"So what's going on with Bakari Grant?”

I've been getting this question a lot lately as some Ticats fans fret over the fate over the veteran wide receiver who has spent the last four seasons in Hamilton which, somewhat amazingly, qualifies him as one of the longest-tenured players on the team.

Grant is an intense, emotional guy on the field but approachable off it, which goes some way to explaining the loyalty he's garnered from a section of the fan base. He spent last off-season in Hamilton with his young family, eschewing the warm pleasantness of his native California. Though he hated the weather, he embraced the city and was active in a number of the team's community programs, further enhancing his profile.

On the field, Grant has been consistently productive, averaging 51 catches and 633 yards per season, with his best campaign coming in 2013 when he came within 53 yards of cracking 1,000 for the first time. He's a veteran player who appreciates the city and knows the game – and the Ticat offence.

So why haven't the Ticats re-signed him? As always, the answer in straightforward: money.

General manager Kent Austin and his football operations team have spent a substantial chunk of change this winter locking up receivers Brandon Banks and Luke Tasker while also signing Canadians Spencer Watt and Anthony Woodson. They also extended running back C.J. Gable (and re-signed Nic Grigsby) and they are still paying premium dollars to Andy Fantuz. Quarterback Zach Collaros isn't expensive by quarterback standards but it's still a significant cap hit.

With all those guys getting paid - not to mention the pricey guys on defence – the roster has to be rounded out with players making less. It's simple math: with a salary cap of $5.05 million, the average salary needs to be around $90,000 per player. So for every Fantuz (who makes about $200,000) there needs to be a couple of others making the minimum (about $51,000).

With quality Canadians the rarest commodity in the CFL, they are often the most sought-after commodity in free agency - only starting quarterbacks are more valuable. Premium American players - think B.C. linebacker Solomon Elimimian or new Bomber offensive tackle Stanley Bryant - can also do very well.

The players who are most likely to get squeezed, however, are veteran American players who may be solid contributors but are not considered to be among the league's elite. Guys like Bakari Grant.

Having decided to pay Banks and Tasker et al, the Ticats appear to have decided that Grant - who at 27 has yet to post a truly dominant campaign - isn't worth spending big money on. Though the team has reportedly extended him a contract offer, it's likely closer to the minimum than the deals doled out to the other offensive weapons. Grant, who has indicated via a series of cryptic Tweets that he'd like to come back, no doubt believes he deserves more.

Whether he can get it from another team remains to be seen. Most franchises have already made their big splashes in the free agent market and must now begin the careful accounting to ensure they remain under the cap. That means filling out the roster with more affordable options. Even if they are willing to offer a few scheckles more, whether Grant wants to leave the only team he's ever played for in pursuit of a few thousand extra dollars remains to be seen. It's not an easy choice, to be sure.

Grant's hardly the only veteran American to find himself in this spot. Defensive backs Rod Williams and Chris Thompson, who signed in Montreal last month, reportedly took team-friendly deals that were likely far less than they were expecting to get.

To fill his spot, the Ticats will likely look to bring in a bevy of American receivers to training camp, culled from the neg list and free agent camps that get underway this weekend. The most likely candidates to earn the minimum are U.S. players who are out career options and are desperate for a place to play. The CFL is often the last stop before the football abyss and at that point any contract is better than the alternative, no matter what it pays.

All of which is cold comfort to Grant and the fans who want to see him back in the Black and Gold. But as Grant would be the first to admit, football is a great game - and a terrible business.