SportsCage CFL analyst Glen Suitor believes Canadian linebacker A.J. Allen was the biggest loss for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in free agency.
"The two teams that really focused on re-signing their own players were Saskatchewan and B.C. That shouldn't be a surprise to anyone because that was a West Final that went right down to the wire. You could argue two of the best teams in the league in that West Final. Saskatchewan ends up winning it and going on to win the Grey Cup. When you're a championship team, you want to keep your core together," Suitor said on the SportsCage.
"Ottawa was the most aggressive, that's easy. I know you guys have talked about that and a couple of the impactful signings. I would say that I think there are going to be guys who can really change a team quickly. A.J. Allen is going to really help — that's a big one — I think it's a big loss for Saskatchewan, but it's an even bigger gain in Ottawa to have him there."
The six-foot, 210-pound linebacker began his CFL career with the Riders when the team selected him in the fourth round, 35th overall during the 2020 CFL Draft. Last year, he played 18 regular season games for Saskatchewan, recording 87 defensive tackles, four special teams tackles, four sacks, three interceptions, and three forced fumbles.
"I would put A.J. Allen at the top of that list. He's a full-time starter and he's Canadian," Suitor said.
Allen helped the Green and White defeat the Montreal Alouettes 25-17 in the 112th Grey Cup. That win marked the first CFL championship in his career. He finished the title game with six defensive tackles and one special teams tackle.
When the market opened, Allen officially signed with the Redblacks for two years. According to 3DownNation insider Justin Dunk, that deal made him the highest-paid linebacker in the CFL salary cap era.
Suitor liked what the Winnipeg Blue Bombers did in free agency.
“I know Tommy Nield was one; I think people in Saskatchewan wanted him to stay. It will be interesting to see his input or what he can accomplish with Zach [Collaros] in Winnipeg," Suitor said.
"The other one is that I'm really interested in Tim White. We talked about him a couple of weeks ago, but Tim White has been sort of inconsistent and yet a thousand-yard receiver. We've talked about him as if he's been struggling. He had games where he dropped two or three passes in one game. Then you go and look, wait a minute, he's got 1,200 yards. How did that happen from a guy who wasn't playing great? I'm interested to see with a new look and a new team and all of that, what Tim White can accomplish."
