The Independents seem determined that this group is going to work, so they were heavily focused on keeping a lot of the talent they had last year, especially in the veteran department. They would extend last year’s big trade acquisition, DL Wayne Baxton to a lucrative 2-year deal worth $75,000 total. They would also bring back DL Bjorn Sigmarsson and the breakout S Ernie Osborne. Of the younger talent, they would keep OL Carlton Vanderbilt on a 4-year deal and WR Tyreek Flores on a 2-year deal. The only name that is notable from free agents is DB Moredecai King, who was unable to agree to terms on a new deal with the team, leading to Boston signing DB Tim McGovern to cover the spot.
Buffalo Blue Wings
After taking a step back from their dynastic play with the injury riddled 1971 campaign, it looks like the Blue Wings are determined that the core is still strong and brought back most key players. DL Ned Hedman would get the most per year with a 3-year deal worth $32,500 a season, while OL Artem Sobakov would get the biggest deal overall (4 Years, $27,000 a season). Veterans, LB Randall Lambert, WR Julis Drake, and safeties Wesley Jones and Eric Willis also all re-signed. After being the stand-in starter last season, RB Yancy Harrison is ready to test the market and see if he could land a full-time starting job. His brother Clancy Harrison is joining him in free agency with the two likely wanting to land with the same team.
Calgary Predators
The Preds had a pretty quiet re-sign stage, only bringing back 5 players. The most notable being DL Roger Barrett, twin brother to captain DL Chris Barrett, who inked a new 1-year deal with $19,000. The team looks to be trying to continue to mold the team into the Wild West offence so a lot of players that didn’t fit in last season were let go, but even then, not many notable names are heading to the open market.
Edmonton Rangers
The Rangers are a team that loves tradition. They are also very loyal which is evident by their 4 biggest extensions going to players 32 and older (LB Frank St. John, DL James Chambers, OL Phillip Caron, and LB Herb Landry). Their youngest extension went to OL Lenny Barrigan at 2 years, $21,000. As for free agents, DL Quinton Hextal, who had joined the team just this past year from Winnipeg, would head back to the open market, along with him would be DB Paul Clement who has been with Edmonton for many years, but saw a sharp decline in playing time last season.
Halifax Mariners
A year into the rebuild, some big names were expected to head to free agency, however, to the shock of most, a lot of these veterans stayed put. Captain, DL Pat Butler, and DB Joe Robinson would stick around on new 1-year extensions worth $32,000. WR Shane Steadman would stay put as well on a new 2-year deal worth $30,000 a year. Some younger talent was sticking around as well with LB Frederic Macnamara, OL Graeme McDouglas, and DB Lance Lee staying put. There are still a couple of names heading to free agency to test the market in OL Millard Streety, LB Walker Colson, and, as expected, QB Lyle Painter, who is on the lookout for a starting opportunity but is open to returning to Halifax if one doesn’t come up.
Indiana Victors
The Victors are in a tough spot following a late-season collapse that left them outside the playoffs. They clearly can be a playoff contender, but they aren’t exactly pushing to be a championship contender. With that said, they were intent on keeping a lot of pieces. OL Taylor Alexander is back along with veteran WR Ed Edwards. They also secured a couple of key younger players in DL Eugene Case and LB Maxwell Trevorrow. However, not everyone was on board to stay and hope the team improves again. DB Neville Falkner is out after 3 seasons with the team as the future Hall of Fame corner is still looking for an elusive championship. Also heading out the door are a couple of failed experiments from Henderson with RB Jimmy Golden who was a shell of his former MVP self and QB Edwin Hunt who looked lost anytime he touched the field. Finally, one of the bigger surprises is TE Eric Peterson heading to free agency. The 28-year-old is ready to see what else is out there after playing his entire career with the Victors.
London Tigers
Under new GM Martin Gagneaux, some weren’t sure what to expect with the Tigers’ decisions this offseason. So far, it seems that Gagneaux is willing to shake it up a little. They did have many young, high-potential players to lock up, which they did, landing new contracts with LB Reuben James and LB Everett Lynch. They also signed RB Jeremy Royal to a new 2-year deal, however, some expect the lower deal is due to his injury history over the last two seasons. WR Cole Fletcher is also back after his best season in the league. On the way out are a couple of veterans in RB Austin Andrews, who has seen a lot of the field with Royal’s injuries, as well as TE Tranquille Rousseau who has battled countless injuries over the last several seasons. Another reason for Rousseau’s departure is the rise of TE Pete Mayfield who has played well in his absence.
Long Island Raiders
GM/Owner Wayne Tillman is ready to shake up the roster after missing the playoffs in the team’s attempted title defence. Many of the big-name veterans the team brought on who were in the hunt for a competitive team were not going to be returning. S Garet deVale is the most surprising one, considering he had a solid year last year. OL Taylor Forbes and LB Bear Donnelly were not quite on the same level. However, the team did maintain a lot of the core pieces, including captain LB William Washington II, his brother WR Otto Washington, DB Rutherford Winters, and WR Larry Mossholder. RB Scott Norton would look to be heading to free agency, but just before the deadline, he signed a new 2-year deal that would pay him $28,000 a season.
