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, offensive linemen, defensive linemen, and linebackers currently set to hit the open market. Today, we shift our focus to the backend of the defence, where a glut of talent could be available for comparatively little cost.
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 backs
1. Jamal Peters, Toronto Argonauts (A)
Amid a historic Argos season loaded with emerging young stars, the early return of Peters from the NFL barely got the attention it deserved. The six-foot-two, 220-pound cornerback is a difference-maker in the boundary with an athletic profile rarely seen north of the border.
Still just 27 years old, no player in the CFL has been better at the position in the post-pandemic era. With 120 defensive tackles and 11 interceptions in 36 career games, the Mississippi State product will be highly coveted across the league.
2. Demerio Houston, Winnipeg Blue Bombers (A)
At five-foot-10 and 173 pounds, Houston has nowhere near the imposing figure of the top player on this list, but more than makes up for it with his playmaking ability. The 27-year-old exploded into a full-time starting role at boundary corner last year with a league-leading seven interceptions and was named a CFL all-star as a result.
In 30 career games, he has 84 defensive tackles and nine interceptions to his credit. Those numbers should continue to grow wherever he lands next, as the Shelby, N.C. native has many more prime years left than most of the defensive backs on the open market.
3. Richard Leonard, Hamilton Tiger-Cats (A)
After beginning the year at field halfback, Leonard’s shift over to cornerback prompted arguably the best season of his career — which is saying something for a three-time East Division all-star. His 87.4 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus was the highest of any player at his position, though it went unacknowledged come awards time.
The five-foot-eight, 168-pound defender has had a prolific six-year CFL career, amassing 315 defensive tackles and 20 interceptions in 98 games. The only drawback is that he is already 32 years old, which is close to the best-before date for the position.
4. Tunde Adeleke, Hamilton Tiger-Cats (N)
Adeleke was the highest-paid defensive back in the league entering last season but was limited to just 10 games due to injury and ultimately lost his starting safety job to Stavros Katsantonis. The two-time all-star may have to take a slight haircut on this contract but not by much, as he remains on the short list of Canadians athletic enough to start at halfback if needed.
The 28-year-old should have plenty of quality years left, having collected 232 defensive tackles, 34 special teams tackles, five sacks, five interceptions, and four forced fumbles in 86 career games. A former third-round pick out of Carleton, a return to the nation’s capital is one of several intriguing possibilities.
5. Robertson Daniel, Toronto Argonauts (A)
Daniel was hardly a household name entering last season, having played in just 11 career games prior and missing almost the entirety of 2022 with injury. He is certainly on the radar now, racking up 55 defensive tackles, two sacks, four interceptions and a defensive touchdown in 11 games to earn a CFL all-star selection at boundary halfback.
That breakout season included a memorable three-interception outing in Week 4 against B.C. and a record-setting 16-tackle performance in Week 9 against Calgary. The question teams will be asking is if the 32-year-old has the juice left to do it again or if he was simply a one-year wonder.
6. Kobe Williams, Calgary Stampeders (A)
Still largely unheralded by the general public, Williams posted a breakout 2023 season in which he started every game of the season — 12 at boundary halfback, five at field halfback, and one at field corner.
At 25 years old, the Arizona State product has a combination of youth and starting experience that is not readily available in this free agent class. In three years with Calgary, he has collected 76 defensive tackles, four special teams tackles, a sack, two interceptions and two forced fumbles.
7. Monshadrik Hunter, Ottawa Redblacks (A)
The man they call ‘Money’ had a frustrating 2023 campaign, missing the first 14 games of the year will a torn pectoral muscle. However, he still recorded 11 defensive tackles after making the final four starts at field cornerback and carries the clout of having been an East Division all-star in 2021.
In 60 career games with Edmonton, Montreal, and Ottawa, the six-foot-one, 193-pound cover man has collected 178 defensive tackles and 10 interceptions. When healthy, he is a plug-and-play contributor for any defence.
8. Nafees Lyon, Montreal Alouettes (A)
Lyon didn’t really get to savour Montreal’s Grey Cup-winning season, as the 27-year-old went down with a knee injury in the opener and spent the rest of the year on the six-game injured list. That derailed what had been a promising start to his tenure with the Alouettes, where he collected 27 defensive tackles and a pick-six after being traded from Edmonton for the final six games of 2023.
