The Saskatchewan Roughriders made some noise — literally — after the CFL’s free-agent market officially opened on Tuesday.
As each signed contract landed in the computer of Jordan Greenly, the Roughriders’ Director of Football Operations celebrated by activating an airhorn.
There were back-to-back blasts in the case of the Herdman-Reed twins, Jordan and Justin, after their documents were sent to and filed by Greenly.
“We wanted to do something as the contracts came in,” Vice-President of Football Operations and General Manager Jeremy O’Day said after everything calmed down in Mosaic Stadium’s war room.
“As we were sitting in here, it was Jordan’s way of letting us know that he got one back.”
O’Day and Assistant GM Kyle Carson were seated a few first downs away from Greenly’s office, which is much closer to the working space of Director of Communications Arielle Zerr.
“Every time Jordan got a contract, he let off the airhorn and scared A.Z.,” O’Day said with a chuckle.
“I think Arielle probably got it the worst. Jordan could at least be prepared because he was the one setting off the airhorn.”
The Roughriders also set off some fireworks by cementing agreements with a number of free agents.
A.J. Ouellette, who amassed 1,008 rushing yards for the Toronto Argonauts last season en route to becoming an East Division All-Star, signed a two-year deal with Saskatchewan. Ouellette and the Roughriders had agreed to terms during the free-agency negotiation window, which was open from Feb. 4 to 11.
A two-year commitment was also reached with offensive tackle Jermarcus Hardrick, who helped the Winnipeg Blue Bombers reach the past four Grey Cup Games. Hardrick, a CFL All-Star in 2021 and 2023, was named the West Division’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman last year.
On defence, the Roughriders added middle linebacker Jameer Thurman, defensive end Malik Carney, defensive back Jalon Edwards-Cooper and the Herdman-Reed brothers, both of whom play linebacker.
Justin Herdman-Reed re-signed with the Roughriders. Jordan was with Saskatchewan in 2021 and 2022 before spending last season with the Calgary Stampeders.
Thurman posted career-high totals of 98 defensive tackles and five sacks last season with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He added two interceptions and two forced fumbles.
Also with Hamilton, Carney registered five sacks, 52 defensive tackles and one interception in 2023.
Edwards-Cooper spent the past three seasons with the B.C. Lions, recording three interceptions and 79 defensive tackles over 30 games.
Justin Herdman-Reed has 25 special teams tackles and 10 defensive tackles since joining the Roughriders in 2021. Jordan Herdman-Reed made 10 special teams tackles in 16 games with Calgary last season.
Leading up to Tuesday, the Roughriders also signed linebacker Adam Auclair and defensive tackle Micah Johnson.
Auclair, whose deal was announced on Friday, spent the past three seasons with the Ottawa REDBLACKS. The re-signing of Johnson — a Roughrider in 2019, 2021 and 2023 — took place on Monday.
Auclair had been granted an early release by the REDBLACKS. Johnson was able to sign before Tuesday because he wasn’t changing teams.
“We feel good about how everything went,” O’Day said. “The signing period kind of went as we planned. There weren’t any surprises or anything like that.
“We had some positions that we targeted and, for the most part, we were able to get them all.”
Many of the moves involved players on defence. That is certainly music to the ears of newly hired Head Coach Corey Mace, who will also be the Defensive Co-ordinator.
Mace is a proponent of “blue-collar football,” to borrow the description used by Roughriders guard Logan Ferland, so the additions of Ouellette and Hardrick are in line with that philosophy.
“Certainly, the goal was to try to improve the team,” O’Day said.
“We wanted to become a little more physical and adding some guys to the offensive line and the defensive line and adding A.J., who is a little bit more of a downhill back, accomplishes that.”
Although O’Day was on the front lines, negotiating-wise, he was quick to laud the contributions of Mace, Carson, Greenly and others.
“It’s just a team effort,” O’Day noted. “Having Corey and the coaching staff calling the players during the window was a big thing for us. Those guys really set the groundwork for us after they talked to the players.
“Then it was a matter of me and Kyle talking to the agents and working through the contract details and it was pretty smooth. I think we have good relationships with a lot of the agents, which helps.
“I think there’s a buzz going on with the new coaching staff and the environment we have here at the stadium.”
Part of the buzzing may be in the ears, thanks to Greenly and the airhorn.
But now that most of the free-agency-related commotion has abated, the priorities will shift and, presumably, the decibel level will be reduced.
“It’ll be nice to get back into a normal routine,” O’Day said. “(Free agency is) like a big project that you’re working on and finally it’s all done and turned in.
“We’re just excited. We’re just getting the players situated with what jersey number they’re going to wear and then we’re right back at it with working on our negotiation-list players.
“We’ll also start working on the draft really heavily. That’s kind of our next step.”
The CFL Draft and Global Draft are scheduled for April 30.
EXTRA POINT: Also on Tuesday, the Roughriders announced the signing of American fullback Clint Ratkovich. The 6-foot-1, 220-pounder played at Western Illinois and Northern Illinois before signing as an undrafted free agent with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons in December of 2022. He was released by Atlanta in late August.
