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The market for defensive backs is strong, with TSN’s Marshall Ferguson reporting that just 13 DBs (22%) have been re-signed thus far.

Replenishing the system

Free agents will only take a team so far. Walters pointed to the strength of his scouting team to find high-quality young Americans to come in and fill rolls, especially in the secondary.

“You have to, and at training camp, the young guys, you need the Marcus Sayles’ to come in and be given every opportunity to grow because he’s on a two-year contract, you know he’s going to be here this year,” Walters said. “Those are some of the decisions you’ll see in training camp, where first-year players are going to get the nod, as much for their second-year contract and maybe willing to take some growing pains. But you saw him, we went through it with Brandon Alexander and Brandon Bryant and even Jovan [Santos-Knox] the year before.

“A lot of the planning comes to we need to keep these young kids around, let’s develop them and see how they do their first year, but as important, that second year — last year — of their contract, they’re going to have to play for us.”

Looming CBA getting in the way?

The talk after the Grey Cup was handed out centred on the looming collective bargaining negotiations stalling free agent signings. With Walters having signed nearly half of his free agent stable, he isn’t seeing any ill-effects.

“No. No different than from what I said last time,” Walters said. “That any of the talks that I’ve had with the agents of the players on our team, none of the talks with the CBA has come up in regards to their decision-making process. Right after the season one of the agents said we’re going to hold off and go to free agency because we want to see how this CBA plays out, so that was about one case, it was an American agent, so it certainly doesn’t come up in the talks that I’m having with the majority of guys on our team.”

End of the road?

Defensive lineman Trent Corney, Winnipeg’s ninth pick in the 2015 CFL draft, appears headed to retirement, according to Walters.

Corney spent most of the 2018 season on the six-game injured list and Walters said his understanding is the 25-year-old will move on from the game for the sake of his health.

sbilleck@postmedia.com

Twitter: @scottbilleck