VANCOUVER — If Wally Buono was looking for a bargain, he'd line up for the Target Canada liquidation sale. He knows he won't find one in the Canadian Football League free agency pool.

"It's never been a strong suit of mine," admitted the general manager of the B.C. Lions, looking toward the free-agent signing free-for-all that begins Tuesday at 9 a.m. PT.

"We have brought in guys who've been productive," he said. "Ben Archibald (from Calgary). Eric Taylor, Byron Parker, Lin-J Shell (all from Toronto). But when you look at the success we've had over the years, we've always believed in finding our own or signing the (pending) free agents we already have, showing respect for the guys in our locker room."

One of those players, however, is wide receiver Ernest Jackson, who will hit the open market Tuesday and seems destined to land elsewhere. Buono doesn't seem too concerned about it either.

"Right now, we have Manny Arceneaux, Courtney Taylor, Bryan Burnham and Lavasier Tuinei," he said. "I don't want to sound negative, but he (Jackson) is the big, physical receiver that Burnham is, that Tuinei is. You've gotta be careful you don't have too many of the same guy. Again, do we need to blow our brains out? If it costs you a ton of money against your (salary) cap, is that going to make your team better?"

Buono would suggest the Lions already have made a splash in free agency by signing Austin Collie, the former Indianapolis Colts' receiver who has the added bonus of being classified as a "non-import." (Buono still prefers that term over the CFL's chichi designation of "national.”)

"He's an accomplished professional receiver who has the right passport," Buono said. "He gives us options. According to our reports, he's in good shape physically. He's as strong as he's ever been."

Among the pending free agents, the most attractive (from a Lions' perspective) might be Calgary centre Brett Jones, the league's most outstanding lineman in 2014, one year after being named rookie of the year. Jones, though, is expected to re-sign in Calgary or with the Roughriders, in his home province of Saskatchewan. The Weyburn native played at the University of Regina.

After releasing punter Ricky Schmitt in the offseason (he signed with B.C. last year in the free agency period), the Lions are looking for a replacement. The Roughriders' Josh Bartel, a pending free agent, fits that criteria. But the Lions want a player who can handle all three kicking chores, not a single speciality.

B.C. believed Richie Leone, a member of their expanded practice roster in 2014, could be the man. But the 22-year-old import punter-kicker was signed last month by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"We were excited about him," Buono said of Leone, who played at the University of Houston. "He showed very good promise. We have a number of kicking camps to go to, to try and find another like him."

mbeamish@vancouversun.com

Twitter.com/sixbeamers