CFL (Non-Bombers) off-season news

[Blue In BC]

Alright, I believe this is another case of a player not returning to the team that released him to go to the NFL.  Have a link to the story?

He last played in the CFL in 2019. His CFL contract had expired and he was free to sign anywhere.

[Waffler]

Have a link to the story?

https://3downnation.com/2026/01/27/toronto-argonauts-sign-former-riders-first-round-cfl-draft-pick-dakoda-shepley-after-long-nfl-stint-sources/

Talented player I would have liked here BUT...the deal will make Shepley the highest-paid offensive lineman in the CFL.

[Blue In BC]

https://3downnation.com/2026/01/27/toronto-argonauts-sign-former-riders-first-round-cfl-draft-pick-dakoda-shepley-after-long-nfl-stint-sources/

Talented player I would have liked here BUT...the deal will make Shepley the highest-paid offensive lineman in the CFL.

Where did you see he'd be the highest paid OL?

[Ridermania]

Austin Mack to the Elks.

https://3downnation.com/2026/01/29/edmonton-elks-sign-receiver-austin-mack-after-release-from-montreal-alouettes-sources/

Dan Ralph reports: "Hearing WR Austin Mack's two-year deal with Edmonton is for $425k in hard money with a max value of $439k and includes a $55k signing bonus.

[theaardvark]

Austin Mack to the Elks.

https://3downnation.com/2026/01/29/edmonton-elks-sign-receiver-austin-mack-after-release-from-montreal-alouettes-sources/

Dan Ralph reports: "Hearing WR Austin Mack's two-year deal with Edmonton is for $425k in hard money with a max value of $439k and includes a $55k signing bonus.

What a difference a year makes.  Looks like he got a pay bump coming from "the only place he wants to play in the CFL"


For a healthy Mack playing 16+ games a year, that's a decent price.  Not sure its a 2/3rds season value, especially if you can't 6 game him.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

What a difference a year makes.  Looks like he got a pay bump coming from "the only place he wants to play in the CFL"


For a healthy Mack playing 16+ games a year, that's a decent price.  Not sure its a 2/3rds season value, especially if you can't 6 game him.

Steven Dunbar might be available at a tier 2 pay rate now.

[dd]

Riders release receiver Shawn Bane Jr.

https://3downnation.com/2026/01/28/saskatchewan-roughriders-release-shawn-bane-jr-ahead-of-cfl-free-agency/

They cou1dn't resign them a11, but that's the reciever I was expecting them to re1ease, he was the weakest of the bunch

[blue_gold_84]

They cou1dn't resign them a11, but that's the reciever I was expecting them to re1ease, he was the weakest of the bunch

Off topic but is your L key broken or something? All your posts lately have 1s where lower case Ls should be.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Off topic but is your L key broken or something? All your posts lately have 1s where lower case Ls should be.

That's just a glimpse of the future, if you don't pay a subscription fee for your keyboard, you lose a few keys every month. Smart my ***.

[blue_gold_84]

That's just a glimpse of the future, if you don't pay a subscription fee for your keyboard, you lose a few keys every month. Smart my ***.

[bunker]

The pay scale has clearly been reset for the top tier players. Would be nice if the guys at the bottom get a bump also by increasing the minimum salary.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

The pay scale has clearly been reset for the top tier players. Would be nice if the guys at the bottom get a bump also by increasing the minimum salary.

Walters best work is often from the bottom of the deck, Tony Jones, Griffin, Dexter Lawson, Nick Taylor, all solid players he found in the bargain bin.

[Jesse]

The pay scale has clearly been reset for the top tier players. Would be nice if the guys at the bottom get a bump also by increasing the minimum salary.

That was done in the last CBA.

[theaardvark]

The pay scale has clearly been reset for the top tier players. Would be nice if the guys at the bottom get a bump also by increasing the minimum salary.

Why?

The grunts deserve a pay raise if the elites get on, right?

But do they.

The option to an ELC may be flipping a burger, or worse, a UFL gig.

For the league to be viable, you need both ends of the spectrum, and the current ELC deal is nothing to sneeze at, its far more than a living wage, over the full year it is about equivalent to a 40 hour work week at $35/hour plus benefits.

I don't think upping the ELC min wage would attract any more players, and because so much of the league is dependent on having these ELC guys make up a good percentage of the team, I'd rather add another player (job) or two on the roster at ELC than bump the ELC. 

That would make a much bigger difference in player development than increasing the min wage.

[bunker]

That was done in the last CBA.

My understanding is that they've been stuck at 70,000 minimum salary unchanged since 2023. Inflation in Canada has been about 8% over that time, equating to an 8% pay cut for these guys. They work hard, careers are short, I'd rather give another 10,000 per year to the botttom of the roster guys than 20-30,000 more to the top. But then, I was a socialist in my youth.