by Corey Weir
The Canadian Football League’s free agent market opened Tuesday at noon.
This is a unique offseason for the CFL as the Ottawa RedBlacks have been added to the league as an expansion team.
When a new team is added, the expansion team enters an expansion draft, where certain players from other teams are fair game to snatch up and add to their roster.
Teams are given an opportunity to hold players from being picked by the expansion team. Some possible free agents were held from being picked up by the RedBlacks organization.
An abundance of free agents – 66 to be exact – hit the market Tuesday.
Teams like the new RedBlacks and a slumping Winnipeg Blue Bombers team have a chance to add some crucial pieces to a puzzle that has major holes in it.
Both the RedBlacks and Bombers have some cap space to work with that could make these dreams become realities and rosters in the CFL could look very different by the end of the first day of free agency.
Here are some of the biggest free agent names this season and, where decided, the teams they have signed with;
Josh Bourke
Position: OL
Place of Birth: Windsor, ON
2X CFL All-Star
2011 CFL Most Outstanding Lineman
2x Grey Cup Champion
2013 Team: Montreal Alouettes
Re-signed with Montreal Alouettes
Craig Butler
Position: DB
Place of Birth: London, ON
1X Grey Cup Champion
2013 Team: Saskatchewan Roughriders
2014 Team: Hamilton Tiger Cats
Shea Emry
Position: LB
Place of Birth: Richmond, BC
1X CFL All-Star
2x Grey Cup Champion
2013 Team: Montreal Alouettes
2014 Team: Toronto Argonauts
Kory Sheets
Position: RB
Place of Birth: Manchester, CT
1X CFL All-Star
1 Grey Cup
2013 Team: Saskatchewan Roughriders
2014 Team: Undetermined
Chris Milo
Position: K
Place of Birth: Montreal, QC
1 Grey Cup
2013 Team: Saskatchewan Roughriders
Resigned with Saskatchewan Roughriders
Nick Moore
Position: WR
Place of Birth: Westerville, OH
1 Grey Cup
2013 Team: B.C. Lions
2014 Team: Winnipeg Blue Bombers