The CFL free agency period begins Tuesday at noon, and in order to figure out who the Ticats might be chasing, here's a look at some of their potential weak spots and who might be available.

Area of need: Non-imports

The situation: Canadians capable of starting right away are the most-sought players in free agency (other than starting quarterbacks, of course) because quality non-imports are hard to come by. The Ticats are in fairly good shape at most of their seven starting spots but adding a few more quality Canucks will always be a priority.

With the departure of centre Marwan Hage to the expansion RedBlacks and with Peter Dyakowski likely to miss a chunk of the season after hurting his knee in the Grey Cup, the Cats have just two non-import veterans in Greg Wojt and Tim O'Neill on the offensive line. They do have a bunch of young guys in development, including Mike Filer, Cody Husband, Carson Rockhill, Joel Reinders and Landon Rice, but adding another experienced Canadian wouldn't hurt.

Who's available: The big name is Montreal's Josh Bourke, but he'll likely be expensive and he plays tackle, where the Cats play two Americans. Edmonton's Scott Mitchell, B.C.'s Steve Myddelton or Toronto's Andruw Jones (a Mac alum) could be possibilities. Among the non-hogs, Argo defensive lineman David Lee, Saskatchewan's Craig Butler and Paul Woldu and Edmonton's Ted Laurent would all make at least some sense given the Ticats' ratio configuration.

Area of need: Import linebackers

The situation: Simoni Lawrence is expected to sign an NFL contract this week and veteran Jamall Johnson has not re-signed (at least not yet) so the Ticats are missing their starting middle and weakside linebackers from last year's Grey Cup game. A fully healthy Marcellus Bowman could certainly play the middle and they could start Canadian Fredo Plesius on the weakside (and they have two quality strong-side guys in Rico Murray and Brandon Isaac.) But signing another athletic tackle monster wouldn't hurt.

Who's available: Toronto linebacker Robert McCune played for Ticat defensive co-ordinator Orlondo Steinauer when he was with the Argos, and McCune's tackle numbers are outstanding (185 combined the last two years). He will soon be 34, however. Edmonton's Domaso Munoz and Calgary's Malik Jackson could be possible targets.

Area of need: Import defensive lineman.

The situation: While sacks are often overrated as an impact stat, the Ticats managed a league-low 35 last year. Brandon Boudreaux, who led the team with seven, and Eric Norwood showed both improvement and potential last season, but the addition of a proven pass rusher would go a long way to helping a defence that at times struggled to get sustained quarterback pressure. Starting tackle Torrey Davis appears headed for free agency.

Who's available: Saskatchewan's Alex Hall (16) and Calgary's Cordarro Law (14) finished second and third in the league, respectively, but both are expected to pursue NFL opportunities.

B.C.'s Keron Williams would be a big pickup while Edmonton's Brandon Lang could be an under-the-radar guy.

One other thing to keep in mind: The Ticats have picked up a number of players familiar to defensive co-ordinator Orlondo Steinauer and consultant Eric Tillman during their time in Toronto and Edmonton respectively. A defensive back like the Argos' Pat Watkins might be of interest, and we've already mentioned several possible Eskimo targets.