, N.S. remains only 27 and would be a great fit for any team looking to add some juice to their pass rush along with some ratio flexibility.
6. Malik Carney, Hamilton Tiger-Cats (A)
The six-foot-three, 245-pound edge rusher was a full-time starter for the first time in his career this past season, and though he made twice as many tackles as the previous season, his sack total fell from seven in 2022 to five in 2023.
The Tiger-Cats appear intent on revamping their defensive line for 2024 and it remains unclear if the North Carolina product remains in the team’s plans.
7. Pete Robertson, Saskatchewan Roughriders (A)
The 31-year-old took the CFL by storm in 2022, recording nine sacks and five forced fumbles as part of a dangerous Saskatchewan defensive line. While his production remained respectable in 2023, he was less impactful off the edge and drew a one-game suspension for headbutting Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ quarterback Zach Collaros.
Robertson should still be viewed as a starter in the CFL, though he may have to take less than the $170,000 he earned this past season in Riderville.
8. Mason Bennett, Hamilton Tiger-Cats (N)
The Winnipeg native started eleven games for the Tiger-Cats in 2022, recording 28 defensive tackles and five sacks. His production plummeted this past season, however, as he managed only five tackles and one sack over 14 contests.
The six-foot-four, 262-pound defender was a first-round pick in the 2020 CFL Draft and remains an intriguing option for a team looking to add Canadian depth off the edge. If he hopes to earn top dollar, however, he’ll have to prove he can bounce back from a tough year in 2023.
Best of the rest: Ja’Gared Davis, Hamilton Tiger-Cats (A); Jamal Davis II, Hamilton Tiger-Cats (A); Thiadric Hansen, Winnipeg Blue Bombers (G); Jonathan Kongbo, Free Agent (N); Nick Usher, B.C. Lions (A).
