Harris signs with Argos

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/02/2022 (1638 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Andrew Harris era is officially over in Winnipeg.

In what was predicted to be a slow day for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as CFL free agency officially opened on Tuesday, it came as no surprise that what made the most noise was a move the team didn’t make. All signs were suggesting that Harris, a Winnipeg native who returned home to play in 2016, was on his way out, as difficult as it was for some around the organization to comprehend.

His exit was made official late Tuesday afternoon, with Harris agreeing to a one-year contract with the Toronto Argonauts. It was a stunning end to an impactful five-year run for Harris in Winnipeg, which ended with back-to-back Grey Cup titles.

“It’s tough on everybody. It’s a sh—-y part of the business end of things,” Bombers general manager Kyle Walters said. “This situation has been the most challenging as a GM, unquestionably. We’re talking about a Hall of Fame running back, the face of our franchise.”

Only time will tell what the fallout will be for turning their backs on one of the CFL’s greatest running backs, and a big reason for the Bombers return to glory after several lean years. Some teammates are understandably upset with Walters, as well as head coach Mike O’Shea, for what they feel was a lack of respect for such an integral and respected player.

Walters acknowledged as much on Tuesday, noting any regrets on a decision to move on from Harris will be determined in the months to come. As for not finding common ground to reach a deal, the Bombers GM said the two sides simply couldn’t agree on a contract.

What made negotiations even more challenging is the fact Harris is his own agent. That means he was left to negotiate his own value, something each side clearly viewed differently.

“Andrew represents himself. I can speak on a relationship with the agent, where any agent gets an offer that he views as not worthy of his status, then yeah, that generally doesn’t go well, those conversations,” Walters said. “Andrew and I couldn’t agree on a contract. We’ll leave it at that.”

The writing appeared to be on the wall with running backs Brady Oliveira and Johnny Augustine having recently re-signed. Oliveira, another Winnipeg native, is expected to be the new starter, though Augustine will also be leaned on to carry part of the workload.

The Bombers entered the day with few pressing needs. After all, of the 41 pending free agents they had heading into the 2022 CFL season, only a little more than a dozen went unsigned over the winter.

Indeed, several of the team’s key contributors from the 2021 Grey-Cup winning club had inked new contracts in recent months, resulting in little leftover money to make any significant waves in the free agency. Walters admitted as much in his press conference early Tuesday, ahead of the market opening at 11 a.m., and the one notable move he did make had already been reported on by the Free Press an hour before the team made it official.

Receiver Greg Ellingson was the lone signing, with the veteran receiver committing to Winnipeg on a one-year deal. Ellingson is a proven commodity at slotback, registering five seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards over his eight-year CFL career.

“They did a great job reaching out to me, everybody there giving me a call and making sure that it was known that I was wanted there, and I was valued. That’s kind of the main thing you want as a player,” Ellingson told reporters over Zoom, hours after the deal was confirmed. “Everybody in the league has a lot of admiration for what the guys do over there and how they handle themselves, and, obviously, the success they’ve had the past couple of years.”

The Bombers had been interested in the 33-year-old Ellingson dating back to the beginning of the 2020 CFL season. Admittedly, Ellingson said it was between Edmonton and Winnipeg, with the Elks ultimately prevailing two years ago.

Ellingson had a few other teams interested in his services this time around. The list included his former club in the Ottawa Redblacks, where he spent four seasons and won a Grey Cup in 2016.

Another big part of why Ellingson chose Winnipeg was his connection to quarterback Zach Collaros. The two first met while with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, in 2014, and have remained friends ever since. Collaros had been advocating on Ellingson’s behalf for weeks.

“We’ve always respected each other and anytime we’d have media events around the CFL, and we’d have time to meet up, we’d always hang out and talk and catch up,” Ellingson said of his relationship with Collaros. “That’s definitely a deciding factor when it comes to making a decision, is do you know the quarterback? Do you have any relationship with them? Do you guys have chemistry? And Zach checked all the boxes.”

With Kenny Lawler, the CFL’s leading receiver last season, headed for a big pay day in Edmonton — signing a one-year contract with the Elks, reported to be worth $300,000 — and Darvin Adams signing in Ottawa, Ellingson was a much-needed addition. Walters had kicked the tires on some other receivers, including Derel Walker, who re-signed with the Elks last week.

Other notable departures include DL Steve Richardson (B.C.), DB Alden Darby (Ottawa) and DB Mike Jones (Montreal). Kicker Sergio Castillo is also expected to part ways, though he had yet to sign a CFL contract by the end of Tuesday.

Walters also confirmed his intent to sign all-star safety Brandon Alexander. Alexander suffered a torn ACL in his left knee on the final play of the Grey Cup, and likely won’t be ready until sometime in the fall. He’s currently in Winnipeg working out with head athletic therapist Al Couture.

No. 2 quarterback Sean McGuire has been seeking opportunities outside of football, meaning the Bombers need a backup behind Collaros. Walters said given how few options are available for experienced quarterbacks at a reasonable price, the Bombers have their work cut out for them.

“With the turnover at that position in this league, it’s tough to find one,” Walters said. “And from the way our cap is, from a cost standpoint, we’d like to try to find somebody that has some CFL experience, but those are few and far between.”

There is still time to add veteran free-agent players in the coming days and weeks. But with little money to play with, the Bombers will have to rely on their scouting staff to unearth inexpensive talent to fill in many of the remaining holes.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton