CFL Free Agency: Best remaining Top 10 Canadians and Americans
Published
The Canadian Football League's off-season kicks into another gear as the free agency window opens on Sunday at Noon et/9am pt, allowing teams to talk with pending free agents and make formal contract offers.
The negotiation window will be active until Noon et/9am pt on Sunday, Feb. 9 and all offers are registered with the CFL and CFL Players' Association. After that, those pending free agents will have an exclusive 48-hour negotiating period with the teams they are still under contract with.
Those teams have until 10am et/7am pt on Tuesday, Feb. 11 to make an offer to their own free agents and those offers are also registered with the league and CFLPA. The players can then accept any registered offers on the table from 10am et/7am pt until Noon et/9am pt. Unsigned players will become free agents at 12:01pm et/9:01am pt that same day and will be able to sign with any team.
With that on the horizon, Dave Naylor and Farhan Lalji have compiled lists of the Top 10 remaining Canadians and Americans heading for the open market.
Follow both of our TSN Football Insiders on social media for all the breaking news leading up to and throughout free agency, and stay with TSN.ca, the TSN App and SportsCentre for Instant Analysis on all the key signings.
Canadians
1. Justin McInnis – WR – B.C., Age 28
Had 1,469 receiving yards and 7 TDs on 90 catches, with a 16-yard average. Led the CFL in receiving yards and tied for second in receptions.
2. Tyrell Ford – DB – Wpg, Age 26
Played every game, with 7 INT, elite speed and cover ability.
3. Sean McEwen – OL – Cgy, Age 31
Played in 17 game each of last two seasons. 3 time CFL all-star.
4. Robbie Smith – DL –Tor, Age 27
Missed two games in three years, 6 sacks each of the past two seasons. 65 tackles the past two seasons.
5. David Beard – OL – Ham, Age 31
Played in all 18 games the past two seasons, starting centre for Hamilton, a 2024 CFL All-Star.
6. Kiondre Smith – WR – Ham, Age 25
Career highs in 74 catches for 933 yards and seven touchdowns.
7. Royce Metchie – S – Tor, Age 28
Has missed one regular season game in three years with Toronto. Career high 87 tackles in 2024. A three-time Grey Cup champion.
8. Kaion Julien-Grant – WR – Mtl, Age 28
Played just 21 games the past two seasons, amassing 998 yards and 1 TD.
9. Michael Couture – OL - B.C., Age 30
Played 12/18 regular season games with BC last season as a starting centre.
10. Sukh Chungh – OL – B.C., Age 32
A former No. 2 overall, a CFL West All-Star in 2018 and 2023. Started all 18 regular season games for B.C. at right guard.
Americans
1. Wynton McMannis – LB - Tor, Age 30
Played 42 regular season games over the past three seasons. A three-time Grey Cup champion and two-time CFL All-Star (2022 and 2023).
2. Jake Ceresna – DL – Tor, Age 30
Played 35 regular season games over the past two seasons, with 20 sacks. A two-time CFL All-Star (2022 and 2024).
3. Dalton Schoen – WR - Wpg, Age 28
An elite receiver and TD machine…suffered a season-ending injury in Week 3.
4. Nyles Morgan – LB – Edm, Age 28
Has had back-to-back 100-plus tackle seasons, played all 18 games in 2024, with seven sacks over the past two seasons (Only the third player in team history to record 100 tackles in a season). Was fourth and second in league tackles over the past two years (Missed three games in 2023).
5. Eugene Lewis – WR – Edm, Age 31
Had 1,070 yards and 10 TDs (tied career high) in 2024. Also had 297 YAC yards.
6. Mike Rose – DL – Cgy, Age 32
Hasn’t missed a game in two years. Had 17 sacks and 43 tackles over that span. A CFL All-Star from 2021 through 2023 and a CFL West All-Star in 2024.
7. Kenny Lawler – WR – Wpg, Age 30
Elite production but has played just 34 games over the past three seasons.
8. Janarion Grant – WR/KR – Tor, Age 31
During the 2024 season, he had 989 yards on punt returns and 1,000 on kickoffs with four total return TDs. Has 12 career return TDs. Played 16 games for Toronto in 2024 and is a two-time CFL All-Star (2022 and 2024).
9. Marcus Sayles – DB – Sask, Age 30
Has played 53 games the past three years. Had a career high 4 INTs in 2024 and was a two-time CFL All-Star in 2022 and 2024.
10, Brandon Alexander – DB – Wpg, Age 31
Played 33 games over the past two seasons with 98 tackles. A CFL All-Star in 2021 and a Western All-Star in 2023.