I would like to have a moment of silence for CFL.ca’s top 30 pending free agents list.
That list was there for us when we needed it the most, during slow times and as a helpful guide to all the comings and goings of so many All-CFL players.
Sadly, the list is no more, as the latest flurry of signings and extensions has resulted in all 30 players’ places of employment for 2026 being settled. Oh, sure it will still come in handy to remind who signed where … but … (suppresses sobbing) it won’t ever be the same again.
Now that I have that out of my system I wanted to take a look at five deals that caught my eye.
These aren’t necessarily the top players. In fact, only one has ever qualified for an All-CFL team. Rather, they are about fits that make a ton of sense.
ADARIUS PICKETT | DEFENSIVE BACK | TORONTO ARGONAUTS
Let’s start with the highest decorated player on this list.
Adarius Pickett, a three-time All-CFLer, had his best season back in 2023 when he was nominated as the East Division’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player as a member of the Argonauts.
Back in 2024, when Pickett signed with the Ottawa REDBLACKS, I wrote that Adarius is a “just add water” type of player as his versatility can help shore up many different parts of a defence in need. Whether it’s blitzing off the corner or forcing turnovers, Pickett will be critical for a Toronto defence looking to bounce back from a season that saw them in the bottom half of just about every important defensive category.
The fact that the All-CFL defensive back did not miss a game with Ottawa last year is remarkable, considering he tore his Achilles in mid-September 2024.
DUSTIN CRUM | QUARTERBACK | MONTREAL ALOUETTES
Dustin Crum is a perfect safety blanket for an Alouettes team that saw Davis Alexander miss a total of 10 games due to a lingering hamstring injury.
There is no doubt Alexander is not only the face of the team but a star in the making in the CFL. This move brings a great deal of stability at the position. In Crum, Montreal gets a 27-year-old, slightly overqualified backup who has started 20 games and is one of the most dangerous running quarterbacks in the CFL.
Yes, there were weeks where his accuracy drove a fan nuts, but we have also seen the fourth-year pro look like a top-tier quarterback.
Just go back and watch his performance in a Week 14 34-33 win over the BC Lions for proof that there is a higher ceiling within him. Dustin threw for a career-high 301 yards and broke a multitude of tackles on his way to two rushing touchdowns.
CHRIS KOLANKOWSKI | OFFENSIVE LINEMAN | HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
This is your classic meat and potatoes signing that goes overlooked in February but is brought up in August.
Chris Kolankowski hasn’t missed a start in his last three years, starting every game at centre for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2025. The Tiger-Cats lost three productive offensive linemen during this free agency period, including Coulter Woodmansey, who started at centre for Hamilton in the Eastern Final, and Jordan Murray, who started at left tackle against Montreal.
This is a team that will need all the help they can get up front as the number one goal in 2026 is to keep the 35-year-old Bo Levi Mitchell healthy for 18 games.
DEJON BRISSETT | RECEIVER | CALGARY STAMPEDERS
Between Jalen Philpot, Clark Barnes and now Dejon Brissett, the Stampeders have excellent National depth at the receiver position.
Brissett is coming off his best year and is just a year removed from being named the Most Valuable Canadian in the 111th Grey Cup.
The Argonauts only won five games in 2025, but Brissett’s fingerprints were all over at least two of those wins. Toronto doesn’t defeat Hamilton 35-33 in Week 13 without Dejon going up against two defenders and hauling in a 62-yard reception to set up the winning field goal. Two weeks later, it was Dejon again, this time coming up with a 22-yard catch from Jarret Doege to put Lirim Harjullahu in position to make the game-winning kick.
AYDEN EBERHARDT | RECEIVER | OTTAWA REDBLACKS
I would not be surprised if Ottawa ends the year as the most dangerous passing attack in the East, and second to only the Lions.
Adding one of the game’s best deep threats (19.2 yards per reception) to a group that already has a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in Justin Hardy and Eugene Lewis should make life very easy for Dru Brown.
Ayden Eberhardt is just 27 years old, and I have to echo CFL.ca’s Kristina Costabile, who is also very high on this signing. The only reason Ayden isn’t an All-CFLer is because he played on a team with Keon Hatcher Sr. and Justin McInnis. New head coach Ryan Dinwiddie should have a lot of fun extracting the best out of this offence.