In 20 CFL contests with the Elks and Als, the five-foot-10, 184-pound cornerback has collected 82 defensive tackles, a sack and four interceptions. That’s intriguing production for a little more than a full season of work.
9. Ciante Evans, Montreal Alouettes (A)
There are three guarantees in life: death, taxes, and Ciante Evans producing. Eight seasons after he debuted with the Calgary Stampeders, the 31-year-old is still going strong at field halfback for the Grey Cup champs.
In 98 CFL games, the versatile veteran has notched 250 defensive tackles, 17 interceptions and three forced fumbles. The knock is that his ability to stay healthy is clearly wearing, as he was limited to just 11 games last year and has played more than 14 in a season just once in his career.
10. Jalon Edwards-Cooper, B.C. Lions (A)
All-star shutdown corner Garry Peters takes up much of the oxygen when discussing the Lions’ secondary, but the soon-to-be 27-year-old Edwards-Cooper has quietly developed into a nice complement on the field side.
In 30 career games, the five-foot-11, 175-pound cover man has tallied 79 defensive tackles and three interceptions. As one of the better tacklers at the position, he should attract some attention.
11. Justin Howell, Ottawa Redblacks (N)
A seventh-round pick in the 2018 CFL Draft, Howell has exceeded all expectations and developed into a player you can confidently put on the field. The 30-year-old started 13 games at safety for Ottawa in 2023, setting a new career-high with 39 defensive tackles.
In 60 games for the Redblacks, the Bradford, Ont. native has recorded 99 defensive tackles, 27 special teams tackles, a sack and five forced fumbles. He can provide valuable Canadian depth at a position where little is available in free agency.
12. Damon Webb, Ottawa Redblacks (A)
Webb started 12 games for Ottawa at boundary halfback in 2023 and finished as one of the most active defensive backs in the league, amassing 62 defensive tackles and three interceptions.
Tackle volume isn’t always a great sign for defensive backs, but the 28-year-old has shown some promise. With 123 defensive tackles, 10 special teams tackles, a sack and five interceptions in 37 games, he should find a starting spot somewhere.
13. Brandon Alexander, Winnipeg Blue Bombers (A)
After missing much of 2022 due to injury, Alexander managed to suit up for 17 games last season and finished with 41 defensive tackles and two interceptions. He also proved he can still make the occasional special teams play, forcing a huge fumble in the Grey Cup.
However, the 30-year-old isn’t quite the same player he used to be despite earning his second career all-star selection in 2023. Though he has amassed 211 defensive tackles, 20 special teams tackles, eight interceptions and six forced fumbles in 77 career games, Alexander’s value is becoming increasingly limited as a true American safety.
14. Cariel Brooks, Ottawa Redblacks (A)
Brooks’ offseason release by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats last year came as a real surprise given his 2021 all-star status, but the 32-year-old ended up starting just eight of the 10 games he played for Ottawa in 2023 — six at boundary halfback and two at boundary corner.
The six-year veteran has accumulated 227 defensive tackles, three sacks, 13 interceptions and four forced fumbles in 80 career games and still has something to give. Just don’t expect him to play all 18 games for you.
15. Jeremy Clark, Saskatchewan Roughriders (A)
A former sixth-round NFL Draft pick, Clark has been solid in three years in Saskatchewan and has developed into a competent starter at field corner.
The 29-year-old has collected 63 defensive tackles, three special teams tackles, a sack, two interceptions and two forced fumbles in 35 games.
Best of the rest: Hakeem Bailey, Ottawa Redblacks (A); Sherrod Baltimore, Ottawa Redblacks (A); Kerfalla Exume, Winnipeg Blue Bombers (N); Ed Gainey, Free Agent (A); Aaron Grymes, Free Agent (A); Natrell Jamerson, Calgary Stampeders (A); Mike Jones, B.C. Lions (A); Abdul Kanneh, Ottawa Redblacks (A); Robert Priester, Toronto Argonauts (A); Shaq Richardson, Calgary Stampeders (A); Winston Rose, Winnipeg Blue Bombers (A); Tigie Sankoh, Toronto Argonauts (G); Nick Taylor, Calgary Stampeders (A)
