Unless Darian Durant gets the salary he’s asking for, there’s no reason for him to sign with the Saskatchewan Roughriders before he becomes a free agent Feb.14.

That was Ray Elgaard’s philosophy when he played for the Riders. A Hall of Fame slotback, Elgaard also negotiated his own contracts. Between the end of a season and his pending free agency, Elgaard would get a new contract offer from the Roughriders. Unless the Riders met his demands, Elgaard would become a free agent and listen to offers from other CFL teams. Elgaard always re-signed with the Riders… and he knew it was for a fair value.

A player can only determine his true value in the CFL when he can compare competing offers. Durant has reportedly been offered a pay cut by the Riders for the upcoming season, but there may be other teams interested in the veteran quarterback. Durant insists he prefers to remain in Saskatchewan, but he won’t know if the Riders are making a fair offer until he sees what other teams are willing to pay.