Saskatchewan is watching two players quite closely as the CFL free-agency deadline nears: Charleston Hughes and Cameron Judge.
Both players were key contributors to the Roughriders’ defence in 2019 and when you’re a general manager like Jeremy O’Day, you need to weigh your wants and your needs.
What you need in the CFL is a strong group of starting Canadians at skilled positions to allow you to be flexible across the roster. Cam Judge brings just that.
You also need to have a consistent pass rush but when you weigh your needs, the Canadian all-star calibre linebacker is higher on your priorities.
And when money is tight, you have to be careful how much money you give a 37-year-old, no matter what they showed in 2019.
O’Day has built depth at defensive end, knowing Hughes may not like what O’Day has to offer. He’s thinking a step or two ahead. This standoff with a CFL Hall of Famer is actually proving to me the Riders have the right man for the job, willing to make tough decisions with a bigger vision beyond just what a player did in the previous season.