Although the tan is still fresh on his face, Wally Buono has the look and feel of a man who has been hard at work for the last several weeks. And ever since the boss returned from his annual Hawaiian vacation last week, the T-crossing and I-dotting has only increased.
“Unfortunately, going to Hawaii doesn’t mean the work doesn’t find you,” said Buono. “This is an important part of the season and we want to make sure we not only get our own free agents signed, but also keep track of what else is going on.”
The free agent period officially opens on February 14th and players from around the league will be looking for all kinds of love: money and security chief among them. Buono’s list of potential free agents is officially down to 14. You can bet the Hawaiian getaway was a bit more enjoyable after the likes of Solomon Elimimian and Jeremiah Johnson agreed to new deals before Christmas.
Along with locking up some of his own guys, the CFL’s all-time wins leader has to now think about filling potential holes later this month, especially on defence. Ronnie Yell and TJ Lee have received offers from Buono and their status heading into the deadline remains uncertain. Much like the newly re-signed Steven Clarke, Yell and Lee are both rehabbing well from their season-ending injuries of a year ago.
“We’ve done a through search on where he (Steve) is at medically, just like we did with Solomon last year,” said Buono. “We want to have guys go to training camp who are healthy but also can compete.”
Even with question marks in the secondary and losing three potential starters to NFL contracts, Buono is quick to remind that you can’t simply spend your way out of trouble. That’s where the upcoming free agent camps and OTA’s come in.
“I think you have to look at where you lost people and where you want to improve. You can’t sign everybody, but you can bring in some key guys that add to your roster, add to your depth. Offensively, we still have our big three weapons. Jennings, Arceneaux and Jeremiah are still here.”
Perhaps the biggest priority on that side of the ball remains locking up Bryan Burnham. The dynamic wide receiver was slated to have one final NFL workout in Dallas this week and should he not catch on down south, could no doubt cash in big time should he hit the open market on Valentine’s Day.
“After that (workout) we’re going to be able to sit down with him and his agent and see how we can get something down,” said Buono earlier this week. “The NFL is starting to slow down and if you’re not signed at this point obviously you have to look north.”
One glaring hole Buono and company has to fill is at the kicker position after Richie Leone found work with the Arizona Cardinals. 46-year old Paul McCallum has not ruled out an extension on his un-retirement, but Buono indicated they may look at bringing in a younger, more versatile option.
“I haven’t talked to Paul about what his intent is, but my initial direction is to have one guy do all three” (placekicking, punting and kickoffs), added Buono. “If we can get the right guy and if he has the capabilities of doing that, fine. If not then you have to look at other things.”
You certainly get the sense things are ramping up and the season is just around the corner. Before long, Buono’s Hawaiian tan will be replaced with one from the Kamloops heat.
Bake’s Takes: Needs Come February 14th
Scoring points and protecting Jonathon Jennings should not be an issue this season, especially if Burnham is re-upped. Things could get interesting on defence. The Lions recorded CFL-worst nine interceptions and their 14 forced fumbles were better than only the Edmonton Eskimos. Should Yell and Lee hit the market, signing a lockdown cornerback would probably be at the top of Buono’s list. Mark Washington told bclions.com the lack of turnovers would be a big discussion from day one of camp so you know it is an area they will look at upgrading if they need to. Booming legs like Leone’s do not grow on trees, but it will be interesting to see what they come up with to replace his production in the kicking and punting game.
Remaining BC Lions Free Agents
Anthony Allen- RB
Mic’hael Brooks-DT
Bryan Burnham-WR
Marco Iannuzzi-WR
TJ Lee-DB
Paul McCallum-PK
Nick Moore-SB
Tim O’Neill-OL
Ryan Phillips-DB
Terrell Sinkfield-WR
Hunter Steward-OL
Bryant Turner-DL
Jabar Westerman-DL
Ronnie Yell-DB
Back In The Fold *denotes player spent time in 2016 on practice roster
Darius Allen-DE*
Mike Benson- LS
Brett Blaszko- WR*
Steven Clarke- DB
Dyshawn Davis- LB*
Solomon Elimimian- LB
Andrew Hudson- DE*
Jeremiah Johnson- RB
Shaq Johnson- WR*
Nehemie Kankolongo-LB
Deon Long- WR*
Rolly Lumbala- FB
Nate O’Halloran- FB*
Kelvin Palmer- OL*
Gionni Paul- LB*
Chris Rainey-RB/KR
 The Departed
Alex Bazzie- DE- Indianapolis Colts
Adam Bighill- LB- New Orleans Saints
Anthony Gaitor- DB- New Orleans Saints
Richie Leone- PK/P- Arizona Cardinals
Bo Lokombo-LB- Baltimore Ravens
Tim O’Neill- OL- has informed club of his intention to retire
Matt Baker: mbaker@bclions.com