As other teams were trying to make a splash, the Argonauts spent the opening day of CFL free agency trying not to drown.

In the end, the coach-less and GM-less Double Blue managed to keep the boat afloat Tuesday, signing a trio of players and losing a trio of players, but it’s the marquee name who came close to signing providing an interesting glimpse into how the Argos are currently viewed.

When it came time to decide between lucrative contract offers tabled by his two finalists, Derek Dennis, a player who was named the top offensive lineman in the CFL and one of the biggest prizes on the entire free-agent market at any position, decided to sign with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

There’s simply too much football uncertainty in Toronto.

“It was kind of big, man,” Dennis said. “Toronto was appealing to me because it’s closer to home and easier for my family to get to me and it’s a beautiful city and a beautiful market to be in as a professional athlete, but that was really the only selling point they were giving me, just the market. There was nothing that was giving me the direction or who they’re going to hire as a coach or GM.

“I at least needed a reassurance that they were going in a direction that I would be comfortable signing there because the contract wasn’t that big of a difference. I just wasn’t comfortable.”

Dennis chatted with Argos assistant GM Spencer Zimmerman, who was handed the temporary reins last month when Jim Barker was canned.

Dennis also talked to Tommy Condell, the former Hamilton Tiger-Cats offensive co-ordinator who was brought in as an advisor when head coach Scott Milanovich bolted for the NFL shortly after the Barker news was announced.

Dennis then spoke with president and CEO Michael Copeland, all of them huddled inside the Argos’ free agency war room at their business offices in downtown Toronto.

“Talking to Condell at first, I was feeling comfortable,” Dennis said. “It was after I spoke to Copeland that I was like, you could tell, I mean, I don’t know, I just didn’t feel it.”

He heard about the marketing plan and the city and BMO Field.

He just didn’t hear enough about the football plan.

So, instead of the left side of the Argos’ offensive line, Dennis will now reside in Regina for the next three years.

The trio of Argos that signed elsewhere Tuesday will all now call Ottawa home, with young and talented receivers Kenny Shaw and Diontae Spencer, as well as defensive back A.J. Jefferson all inking deals with the RedBlacks.

Zimmerman, who wouldn’t confirm a 3 Down Nation report that the Argos were close to signing 2016 MOP nominee Ernest Jackson to replace the lost receiver production, didn’t get the sense players were shying away from Toronto because of the uncertainty.

“Not at all,” Zimmerman said. “We’re still in a lot of active talks and we went into today really prioritizing on some guys and like any CFL free agency, some teams are going to pay a little bit more on the front end or not always focus on that long-term approach of having guys around and building continuity. For us, it was a priority.”

Shortly after saying that, the Argos reportedly inked linebacker Winston Venable, adding a big name addition to an opening day free-agent haul that also included former Ticats backup quarterback Jeff Mathews and 25-year-old defensive lineman Jeffrey Finley, a Ste. Catharines, Ont., native.

Here’s a look at all three Argos additions:

WINSTON VENABLE

While this signing was unconfirmed by the club as of late Tuesday night, it’s by far the biggest.

The 29-year-old weakside linebacker played a big role on a stout Montreal Alouettes defence over the the past two seasons, earning CFL all-star status in 2015 and following that up with another terrific campaign in 2016, racking up 88 tackles and seven sacks in 18 games.

The 5-foot-11, 220-pounder’s pact is for two years, with the Montreal Gazette’s Herb Zurkowsky reporting the linebacker will earn $140,000 in 2017, a $60,000 pay cut from what he made with the Als last season.

It’s a fair price for a player who has finished top five in the CFL in tackles in each of the past two years and defensive co-ordinator Rich Stubler, who was in war room providing input Tuesday, was likely smiling.

JEFF MATHEWS

This one is all about the relationship between the quarterback and the offensive co-ordinator.

Or in this case, the special advisor.

Condell has worked with Mathews since their days together at Cornell, where the now-25-year-old quarterback rewrote the Big Red record books.

The sailing hasn’t been quite as smooth in the CFL, however, with Mathews struggling to grab the Ticats backup job, let alone the starting job when Zach Collaros went down.

“I thought that was a big signing for us,” Zimmerman said. “We really view him as an ascending quarterback that has a lot of familiarity with our special advisor on staff (Condell), being at Cornell and being in Hamilton with him. On a two-year term, it allows us to really invest in him and look to develop him.”

The quarterback depth chart now looks like this: Drew Willy, Ricky Ray and Mathews.

Where does that leave Ray?

“Those are going to be ongoing discussions,” Zimmerman said. “Right now, we look at our quarterback depth chart and we’re really excited and pleased.”

JEFFREY FINLEY

Selected in the third round of the 2014 CFL draft, Finley played sparingly in his three seasons with the Alouettes, suiting up in just 20 total games and registering seven tackles on defence.

The 6-foot-3, 260-pound product of the University of Guelph will have an opportunity to carve out a much bigger role in the Argos’ defensive line rotation.

“If you throw on his tape, he flashed as an active guy and he’s very versatile, he has range, he has the ability convert his speed into some power and he’s a leverage player that can actually push the pocket for more of an undersized guy,” Zimmerman said.

smitchell@postmedia.com