CFL Free Agency kicked off Tuesday, with the Saskatchewan Roughriders making a bit of a splash to get things started.

The team started the day off by announcing they had signed quarterback James Franklin to a one-year deal.

Franklin spent the previous two seasons with the Toronto Argonauts, where he played in 27 games in a back-up capacity. He threw for 2,836 yards in that time, with 11 touchdowns. He was the primary short-yardage QB for the Argonauts last season, scoring 14 touchdowns, the most in the league last year.

After the Franklin announcement, the Riders then signed national defensive lineman Jordan Raves to a one-year extension. This will be the third season for Reaves with the Riders, although he missed the 2019 season with an injury suffered in training camp. 

The Winnipeg native, whose brother plays for the Vegas Golden Knights of the NHL, has been a force to be reckoned with on special teams since he joined the Riders. 

The Riders also extended the contract of Solomon Elimimian by a year. Named a West Division All-star last year, Elimimian played in 15 games and was third in the CFL with 88 tackles. He also picked up four sacks and forced a fumble.

Before joining the Riders, Elimimian spent nine seasons in B.C. where he was a four-time CFL All-star, the league’s Most Outstanding Rookie in 2010, and the Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2014 and 2016. He was also named the league’s Most Outstanding Player in 2014, the first defensive player to do so in the modern era of the league.

The Riders did lose some players on the first day of free agency. Dariusz Bladek and Philip Blake, both offensive linemen, signed with the Toronto Argonauts. Meanwhile, defensive lineman Micah Johnson is off to B.C. to join the Lions. 

There are a number of players the Riders are still working to sign, or who could end up in another uniform next season. They include WR Manny Arceneaux, LB Brandyn Bartlett, OL Thaddeus Coleman, LB DyShawn Davis, DL Lavar Edwards, LB Alexandre Gagne, LB Sam Hurl, WR Densel Radford, WR Naaman Roosevelt, WR Cory Watson and OL Jeremy Zver.