Edmonton Elks’ GM Ed Hervey secures eight starters on opening day of tampering window he inspired

Courtesy: Edmonton Elks

It appears that returning Edmonton Elks general manager Ed Hervey has fully embraced the day that some CFL fans had already named in his honour.

Within hours of the CFL’s legal tampering window opening on Sunday, confirmed reports had the Elks agreeing to terms with six impact free agents. While pen can’t be put to paper until free agency officially opens on February 11, it appears that defensive linemen Jake Ceresna, Robbie Smith, and Jared Brinkman, cornerback Tyrell Ford, offensive lineman David Beard, and receiver Kaion Julien-Grant will all be wearing Green and Gold this year.

Hervey also managed to bring back a couple of his own players in Canadian offensive tackle Brett Boyko and prolific linebacker Nyles Morgan. Other reports suggest that Toronto safety Royce Metchie could also be headed to Edmonton, though sources have told 3DownNation that other teams remain in contention.

It was a statement day from an executive who has talked the talk and is now walking the walk. After threatening dissenters in his ranks and openly courting free agents in his introductory press conference, Hervey has shelled out for more than half a dozen difference-makers, three of which were All-CFL selections last year and five of whom are elite Canadians. At least on paper, the Elks have been reborn in the period inspired by their saviour.

Instituted in 2020, the legal tampering window allows pending free agents a week to speak to other teams and gauge their level of interest before actually hitting the market. Since its inception, CFL fans have affectionately referred to it as the “Ed Hervey window” in honour of the man who became synonymous with getting an illegal head start on negotiations during his first stint in Edmonton.

Let’s be clear, in a league as small as the CFL, tampering is an inevitability. When everybody knows each other and the gross majority of athletes are represented by a handful of agents, there is no realistic way to stop people from recruiting players that are still under contract with other teams. Hervey is no more guilty than all the rest but his blatant disregard for the facade made him the mascot for rule violations when he memorably signed defensive end Odell Willis to a multi-year deal minutes after free agency opened in 2013.

Actions like those forced the league into a rule change to save face but Hervey has merely moved up his timeline. Back in familiar colours, he managed to negotiate six massive deals and reshape his entire roster in a matter of hours — or at least has the plausible deniability to claim he did.

A few more first Sundays in February like this one and the CFL might be forced to institute a tampering window before their tampering window. Might as well make it official and name that one after Hervey too.