The collection of pictures on the desk of Wally Buono includes the likely assortment of captured memories that you would expect of the father of four and grandfather of five. Included among the pictures is a 40lb salmon that the Lions GM and head coach hauled out of the Pacific a few years back and if anything, it serves as a reminder that catching the best fish isn’t a matter of luck.
“You can cast a thousand times in a thousand different spots and come up empty, or you can get on the boat with a plan and fill your bucket,” says the CFL’s all-time leader in coaching wins.
So with free agency looming and plenty of big fish in the water what’s the plan for Buono?
“We’ll be active and we’ll be competitive,” assures Buono.
While naming specific targets will have to wait until the 9th, suffice to say that Buono has areas of his club that he wants to improve both out of necessity for a starter and a desire to add depth.
The Lions, unlike a number of teams do not have a tremendously long list of potential free agents and they have been remarkably successful keeping their core in place as contract numbers increase at a steady rate and more players opt for one-year deals.
“Players have different goals when it comes to free agency and that’s usually a reflection of their age. Younger guys prefer to try and hit a home run with a one-year deal, while more established guys look for something a bit more longer term. Some players really have no interest in leaving their teams at all to be honest, they just want to go through the process to ensure they haven’t left an exceptional offer on the table. We’ve offered contracts to a number of free agents over the years which would have paid them more than what they ended up signing for with other teams. If it’s close, they typically stay put, so I won’t be surprised if there’s less movement than people believe and with more players available than past seasons it does become a buyer’s market.”
While some clubs have cleared the deck of close to a couple dozen free agents by releasing them, Buono is opting to keep his core intact and upgrade areas of need.
“We had some cap space at the end of 2015 that allowed us to sign Cody Husband, Shawn Gore, Steven Adekolu, Kirby Fabien, Eric Fraser and David Menard who were all eligible for free agency this year. Canadian depth is paramount to building a competitive team and when you can keep your own players that’s as significant to me as a big name in February because it tells you they want to stay here, they like the direction you’re going in rather than landing a free agent who may be after a big payday, but not completely invested in helping you improve.”
Last month, Buono also secured receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux, veteran defensive back Ryan Phillips and Outstanding Lineman nominee Jovan Olafioye with some healthy extensions and is close on a couple more that he hopes to wrap up before the 9th.
“Jovan is one of the best linemen in the league, Manny was an all-star last year and fourth in receiving yards while Ryan was tied for the league lead in interceptions. Keeping them here is a lot more significant than people think.”
As for those who remain unsigned, Buono is upbeat.
“Our talks with Travis Lulay are very positive and I believe we’re getting closer, but until it’s signed I will remain cautiously optimistic. We are also in talks with Chris Rainey and I’m hopeful that we can get something done. Time is still on our side for now.”
Our talks with Travis Lulay are very positive
Of the Lions players set to hit the market next week, there are a handful that have been informed by the club that they will not receive offers or have indicated that they will be retiring such as Dean Valli and Cam Morrah.
“We have reviewed all of our personnel and like each team, we do move on from 
some players each season, so the list of free agents that I am negotiating with is smaller than the public list would indicate. We have also been able to retain both Solomon Elimimian and Adam Bighill heading into this year and I can’t think of any other teams who will have back-to-back CFL Outstanding Defensive Players on the field at the same time, but it comes at a price.”
Among those who will not be given another contract offer is running back Andrew Harris, which as expected, was not received well by Lions faithful.
“I completely understand their reaction and if I was in their place I would feel the same way. I would be far more concerned if nobody cared, so I appreciate their passion. Andrew was with us eight years, six as a player and two years as a junior. He is a very good football player, a fan favourite and great in the community. We did offer him a new contract during the season. It was a lucrative proposal which would have made him the highest paid running back in the CFL and it was not accepted. When you come off a season having lost more than you’ve won as we did in 2015 you have to take time to examine how you are built, how you have assembled your Canadian starters, how you’ve backed them up and of course, how you plan to improve and compensate everyone moving forward under the salary cap. In the end, the decision to move on was very difficult, but it may create some potential opportunities for us in other areas.”
We did offer him a new contract during the season. It was a lucrative proposal which would have made him the highest paid running back in the CFL and it was not accepted.
So unlike some of their rivals, it will not be a sea of change on the West Coast, but Buono has a plan to land some fish of his own and calm the waters heading into 2016.
“It’s an exciting time for our league and Tuesday will be a busy one. I’m looking forward to what the day brings us.”