Taking a look at the Ottawa Redblacks negotiation list, could any players on the list make a jump to the team?

The CFL has a negotiations list. A list of up to 45 players, some are free agents, on NFL rosters or even NFL draft prospects who’s rights are owned by said team. Over the years, a number of players have been signed from negotiations lists, one being Redblacks’ corner Randall Evans.

The CFL’s rules around it make teams reveal 10 names from the list twice each year. Here are both of the Redblacks lists from the 2019 year and the last one from 2018…

OTTAWA REDBLACKS December 2018 negotiations list
NAME	POSTION	COLLEGE
Kurt Benkert	QB	Virginia
Winston Craig	DT	Richmond
Dalton Crossan	RB	New Hampshire
Luke Falk	QB	Washington State
Bug Howard	WR	North Carolina
Chase Litton	QB	Marshall
Peter Pujals	QB	Holy Cross
Dalton Sturm	QB	UT – San Antonio
PJ Walker	QB	Temple
Jordan Veasy	WR	California

OTTAWA REDBLACKS August 2019 negotiations list
Name	Position	College
Floyd Allen	WR	Ole Miss
David Blough	QB	Purdue
Rashard Davis	WR	James Madison
Eric Dungey	QB	Syracuse
Luke Falk	QB	Washington St
Charles Harris	DE	Buffalo
Deonte Harris	WR	Assumption College
Devlin Hodges	QB	Samford
Malik Reed	DE	Nevada
PJ Walker	QB	Temple

OTTAWA REDBLACKS December 2019 negotiations list
Name	Position	College
ALLEN, Floyd	WR	Ole Miss
BAHAR, Kenji	QB	Monmouth
BENKERT, Kurt	QB	Virginia
BLOUGH, David	QB	Purdue
DAVIS, Rashard	WR	James Madison
DUNGEY, Eric	QB	Syracuse
HODGES, Devlin	QB	Samford
PRICE, Ejuan	LB	Pittsburgh
RIVERS, Roland	QB	Slippery Rock
WALKER, P.J.	QB	Temple

The names on the three lists are mostly the same as you can tell, but by just a glimpse you can see some familiar names. A few that stick out would be Devlin “Duck” Hodges, David Blough and PJ Walker. All quarterbacks, two that started games in the NFL last season and Walker was a stud in the XFL. Also a quarterback on that list is Eric Dungey who had one of the best careers as an Orangeman.

All four of those quarterbacks are appealing to a fans eye, especially to see Dungey still available as a free agent but in reality we don’t need a quarterback. Signing Nick Arbuckle to a big money contract notes that he’s the guy in Ottawa and the Redblacks are focusing on building around him.

To build the team around him, the Redblacks could always use some weapons. Yes, Harris, Sinopoli, Coombs, Saunders and Dedmon will all be big time players in 2020 but in the CFL there is always room for improvement. On the negotiations lists through the past year the Redblacks have had a few receivers revealed, 6-foot-5 North Carolina stand out Bug Howard who is currently a free agent, California product Jordan Veasy who is now with the Redskins, Floyd Allen from Ole Miss who had taken the XFL route with the Dallas Renegades and then NFL kick returner/receivers Deonte Harris and Rashard Davis.

Of them all, the most likely to come to Ottawa would be Bug Howard, considering he is still a free agent. The only other free agent on the list is Floyd Allen but Howard beats him out with the experience and all he’s shown.

Along with the offensive stars that could potentially come north to play in the CFL, the Redblacks have a few big defensive players on their negotiations list as well. Starting with the defensive linemen Malik Reed and Chuck Harris. Although he’s under contract in the NFL if Harris ever comes up to Ottawa he could be the next big time defensive lineman in the CFL. He’s coming off a stellar rookie year with the Jacksonville Jaguars which leans towards more of an NFL future but the negotiations list is all about ifs and if he comes to Ottawa he will be a stud. On the list is linebacker Ejuan Price, who has a few good years behind him with both the Rams and Ravens in the NFL but as he hits the open market he could see himself in a Redblacks uniform.