Louisville Thunder
The McCallister Cup champions did a good job of maintaining a lot of key pieces to their success this past season. Several of their young key pieces inked new deals in OL Gordie Hammarstein, DL Gavin Shaw, and DB Oswald Murray. They also retained DL Lucas Kipling for another season. However, success can come with a cost, especially when you have a lot of talent, some players get lost in the shadows of others. That was the case for WR Lloyd Lane, whose injury this season opened the door for a breakout season from WR Ben Graham. Lane, who was already being overshadowed by WR Casey Coleman, was ready to at least see what is out there as many would argue that he could be a #1 receiving on almost any other team. DB Alonzo Gray will also join him in free agency. The former 2nd round pick has just not gotten a chance to play very much. Some eyes will also be on QB Xerxes Wynn, who impressed in his backup snaps this season and could be an option for teams looking for a change at the position.
Minnesota Serpents
It was a tall task for Minnesota GM Calvin Carpenter to maintain a lot of the Serpents’ key young talent. The biggest name was 1971 OPOY RB Tyler Kuhn, who would stay on a 4-year deal worth $145,000 in total, locking in as the workhorse of the offence. Former 1st overall pick, LB Garrett Roberts would return on a 4-year deal as well (worth $132,000). DL Ferris Kane and S Gérard LaCroix also stayed put. However, the key signing was at QB with Martin Keller getting a 3-year deal worth $35,000 a season, which would also convince Keller’s best friend, WR Ferdinand Matthews to stay put at $25,000 a year for 3 years. They also kept veterans in OL Elias McCarren, RB Hugo Hughes, and DB Jayson Klyde. The Serpents cleaned up quite well, but they still left some names on the free agency board in DL Ryan Sargent, S Calvin Hobbes, and WR Evan Clanton, with the amount of talent the team retained, I don’t think they are too worried about the aging veterans.
Montreal Rouge
GM Jon Neal was in an interesting spot as the Rouge came off of a McCallister Cup appearance. The first focus for the team was on a couple of younger pieces in DB Jean Paul du Pont and TE John Schall, who both signed onto new deals for 3 years and 2 years respectively. They also brought back longtime WR Taylor Karis on a one-year deal. However, all the real focus was going to be on QB Gene Bishop, who, at the start of the year, looked like he was going to be moving on in the offseason, but after a resurgent year, he is tougher to get rid of. GM Neal felt the same way and ultimately extended Bishop to a 2-year deal worth $35,000 a season, which is down from his previous salary, but the 36-year-old proved he can still play. While Bishop is staying, some others are moving on like, RB Raymond Green who was traded to Montreal last season, but eventually lost the starting job to rookie RB Bo Frazier. WR Yahui Sun is going to be out there looking for a new position after losing his position in the lineup to rookie WR Antonio Villanueva, and then LB Willie Stetson is gone after his rookie contract was up. Stetson has battled injuries and underwhelming play since being drafted 4th overall in 1969.
Ottawa Royals
After back-to-back early playoff exits, the Royals are determined to make some more significant adjustments. They would only hand out 8 extensions. The most notable ones being to All-Star WR Marshall Leonard, LBs Sam Wheeler and Tuukka Tariitt, and WR Matthew de la Cruz. Leaving the team are a couple of long-time veterans DL Zane Tannith and WR Colby Bancana. Tannith is getting into his 30s and the D-line was rough when Ottawa was without DL Bernhard Hartmann. So They are looking to rebuild the position. Bancana on the other hand, is also getting older but saw a reduction in play last season with a couple of injuries and the rise of de la Cruz. Other veterans like S Clarence Sale and DB Adam Levesque are also moving on. QB Ulysses Lawyer is at least going to test the market after doing a fine job down the stretch last season in relief of QB Drake Young.
Pittsburgh Blacksmiths
Success has a high price and the Blacksmiths are certainly feeling it. GM Cooper Ellington had the tough task of choosing which players to keep and which to extend and for how much. IT would lead to some expensive contracts. OLOY OL Erik Nelson would ink a new 2-year deal worth $30,000 a season, making him the highest-paid O-lineman in the league. OL Jan Baptiste Francoise would also get a 3-year deal worth $25,000 a season. TE Jesse Butler is staying put for another 2 years at $25,000. The longest negotiation would go to DL Matthias Hartmann who proved his value when DL Arthur Bradshaw was taken out and Hartmann would go on to have an All-Star season. He would land a new 2-year deal worth $32,000 a season. Of course, they couldn’t pay everyone, so there are some veterans on the way out. WR Orlando Barrack is going to hit the open market along with S Peter Sellers and OL Jeffery Uduike. The vets are understandable losses, but DB Chandler Gage could be a little tougher to swallow as the former 6th overall pick was starting to show some improvements this season, but in the end, they have a lot of depth at the position already.
