SportsCage\u00a0CFL analyst\u00a0Glen Suitor believes Canadian linebacker A.J. Allen was the biggest loss for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in free agency.<\/p>\n
“The two teams that really focused on re-signing their own players were Saskatchewan and B.C. That shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone because that was a West Final <\/a>that went right down to the wire.\u00a0You could argue two of the best teams in the league in that West Final. Saskatchewan ends up winning it and going on to win the Grey Cup. When you’re a championship team, you want to keep your core together,” Suitor said on the SportsCage.<\/p>\n “Ottawa was the most aggressive, that’s easy. I know you guys have talked about that and a couple of the impactful signings. I would say that I think there are going to be guys who can really change a team quickly. A.J. Allen is going to really help \u2014 that’s a big one \u2014\u00a0I think it’s a big loss for Saskatchewan, but it’s an even bigger gain in Ottawa to have him there.”<\/p>\n The six-foot, 210-pound linebacker began his CFL\u00a0career\u00a0with the Riders when the team\u00a0selected\u00a0him in the fourth round,\u00a035th overall\u00a0during\u00a0the 2020 CFL Draft. Last year, he played 18 regular season games for Saskatchewan, recording 87 defensive tackles, four\u00a0special teams tackles, four\u00a0sacks, three\u00a0interceptions, and three\u00a0forced fumbles.<\/p>\n “I would put A.J. Allen at the top of that list.\u00a0He’s a full-time starter and he’s Canadian,” Suitor said.<\/p>\n Allen helped the Green and White defeat the Montreal Alouettes 25-17 in the 112th Grey Cup. That win marked the first CFL championship\u00a0in\u00a0his career. He finished the title game with six defensive tackles and one special teams tackle.<\/p>\n When the market opened, Allen officially signed with the\u00a0Redblacks for two years.\u00a0According to 3DownNation insider Justin Dunk, that deal made him the highest-paid linebacker in the CFL <\/a>salary cap era.<\/p>\n Suitor liked what the Winnipeg Blue Bombers did in free agency.\u00a0<\/p>\n