A Christmas list will usually get people thinking about Santa. And whether you’ve been naughty or nice. No-one wants that lump of coal in the sticking after all. But, for the CFL clubs a Christmas list means something slightly different. Their Christmas list involves disclosing 10 players each on their negotiation lists.
This is just another string to bow of normality that is re-emerging in CFL circles. After seeing the 2020 cancelled season come to pass having things like this, and the Free Agent market on the move again is all the more reassuring. Especially coming on the heels of the 2021 season, Grey Cup, the All-Stars being named, and the full 2022 season schedule announcement.
As stated in the press release, when it comes to releasing these lists, “Clubs are required to do so on two occasions throughout the year following a measure approved at the 2018 CFL winter meetings.” Which I think is an excellent idea. Because it gives CFL fans another thing to talk about in relation the league.
Negotiation Lists – What are they anyway?
Using negotiation lists allows teams to acquire the rights for international players. Each CFL team has its own negotiation list, allowing the team to have exclusive rights to negotiate a contract with the players on their list. This does not preclude players from signing with another league. Only a fully fledged signed contract could do that.
Players are placed on team negotiation lists on a first come, first served basis. Lists can often change and additions or removals are often not known by anyone outside of the team making the list, and the league who they report it to.
However, twice a year the teams reveal a list of ten names on their list. The league has been doing this for a while now. And that, in my opinion, is a good thing.
CFL by-laws state that teams can claim exclusive CFL rights for up to 45 players by placing them on their negotiation lists. Players can be added, removed or traded from the lists at any time.
The truth is that a lot of the players listed won’t ever suit up in the CFL. A lot of them won’t even have been aware they were on the list. But, it creates chatter. It gets fans talking.
A Christmas list – who is listed with each team?
The 10 player released on each team are listed below:
BC Lions
| Brennan Armstrong | QB | Virginia |
| Hank Bachmeier | QB | Boise State |
| Spencer Brasch | QB | California Polytechnic |
| Chase Brice | QB | Appalachian State |
| Max Duggan | QB | Texas Christian |
| Devin Leary | QB | North Carolina State |
| Grayson McCall | QB | Coastal Carolina |
| Chandler Morris | QB | Texas Christian |
| Jaxon Player | DL | Tulsa |
| Cameron Ward | QB | Incarnate Word |
Calgary Stampeders
| Logan Bonner | QB | Utah State |
| Jake Browning | QB | Washington |
| Mark Fields | DB | Clemson |
| Trevon Grimes | WR | Florida |
| Jacob Haener | QB | Fresno State |
| Cole Kelley | QB | Southeastern Louisiana |
| Linden Stephens | DB | Cincinnati |
| Skylar Thompson | QB | Kansas State |
| Kyle Vantrease | QB | Buffalo |
| Scotty Washington | WR | Wake Forest |
Edmonton Elks
| Freedom Akinmoladun | DL | Nebraska |
| J.T. Barrett | QB | Ohio State |
| Asmar Bilal | LB | Notre Dame |
| La’Darren Brown | RB | Oklahoma State |
| Mike Harley | WR | Miami |
| Anthony Hines III | LB | Texas A&M |
| Cody Kessler | QB | USC |
| Bo Nix | QB | Oregon |
| Spencer Sanders | QB | Oklahoma State |
| Ryan Willis | QB | Virginia Tech |
Saskatchewan Roughriders
| Calvin Austin III | WR | Memphis |
| Stetson Bennett | QB | Georgia |
| Fred Brown | WR | Mississippi State |
| Brian Cole II | LB | Mississippi State |
| Shon Coleman | OL | Auburn |
| Chase Garbers | QB | California |
| Daeshon Hall | DL | Texas A&M |
| Levi Lewis | QB | Louisiana Lafayette |
| Erik Magnuson | OL | Michigan |
| Chris Rowland | WR | Tennessee State |
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
| Jake Bentley | QB | South Alabama |
| Keionta Davis | DL | Tennessee-Chattanooga |
| J.T. Hassell | DB | Florida Tech |
| Kobe Jones | DL | Mississippi State |
| Jaylon McClain-Sapp | DB | Marshall |
| Garrett McGhin | OL | East Carolina |
| Christian Miller | DL | Alabama |
| Ryan Pope | OL | San Diego State |
| Jaelin Robinson | OL | Temple |
| Isaiah Zuber | WR | Mississippi State |
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
| Anthony Brown | QB | Oregon |
| Jayden de Laura | QB | Washington State |
| Sam Hartman | QB | Wake Forest |
| Vosean Joseph | LB | Florida |
| Jamie Newman | QB | Wake Forest |
| Drew Plitt | QB | Ball State |
| Shawn Poindexter | WR | Arizona |
| Jordan Ta’Amu | QB | Ole Miss |
| Taulia Tagovailoa | QB | Maryland |
| Jamar Watson | LB | Kentucky |
Montreal Alouettes
| Jack Abraham | QB | Mississippi State |
| Sean Clifford | QB | Penn State |
| Coy Cronk | OL | Iowa |
| Christian DiLauro | OL | Illinois |
| Lance Lenoir | WR | Western Illinois |
| Chris Miller | DB | Baylor |
| Damion Ratley | WR | Texas A&M |
| Daniel Smith | QB | Villanova |
| Elijah Sullivan | LB | Kansas State |
| Rogan Wells | QB | Western California |
Ottawa REDBLACKS
| Dustin Crum | QB | Kent State |
| Jayden Daniels | QB | Arizona State |
| Marcus Jones | DB | Houston |
| Trevon McSwain | DT | Duke |
| Tanner Morgan | QB | Minnesota |
| La’Michael Pettway | WR | Iowa State |
| Kalil Pimpleton | WR | Central Michigan |
| Sam Renner | DT | Minnesota |
| Eric Schmid | QB | Sam Houston State |
| Montrell Washington | WR | Samford |
Toronto Argonauts
| Britain Covey | WR | Utah |
| Willie Harvey | LB | Iowa State |
| Hendon Hooker | QB | Tennessee |
| Jonathan Hubbard | OL | Northwestern State |
| Chad Kelly | QB | Ole Miss |
| Javon Leake | RB | Maryland |
| Ledarius Mack | DL | Buffalo |
| Jachai Polite | DL | Florida |
| Shedeur Sanders | QB | Jackson State |
| Bo Scarbrough | RB | Alabama |
Banner Image; tucked away on the negotiation Christmas list of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats is Taulia Tagovailoa. Image from Si.com