Providence Gold Stars
The Gold Stars are looking to head in the same direction as they have been for the last couple of years, maintaining a lot of key pieces. DL Newton Dalton inked a 3-year deal worth $35,000 a season, S Tom Parrish has proven himself and earned a new 2-year deal worth $33,000 a season, and WR Owern Paisley and LB Victor Falkensteig are back again on one-year deals. The biggest signing, however, would be in WR Justin Palmer, who would land a new 4-year contract worth $140,000 total. On the way out, is OL TJ Overton after a disappointing season following the trade from Indiana, veteran OL Herman Mecklenburg after some frustrations about personality, and TE Dylan Chowder with the drafting of TE Kairos Knight last season. The team will also be looking for a new backup QB with Landon Ross also testing the market.
Regina Wheat Kings
With a new man in charge of the Wheat Kings, it wasn’t surprising to see that there could be a decent number of changes to the roster this season. The team extended just 6 players this year, which did include WR Jimmy Franks, who they picked up in a midseason trade with Toronto. On the flip side, the team is leaving a lot of roster spots open in hopes of building a better overall roster this season. A lot of the players on the way out are in-depth roles like backup QBs Rusty Lamb and Michael Benedict, RB Joseph Cook, OL Ian Robertson, and DB Tim Fox. A new direction that should leave Regina fans hopeful.
Toronto Steelheads
After a miserable first year at the helm, GM Reginald McMahon is ready to make some significant changes. They had the lowest number of extensions signed in the entire league, with only 3 players re–signed. Those players being DB Dwayne James, S Charles Clerk, and DL Irwin Anthonyson. Some figured Clerk might be interested in moving on being 29 and not necessarily wanting to go through a rebuild, but he was pretty quick in signing a new deal. Overall, the large group of players leaving the Steelheads isn’t all that impressive, outside of one big name. DL Johnathan Ellison, the team’s captain and one of their best defenders, is heading out to test the market. He’s been in Toronto for his whole career but is open to a new and potentially more competitive opportunity. Outside of Ellison, the most notable players are a pair of O-linemen, Mason Fitzpatrick and Robin Beard, as well as veteran RB Théodore Lemieux. The team also has already given up on the QB Matt Fletcher experiment as he is also entering free agency after the Steelheads made the trade for him during the season.
Vancouver Wolves
Some were looking at Vancouver as a team that may make some more dramatic changes after last season’s overall disappointing performance. However, they were pretty tame. They locked up important pieces like DB Christian Allen, S Nick Parker, and TE Johnny Temple, keeping a lot of the core pieces the same. There is a decent amount of depth on the way out, but no one is super integral to the team’s outlook. The only notable players were DB Vern Nowitski, who led the team in interceptions last season, and QB Mike Key who is viewed as a reliable backup.
Winnipeg Falcons
Just like a few other of their fellow WFU teams the Falcons didn’t have many extensions signed. WR Ryan Conway and LB Nathan Davidson were the key re-signings, as both players are experienced and solid depth pieces. There are a lot of pieces heading out the door. Much like the Wheat Kings, it is a lot of depth pieces as the Falcons seem to be looking at developing the depth they have on the roster. They will especially be focused on the D-line. DB Lawrence Ralph, the big free agency acquisition from last season, is heading back out to the market potentially to look for a competitive spot, but didn’t rule out a return to Winnipeg. DB Alain Archambault, a long-time Falcon, is also on the way out, as they are looking at restructuring the secondary. QB Jerome Sheppard is also gone as some expect the Falcons to be in the QB market this season.
Top 25 Free Agents
1 - WR Lloyd Lane - LOU
2 - DB Neville Falkner - IND
3 - DL Johnathan Ellison - TOR
4 - WR Orlando Barrack - PIT
5 - DB Chandler Gage - PIT
6 - OL Amos Sewell - MIN
7 - QB Landon Ross - PRO
8 - LB Willie Stetson - MTL
9 - WR Yahui Sun - MTL
10 - TE Eric Peterson - IND
11 - OL Paul O’Doherty - MIN
12 - OL Millard Streety - HFX
13 - QB Ulysses Lawyer - OTT
14 - OL Clancy Harrison - BUF
15 - QB Lyle Painter - HFX
16 - WR Colby Bancana - OTT
17 - DB Mordecai King - BOS
18 - DB Vern Nowitski - VAN
19 - S Garet deVale - LI
20 - S Peter Sellers - PIT
21 - S Calvin Hobbes - MIN
22 - QB Xerxes Wynn - LOU
23 - QB Mike Key - VAN
24 - DL Ryan Sargent - MIN
25 - DB Lawrence Ralph - WPG
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