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Welcome to another edition of the Roughriders Mailbag where we answer questions readers have about the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
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With the 2025 CFL season in the book — and a Grey Cup secured for the Green and White — we turn our focus to the off-season where the Roughriders will have plenty of work to do if they want to defend their title next season.
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The most important thing over the next few months for general manager Jeremy O’Day is to sign some key players from the championship squad who are pending free agents. O’Day said this week that he would like to sign most of them — obviously — while many have said they would like to be back, even at a discount.
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While the Roughriders have already added players to next year’s roster this off-season, including prior draft picks Liam Hoskins and Seth Hundeby while also retaining Darius Washington and D’Sean Mimbs, those are mostly depth moves for next season with the bigger re-signings still to come.
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Until then, let’s address some questions readers have as December is nearing.
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If you’d like to submit a question for the next Roughriders mailbag, email your inquiry to: [email protected]
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- Who is the top pending free agent aside from Harris?
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Yes, quarterback Trevor Harris would be the top pending free agent for the Roughriders entering the off-season. But after listening to O’Day and Harris during their respective year-end media availabilities, it sounds like both want to get a deal done.
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Harris will be 40 when next season begins but has shown no signs of slowing down. In fact, he’s coming off his best statistical season since 2018 when he was with Ottawa. Considering he was able to stay healthy last season as he missed just one game due to injury before going on to be named the Grey Cup MVP, O’Day should make him a fair offer similar to what he earned this season. I don’t expect this to take long and maybe it could be similar timing to last year when Harris signed a one-year extension on Dec. 6.
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But to answer the question, there’s a good argument for who the top pending free agent is besides Harris.
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Would it be running back A.J. Ouellette, who had a 1,000-yard season and is a key leader in the room? He mentioned during locker cleanout day that he’d be willing to take a discount to stay in green and white, but the offer from O’Day still has to be fair. There may be a few running backs on the free agent marker, like Brady Oliveira, but keeping Ouellette might make the most sense when it comes to Saskatchewan’s desire to running it back.
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If not Ouellette, then how about any of the receivers who are pending free agents? KeeSean Johnson and Dohnte Meyers — who both went over 1,000 yards last year — are without deals and should be given extensions, along with Canadians Kian Schaffer-Baker and Samuel Emilus. However, all could be deserving of a raise and how does that fit under the salary cap? (More on this later)