Every year there are free agents who get signed that make little noise on the day of Free Agency but make much bigger noise once the season kicks off.
With the amount of free agents in the CFL, it’s easy to have guys flying under the radar.
Here are a half-dozen players I think could have a big impact despite not making major headlines during free agent week.
TOMMY NIELD | RECEIVER | WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
In retrospect, Tommy Nield was recently one of these under-the-radar signings last year when the Roughriders picked him up from Toronto.
Nield then turned in a decent campaign of over 500 yards receiving, adding five touchdowns in the regular season.
Then Nield made the biggest catch of the season for the Saskatchewan Roughriders with the last-second grab in the Western Final against the BC Lions to send the Roughriders to the 112th Grey Cup.
Trevor Harris will tell Zach Collaros nothing but great things about the Canadian receiver, who was a dependable option for the Riders down the stretch. I could definitely see Nield being an under-the-radar player for the Bombers. I’m not expecting a 1,000-yard season with the weapons they have in Winnipeg, but he’ll be a great contributor for the Bombers offence.
AYDEN EBERHARDT | RECEIVER | OTTAWA REDBLACKS
Ayden Eberhardt has number one receiver quality written all over him. He’s got decent size, strong hands and the speed to use the wide field to find open space.
He won’t be asked to be the number one guy on a deep receiving corps but after eclipsing the 800-yard plateau, I definitely see a 1,000-yard season coming down the road for the fourth-year CFLer.
After Buck Pierce was able to get more out of him on deeper routes, I’ll be interested to see how Ryan Dinwiddie will utilize Eberhardt within his system alongside guys like Eugene Lewis and Justin Hardy.
He’s a very versatile weapon that the REDBLACKS hope pays off as an added option for Dru Brown.
HABAKKUK BALDONADO | DEFENSIVE LINEMAN | OTTAWA REDBLACKS
Habakkuk Baldonado said not today! 🗣️🤌#CFLKickoff
🗓️: REDBLACKS vs. Roughriders LIVE NOW
🇨🇦: TSN, RDS2
🇺🇸: CBSSN
🌎: CFL+ pic.twitter.com/BcWepVhEZi— CFL (@CFL) June 6, 2025
We’ll stay in Ottawa but flip things over to the other side of the ball.
When the Riders lost Shane Ray to injury last season, they filled the hole with depth and Global defensive lineman Habakkuk Baldonado stood out as a player that was hard for Corey Mace to take off the field.
He’s got the size and range you love, but he’s also an athletic pass rusher who can beat you with speed or power. Baldonado is a player who is looking for an opportunity to get a lot more snaps than he got in Saskatchewan, and when he does, the four sacks he picked up in 2025 could hit double digits if he becomes a regular on the defensive line.
Either way, Ottawa has a great player in Baldonado!
TAYLOR POWELL | QUARTERBACK | EDMONTON ELKS
I’ve been out here in Saskatchewan pumping Taylor Powell’s tires for two years, and this will be number three.
When he came out in 2023 in his rookie season and had back-to-back three-touchdown performances, you could see that the CFL game fit his style of play and it wasn’t coming too fast for him. In 2024, he only got one full game under his belt and threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns.
Then last year, Bo Levi Mitchell put on an MOP-type season and he barely saw the field.
He’s just biding his time and I think Taylor Powell can shine in this league. Edmonton needs quarterback depth behind Cody Fajardo and needs to keep an eye on the future. With Fajardo dancing around the topic of retirement, you can’t sit on your hands as a general manager and Ed Hervey didn’t do that. He went out and got the guy I considered to be the best quarterback available in this year’s free agent class.
JAMES LETCHER JR. | RETURNER | SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
Special teams is such a major part of the game that I think any move to try to improve the return game needs to be discussed.
Mario Alford showed flashes last year and Hamilton will hope they get a healthy and refreshed return man, but James Letcher Jr. continues to show an incredible knack for finding room and hitting the hole with speed.
The Alouettes had strong depth down the stretch, which left him as a scratch, but his ability to flip the field with a 22-yard kick return average speaks to the impact he can bring when given the opportunity.
Letcher has something to prove and could be just another way the Riders can improve after winning it all.
DEVODRIC BYNUM | DEFENSIVE BACK | CALGARY STAMPEDERS
Second interception on the day for Devodric Bynum!@oktire #LDWeekend#CFLGameDay
📺: @TSN_Sports 🇨🇦 & @CBSSportsNet 🇺🇸
📱: CFL+ pic.twitter.com/NblPzjIY8m— CFL (@CFL) September 3, 2024
Devodric Bynum’s five interceptions in his rookie season caught my attention, but he got injured and then had to watch most of 2025 from the sideline.
As Calgary chips away at improving their team to try to get back to contender status, they need to find some value signings. With Bynum, they get a ball-hawking defensive back who will have a chip on his shoulder from how things played out in Edmonton.
He’s not the most physical defensive back but he has a nose for the football and could be a great addition to a secondary that is going through a bit of a rebuild in Calgary.
