Saskatchewan Roughriders’ general manager Jeremy O'Day explains his approach to free agency in 2025 is different than last year.
"This year, the staff is in place, a lot of the free agents that we signed last year are currently still with us or we've re-signed," O'Day said. "We took a step forward in the season, which hopefully leads us to having more continuity going into the season and probably being a little less active in free agency."
Before the 2024 season, the Green and White were coming off two straight years with a 6-12 record and missed the playoffs each season. O'Day turned the team around by hiring Corey Mace as head coach.
During Mace's first year as bench boss, he led the team to a second place finish in the West Division with a 9-8-1 record and made the playoffs. The Riders hosted the B.C. Lions in the West Semi-Final and won 28-19 on November 2, 2024. Saskatchewan headed to Winnipeg a week later and lost to the Blue Bombers 38-22 in the West Final.
The CFL free agent communication period starts Sunday, February 2, and closes February 9. Pending free agents are allowed to talk to other teams during that period and can officially sign with a rival on Tuesday, February 11 when free agency opens.
"When someone gets released or someone gets presented to you, it sets off a domino effect. I have the information now, I'm going to talk to our head coach, and then we'll bring positional coaches in," O'Day said. "We'll have a discussion about the roster and at the very end is the discussion with me over whether a player would fit in salary cap-wise or not. But you have to really get into the window so you can have open, honest conversations with the agents of what's going on with the player."
Out of this year's crop of free agents, O'Day believes Canadian offensive linemen and wide receivers are strong groups.
"In general, it seems like there's more main guys, I would say, that are available," O'Day said referring to the Canadian offensive linemen. "That seems like a market with some really good players (receivers) that are going to hit the market or that are close to hitting it."
O'Day is still trying to bring some of his team’s pending free agents back, but some are willing to test the open market.
"We're actively talking to some of our current free agents,” O'Day said. "Some of them have informed us that they're going to go to the window and see what their options are or see what's out there for them."
